Biological Scientist (Compliance Manager)
About This Position
As the Foreign Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory (FADDL) Compliance Manager you will be responsible for managing the compliance of FADDL's scientific mission to select agent regulations at the National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility (NBAF). For additional information regarding the National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility (NBAF), please visit the hyperlink for a short video.
Qualifications
Applicants must meet all qualifications and eligibility requirements by the closing date of the announcement including time-in-grade restrictions, specialized experience and/or education, as defined below. TIME-IN-GRADE: Current federal employees applying for a promotion opportunity must meet time-in-grade (TIG) requirement of 52 weeks of service at the next lower grade level in the normal line of progression for the position being filled. BASIC REQUIREMENT: Degree in biological sciences, agriculture, natural resource management, chemistry, or related disciplines appropriate to the position.
OR: Combination of Education and Experience: Courses equivalent to a major (which is defined as 24 semester/36 quarter hours), as shown above, in the biological sciences, agriculture, natural resource management, chemistry, or related disciplines appropriate to the position, PLUS appropriate experience or additional education.
In addition to the basic requirement above, applicants must also meet the following: 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: Manages compliance to federal select agent regulations, supports audits and inspections, and manages select agent inventories. Applies knowledge of biosafety protocols to ensure safe and proper handling of select agents in a laboratory setting. Writes and maintains technical documents and protocols related to handling of pathogens and conducting laboratory activities.
Leads and conducts incident investigations, root cause analyses, and other assessments to implement improved processes.
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. 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 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.
Major Duties
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:
Serves as APHIS science lead at NBAF, managing select agent compliance and coordinating with FADDL leaders to ensure full program adherence to federal regulations.
Provides technical and subject matter expertise for developing and implementing policies governing possession, use, and transfer of select agents and toxins
Develops workflows integrating FADDL scientific programs with select agent compliance, aligning with Federal, State, local regulations, agency policies, and best practices.
Leads creation and maintenance of select agent compliance documents, including security, biosafety, and emergency response plans; ensures personnel training.
Briefs leadership and staff on issues, and devises strategies for procedural updates and compliance changes.
Provides oversight and expert judgement on biosafety issues, resolving complex compliance challenges and creating strategies that align with national and international guidelines.
Education
Please see above for education qualification requirement information.
How You Will Be Evaluated
Your application will be reviewed to determine if you meet (a) minimum qualification requirements.
Your resume must address experience and education relevant to this position. Applicants who meet the minimum qualification will be referred to the hiring manager for consideration.
Note: If after reviewing your resume and/or supporting documentation, a determination is made that you have inflated your qualifications and or experience you may be found ineligible. Please follow all instructions carefully. Providing inaccurate information on Federal documents could be grounds for non-selection or disciplinary action up to including removal from the Federal service. To preview the application questionnaire, please visit: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12900856
Additional Information
Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) or Reemployment Priority List (RPL): Visit the OPM website for information on how to apply as a CTAP or RPL eligible. To exercise selection priority for this vacancy, CTAP/RPL candidates must meet the basic eligibility requirements and all selective factors. CTAP 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 applicants must receive a rating of at least 85 out of a possible 100. Travel, transportation, and relocation expenses will not be paid. Any travel, transportation, and relocation expense associated with reporting for duty will be the responsibility of the selected employee..
Promotion Potential: If you are selected for a position with further promotion potential, you will be placed under a career development plan, and may be non-competitively promoted if you successfully complete the requirements and if recommended by management. However, promotion is neither implied nor guaranteed. May need to lift up to 75 pounds.
Immunizations may be required. May need to wear personal protection equipment (PPE).
How to Apply
Please read the entire announcement and all instructions before you begin.
You must complete this application process and submit all required documents electronically by 11:59p.m. Eastern Time (ET) on the closing date of this announcement. Applying online is highly encouraged.
We are available to assist you during business hours (normally 8:00a.m. - 4:00p.m., Monday - Friday). If applying online poses a hardship, contact the Agency Contact listed below well before the closing date for an alternate method. All hardship application packages must be complete and submitted no later than noon ET on the closing date of the announcement in order to be entered into the system prior to its closing.
Resume cannot exceed two pages. This agency provides reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities on a case-by-case basis; contact the Agency Contact to request this. Step 1: Create a USAJOBS account (if you do not already have one) at www.usajobs.gov.
It is recommended that as part of your profile you set up automatic email notification to be informed when the status of your application changes. If you choose not to set up this automatic notification, then you will have to log into your USAJOBS account to check on the status of your application. Step 2: Create a Resume with USAJOBS or upload a Resume into your USAJOBS account.
You may want to customize your resume to ensure it documents duties and accomplishments you have gained that are directly related to this position in order to verify that qualifications are met. In addition, your resume must support your responses to the online questionnaire (you may preview the online questionnaire by clicking on the link at the end of the How You Will Be Evaluated section of the job announcement). Step 3: Click "Apply Online" and follow the prompts to complete the Occupational Questionnaire and attach any additional documents that may be required.
You can update your application or documents anytime while the announcement is open. Simply log into your USAJOBS account and click on "Application Status." Click on the position title, and then select "Update Application" to continue.
NOTE: Please verify that documents you are uploading from USAJOBs transfer into the Agency's staffing system as there is a limitation to the number of documents that can be transferred. However, once in the Agency's staffing system, you will have the opportunity to upload additional documents. Uploaded documents must be less than 5MB and in one of the following document formats: GIF, JPG, JPEG, PNG, RTF, PDF, TXT or Word (DOC or DOCX).
Do not upload Adobe Portfolio documents because they are not viewable. Only one resume will be reviewed. Applicants who submit a resume that exceeds two pages will be removed from consideration.
Required Documents
The following documents are required for your applicant package to be complete. Our office cannot be responsible for incompatible software, your system failure or downtime, etc. Encrypted documents will not be accepted.
Failure to submit required, legible documents may result in loss of consideration. Resume that includes: 1) personal information such as name, address, contact information;2) education;3) detailed work experience related to this position as described in the major duties including work schedule, hours worked per week, dates of employment; title, series, grade (if applicable); 4) all supervisors' phone numbers and if they may be contacted; and 5) other qualifications. Resume cannot exceed two pages.
Only one resume will be reviewed. If education is required or being used to qualify, you must submit a copy of your college transcripts. An unofficial copy is sufficient if it includes your name and all course information.
If selected, official transcripts will be required prior to entering on duty. Education must have been obtained from an accredited institution. Education completed in a foreign institution must include an evaluation by an organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign education programs that it was deemed equivalent to an accredited U.S. education program.
For further information, see: Foreign Education Evaluation. All transcripts must be in English or include an English translation. Current and former career/career-conditional Federal employees: Most recent non-award Notification of Personnel Action (SF-50) showing you are/were in the competitive service (block 24 must contain a 1 or 2 and block 34 must contain a 1), highest grade held (or promotion potential) on a permanent basis, position title, series and grade.
If your current grade is not your highest permanent grade, submit an additional SF-50 showing your highest grade. Most recent performance appraisal (dated within 18 months) showing the official rating of record, signed by a supervisor, or statement why the performance appraisal is unavailable (e.g., length of time in current position). A performance plan is not an acceptable substitute.
Screenshots or printouts of electronic systems, including eHR Apps (ePMA), will not be accepted unless it is of the actual appraisal form with the end-of-year rating summary. Surplus or displaced employees eligible for CTAP or RPL priority must provide: proof of eligibility (RIF separation notice, notice of proposed removal for declining a transfer of function or directed reassignment to another commuting area, notice of disability annuity termination), SF-50 documenting separation (as applicable), last performance appraisal, and the most recent SF-50 noting position, grade level, and duty location. If applying under a special hiring authority or an interchange agreement with another merit system not listed above, see the requirements for that authority and submit the required supporting documentation.
Go to: USAJOBS Hiring Path for Special Authorities or Special Hiring Authority for more information.