Horticulturist Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service -
Geneva, NY
Find Solutions to Agricultural Problems that Affect Americans Every Day, From Field to Table
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The incumbent directs curatorial and service activities associated with grape, apple, and tart cherry germplasm collections in the USDA-ARS-Plant Genetic Resources Unit (PGRU) in Geneva, New York. Performs curatorial and horticultural work to maintain, enhance, develop, and promote the use of these collections for the future varietal improvement of grapes, apples, and tart cherries.
The main mission of PGRU is to acquire, maintain, characterize, evaluate and distribute the genetic resources of crops, including genetic stocks, cultivars, wild and weedy relatives, land races and wild species for research and crop improvement.
Duties
Additional Duty Location Info:
1 vacancy - Geneva, NY
The incumbent directs service activities associated with Grape, Apple, and Tart Cherry germplasm collections at PGRU. These activities are coordinated closely with: 1) the ARS Germplasm Unit in Davis, California that also maintains collections of Vitis and Prunus ; 2) the ARS National Center for Genetic Resources Preservation (NCGRP) in Ft. Collins, Colorado to back-up collections in the form of seed and cryopreserved buds; and 3) the APHIS Plant Germplasm Quarantine Office in Beltsville where new collections from explorations and exchange are held in quarantine until released to PGRU.
The incumbent performs the following functions:
preserves the grape, apple, and tart cherry genetic resources as plants in the field, screen houses, greenhouses, in-vitro culture and in cryopreserved form, as well as by seed and pollen;
develops and/or modifies propagation techniques and procedures to improve and meet future needs of clonal repository functions;
develops protocols and strategies for acquiring new germplasm to fill key genetic gaps in the collection's composition;
serves as an advocate and spokesperson for the assigned crops in germplasm issues;
assumes a prominent and active role in professional societies and organizations to promote conservation and utilization of grape, apple, and tart cherry germplasm;
accommodates long and short term scientific visits by domestic and international researchers;
ensures that proper documentation is obtained for plant distributions or requests by working with domestic and foreign plant inspectors and quarantine officers;
coordinates with the Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN) personnel to enter and disseminate information regarding the national working collections; and
provides direct supervision and training for permanent as well as temporary personnel as assigned.
Working Conditions and Other Considerations:
The work requires normal safety precautions typical of offices and meeting rooms, laboratories, greenhouses and field settings. This position requires periodic domestic and international travel to fulfill the position's responsibilities. The travel requirement may include germplasm collection in countries which lack highly developed physical infrastructure.
Qualifications and Evaluations
QUALIFICATIONS REQUIRED:
Your education and experience will be evaluated against all qualification requirements (basic and any additional requirements) listed below.
Basic Requirements: A. Degree: horticulture; or a related discipline of basic plant science that included at least 30 semester hours in the basic plant sciences, of which at least 16 semester hours were in horticultural subjects such as those dealing with the breeding, care, management, production, and post harvest handling of horticultural crops.
OR
B. Combination of education and experience--courses equivalent to a major in horticulture or a related discipline of basic plant science that included course work as shown in A above, plus appropriate experience or additional 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 grade point average or class ranking 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.
Additional Requirements: GS-11: One year of specialized experience equivalent to at least a GS-09 level in the Federal service or three full years of progressively higher level graduate education, Ph.D., or equivalent doctoral degree.
GS-12: One year of specialized experience equivalent to at least a GS-11 level in the Federal service.
GS-13: One year of specialized experience equivalent to at least a GS-12 level in the Federal service
Specialized Experience is experience directly related to the position to be filled. The specialized experience requirements for this position are:
1. Knowledge of the principles, theories, practices and techniques of horticulture, genetics, and/or plant breeding.
2. Knowledge of the techniques to perform the full range of duties involved with the acquisition, maintenance, distribution, characterization, evaluation, and enhancement of grape, apple, and tart cherry germplasm.
3. Knowledge of and skill in experimental design; computer-based data handling and analysis; and data interpretation.
4. Ability to effectively communicate research investigations and curatorial activities, both orally and in writing.
Applicants must address the specialized experience requirements in their resume (or application documents). Applications that do not reflect the specialized experience requirements will not be deemed qualified.
Time-In-Grade Restrictions apply for all candidates considered under Merit Promotion/Alternative Merit Promotion.
Qualification requirements must be met by the closing date of this vacancy announcement.
Education:
Graduate education must be directly related to the work of the position and must have equipped you with the knowledge, skills and abilities necessary to do the work.
Education completed in foreign colleges or universities may be used to meet the above requirements if you can show that the foreign education is comparable to that received in an accredited educational institution in the United States. It is your responsibility to provide such evidence when applying. Please visit the Office of Personnel Management's website at http://www.opm.gov/qualifications/SEC-II/s2-e4.htm#e4a for additional information on this topic.
HOW YOU WILL BE EVALUATED:
You will be evaluated to determine if you meet the basic and any additional requirements. The Agricultural Research Service uses a category rating process. Based on evaluation of all written materials submitted in application for the position, you will be determined to be Ineligible, if you do not meet eligibility and/or minimum qualifications criteria; Eligible, if you meet all eligibility and minimum qualifications criteria; OR Quality, if you meet quality criteria in addition to eligibility and minimum qualifications criteria.
Benefits and Other Info
BENEFITS:
A Benefits Package is authorized for this position. Additional information about Federal benefits can be obtained at http://www.usajobs.gov/ei/benefits.asp#icc .
OTHER INFORMATION: Veteran's Preference: For further details, call the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) at 703-724-1850 or TDD 978-461-8404. Select General Information on the Federal Employment Policies and Procedures, and then Veteran's Preference and Special Appointing Authorities for Veterans. Visit their VetGuide website at http://www.opm.gov/veterans/html/vetguide.asp .
Veterans Employment Opportunities Act of 1998 (VEOA): Qualified candidates eligible under the Veterans Employment Opportunities Act of 1998 (VEOA), a special hiring authority, will be considered. VEOA eligibles are preference eligibles or veterans who have been separated from the armed forces under honorable conditions after 3 years or more of active service. Veterans who are released under honorable conditions shortly before completing a 3-year tour are also eligible.
Creditable Service: Service credit for annual leave accrual may be granted for directly related non-Federal work experience or uniformed service for newly appointed individuals, or those individuals reappointed after a break in service from civilian Federal employment of at least 90 calendar days. The amount of non-Federal service to be credited will be based on the amount of directly related and documented experience that the selectee possesses as documented by the employee and which is approved by agency management.
Relocation Expenses: Payment of relocation expenses will be determined in accordance with P&P 412.5, Recruitment and Retention Incentives and Other Special Pay, Sections 6 and 7, as amended by Bulletins 03-402 and 05-412.5, which may be found at http://www.afm.ars.usda.gov/ppweb/Bulletins/05-412-5.pdf . See also http://www.afm.ars.usda.gov/hrd/staffing_recruit/reloweb.htm .
Financial Disclosure Requirement: Federal employees are subject to prohibitions against officially dealing with outside organizations in which they have a financial interest. You may be required to submit a financial disclosure report if hired for this position.
False statements: If you make a false statement in any part of your application, you may not be hired; may be fired after beginning work; or may be fined or jailed.
Optional Form 306, (Declaration for Federal Employment ): If you are selected for this position, you will be required to complete this form before an offer may be made.
Displaced/Surplus Employees: Individuals eligible under the USDA Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP) or the Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP) must be well qualified for the position to receive consideration for special priority selection. CTAP and ICTAP eligibles within the local commuting area will be considered well qualified if that applicant meets the qualification standard and eligibility requirements for the position, meets minimum education and experience requirements, meets all selective factors where applicable and is able to satisfactorily perform the duties of the position upon entry. Employees seeking CTAP/ICTAP eligibility must submit a copy of the agency notice, a copy of their most recent performance rating and a copy of their most recent SF-50 noting current position, grade level and duty location. Please annotate your application to reflect that you are applying as a CTAP or ICTAP eligible. Additional information on CTAP and ICTAP is available at http://www.opm.gov/ctap/index.asp .
Selective Service System:
Males over age 18 who were born after December 31, 1959 , must have registered with the Selective Service System (or have an exemption) to be eligible for Federal employment.
ARS Reasonable Accommodation Contact Information:
If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process, or have questions regarding reasonable accommodation and/or accessibility for any part of the application and hiring process, please contact the Disability Program Manager on 202-720-6161 or through the DC Relay Service on 202-855-1234 (TDD).
How To Apply
HOW TO APPLY:
Applications may be mailed, faxed, or e-mailed to the appropriate address and/or facsimile number and must be received by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Standard Time on the closing date.
If sending your application as an attachment to an email, do not send zipped files. They will be removed in accordance with standard electronic security procedures.
If hand delivered, be sure your application is received in the Human Resources Division on or before closing date.
If application packages do not contain all of the requested information, you may lose consideration for the job. To help you ensure your application fully outlines your qualifications and eligibility for this position, please submit the following documentation as appropriate. Some of the items listed may not apply to you. NOTE: Applications received in postage paid government envelopes will not be considered.
WHAT TO EXPECT NEXT:
You will be notified at four stages throughout the hiring process - upon receipt of your application, if you meet the minimum qualifications, if you are referred on the selection certificate, and when a final selection has been made.
usajobs.gov - 2 years ago
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