The incumbent serves as an authority in Botany (plants) for the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) and provides final identification of weed seeds and other plant material, analyzes pest risk, makes recommendations to management, curates herbaria and collaborates with scientists, plant health regulators and others, worldwide.
Applicants must meet all qualifications and eligibility requirements by the closing date of the announcement, including specialized experience and/or education, as defined below. BASIC REQUIREMENT: Degree: botany; or basic plant science that included at least 24 semester hours in botany. OR Combination of education and experience: Courses equivalent to a major in Botany or basic plant science that included at least 24 semester hours in botany, as shown above, plus appropriate experience or additional education. FOR THE GS-13 LEVEL: Applicants must have one year of specialized experience (equivalent to the GS-12 level) that may have been obtained in the private or public (local, county, state, Federal) sectors which demonstrates: Experience in current plant taxonomy and nomenclature and its applications in plant diagnoses and morphological identification. Experience in providing authoritative taxonomic determinations capable of withstanding legal review. Experience with accepted taxonomic databases and contemporary taxonomic literature. Experience with dissecting microscopes and microscopic digital imaging systems to aid in seed identification and for cataloguing seed collections. Experience in the production of training aids, training modules, agency reports and juried publications involving diagnostic and taxonomic features in botany. Note: There is no education substitution for this grade level. TRANSCRIPTS are required if: -This position requires specific coursework or a degree in a specific field to be basically qualified. -This education must have been successfully completed and obtained from an accredited school, college, or university 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 may include, but are not limited to:
Make final taxonomic determinations of seeds, plants, and plant parts intercepted at ports of entry from all parts of the world.
Contribute to, curate, and manage national seed and herbarium collections.
Conduct literature searches, reviews and evaluates current foreign and domestic scientific literature for data on weeds, parasitic, and other plants.
Evaluate the quarantine significance of exotic pest plants and weeds based on published data and/or unpublished information.
Serve as the Agency authority in resolving scientific problems associated with quarantine significant weeds and parasitic plants.
Provide the highest level of technical guidance in botany to staff and field personnel.
Initiate and cultivate working relationships with scientific colleagues nationally and internationally; represent PPQ as a botany taxonomic specialist.
Provide expertise through consultation to scientists and regulatory officials worldwide, and publish scientific papers pertaining to taxonomy and biology of weed, parasitic, and other plants.
Evaluate formal requests from field identification personnel for authority to identify seeds and plants intercepted through PPQ activities