Microbiologist (Biosafety)

Duties
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• Serve as Alternate Biosafety Officer (BSO) of a controlled access medical research facility.
• Assess risk of exposure to biological agents for personnel and property.
• Set policy and provide written guidance, regulations, policies, and standard operating procedures that incorporate DoD, Army and consensus standards into Biosafety programs.
• Provide training on laboratory safety, and use of positive pressure suits (PPS) for Biosafety Level 4 (BSL-4) laboratories.
• Inspect and advise on design and modifications of BSL-1 through BSL-4 laboratories.
• Provide advice on engineering controls and personal protective equipment (PPE).
• Coordinate with researchers to determine empirical guidelines for safe research with biological agents.

Requirements
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Conditions of employment

• Appointment may be subject to a suitability or fitness determination, as determined by a completed background investigation.
• This position requires the incumbent be able to obtain and maintain a determination of eligibility for a Secret security clearance or access for the duration of employment. A background investigation and credit check are required.
• Appointment to this position is subject to a one-year probationary period unless the appointee has previously met the requirement.
• This position requires the completion of a pre-employment Physical Examination and an annual examination thereafter to ensure the continued, required level of physical health and ability or fitness to perform the duties of the position.
• This position is subject to a pre-employment drug test screening, and random testing thereafter, to include testing based on reasonable suspicion and testing due to direct involvement with an on-duty accident.
• Incumbent may be subject to stand by and or on call duty; night and weekend duty including holidays; and irregular hours.
• This position has a requirement to lift up to 35 lbs. in the regular performance of duties
• This position has been designated "Mission Essential". In the event of severe weather conditions or other such emergency type situations the incumbent is required to report to work or remain at work as scheduled to support mission operations.
• This position has a Temporary Duty (TDY) or business travel requirement of 5% of the time.
• This position requires the incumbent to participate in the Biological Personnel Reliability Program (BPRP). (See additional information)
• This position requires the incumbent to participate in the Occupational Health Surveillance Program (OHSP). (See additional information)

Qualifications

MRIIDis participating in an alternative personnel system known as the Personnel Demonstration Project (PDP). The DB-03 payband is equivalent to the GS-13 step 1 to GS-14 step 10 level. In keeping with the Demonstration pay fixing policies, employees earning a salary that falls within this payband equivalent, will not receive an immediate pay increase (promotion) if appointed to this position. Future pay increases within the payband will be accomplished through the pay for performance management system.

Who May Apply: Only applicants who meet one of the employment authority categories below are eligible to apply for this job. You will be asked to identify which category or categories you meet, and to provide documents which prove you meet the category or categories you selected.

• Current Civilian Employees of the Defense Health Agency (DHA)
• Current Permanent Department of Defense (DoD) Civilian Employee
• Current Term Defense Health Agency HQs Research and Development Employee
• Domestic Defense Industrial Base/Major Range and Test Facilities Base Civilian Personnel Workforce
• Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan
• Land Management Workforce Flexibility Act
• Non-Department of Defense (DoD) Transfer
• Priority Placement Program, DoD Military Reserve (MR) and National Guard (NG) Technician Eligible
• Priority Placement Program, DoD Military Spouse Preference (MSP) Eligible
• Priority Placement Program, DoD MR and NG Preference Eligible Tech Receiving Disability Retirement
• Priority Placement Program, DoD Retained Grade Preference Eligible
• Reinstatement
• Veterans Employment Opportunity Act (VEOA) of 1998

In order to qualify, you must meet the education and/or experience requirements described below. 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). You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. Your resume must clearly describe your relevant experience; if qualifying based on education, your transcripts will be required as part of your application. Additional information about transcripts is in this document .

Individual Occupational Requirements (IOR):

A. Degree: Bachelor's degree (or higher degree) in microbiology; or biology, chemistry, or basic medical science that included at least 20 semester hours in microbiology and other subjects related to the study of microorganisms, and 20 semester hours in the physical and mathematical sciences combining course work in organic chemistry or biochemistry, physics, and college algebra, or their equivalent.

OR

B. Combination of Education and Experience: Courses equivalent to a major in microbiology, biology, chemistry, or basic medical science that included courses as shown in A above, plus appropriate experience or additional education.

Graduate Education : Microbiology, or specific area of study such as bacteriology, virology, mycology, algology, protozoology, parasitology, immunology, serology, microbial genetics, or soil microbiology; or specific applied fields of microbiology such as clinical and public health microbiology, food tech-nology, production processes, industrial fermentation, pollution, etc. Graduate study in related fields such as experimental pathology, infectious diseases, epidemiology, biochemistry, animal or plant physiology, genetics, plant pathology, and insect disease control, may also be pertinent, provided it has direct application to microbiological work.

In addition to meeting the basic requirement above, to qualify for this position you must also meet the qualification requirements listed below:

Specialized Experience: One year of specialized experience which includes (1) Inspecting Biological Safety Levels 1 through Level 4 (BSL 1-4) laboratories to ensure Biosafety program compliance; (2) Conducting risk assessments of exposure to personnel and property of biological agents; (3) Advising personnel on use of engineering controls and personal protective equipment (PPE); AND (4) Assisting with implementation of Biosafety program policies within organization. This definition of specialized experience is typical of work performed at the next lower grade/level position in the federal service (DB-02 / GS-12).

• Incumbent must participate in the Biological Personnel Reliability Program/Army Biological Surety Program - Obtain and hold Biological Personnel Reliability Program (BPRP) enrollment pursuant to the requirements of the Army Biological Surety Program. Individuals must maintain a current certification of enrollment in the BPRP as a condition of eligibility for continued employment. The BPRP is a suitability and reliability program operated by the agency and requires the employee to submit to and satisfactorily complete suitability and reliability screening and analysis. As a condition of employment, employees in this position must also be approved by the Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Justice for access to laboratories containing biological select agents and toxins pursuant to the terms of 42 CFR Part 73.
• Incumbent must participate in the Occupational Health Surveillance Program - Incumbent works in containment suites with highly hazardous infectious agents and toxins and is required to participate in then Occupational Health Surveillance Program (OHSP), IAW with AR 40-5 and DA Pam 385.69. The OHSP monitors worker health and provides vaccinations aimed at additional protection above personal protective devices. Individuals who have a medical condition that precludes receipt of a FDA licensed vaccine or who otherwise decline to receive said vaccinations will not meet the conditions of employment for this position.

Education

FOREIGN EDUCATION: If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show the education credentials have been evaluated by a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign education programs and such education has been deemed equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program; or full credit has been given for the courses at a U.S. accredited college or university. For further information, visit: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications .

Additional information

• Male applicants born after December 31, 1959 must complete a Pre-Employment Certification Statement for Selective Service Registration.
• You will be required to provide proof of U.S. Citizenship.
• One year probationary period may be required.
• Direct Deposit of Pay is required.
• This position requires you to submit a Public Financial Disclosure Report (OGE 278) or a Confidential Financial Disclosure Report (OGE450) upon entry, and annually thereafter.
• Selection is subject to restrictions resulting from Department of Defense referral system for displaced employees.
• Recruitment or relocation incentives MAY be authorized for highly qualified candidates.
• Multiple positions may be filled from this announcement.
• Salary includes applicable locality pay or Local Market Supplement.
• If you have retired from federal service and you are interested in employment as a reemployed annuitant, see the information in the Reemployed Annuitant information sheet.
• Payment of Permanent Change of Station (PCS) costs is not authorized, based on a determination that a PCS move is not in the Government interest.

Reasonable Accommodation (RA) Requests : If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a RA in your online application. Requests for RA for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for RA must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for RA are made on a case-by-case basis. If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, based on your adjudication decision. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments if you received the link after the close of the announcement. To determine if you need a RA, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments here: https://appsupport.usastaffing.gov/hc/en-us/sections/28980686389652-Reasonable-Accommodation-Information