Job Information
Agricultural Research Service Agricultural Science Technician in Stoneville, Mississippi
Summary This position is located in the Agricultural Research Service (ARS), Field Organization, Southeast Area (SEA), Sustainable Water Management Research Unit located in Stoneville, MS. In this position, you will assist researchers with conservation and sustainability of water resources for agriculture that include water-efficient cropping systems, improving water capture, improving water distribution systems and irrigation efficiencies, and developing water-saving irrigation management options. Responsibilities Collects, prepares, evaluates and verifies samples and supporting records. Maintains records and locates and compiles data and other information from various sources. Install environmental sensors in crop fields and maintain and clean sensors for data collection. Participates as a team member with the scientist in all phases of the research process and assumes full technical and operational responsibility for specific phases of the research. Contributes to the planning of various steps in experiment or project and to interpretation and documentation of findings. Operates and maintains a variety of highly specialized complex equipment which must be calibrated and synchronized to achieve desired results. Performs periodic download of data from field instrumentation, updates data logger programming, and maintains sensor calibrations using portable computers. Facilitate data communication between field instrumentation and computers. Requirements Conditions of Employment 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. GS-07: 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-07 includes one year of specialized experience comparable to GS-06 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 participating in an experiment or research project related to agriculture; collecting or evaluating agricultural samples; and maintaining records of scientific data. OR Education: One full year of study leading to a master's or equivalent graduate degree, if directly related. Related degrees may include agronomy, botany, agriculture, soil science, or plant science. OR A combination of specialized experience and graduate level education as described above. GS-08: 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-08 includes one year of specialized experience comparable to GS-07 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 collecting or evaluating agricultural samples including soil, crops, or water; recording or analyzing scientific data; and operating and maintaining scientific equipment. OR Education: Two full years of graduate level education or a Master's degree, if directly related to the position. Related degrees may include agronomy, botany, agriculture, soil science, or plant science. OR A combination of specialized experience and graduate level education as described above. GS-09: 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-09 includes one year of specialized experience comparable to GS-08 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 planning an experiment or research project related to soil, crops, or water; analyzing agricultural samples including soil, crops, or water for scientific reports; operating and calibrating specialized scientific equipment; and working with controlled environmental plant growth systems. OR Education: Two full years of graduate level education or a Master's degree, if directly related to the position. Related degrees may include agronomy, botany, agriculture, soil science, or plant science. OR A combination of specialized experience and graduate level education 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. Additional Information Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP), Reemployment Priority List (RPL), or Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP): Visit the OPM website for information on how to apply as a CTAP, RPL, or ICTAP eligible. To exercise selection priority for this vacancy, CTAP/RPL/ICTAP candidates must meet the basic eligibility requirements and all selective factors. CTAP/ICTAP candidates must be rated and determined to be well qualified (or above) based on an evaluation of the competencies listed in the How You Will Be Evaluated section. When assessed through a score-based category rating method, CTAP/ICTAP applicants must receive a rating of at least 85 out of a possible 100. Recruitment or Relocation Incentive may be authorized. The final determination to pay an incentive will be made by the hiring official at the time of job offer. If you are selected for a position with further promotion potential, you will be placed under a career development plan, and may be non-competitively promoted if you successfully complete the requirements and if recommended by management. However, promotion is neither implied nor guaranteed. This position may be eligible to telework up to four days per week, based upon the duties of the position. This position may also be eligible for flexible work arrangements as determined by agency policy and any applicable collective bargaining agreements.