Biological Science Laboratory Technician at Denver

JOB SUMMARY:

VacancyID: 922710 

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) needs employees who possess the energy, compassion, and commitment to serve those who served our Country. Whatever the job title, every position in VA will give you a chance to make a meaningful and personal contribution to the lives of truly special and deserving people - our Veterans. Working for VA is one of the most emotionally satisfying and professionally rewarding ways to dedicate the best within you to your Countrys service.

If you are transitioning from the military or a Veteran already, we invite you to explore the benefits of continuing your career at the VA. The VA is committed to hiring Veterans.

The VA is much more than just another employer. It is an honorable, open and welcoming community of those who care. Gratitude is our motivation and service is our mission.

The VA has adopted Core Values and Characteristics that apply universally across the Department. The five Core Values define “who we are,” our culture, and how we care for Veterans, their families and other beneficiaries. The Values are Integrity, Commitment, Advocacy, Respect and Excellence (“I CARE”).

Americas Veterans need you!

To find out more, go to http://www.va.gov/jobs/. 

KEY REQUIREMENTS

• You must be a U.S. citizen to apply for this job.
• You will be subject to a background/suitability investigation.

DUTIES:Back to top

NOTE: This is a TERM appointment (not-to-exceed one (1) year + one (1) day). Term appointments are non-status, nonpermanent appointments oflimited duration. Term employees are eligible to earn leave and generally havethe same benefits as permanent employees including health and life insurance,within-grade increases and Federal Employees Retirement System and ThriftSavings Plan coverage. Term appointments may be extended without furthercompetition.

The Biological Science Laboratory Technician willbe assigned to the Research Laboratory, located at VA Medical Center, in Denver, CO.The purpose of the position is to provide technical and advisory expertise in a research laboratory setting using cell culture and animal models to determine mechanism and tests new prevention strategies. Duties may include but may not be limited to the following:

· Developments andimplementation of new experimental techniques.

· Performs routine animalcolony management.

· Performsbronchoalveolar lavage, lung perfusion and harvest, and tumor harvestnon-survival surgeries.

· Performs cellculture experiments with cell counting, protein harvest, RNA harvest, andELISAs on media as endpoints.

· Uses a microtome,slice and mount lung tissue.  Stain thetissue for histological analysis.

· Performs routineimmunohistochemistry and develop new immunohistochemistry protocols.

· Designs andimplements studies to determine the effect of various chemopreventive drugs on lungtumor initiation, promotion, and progression.

· Manages drugMTAs, implement diet/drug formulations, and administer drug and carcinogens tomice.

· Collects andtabulates data and calculate statistical significance.   Graphfinal data.

· Processescollected tissue and cell samples for RNA and protein analysis.  Run qRT-PCR, ELISA, and immunoblot analysisof prepared samples.

· Conducts libraryresearch on theoretical and scientific aspects of the experiments.

· Providestechnical training to other students and guidance to graduate students andpost-doctoral fellows in the laboratory.

· Manages thelaboratory, including scheduling of experiments, ordering of animals, orderingof laboratory supplies, keeping track of chemical inventory and waste, andgeneral laboratory maintenance.

WORKSCHEDULE: Monday –Friday; 8:00AM – 4:30PM

***RELOCATION EXPENSES AND/OR INCENTIVES ARE NOTAUTHORIZED***

QUALIFICATIONS REQUIRED:Back to top

SPECIALIZEDEXPERIENCE GS-7: Applicantsmust have one (1) year of specialized experience that equipped you with theparticular knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the dutiesof this position, and that is typically in or related to the work of thisposition. To be creditable, this experience must have been equivalent to atleast the GS-6 grade level in the Federal Service. Experience must have beenrelated to the work of the position for which application is made. Thespecialized experience required for some positions in this series is normallywork performed in a controlled environment. Examples of qualifying specializedexperience include: research activity or control program work; nursery workthat required the growing and maintenance of plants in a controlledenvironment; work comparable to that with a large dairy farm where productionrecords, animal environment, and sanitary conditions were kept in accordancewith modern dairy practice. This also includes applying knowledge ofregulations and guidelines for humane treatment and use of animals inbiomedical research; preparing samples of blood, tissue, urine or other organicsubstances; isolating cells and tissues; and maintaining laboratory equipmentand supplies. NOTE: A full year of workis considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week. Part-time experience will becredited on the basis of time actually spent in appropriate activities. Applicantswishing to receive credit for such experience must indicate clearly the natureof their duties and responsibilities in each position and the number of hours aweek spent in such employment.

 

OR

SUBSTITUTIONOF EDUCATION FOR EXPERIENCE (Transcript Required):Successful completion of one (1) year of graduate education in a field of studydirectly related to the work of this position. This education must have beenobtained in an accredited college or university. One year of full-time graduateeducation is considered to be the number of credit hours that the schoolattended has determined to represent one (1) year of full-time study. If thatnumber cannot be obtained from the school, 18 semester hours will be consideredan academic year of graduate study. Part-time graduate education is creditablein accordance with its relationship to a year of full-time study at the schoolattended.

OR

COMBININGEDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE (TRANSCRIPT REQUIRED) - Combinationof successfully completed graduate education and experience may be used to meettotal qualification requirements.

You will be rated on the following Knowledge,Skills, Abilities and Other characteristics (KSAOs) as part of the assessmentquestionnaire for this position:

· KNOWLEDGEOF CELL BIOLOGY, BIOCHEMISTRY, MOLECULAR BIOLOGY, IMMUNOLOGY, ANALYTICALCHEMISTRY, AND PHARMACOLOGY.

· EXPERIENCEIN CULTURING AND EXPERIENCING WITH CULTURED CELLS, STERILE TECHNIQUES,ISOLATION, AND MAINTENCE OF PRIMARY CELLS.

· ABILITYTO MAINTAIN ANIMAL COLONGY, GENOTYPE, PERFORM PROCEDURES INCLUDINGBRONCHOALVEOLAR LAVAGE (BAL) ON MICE, HANDLING, AND HARVESTING OF TISSUES.

· ABILITYTO COMPILE AND ANALYZE DATA FROM EXPERIEMENTS, PERFORM STATISTICAL ANALYSIS,COMMUNICATE RESULTS, AND MAINTAIN ACCURATE RECORDS.

· ABILITYTO WORK INDEPENDENTLY, AS PART OF A TEAM, MANAGE LABORATORY, AND ADMINISTERAND TRAIN PERSONNEL.

PHYSICALREQUIREMENTS: The ability to perform laboratory work as outlinedabove is the only physical demand of the position.

For more information on these qualification standards, please visit the United States Office of Personnel Managements website at http://www.opm.gov/qualifications.

IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC.  WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE.  If your resume does not support your questionnaire answers, we will not allow credit for your response(s).

APPLICANTS PLEASE NOTE: Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Please refer to this checklist to ensure proper accreditation and for foreign education requirements.

Veterans Preference:

When applying for Federal jobs, eligible veterans should claim preference on the Occupational Questionnaire in the section provided and provide a legible copy of DD-214(s) showing all dates of service as well as character of service (honorable, general, etc.). Additionally, veterans with service-connected disability of 10% or more must also submit a copy of their official statement from the Department of Veterans Affairs, or from a branch of the Armed Forces, certifying their service-connected disability and/or their receipt of compensation for service-connected disability.  If the military member is within 120 days of separation and does not yet have a DD214, the member may instead submit any written document from the armed forces that certifies the service member is expected to be discharged or released from active duty service in the armed forces under honorable conditions not later than 120 days after the date the certification is signed.

Veterans with service-connected disability of less than 10%, non service-connected disability, and Purple Heart recipients, as-well-as those claiming derived preference for a spouse, widow or widower, or natural mother, should refer to and submit a completed " SF15, "Application for 10-Point Veteran Preference," (go to http://www.opm.gov/forms/pdf_fill/SF15.pdf) and required documentation with your application materials. For more information on Veterans Preference, please visit http://www.fedshirevets.gov/job/veterans.aspx.

 

HOW YOU WILL BE EVALUATED:

Applicants will be ranked based on four quality groups, as follows:

• Best qualified - applicants possessing experience that substantially exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors, and who are highly proficient in all requirements of the job and can perform effectively in the position;
• Highly qualified - applicants possessing experience that exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors, and who are proficient in most of the requirements of the job;
• Well qualified - applicants possessing experience that meets the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors, and who are proficient in some, but not all, of the requirements of the job; and
• Qualified - applicants possessing experience and/or education that meets the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors.

After the vacancy announcement closes, reviewed applications are evaluated against the questionnaire responses and placed in the appropriate quality group.  Qualified veterans will be afforded preference by being placed at the top of the appropriate quality group.  Qualifying veterans with a service-connected disability of 10% or more will be placed at the top of the best qualified group.  The best qualified group is the first to be referred to the hiring facility for further consideration and possible interview.  The remaining groups may be referred based on the number of applicants available.

Country: USA, State: Colorado, City: Denver, Company: Veterans Affairs, Veterans Health Administration.