Videos Duties HelpDuties Summary The following position is located in the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Agricultural Research Service (ARS), Tropical Crops and Germplasm Research, in Mayaguez, Puerto Rico. Learn more about this agency Responsibilities The incumbent is responsible for providing day-to-day technical support in the establishment, maintenance, harvest and data gathering (characterizing/evaluating) in plant collections and experiments in greenhouses, laboratories and field trials. Major Duties may include, but are not limited to: Participates in the establishment, maintenance, harvest and data collecting from tree fruit/germplasm collections and field experiments, including planting, fertilization, irrigation, harvesting, pruning, grafting, treatment applications, soil and tissue sampling, and pesticide and herbicide preparation and spraying. Operates field equipment such as balances, sprayers, mowers, light tractors, all terrain vehicles, trucks, and irrigation pumps/equipment Maintaining germplasm accessions using various techniques, including seeding, cutting, divisions, air-layering, and grafting. Identifying and reporting on the causes of plant biotic and abiotic stresses Maintaining stocks of supplies and materials used for an experiment Using hand-held electronic data collecting device (tablet) to download and maintain data from greenhouse or field experience. Using a global positioning device (GPS) to collect data for greenhouse or field experiments. Using spreadsheet or data software programs to sort data in tabulated forms. Travel Required Not required Supervisory status No Promotion Potential 06 Job family (Series) 0404 Biological Science Technician Requirements HelpRequirements Conditions of Employment Satisfactory background investigation and/or fingerprint check You must be a US Citizen or National Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959 Successful completion of a one year probationary period Applicants must have and maintain a valid state driver's license Applicants must have or acquire a pesticide applicators license within 90 days of EOD Applicants must be able to communicate in both English and Spanish Qualifications Applicants must meet all qualifications and eligibility requirements by the closing date of the announcement including the following specialized experience and/or education, as identified below. Specialized Experience : Specialized experience is experience directly related to the position to be filled. Specialized experience must be described for each grade level advertised. The specialized experience requirements for this position are: At the GS-05: Qualifying experience for GS-05 includes one year of specialized experience comparable to GS-4 which is directly related to the work of this position and which has equipped the applicant with the knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position. For this position, specialized experience is experience assisting in agricultural science research in a greenhouse or field environment by preparing and maintaining plots, operating field equipment, and gathering data from plant collections. OR Education Substitution: Successful completion of a full 4-year course of study leading to a bachelors degree with major study or at least 24 semester hours in any combination of scientific or technical courses such as biology, chemistry, statistics, entomology, animal husbandry, botany, physics, agriculture, or mathematics At least 6 semester hours of courses must have been directly related to the position to be filled. Related courses include, crop mineral nutrition, soil science, agronomy, crop production, plant physiology, plant propagation, or horticulture. OR A combination of education and experience as described above. At the GS-06 Qualifying experience for GS-06 includes one year of specialized experience comparable to GS-5 which is directly related to the work of this position and which has equipped the applicant with the knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position. For this position, specialized experience is experience providing technical support for an agricultural science research project in a greenhouse or field environment by preparing, and maintaining plots, operating field equipment, and gathering and evaluating data from plant germplasm collections. OR Education Substitution: Successful completion of one year of directly related graduate education. Related degrees may include agronomy or horticulture. OR An appropriate combination of specialized experience and graduate level education directly related to the work of the position as stated above. For example 6 months of specialized experience combined with 9 credit hours of relevant graduate level coursework. AND Selective Placement Factor(s): In addition to the specialized experience requirement listed above, this position has a selective placement factor(s): Applicants must be able to communicate in both English and Spanish. If SPF experience is not documented in your resume, you will not receive further consideration under this announcement. For more information on the qualifications for this position, click here: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/urlGroup-Standards 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. Education SDL2017
