Ecologist/Agronomist/Physical Scientist

Summary This position is located in the Soil, Water & Air Resources Research Unit for the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) in Ames, IA. In this position, you will be leading climate training for agriculture and developing other climate and agriculture resources for the Midwest Climate Hub. Responsibilities Lead the Midwest Climate Hub segment of the Climate Adaptation and Mitigation Fellowship (CAMF) program which includes: leading a partnership in recruiting participants for the CAMF training program. Develop appropriate training materials and recruit speakers for training sessions. Coordinate participants activities and training related to Midwestern row crop production. Synthesize climate information and develop insights into the effects of projected climate change and variability impacts at multiple scales for the Hub region. Provide climate-informed decision support that enables producers and managers to adapt under variable and changing climate and policy makers to explore potential agricultural impacts or disruptions of ecosystem services. Requirements Conditions of Employment Qualifications 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 Requirements for Ecology Series, 0408 Degree: biology, or a related field of science underlying ecological research that included at least 30 semester hours in basic and applied biological sciences. These hours must have included at least 9 semester hours in ecology, and 12 semester hours in physical and mathematical sciences. Basic Requirements for Agronomist, 0471 Series Degree: agronomy; or related discipline of science that included at least 30 semester hours of course work in the basic plant sciences, including at least 15 semester hours in agronomic subjects, such as those dealing with plant breeding, crop production, and soil and crop management. OR Combination of education and experience: at least 30 semester hours in the basic plant sciences, including a minimum of 15 semester hours in agronomic subjects, as shown in A above, plus appropriate experience or additional education. Graduate Education: Agronomy, or one of the related disciplines or fields of science, such as plant physiology, soils, or genetics, where the curriculum or pattern of training placed major emphasis on field crops or agronomy. Graduate study in related fields, such as botany, plant pathology, and biochemistry may also be qualifying, provided it placed a sufficient amount of emphasis on agronomy. Basic Requirements for General Physical Science, 1301 Series Degree: physical science, engineering, or mathematics that included 24 semester hours in physical science and/or related engineering science such as mechanics, dynamics, properties of materials, and electronics. OR Combination of education and experience: education equivalent to one of the majors shown in above that included at least 24 semester hours in physical science and/or related engineering science, plus appropriate experience or additional education. 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-11 includes one year of specialized experience comparable to GS-09 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 developing and delivering options for climate change mitigation strategies for agriculture and forestry in a region; synthesizing climate information and developing insights into the effects of projected climate change and utilizing databases for land management. OR EDUCATIONAL SUBSTITUTION: 3 years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a Ph. D degree or equivalent degree, if directly related. Related degrees may include: Ecology, Rangeland Management, Geography, Soil Science or related disciplines. OR A combination of 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. Education Please see above for education qualification requirement information. Additional Information Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP), Reemployment Priority List (RPL), or Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP): Visit the OPM website for information on how to apply as a CTAP, RPL, or ICTAP eligible. To exercise selection priority for this vacancy, CTAP/RPL/ICTAP candidates must meet the basic eligibility requirements and all selective factors. CTAP/ICTAP candidates must be rated and determined to be well qualified (or above) based on an evaluation of the competencies listed in the How You Will Be Evaluated section. When assessed through a score-based category rating method, CTAP/ICTAP applicants must receive a rating of at least 85 out of a possible 100. Recruitment or Relocation Incentive may be authorized. The final determination to pay an incentive will be made by the hiring official at the time of job offer. For information on benefits available to federal employees, please visit: https://www.opm.gov/healthcare-insurance/Guide-Me/New-Prospective-Employees/ Please see the Benefits section below for additional information. This position may be eligible to telework up to four days per week, based upon the duties of the position. This position may also be eligible for flexible work arrangements as determined by agency policy and any applicable collective bargaining agreements.