Entomologist

This position is located in the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Agricultural Research Service (ARS), Plains Area in Manhattan, Kansas. In this position, you will perform a wide range of duties involved in the operations, maintenance of colonies of midges, mosquitos, house flies, and other insects as needed, and provide insects of the proper species, developmental stage and quality for research projects.

Major duties

• Provides expertise concerning the activities of the insectary operations.
• Maintains colonies of midges, mosquitos, house flies, and other insects.
• Assesses quality of the colonies, troubleshoots issues with colonies, and makes sure that production levels match demand for material.
• Develops new colonies of different arthropod species and strains as needed to meet changing research needs which includes developing new protocols as needed for the particular species.
• Maintains equipment and instrumentation in top working condition, performing routine preventative maintenance and minor repairs, and promptly reporting signs of malfunction or need for major repairs.
• Regularly reviews pertinent scientific literature and selects methods and procedures most appropriate for the rearing of insect colonies and meeting research goals.
• Documents findings from conducted experiments and provides input into data and information used in scientific reports and manuscripts.

Qualifications

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 Requirements Degree: entomology; or a related discipline of the biological or physical sciences that included at least 16 semester hours in entomology. OR Combination of education and experience: courses equivalent to a major that included course work as shown above, plus appropriate experience or additional education. In addition to the basic requirements above, all applicants must also meet the following minimum qualification requirements: GS-11 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: Qualifying experience for GS-11 includes one year of specialized experience comparable to GS-09 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 breeding mosquitos, midges, or other insects for research projects; analyzing and compiling research data for scientific reports and manuscripts; and providing informal instruction to employees regarding insect species kept in culture. OR Education: Successful completion of 3 years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. degree or Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree. Related degrees may include entomology, biology, ecology, or microbiology. OR A combination of education and specialized experience as described above. 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

Please see above for education qualification requirement information.

Requirements

You must be a US Citizen or US National. Males born after 12/31/1959 must be Selective Service registered or exempt. Subject to satisfactory adjudication of background investigation and/or fingerprint check. 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 https://www.e-verify.gov/. As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary period unless previous federal service is creditable. During this time your employment will be evaluated, and we may consider: your performance and conduct, the needs and interests of the agency, whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government, and whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service. Upon completion of your probationary period your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest. Supervisory Responsibilities (EEO Statement). Motor vehicle or commercial driver's license required. Must be able to pass a minimal security background investigation.