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Research Geneticist/Molecular Biologist/Microbiologist

Department of Agriculture
Agricultural Research Service
Cell Wall Biology and Utilization Research Unit
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Summary

The incumbent will be assigned to the US Dairy Forage Research Center located in Madison, Wisconsin. The incumbent will investigate the microbial organisms in the cattle rumen that are responsible for methane emission.The research is expected to advance our understanding of the microbial protein coding genes contributing to methane production in dairy cattle.

Overview

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Reviewing applications
Open & closing dates
06/18/2024 to 01/21/2025
Salary
$72,553 to - $113,047 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 11 - 12
Location
1 vacancy in the following location:
Madison, WI
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Travel Required
Occasional travel - You may be expected to travel for this position.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Temporary
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Excepted
Promotion potential
12
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Other
Drug test
No
Position sensitivity and risk
Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk
Trust determination process
Announcement number
RA-24MWA-H-12438633-JML
Control number
796294300

Videos

Duties

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  • The incumbent will participate as a team member to purify and enrich functional microbial organism in the rumen from dairy cattle with different metabolic profiles.
  • The incumbent will develop molecular wet-lab protocols for downstream, single cell transcriptome sequencing microbes using both long- and short-read sequencing technologies.
  • The incumbent will participate as a team member to perform microbial transcriptome assembly and annotation.
  • The incumbent will perform comparative transcriptome analysis to identify microbial protein coding genes responsible for varied host metabolic output.
  • The incumbent is responsible for identifying research needs, developing hypotheses-, objectives, appropriate methodology, and for the analysis and interpretation of the results in the forms of manuscripts and conference presentations.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • Males born after 12/31/1959 must be Selective Service registered or exempt
  • Subject to satisfactory adjudication of background investigation and/or fingerprint check
  • Direct Deposit: Per Public Law 104-134 all Federal employees are required to have federal payments made by direct deposit to their financial institution
  • Successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, visit E-Verify at https://www.e-verify.gov/
  • Appropriations Law and Immigration Law requirements must be met

Qualifications

This position requires a recent Ph.D in microbiology, biochemistry, molecular biology, genetics, or related field. Knowledge of the current methods used in microbiology and molecular biology, including techniques used in biochemistry and bacteriology is highly desirable to perform the duties and responsibilities of the position. Knowledge of genomics and bioinformatics and prior experience with transcriptome sequencing technologies is preferred.


Applicants must meet basic Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Qualification Standard's requirements of the scientific discipline necessary to perform the duties and responsibilities of the position.

Education

This position has a positive education requirement. You must submit a copy of your academic transcripts OR a list of college courses with credit hours, dates completed, and grades received to verify education when applying for this position. If this information is not provided, your education may not be appropriately evaluated and you may lose consideration for this position. If you are selected for this position, you will have to provide an official copy of your transcripts prior to entering on duty. Application materials will not be returned.

A Ph.D. is required that was obtained within the last four years.

Additional information

Recruitment or Relocation Incentive may be authorized. Final determination to pay an incentive will be made by the hiring official at time of job offer.

This position may be eligible to telework up to four days per week, based upon the duties of the position. This position may also be eligible for flexible work arrangements as determined by agency policy and any applicable collective bargaining agreements.

How you will be evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

Your application will be evaluated to determine if you meet eligibility and minimum qualification requirements, and on the extent to which your application shows that you possess the knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) associated with the position as defined above under "Qualifications".

Note: If, after reviewing your resume and/or supporting documentation, a determination is made that you have inflated your qualifications and or experience, your score may be adjusted to more accurately reflect your abilities, or you may be found ineligible. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your rating. Providing inaccurate information on Federal documents could be grounds for non-selection or disciplinary action up to including removal from the Federal service.

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