Duties

• Serve as a research scientist responsible for designing and managing research experiments.
• Serves as a team leader of a research effort focused on the evaluation of live, non-live, and DNA vaccine candidates.
• Lead a research team focused on elucidating host immune response in both peripheral and mucosal compartments after infection or immunization.
• Perform research devoted to the development of vaccines to prevent infection with military relevant pathogens.
• Establish and carry out research program that interprets host immune response to bacterial infections.
• Prepare research proposal packages that support Department of Defense and Army research needs.
• Adapt existing protocols to meet research goals, maintenance, archiving, and distribution of existing monoclonal antibody collection.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

• Appointment may be subject to a suitability or fitness determination, as determined by a completed background investigation.
• Must be able to obtain and maintain Secret Security Clearance.
• Temporary Duty (TDY) Travel may be up to 4%.
• Extended Probationary Period: The length of the probationary period for the Engineers and Scientists Occupational Family will be three years.
• Employees assigned to a medical treatment facility are required to be screened for applicable immunizations or pre-existing immunity based on occupational risk, regardless of job series. This position is subject to immunizations screening.

Qualifications

WRAIR is participating in an alternative personnel system knows as the Personnel Demonstration Project (PDP). The DB-03 pay band is equivalent to the GS-13 Step 01 to GS-14 to Step 10 level. In keeping with the Demonstration pay fixing policies, employees earning a salary that falls within the pay band equivalent, may not receive an immediate pay increase (promotion) if appointed to this position. Future pay increases within the pay band will be accomplished through the pay for performance management system.

Who May Apply: Only applicants who meet one of the employment authority categories below are eligible to apply for this job. You will be asked to identify which category or categories you meet, and to provide documents which prove you meet the category or categories you selected. See Proof of Eligibility for an extensive list of document requirements for all employment authorities.

• Current Department of Army Civilian Employees
• Current Permanent Department of Defense (DOD) Civilian Employee (non-Army)
• Current Term United States Army Medical Research and Development Command Employee
• Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan
• Land Management Workforce Flexibility Act
• Military Spouses, under Executive Order (E.O.) 13473
• Non-Department of Defense (DoD) Transfer
• Priority Placement Program, DoD Military Spouse Preference (MSP) Eligible
• Reinstatement
• Veterans Employment Opportunity Act (VEOA) of 1998

In order to qualify, you must meet the education and/or experience requirements described below. 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). You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. Your resume must clearly describe your relevant experience; if qualifying based on education, your transcripts will be required as part of your application. Additional information about transcripts is in this document .

BASIC REQUIREMENT (if applicable):
A. Degree: Bachelor's degree (or higher degree) in microbiology; or biology, chemistry, or basic medical science that included at least 20 semester hours in microbiology and other subjects related to the study of microorganisms, and 20 semester hours in the physical and mathematical sciences combining course work in organic chemistry or biochemistry, physics, and college algebra, or their equivalent.

OR

B. Combination of Education and Experience: Courses equivalent to a major in microbiology, biology, chemistry, or basic medical science that included courses as shown in A above, plus appropriate experience or additional education.

In addition to meeting the basic requirement above, to qualify for this position you must also meet the qualification requirements listed below:

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

Specialized Experience: One year of specialized experience which includes: 1) Developing vaccines that prevent infection; 2) Evaluating the nature of antigen processing and adjuvanticity; and 3.) Developing models for measuring vaccine potency and efficacy.

This definition of specialized experience is typical of work performed at the next lower grade/level position in the federal service (DB-2/GS-12).

You will be evaluated on the basis of your level of competency in the following areas:

• Project Management
• Research

Education

Some federal jobs allow you to substitute your education for the required experience in order to qualify. In addition it meeting specialized experience you can qualify if your education and/or experience meets the following:

FOREIGN EDUCATION: If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show 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; or full credit has been given for the courses at a U.S. accredited college or university. For further information, visit: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html .

Additional information

• Male applicants born after December 31, 1959, must complete a Pre-Employment Certification Statement for Selective Service Registration.
• You will be required to provide proof of U.S. Citizenship.
• Two year trial/probationary period may be required.
• Direct deposit of pay is required.
• Selection is subject to restrictions resulting from Department of Defense referral system for displaced employees.
• If you have retired from federal service and you are interested in employment as a reemployed annuitant, see the information in the Reemployed Annuitant information sheet.
• This is a Career Program (CP) - 16 - Engineers and Scientist (Non-Construction) position.
• You may claim military spouse preference (MSP).
• If a MSP applicant is determined best qualified and selected, placement must be at the full performance level for priority consideration.
• Multiple positions may be filled from this announcement.
• Salary includes applicable locality pay or Local Market Supplement.
• If you are unable to apply online or need to fax a document you do not have in electronic form, view the following link for information regarding an Alternate Application .
• Payment of Permanent Change of Station (PCS) costs is not authorized, based on a determination that a PCS move is not in the Government interest.
• Due to COVID-19, the agency is currently in an expanded telework posture. If selected, you may be expected to temporarily telework, even if your home is located outside the local commuting area. Once employees are permitted to return to the office, you will be expected to report to the duty station listed on this announcement within a designated time frame identified by the organization. At that time, you may be eligible to request to continue to telework one or more days a pay period depending upon the terms of the agency's telework policy.
• Information may be requested regarding the vaccination status of selectees for the purposes of implementing workplace safety protocols. For more information, visit https://www.saferfederalworkforce.gov/faq/vaccinations/ .