Summary This position is located in the USDA, ARS, Western Regional Research Center, Invasive Species and Pollinator Health Research Unit, in Davis, CA. In this position, you will conduct research on the factors contributing to honey bee colony losses and pollinator declines. You will lead a research team, interface and coordinate with stakeholders, and publish research contributing to a greater understanding of factors that affect honey bee losses, pollination services, and pollinator sustainability. Responsibilities Research factors contributing to honey bee colony loss and develop effective mitigation strategies. Develop long-term longitudinal studies of spatial and temporal changes in bee populations exposed to a number of abiotic and biotic stresses and management practices. Lead, establish, and maintain collaborations with other scientists to conduct studies on the effects of stress factors and mitigation strategies on honey bee and colony health. Transfer knowledge and technology through scholarly publications, patents, and presentations to scientific and industry groups. Address the broad area of honey bee colony survivorship by developing and analyzing long-term baseline datasets that can be used to parse the relative importance of suspected factors that contribute to colony loss. 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 Entomology, 0414 series Degree: entomology; or a related discipline of the biological or physical sciences that included at least 16 semester hours in entomology. OR Combination of education and experience: courses equivalent to a major that included course work as shown in A above, plus appropriate experience or additional education. Evaluation of Education: Applicants with major fields of study in biology, zoology, or invertebrate zoology may fully meet the basic educational requirements if their academic preparation included substantive instruction (including appropriate laboratory and field work) in basic general entomology, taxonomy, physiology, ecology, general and organic chemistry, general physics, and mathematics or statistics that provided some training in the analysis of variables. Additional Requirements In addition to meeting the basic requirements described above, applicants must also meet additional qualification requirements as stated below. GS-12: Applicants must demonstrate at least one full year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-11 grade level in the Federal service or possess a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree or possess an equivalent combination of graduate level education and experience. Graduate education must be directly related to the work of the position and must have equipped applicants with the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work. Specialized experience is experience directly related to the position to be filled. The specialized experience requirements for the GS-12 level of this position are: Experience conducting and reporting research on general beekeeping techniques and honey bee biology; evaluating and interpreting research results; and preparing reports of research results in the form of manuscripts for publication in peer reviewed journals or presentations at scientific meetings. GS-13: Applicants must demonstrate at least one full year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-12 grade level in the Federal service. Specialized experience is experience directly related to the position to be filled. The specialized experience requirements for the GS-13 level of this position are: Experience planning, conducting, and reporting research on general beekeeping techniques and honey bee biology; conducting and reporting individual or team research on honey bee nutrition, varroa management, bee pathology, or modeling bee population dynamics; and publishing independent research findings in peer-reviewed scientific journals. GS-14: Applicants must demonstrate at least one full year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-13 grade level in the Federal service. Specialized experience is experience directly related to the position to be filled. The specialized experience requirements for the GS-14 level of this position are: Experience planning, conducting, and leading a collaborative team research program related to honey bee nutrition, varroa management, bee pathology, or modeling bee population dynamics; overseeing research team on activities such as honey bee nutrition, honey bee pest management, queen rearing and production, forage use and patterns, and agricultural chemicals and their interaction with honey bee colony survivorship; and publishing independent research findings in peer-reviewed scientific journals. GS-15: Applicants must demonstrate at least one full year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-14 grade level in the Federal service. Specialized experience is experience directly related to the position to be filled. The specialized experience requirements for the GS-15 level of this position are: Experience managing a collaborative research team on activities such as honey bee nutrition, honey bee pest management, queen rearing and production, forage use and patterns, and agricultural chemicals and their interaction with honey bee colony survivorship; leading a team of scientists in a research program related to pollinator health; interacting with the beekeeping community at national and international levels, and other stakeholder groups for technology transfer of research findings to improve colony survival; developing new technologies to be adopted and implanted by stakeholders; and publishing independent research findings in peer-reviewed scientific journals. 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. To further support your qualifications, it is strongly recommended that you submit a one-page abstract of your MS thesis and/or Ph.D. dissertation. Failure to do so could result in loss of your consideration/referral. Also, please submit a list of names, addresses, and phone numbers of persons familiar with your stature, contributions, recognition; any honors or awards received; memberships in professional or honor societies; invitations to make presentations at scientific/technical meetings; scientific society office and committee assignments; presentations (other than invitation); and publications. Applicants must be available to report for duty at the time a selection is made. Selections are typically made within 30 days of the closing date of the announcement. 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 71 out of a possible 100. Research scientists have open-ended promotion potential. Research accomplishments and their impact on the duties and responsibilities of positions are evaluated periodically. The grade level is limited only by the individual's demonstrated ability to perform research of recognized importance to science and technology. *Final grade level may be determined by a peer review panel. 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. 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.