Biological Science Laboratory Technician

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 a research project related to plant, soil, or animal science; statistically analyzing or summarizing data; maintaining lab equipment and automated systems; and caring for animals. OR Education: Successful completion of one full year of graduate level education leading to a Master’s or equivalent graduate degree, if directly related to the position. Related degrees may include Animal Science, Dairy Science, Microbiology, or Molecular Biology. OR A combination of graduate education and specialized experience 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 participating in one or more phases of an animal nutrition research process; collecting, evaluating and analyzing animal, animal feed, or nutrient samples; and operating, maintaining, calibrating, or modifying specialized equipment. OR Education: Successful completion of two full years of graduate level education leading to a Master’s or equivalent graduate degree, if directly related to the position. Related degrees may include Animal Science, Dairy Science, Microbiology, or Molecular Biology. OR A combination of graduate 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.
This position is located in the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Agricultural Research Service (ARS), U.S. Dairy Forage Research Center in Madison, Wisconsin. In this position, you will be responsible for participating in one or more phases of the research process by performing a variety of complex technical duties, in a laboratory, field, or greenhouse environment. You will contribute ideas towards the planning and sequencing of the technical aspects of the research.