USDA-ARS Permanent Research Soil Scientist / Agronomist / Agricultural Engineer Position

The U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Beltsville Agricultural Research Center, Adaptive Cropping Systems Laboratory in Beltsville, Maryland, invites applications for a position as a Research Soil Scientist/ Research Agronomist/ Research Agricultural Engineer. The candidate chosen for this position will be a part of a highly experienced, diverse, and multifaceted team whose mission is to apply systems theory to the solution of complex, agricultural problems and to develop computer‐aided farm decision support systems and assessment tools for environmental study and analysis. The team investigates agricultural management and climate change effects on ecosystem services, the soil microbiome and plant system, biomass sequestration of C and N, and GHG emissions,
The ideal candidate will utilize innovative and cutting-edge research methods to quantify the influence of cover crop biomass production on soil health and cash crop performance as affected by climate, management, and species. The goal is to investigate and assess soil resilience and health over a range of cropping systems. The candidate will use open top chambers, controlled environment chambers and field research to obtain experimental data regarding cover crop biomass growth, residue mass at termination, soil properties, cash crop production and other related characteristics from multiple locations, cover crop species, and cash crop production systems. Experiments will investigate the effects of elevated T and C on nutrient balances; soil microbiome and plant system biomass, sequestration of C and N, ecosystem services and GHG emissions. The candidate will be a systems level thinker who can work with crop and soil modelers to modify, apply, improve and validate models of cover crop and cash crop growth. The chosen candidate will be free to develop research plans and work collaboratively with scientists from other USDA-ARS laboratories and be expected to coordinate, evaluate, and manage human, fiscal and physical resources for the project. As an ARS scientist, the candidate disseminates research findings in peer-reviewed journals and provides consultation, both internal and external to ARS.

This position has a basic education requirement for each series. Applicants are required to meet at least one of the basic requirements (see Job Opportunity Announcement on usajobs.gov for full details on basic education requirement).
Experience is required conducting experimental research in the area of soil science, agronomy, or agricultural engineering focused on crops or soils; utilizing computer programs associated with biophysically based model development and application; publishing research results in peer reviewed journals related to soil science, agronomy, or agricultural engineering; and collaborating with stakeholders. For more information, and to apply,  search www.usajobs.gov with the following announcement number: ARS-D22Y-11606484-SL.  Please contact Drs. V.R. Reddy (vr.reddy@usda.gov) or David Fleisher (david.fleisher@usda.gov) with questions.  US citizenship is required at time of application.