BIOLOGICAL SCIENTIST III - 42005755 (FOR INTERNAL AGENCY EMPLOYEES ONLY)

Requisition No: 881042 

Agency: Agriculture and Consumer Services

Working Title: BIOLOGICAL SCIENTIST III - 42005755 (FOR INTERNAL AGENCY EMPLOYEES ONLY)

 Pay Plan: Career Service

Position Number: 42005755 

Salary:  $58,000.02 - $62,000.12 

Posting Closing Date: 08/14/2026 

Total Compensation Estimator Tool

BIOLOGICAL SCIENTIST III

FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE AND CONSUMER SERVICES

DIVISION OF ANIMAL INDUSTRY

***INTERNAL AGENCY OPPORTUNITY--
ONLY CURRENT EMPLOYEES OF THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF
AGRICULTURE AND CONSUMER SERVICES WILL BE CONSIDERED.***

CONTACT:

Natalie Stilwell
(321) 697-1433

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS:

A bachelor’s degree (4 years) from an accredited college or university with a major in biological, physical, natural, or agricultural sciences and two (2) years of related professional experience; or

A master’s degree (6 years) from an accredited college or university as described above and one (1) year of related professional experience as described above; or

A doctorate (8 years) from an accredited college or university as described above. 

Certain positions within this class require individuals to meet specific federal or state regulations as identified by the employing agency.

Requires possession of a valid driver license.

Please Note: There will be a standard numerically based work sample administered with an established minimum required passing score to all eligible candidates in order to move to the next phase of consideration as part of the hiring process for this position.

EDUCATIONAL NOTE: Graduates utilizing education attained in the United States to meet the minimum requirements of a position will not be appointed until verification of the applicable degree has been obtained. Foreign trained graduates utilizing a degree attained outside of the United States to meet the minimum requirements of a position must be prepared to provide a copy of a credential evaluation conducted by an Approved Credential Evaluation Agency.  A list of approved agencies can be viewed at “Approved Credential Evaluation Agencies, Florida Department of Education.” Approved Credential Evaluation Agencies (fldoe.org) 

***ATTENTION CANDIDATES***

To be considered for a position with the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services:

• All fields in the Candidate Profile must be completed (an attached resume is not a substitution for the information required on the candidate profile).
• Work history, duties and responsibilities, hours worked, supervisor, and formal education fields, etc. must be filled out to determine qualifications for this position.
• Responses to Qualifying Questions must be verifiable in the Candidate Profile.
  
  

The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services values
and supports employment of individuals with disabilities. Qualified
individuals with disabilities are encouraged to apply.

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS:

Incumbent must pass a pulmonary function test with medical evaluation, must undergo and pass regular respirator fit-testing, and must wear a respirator when required. 

Will be subject to the requirements of the proper use of appropriate respirator. Rabies vaccination is required for this position, including periodic titer measurement.

Occasional travel required.

Some alternate work hours required to accomplish duties and responsibilities.

NOTES:

To maintain fairness and integrity, applicants are required to provide honest and authentic responses during all stages of the evaluation and selection process. Applicants must rely on their own personal knowledge, thoughts, and impressions. A candidate’s use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools to answer qualifying questions or participate in interviews will be taken into consideration when determining qualification for the position.

JOB DUTIES:

Assists supervisors by ensuring that assigned program areas have operational procedures and processes which result in accountability and compliance with division and department policies and procedures.

Serves as a laboratory professional within the Aquaculture Section. Responsible for the testing and troubleshooting of specimens submitted to the Aquaculture Section; performs analyses before releasing the results. These testing responsibilities require considerable competence, technical judgment, and a high degree of independence in establishing, implementing, monitoring, improving, and training the analysts. A majority of the duties will be performed in a bio-safety level 2 (BSL2) containment facility, and if necessary, in a bio-safety level 3 (BSL3) containment facility.

This responsibility encompasses a broad range of testing procedures for diagnosis of diseases in fish and aquatic amphibians, reptiles, mammals, and invertebrates. The laboratory professional will be expected to perform tissue dissections, light microscopy, microbiologic tests (including bacterial and fungal cultures), water quality analysis of environmental water samples, and molecular diagnostic tests (including extraction of deoxyribonucleic acid/ribonucleic acid (DNA/RNA), conventional polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and quantitative PCR (qPCR)). Testing responsibilities also include assisting the aquatic pathologist with aquatic animal necropsies.

Responsible for handling special assigned projects which could be related to Food Emergency Response Network (FERN), Veterinary Laboratory Investigation and Response Network (Vet-LIRN) or National Animal Health Laboratory Network (NAHLN).

Maintains close communication on test status and results with supervisor to assure smooth workflow in the Section.

Case coordinates accessions in the Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS); orders tests and enters test results into LIMS so that reports can be generated and sent to the clients.

Ensures timely and accurate reports of results are provided to submitters, program managers, and other applicable parties authorized to receive results. Provides technical information and recommendations to laboratory clients, including personnel of other agencies, for results and issues that can be sensitive in nature.

Assists supervisor with developing assays and revising protocols as needed in the Aquaculture Section. Steps will include assay validation and comparison studies. Assists co-worker(s) with standardizing the method for new projects. Responsible for setting up controls to validate the efficacy of the tests; periodically performs checking tests to substantiate continued proficiency.

Maintains stringent quality assurance records, tracking all activities in the section including sample arrival and analysis, purchasing of supplies, validation of new tests, and handling quality assurance paperwork involved in controlling standard operating procedures (SOPs) by assisting the Aquaculture Section Head.

Responsible for maintaining all quality assurance documents necessary for the Aquaculture Section to follow American Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians (AAVLD) standards, including training records, standard operating procedures, forms, management reviews, and audits. Maintains a laboratory that can pass a rigorous inspection. Standards include maintaining analysis and procedure records in an organized, easy to understand, and easy to access manner. Standards also include laboratory organization, laboratory cleanliness and maintenance of equipment function and calibration logs.

Responsible for assuring the preventive and maintenance required equipment are calibrated and maintained in compliance with Quality Assurance guidelines.

Performs other related duties as required based on bureau needs.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES:

• Proficiency in Microsoft Word and Excel
• Proficiency in liquid handling using micropipetters in low light conditions as reagents are light sensitive
• Ability to perform calculations for unit conversions and dilutions
• Ability to receive, and demonstrate understanding of, technical instruction

The Benefits of Working for the State of Florida

Working for the State of Florida is more than a paycheck.  The State’s total compensation package for employees features a highly competitive set of employee benefits including:

• Annual and Sick Leave benefits;
• Nine paid holidays and one Personal holiday each year;
• State Group Insurance coverage options, including health, life, dental, vision and other supplemental insurance options;
• Retirement plan options, including employer contributions (For more information, please visit www.myfrs.com;)
• Flexible Spending Accounts;
• Tuition waivers;
• And more!

For a complete list of benefits, visit www.mybenefits.myflorida.com.

For an estimate of the total compensation package for this position, please visit the “Total Compensation Estimator Tool” located above under the “Posting Closing Date.”

SPECIAL NOTES:

Candidates requiring a reasonable accommodation, as defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act, must notify the agency hiring authority and/or People First Service Center (1-866-663-4735). Notification to the hiring authority must be made in advance to allow sufficient time to provide the accommodation.

The State of Florida supports a Drug-Free workplace. All employees are subject to reasonable suspicion drug testing in accordance with Section 112.0455, F.S., Drug-Free Workplace Act.

VETERANS’ PREFERENCE.  Pursuant to Chapter 295, Florida Statutes, candidates eligible for Veterans’ Preference will receive preference in employment for Career Service vacancies and are encouraged to apply.  Certain service members may be eligible to receive waivers for postsecondary educational requirements.  Candidates claiming Veterans’ Preference must attach supporting documentation with each submission that includes character of service (for example, DD Form 214 Member Copy #4) along with any other documentation as required by Rule 55A-7, Florida Administrative Code.  Veterans’ Preference documentation requirements are available by clicking here.  All documentation is due by the close of the vacancy announcement.