This position is located in the Testing Section of the Seed Regulatory and Testing Division, Science and Technology Program and is responsible for administering the Federal Seed Act (FSA), providing service testing of seeds under the Agricultural Marketing Act (AMA), and conducting activities to promote uniformity in seed testing.
Applicants must meet all qualifications and eligibility requirements by the closing date of the announcement, including specialized experience and/or education, as defined below. FOR THE GS-04 LEVEL: Applicants must have 6 months of general experience and 6 months of specialized experience (equivalent to the GS-03 level) that may have been obtained in the private or public (local, county, state, Federal) sectors which demonstrates: Entering, locating, and retrieving information utilizing a computer, electronic spreadsheets, and/ or databases. Following established procedures or oral instructions to collect a specified amount, quantity, and type of sample or take measurements. Operating laboratory equipment such as microscopes, balances and thermometers. Preparing, analyzing, and recording data on submitted samples in a laboratory setting. OR Successful completion of 2 years of study that included at least 12 semester hours in any combination of courses such as biology, chemistry, statistics, entomology, animal husbandry, botany, physics, agriculture, or mathematics. At least 6 semester hours of courses must be directly related to the position to be filled. Equivalent combinations of education and experience are qualifying for this grade level. TRANSCRIPTS are required if: You are qualifying for the position based on education. You are qualifying for this position based on a combination of experience and education. This education must have been successfully completed and obtained from an accredited school, college, or university. COMBINATION OF EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE AT THE GS-04 GRADE LEVEL: Applicants may have combinations of successfully completed education and specialized experience to meet total qualification requirements. The total percentages must equal at least 100 percent to qualify for that grade level. 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.
The duties described are for the full-performance level. At developmental grade levels, assignments will be of more limited scope, performed with less independence and limited complexity.
The duties may include, but are not limited to:
Logs service samples into the Labworks database.
Mixes and divides seed samples to obtain proper amounts of representative portions of seed required for testing.
Conducts testing for purity, germination, and noxious weed seed examinations according to specified rules.
Operates and monitors laboratory equipment including germination chambers, dividers, balances, microscopes, seed examination stations, photography equipment, and other laboratory equipment as needed.
Generates laboratory Certificates of Analysis and mails them to customers.