Physical Science 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 successfully perform the duties of the position. For this position, specialized experience is experience collecting or evaluating agricultural, biological, or chemical samples; keeping detailed records of experimental data; and operating basic laboratory equipment. OR Education: Successful completion of one full year of study leading to a master’s or equivalent graduate degree. Related degrees may include Agricultural or Environmental Engineering, Agronomy, Chemistry, Physics, or Soil Science. OR A combination of graduate level 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 successfully perform the duties of the position. For this position, specialized experience is experience assisting in one or more phases of the research process; cataloging agricultural, biological, or chemical samples; and operating laboratory equipment to collect data. OR Education: Successful completion of two full years of graduate level education or a master’s degree, if directly related to the position. Related degrees may include Agricultural or Environmental Engineering, Agronomy, Chemistry, Physics, or Soil Science. OR A combination of graduate level education and specialized experience 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 successfully perform the duties of the position. For this position, specialized experience is experience conducting an experiment related to characterization of crops and biological or chemical samples; interpreting and documenting experimental findings; and operating and maintaining laboratory equipment to collect and process experimental data. OR Education: Successful completion of two full years of graduate level education or a master’s degree, if directly related to the position. Related degrees may include Agricultural or Environmental Engineering, Agronomy, Chemistry, Physics, or Soil Science OR A combination of graduate level 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, Agricultural Research Service, Environmentally Integrated Dairy Management Research Unit in Madison, WI. In this position, you will actively participate in one or more phases of the research process related to crops and pesticides by performing a variety of technical duties in a laboratory environment.