In this position, you will be protecting agriculture, property, natural resources (including rare or special species), and reducing conflicts that jeopardize human health and safety. The overall goal of the position is to develop statistical decision-support tools for the feral swine and wildlife disease management of Wildlife Services.
Learn more about this agency
- You must be a US Citizen or US National.
- Individuals who were born male after 12/31/1959 must be Selective Service registered or exempt.
- Subject to satisfactory adjudication of background investigation and/or fingerprint check.
- Successful completion of one-year probationary period, unless previously served. Refer to the Next Steps section for more information.
- 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/
- Selectee will be subject to a pre-employment medical statement and/or exam.
- All USDA employees are required to be enrolled in Continuous Vetting, which authorizes government agencies to receive notifications of criminal activity on individuals who hold low risk, public trust, or national security positions.
- May be required to receive pre-exposure and post-exposure vaccinations to prevent contacting preventable diseases.
- Work may occasionally be performed in field or captive pen environments.
- May travel occasionally to visit field sites, discuss collaborative research and present findings at conferences and meetings.
Applicants must meet all qualifications and eligibility requirements by the closing date of the announcement, including specialized experience and/or education, as defined below.
BASIC REQUIREMENT for 0401 Series: Degree: biological sciences, agriculture, natural resource management, chemistry, or related disciplines appropriate to the position.
OR Combination of education and experience: Courses equivalent to a major, as shown above, plus appropriate experience or additional education.
BASIC REQUIREMENT for 1529 Series: Degree: that included 24 semester hours of mathematics and statistics, of which at least 12 semester hours were in mathematics and 6 semester hours were in statistics.
OR Combination of education and experience: at least 24 semester hours of mathematics and statistics, including at least 12 hours in mathematics and 6 hours in statistics, as shown above, plus appropriate experience or additional education.
FOR THE GS-12 LEVEL: Applicants must have one year of specialized experience (equivalent to the GS-11 grade level) that demonstrates:
- Communicates technical information both orally and in writing to stakeholders for collaborative development of research or software development projects.
- Develops data pipelines for extracting environmental data (e.g., GIS rasters, satellite imagery/remote sensing, landcover, weather/meteorological data) with automated post-processing for inputs into downstream modeling or visualizations.
- Builds custom statistical (prefer hierarchical statistical models using Bayesian techniques) models or computational biology models, or bioinformatic and phylogenetic workflows using computer programming.
- Develops machine learning or artificial intelligence models for image processing or predicting ecological or epidemiological processes.
- Uses programming languages in at least two data science areas such as: statistics (e.g., C++, python, or R), software or web application development (e.g., JavaScript or HTML), database management (e.g., SQL), managing HPC workflows (e.g., SLURM) or cloud platforms (e.g., AWS, Azure, or GCP).
Note: There is no education substitution for this grade level.
TRANSCRIPTS are required if:
- This position requires specific coursework or a degree in a specific field to be basically qualified.
- You are qualifying for this position based on a combination of experience and education.
- This education must have been successfully completed and obtained from an accredited school, college, or university.
Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional, philanthropic, religious, spiritual, community, student, social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.
Please see above for education qualification requirement information.
- Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP), Reemployment Priority List (RPL), or Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP): Visit the OPM website for information on how to apply as a CTAP, RPL, or ICTAP eligible. To exercise selection priority for this vacancy, CTAP/RPL/ICTAP candidates must meet the basic eligibility requirements and all selective factors. CTAP/ICTAP candidates must be well qualified, which means having knowledge, skills, abilities, and/or competencies that exceed the minimum qualification requirements for this position. CTAP/ICTAP applicants may be required to take a manual assessment and must receive a rating of at least 85 out of a possible 100.
- First time hires to the federal government normally start at the lowest rate of the salary range for the grade selected.
- Travel, transportation, and relocation expenses will not be paid. Any travel, transportation, and relocation expense associated with reporting for duty will be the responsibility of the selected employee.
- Locality pay will vary based upon the selectee's duty location. A final salary determination will be made upon selection.
- Promotion Potential: If you are selected for a position with further promotion potential, you will be placed under a career development plan, and may be non-competitively promoted if you successfully complete the requirements and if recommended by management. However, promotion is neither implied nor guaranteed.
Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.
A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.
Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above. Your application will be reviewed to determine if you meet minimum qualification requirements. Your resume must address experience and education relevant to this position. Applicants who meet the minimum qualification will be referred to the hiring manager for consideration.
Note: If after reviewing your resume and/or supporting documentation, a determination is made that you have inflated your qualifications and or experience you may be found ineligible. Please follow all instructions carefully. Providing inaccurate information on Federal documents could be grounds for non-selection or disciplinary action up to including removal from the Federal service.
To preview the application questionnaire, please visit: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12994347
The following documents are required for your applicant package to be complete. Our office cannot be responsible for incompatible software, your system failure or downtime, etc. Encrypted documents will not be accepted. Failure to submit required, legible documents may result in loss of consideration.
- Resume that includes: 1) personal information such as name, address, contact information; 2) education; 3) detailed work experience related to this position as described in the major duties including work schedule, hours worked per week, dates of employment; title, series, grade (if applicable); 4) other qualifications; and 5) supervisors name and phone number for each work period listed and whether or not they may be contacted for reference checks. Resume cannot exceed two pages. Only one resume will be reviewed.
- If education is required or you are using education to qualify, you must submit a copy of your college transcripts. An unofficial copy is sufficient with the application if it includes your name and the necessary course information; however, if you are selected, you will be required to submit official transcripts prior to entering on duty. Education must have been successfully obtained from an accredited school, college or university. If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show that the education credentials have been evaluated by a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign education programs and such education has been deemed equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program. For further information, visit the following: Foreign Education Evaluation. All transcripts must be in English or include an English translation.
- Although veterans' preference doesn't apply under Direct Hire Authority, applicants are encouraged to provide documentation of their eligibility. If claiming veterans' preference, you must submit a DD214, Certificate of Release from Active Duty, which shows dates of service and discharge under honorable conditions. If currently on active duty you must submit a certification of expected discharge or release from active duty service under honorable conditions within 120 days after the date the certification is submitted. The certification must be on the letterhead of the appropriate military branch and include the dates of military service.
- If claiming 10-point veterans' preference you must provide the DD214 or certification requirements (see above bullet), plus the proof of entitlement of this preference as listed on the SF-15 Application for 10-point Veterans' Preference. The SF-15 should be included but is not required. Failure to submit these documents could result in the determination that there is insufficient documentation to support your claim for 10-point preference. For more information on veterans' preference visit FEDSHIREVETS
- Surplus or displaced employees eligible for CTAP, RPL, or ICTAP priority must provide: proof of eligibility (RIF separation notice, notice of proposed removal for declining a transfer of function or directed reassignment to another commuting area, notice of disability annuity termination), SF-50 documenting separation (as applicable), last performance appraisal that is at least fully successful or its equivalent, and your most recent SF-50 noting position, grade level, and duty location with your application per 5 CFR 330.
- Worker's Compensation Separation: Agency certification of inability to place employee AND Notification of Separation OR Separation SF-50.
- Disability Annuity Termination: Notification from OPM of disability annuity termination AND Separation SF-50 of the last position held. Military Reserve or National Guard Technician Special Disability Retirement Annuity under 5 U.S.C. 8337(h) or 8456: Certification of special disability retirement annuity from a military department or National Guard Bureau AND Separation SF-50 of the last position held.
