- Position Title
- Agronomist
- Agency
- Agricultural Research Service
- Announcement Number
- ARS-S25Y-12659147-AD Opens in new window
- Open Period
- Tuesday, January 7, 2025 to Tuesday, January 21, 2025
For preview purposes only. To apply, please return to the USAJOBS announcement and click the Apply button.
Eligibilities
PLEASE READ THE FOLLOWING ELIGIBILITY QUESTIONS CAREFULLY. Your answers will be used to determine your eligibility to apply to this job opportunity announcement. You will be considered under the eligibility option(s) to which you answer YES. Select YES to all eligibility options for which you want to be considered. If you respond NO to meeting the criteria for all the eligibilities, you will not be considered for those eligibilities.
NOTE: You must submit the required supporting documentation to receive consideration for EACH selected eligibility. Failure to provide the required documents will result in an ineligible rating and your application will be excluded from consideration.
NOTE: You must submit the required supporting documentation to receive consideration for EACH selected eligibility. Failure to provide the required documents will result in an ineligible rating and your application will be excluded from consideration.
1.
Do you claim Veterans’ Preference?
2.
Are you a current USDA employee who meets the definition of a "surplus" or "displaced" employee, in which received official notice that your job is no longer needed or that you will lose your job by Reduction-in-Force (RIF)? If yes, confirm:
• you are located in the same local commuting area as the vacancy; AND,
• you are applying to a position that is at or below the grade level of the position from which you will be separated; AND,
• you are applying to a position that does not have greater promotion potential than the position from which you will be separated; AND,
• your last performance rating of record is at least fully successful or the equivalent.
For more information, review the USAJOBS Help Center.
• you are located in the same local commuting area as the vacancy; AND,
• you are applying to a position that is at or below the grade level of the position from which you will be separated; AND,
• you are applying to a position that does not have greater promotion potential than the position from which you will be separated; AND,
• your last performance rating of record is at least fully successful or the equivalent.
For more information, review the USAJOBS Help Center.
3.
Are you a current or former federal employee displaced from a position in a Federal agency other than USDA? If yes, confirm:
• you are located in the same local commuting area as the vacancy; AND,
• you are applying to a position that is at or below the grade level of the position from which you were or will be separated; AND,
• you are applying to a position that does not have greater promotion potential than the position from which you were or will be separated; AND,
• your last performance rating of record is at least fully successful or the equivalent.
For more information, review the USAJOBS Help Center.
• you are located in the same local commuting area as the vacancy; AND,
• you are applying to a position that is at or below the grade level of the position from which you were or will be separated; AND,
• you are applying to a position that does not have greater promotion potential than the position from which you were or will be separated; AND,
• your last performance rating of record is at least fully successful or the equivalent.
For more information, review the USAJOBS Help Center.
4.
Have you registered for reemployment consideration AND meet one of the below:
• Are you a current or former competitive service USDA employee who will be or was separated by Reduction-In-Force (RIF) and received a rating of satisfactory or above as your last annual performance rating?
OR
• Are you a former USDA competitive service employee who separated due to a compensable injury or disability?
• Are you a current or former competitive service USDA employee who will be or was separated by Reduction-In-Force (RIF) and received a rating of satisfactory or above as your last annual performance rating?
OR
• Are you a former USDA competitive service employee who separated due to a compensable injury or disability?
Assessment 1
Your responses to the questions below will be used in the evaluation of your qualifications for this position. Your resume and application materials must support the level of experience and/or education you claim in this questionnaire. If, after a complete review of your application package, a determination is made that you have overstated your qualifications, you may be rated ineligible for this position.
1.
This position requires applicants to meet a Basic Education Requirement in addition to at least one year of specialized experience in order to be found minimally qualified for the GS- 0471 Agronomy Series. Please select the description below that best describes your education experience. Your transcript(s) must support the response you selected.
2.
From the choices below, please select the response that best describes how your experience meets the minimum qualification requirements for this position at the GS-11 level. Your resume must clearly support the response you select or you will be rated as not qualified.
Select the one statement that most accurately describes your training and experience carrying out each task using the scale provided.
3.
Develop and release commercial crop cultivars and germplasm with improved agronomic traits, adaptability, stress tolerance, and genetic diversity.
4.
Phenotype crop germplasm for quality traits including juice quality and plant defense responses to biotic and abiotic stresses, and yield stability.
5.
Determine proper experimental approach in setting up field variety trial experiments.
6.
Support experiments at field sites, including on-and off-station tests aimed at increasing yield stability.
7.
Initiate and maintain plants in field and greenhouse experiments and to identify superior varieties through visual selection, and phenotyping in controlled studies.
8.
Apply breeding/agronomic methods to multi-year experiments.
9.
I have experience in the following field duties (select all that apply):
Select the one statement that most accurately describes your training and experience carrying out each task using the scale provided.
10.
Provide both logistical and data management support to scientist in the design of various experiments and the management of data collected from breeding trials.
11.
Ensure data is entered and resulting output is available for further analyses.
12.
Maintain official field and laboratory notebooks, recording methods and procedures used.
13.
Participate in the development of new protocols and the modification of existing ones to improve research efficiency and accuracy.
14.
Perform controlled hybridizations in a greenhouse setting.
15.
Search scientific literature for principles, methods, and procedures and select the most appropriate for the research goals and fiscal resources.
16.
Assist the Research Leader and unit scientist in preparing scientific manuscripts for publication.
17.
Ensure proper scheduling for use of instruments, equipment, and personnel which are shared by multiple scientists.
18.
Calibrate, maintain, operate, and modify tractor-pulled and remote sensing agricultural equipment.
19.
Use desktop and laptop computers, cloud-based data collection procedures, and data analysis software.
20.
Perform measurements and analysis to interpret data.
21.
Practice safe equipment and laboratory procedures.
22.
I certify that, to the best of my knowledge and belief, all of the information included in this questionnaire is true, correct, and provided in good faith. I understand that if I make an intentional false statement, or commit deception or fraud in this application and its supporting materials, or in any document or interview associated with the examination process, I may be fined or imprisoned (18 U.S.C. 1001); my eligibilities may be cancelled, I may be denied an appointment, or I may be removed and debarred from Federal service (5 C.F.R. part 731). I understand that any information I give may be investigated. I understand that responding "No" to this item will result in my not being considered for this position.