Biological Science Technician

Duties Summary

This position is located within the Plant Germplasm Introduction and Testing Research Unit for the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Agricultural Research Service (ARS) in Pullman, WA. In this position, you will assist research leaders and scientists by performing a variety of technical duties in one or more phases of a research project.

Requirements

• GS-07 Specialized Experience: One year of specialized experience comparable to GS-06, directly related to the work, including collecting, preparing, or evaluating plant samples and supporting records; keeping detailed records of experimental data; performing routine and recurring techniques using a variety of specialized equipment.
• OR Education: Successful completion of one full year of graduate level education leading to a Master's or equivalent graduate degree, if directly related. Related degrees may include Genetics, Biology, Molecular Biology, Botany, Plant Pathology, Chemistry, Biochemistry, or Cereal Chemistry.
• OR A combination of graduate level education and specialized experience as described above.
• GS-08 Specialized Experience: One year of specialized experience comparable to GS-07, directly related, including participating in a research project related to plants, genetics, or molecular biology; statistically analyzing or summarizing data; maintaining equipment and automated systems used for test and evaluation procedures.
• OR Education: Two full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a master's or equivalent graduate degree, if directly related. Related degrees may include Genetics, Biology, Molecular Biology, Botany, Plant Pathology, Chemistry, Biochemistry, or Cereal Chemistry.
• OR A combination of education and experience as described above.
• GS-09 Specialized Experience: One year of specialized experience comparable to GS-08, directly related, including setting up and conducting an experiment or research project related to plants or molecular biology; collecting, preparing, and evaluating plant samples for traits or molecular markers and supporting records; summarizing research results for preparation in scientific reports or manuscripts.
• OR Education: Two full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a master's or equivalent graduate degree, if directly related. Related degrees may include Genetics, Biology, Molecular Biology, Botany, Plant Pathology, Chemistry, Biochemistry, or Cereal Chemistry.
• OR A combination of education and 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.

Physical Demands

The work requires some physical exertion, such as regular and recurring walking or bending. In many situations the duration of the activity (such as most of a work day) contributes to the arduous nature of the job. In other situations, there may be special requirements for agility or dexterity such as exceptional hand/eye coordination.

Work Environment

The work involves regular and recurring moderate risks or discomforts which require special safety precautions, e.g., working with contagious diseases or irritant chemicals or working outdoors. The employee is required to use protective clothing such as gowns, coats, boots, goggles, gloves.

About the Agricultural Research Service

Agricultural Research Service is the U.S. Department of Agriculture's chief scientific in-house research agency. Our job is