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Interdisciplinary Biologist/Microbiologist

Employer
USAJobs
Location
Fort Belvoir, Virginia
Closing date
Oct 21, 2020
Duties

Summary

This position is part of the Defense Threat Reduction Agency. The incumbent will be responsible for serving as the Strategic Trends Division's (SI-STT) biological subject matter expert (SME) responsible for detailed analysis on highly technical biological matters including biological weapons, biotechnology, biosecurity, biodefense, microbiology, virology, genomics, immunology, and technical processes involving the weaponization of biological materials.
Learn more about this agency

Responsibilities

As a Interdisciplinary Biologist/Microbiologist at the GS-0401/0403-13/14 some of your typical work assignments may include:
  • Focuses on emerging threats and technology in the biological arena and from state and non-state actors, with a predominant focus on microbiology, virology and immunology.
  • Expertly conducts technical analysis in support of strategic trends initiatives, including generating strategic threat assessments, biotechnology forecasts and other analytical products.
  • Characterizes the emerging battlespace relative to anticipated changes in the WMD threat terrain and its supporting networks, the evolution of the operational environment, and/or anticipated mission impacts due to the realization of specific high priority or high consequence biological threats.
  • Generates sound, actionable, and intelligence-informed analytical forecasts of emerging biological trends and their impact on the Department, the Interagency and National Security concerns.
  • Analyzes, and articulates CWMD strategies at the tactical (local), operational (regional) and strategic (international) levels of warfare. Serves as a representative of the Agency for interaction within the Department of Defense (DoD), the Interagency, and other International partner entities on strategic threat trends matters.
  • Expertly reviews research white papers, proposals, and reporting in support of the Strategic Trends Research Initiative (STRI) to ensure accuracy and realism in the research portfolio.


Travel Required

Occasional travel - You may be expected to travel for this position up to 15% of the time.

Supervisory status
No

Promotion Potential
14

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

  • Must be a U.S. citizen
  • Males born after 12-31-59 must be registered for Selective Service
  • Resume and supporting documents (See How To Apply)
  • Suitable for Federal employment, determined by a background investigation
  • May be required to successfully complete a probationary period
  • Work Schedule: Full Time
  • Overtime/Compensatory Time: Occasionally
  • Tour of Duty: Flexible
  • Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
  • Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA): Exempt
  • Financial Disclosure: Not Required
  • Telework Eligibility: This position is telework eligible
  • Must be able to obtain and maintain a TOP SECRET/SCI security clearance
  • Subject to pre-employment drug testing and periodic drug testing thereafter


Qualifications

You may qualify at the GS-13, if you fulfill the following qualifications:

A. One year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-12 grade level in the Federal service:
  • Assisting with the performance of research/development, production, storage, or threat mitigation in the areas of biological weapons, microbiology, virology, immunology, genomics
You may qualify at the GS-14, if you fulfill the following qualifications:

A. One year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-13 grade level in the Federal service:
  • Performing research/development in biological weapons, microbiology, virology, immunology, or genomics
  • Participating in the production, storage, or threat mitigation of biotechnology
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, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

In addition to meeting qualifications, your application package must reflect the applicable experience to meet the Individual Occupational Requirements for the 0401 OR 0403 series.

Individual Occupational Requirements, 0401

Basic Requirements

  • 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 in A above, plus appropriate experience or additional education.
    https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/0400/general-natural-resources-management-and-biological-sciences-series-0401/


  • Individual Occupational Requirements, 0403

    Basic Requirements

  • Degree: 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
  • 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.
    https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/0400/microbiology-series-0403/
  • *NOTE: Failure to provide transcripts will result in you being rated ineligible for this position.

    Education

    Substitution of education may not be used in lieu of specialized experience for this grade level.

    ARE YOU USING YOUR EDUCATION TO QUALIFY? You MUST provide transcripts or other documentation to support your educational claims. Unless otherwise stated: (1) unofficial transcripts are acceptable at time of application, or (2) If you are serviced by the office filling this position and your transcripts are on file in your official personnel folder, you are not required to submit. However, it is your responsibility to ensure transcripts are on file.

    All materials must be submitted by the closing date of the announcement.

    GRADUATE EDUCATION: One academic year of graduate education is considered to be the number of credits hours that your graduate school has determined to represent one academic year of full-time study. Such study may have been performed on a full-time or part-time basis. If you cannot obtain your graduate school's definition of one year of graduate study, 18 semester hours (or 27 quarter hours) should be considered as satisfying the requirement for one year of full-time graduate study.

    FOREIGN EDUCATION: 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; or full credit has been given for the courses at a U.S. accredited college or university. For further information, visit: Foreign Education

    Additional information

    Veterans Employment Opportunity Act (VEOA): To be eligible for a VEOA appointment under Merit Promotion procedures, the veteran must be a preference eligible or a veteran separated after 3 years or more of continuous active service performed under honorable conditions.

    Interagency Career Transition Assistance Programs: This program applies to employees who have been involuntarily separated from a Federal service position within the competitive service or Federal service employees whose positions have been deemed surplus or no longer needed. To receive selection priority for this position, you must: 1) meet ICTAP eligibility criteria; 2) be rated well-qualified for the position; Well qualified is defined as possessing the type and quality of experience that exceeds the positions minimum qualifications. and 3) submit the appropriate documentation to support your ICTAP eligibility. For more information: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/workforce-restructuring/employee-guide-to-career-transition/ .

    Noncompetitive Appointment Authorities: For more information on noncompetitive appointment authority eligibility requirements:
    Persons with Disabilities - Schedule A
    Special Hiring Authority for Veterans
    Special Hiring Authority for Certain Military Spouses
    Other Special Appointment Authorities
    Males born after 12-31-59 must be registered or exempt from Selective Service (see https://www.sss.gov/RegVer/wfRegistration.aspx

    The selecting official may choose to conduct interviews, and once the selection is made, you will receive a notification of the decision.
    NOTE: Declining to be interviewed or failure to report for a scheduled interview will be considered as a declination for further consideration for employment against this vacancy.

    Selective Service Requirement: Please visit http://www.sss.gov for more information.

    For more information, please visit

    https://www.dla.mil/Portals/104/Documents/Careers/downloads/DoDGenAppInfo.pdf

    Other Notes:

    Re-employed Annuitant: This position does not meet criteria for re-employed annuitant. The DoD criteria for hiring Re-employed Annuitants can be found at:
    http://www.esd.whs.mil/Portals/54/Documents/DD/issuances/140025/1400.25-V300.pdf

    Status candidates must meet time-in-grade requirements (52 weeks at the next lower grade level).


    How You Will Be Evaluated

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

    Once the application process is complete, your resume and supporting documentation will be used to determine whether you meet the job qualifications listed on this announcement. If you are minimally qualified for this job, your resume and supporting documentation will be compared to your responses on the Occupational Questionnaire. If you rate yourself higher than is supported by your application materials, your responses may be adjusted and/or you may be excluded from consideration for this job If you are found to be among the top candidates, you will be referred to the selecting official for employment consideration. Your qualifications will be evaluated on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities and other characteristics):

    Competencies:
    • Analysis of Complex Biological Trends
    • Analysis of Foreign State and Non-state Programs Using Intelligence Resources and Publicly-available Data
    • Design and Execution of Multi-year Research Projects


    Military Spouse Preference: If you are entitled to military spouse preference, in order to receive this preference you must choose the spousal eligibility in your application package referencing MSP Military Spouse Preference. Your preference entitlement will be verified by the employing agency. To claim Military Spouse Preference (MSP) please complete the Military Spouse PPP Self-Certification Checklist , save the document and attach it to your application package.

    Background checks and security clearance

    Security clearance
    Sensitive Compartmented Information

    Drug test required
    Yes

    Position sensitivity and risk
    Special-Sensitive (SS)/High Risk

    Trust determination process
    Suitability/Fitness

    Required Documents

    The documents you are required to submit vary based on the authority you are using to apply (i.e., applying as a veteran, applying as a current permanent Federal employee, applying as a reinstatement, etc). Your complete application includes your COMPLETE resume, your responses to the online questionnaire, and documents which prove your eligibility to apply. If you fail to provide these documents, you will be marked as having an incomplete application package and you will not be considered any further.

    The following documents are REQUIRED

    1. Your resume:
    • Your resume may be submitted in any format. It must include your name and contact information and support the specialized experience described in this announcement.
    • For qualifications determinations your resume must contain the number of hours worked per week and the dates of employment (i.e.," HRS per week and month/year" or "HRS per week and month/year to present").
    • For additional information see: What to include in your resume.
    2. Transcripts
    • This position has a degree or education requirement so you are required to submit a copy of your transcript
    • College transcript(s), required if qualifying based on education. We accept unofficial transcripts, as long as they contain your name, the name of the school, the date and degree that was awarded, and the lists of classes and credits earned.

    3. Veteran's Documents
    • If applying using veteran's preference or under a Veteran's hiring authority you must submit the following documents:
    • DD214 showing character of service, SF-15 Form and VA letter showing final percentage, or certification of expected discharge or release from active duty.
    PLEASE REVIEW THE BELOW LINK FOR OTHER SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS needed for proof of eligibility:
    https://www.dla.mil/Portals/104/Documents/Careers/downloads/FourthEstateRequiredSupportingDocumentation%205-4-2020.pdf?ver=2020-05-07-140551-783

    If you are claiming Military Spouse Preference, you must submit supporting documents with your application package. These documents must provide acceptable information to verify: you reside within the commuting area of your sponsor's permanent duty station (PDS); proof of marriage to the active duty sponsor, proof of military member's active duty status, and other documentation required by the vacancy announcement to which you are applying; and must meet all pre-employment criteria and be eligible for immediate noncompetitive appointment to a position in the competitive service. Documentation required: Marriage Certificate or License, Signed Self-Certification Checklist, Veterans' Preference documentation (e.g., DD-214, VA Letter, Statement of Service, if applicable), Transcripts (if applicable). Additional documentation required if previously held a federal position: SF-50s (e.g., LWOP, highest grade held, overseas appointments, etc.), SF-75 Information, and documentation of performance rating of record (dated within the last 12 months)

    If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:

    Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education .

    Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.

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