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The incumbent conducts visual, physical, chemical, photographic, and other scientific and instrumental examinations of complex submissions of physical evidence to form an opinion in the primary area of forensic drug chemistry and other trace evidence materials. This serves as public notice for the use of the Office of Personnel Management's Direct Hire Authority. Applicants who meet the qualification requirements will be forwarded to the selecting official for consideration.
Duties
As a Forensic Chemist your typical work assignments may include:
- Utilizes scientific methods and laboratory guidelines to perform routine scientific tests on controlled and non-controlled substances while adhering to custody and security procedures in the handling, analysis, and preservation of evidence.
- Plans and executes complex studies that involve performance of chemical analyses and tests on a broad range of unusual samples.
- Examines the chemistry of substances, evaluates possible approaches for use and devises, and modifies and/or extends methods to meet requirements.
- $62,107 - $96,770/year
- U.S. Citizenship is required.
- Incumbent is subject to random drug testing.
- Must be able to obtain and maintain a Top-Secret security clearance.
- This position requires the completion of a pre-employment and annual medical examination.
- Mobility agreement is required upon selection.
- Must have and maintain a valid state driver’s license.
- Males must be registered for Selective Service (www.sss.gov).
- Successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, visit: http://www.dhs.gov/E-Verify/.
- Required Successful Completion of 18-week Basic Forensic Chemist (BFCC) Training Course
Basic Qualification Requirements:
A. Degree: Physical sciences, life sciences, or engineering that included 30 semester hours in chemistry, supplemented by course work in mathematics through differential and integral calculus, and at least 6 semester hours of physics. OR
B. Combination of education and experience: Course work equivalent to a major as shown in A above, including at least 30 semester hours in chemistry, supplemented by mathematics through differential and integral calculus, and at least 6 semester hours of physics, plus appropriate experience or additional education.
In addition to meeting the basic requirements listed above, to qualify for this position the applicant MUST have at least one year of specialized experience that has equipped them with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position.
Candidates with a baccalaureate or an advanced degree in a chemical, physical, or biological science or forensic science are preferred, but not required.
For the GS-11 level:
This experience is related to the work of the position and equivalent to at least the GS-9 level in the Federal service. Qualifying specialized experience must demonstrate the following: 1) conducting routine chemical analysis of unknown substances and samples; 2) calibrating and operating analytical instrumentation, such as the gas chromatograph, mass spectrometer, liquid chromatograph, or other laboratory equipment; and 3) generating reports of findings from conducted chemical analysis. OR
Education: Three years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a Ph. D. degree or PH.D. or equivalent doctoral degree. OR
Combination of Education and Experience: A combination of education and experience may be used to qualify for this position as long as the computed percentage of the requirements is at least 100%.
For the GS-12 level:
This experience is related to the work of the position and equivalent to at least the GS-11 level in the Federal service. Qualifying specialized experience must demonstrate the following: 1) independently determining an approach to chemically analyzing specified or unknown substances and samples based on research, personal experiences, knowledge, and/or established laboratory protocols; 2) performing a full range of chemical analyses and physical tests on a variety of unknown substances for identification utilizing modern analytical techniques, instrumentation and following laboratory procedures; 3) calibrating and operating analytical instrumentation, such as the gas chromatograph, mass spectrometer, liquid chromatograph, or other laboratory equipment; and 4) generating reports which describes all tests performed, calculations and conclusions.
There is no substitute of education for specialized experience for the GS-12 position.
Additional information on the position qualification requirements are located in the Office of Personnel Management's (OPM) Qualifications Standards Handbook. Education See the Qualifications Section of this vacancy announcement for education requirements. Education completed in foreign colleges or universities may be used to meet the education requirements if you can show that the foreign education is comparable to that received in an accredited educational institution in the United States. It is your responsibility to provide such evidence when applying. For a list of accredited organizations recognized as specializing in interpretation of foreign education credentials, visit: www.naces.org/members.php. Special Instructions for Foreign Education: If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show that the education credentials have been evaluated by a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign education programs and such education has been deemed equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program; or full credit has been given for the courses at a U.S. accredited college or university. Failure to provide such documentation with your application will result in lost consideration. For further information, visit: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/. Other Information
Individuals selected and have received the appropriate clearances for employment will be placed on a roster of candidates. The DEA will contact selectees to coordinate onboarding as training and employment opportunities become available.
As a term of employment, individuals selected for this position are required to successfully complete the DEA Basic Forensic Chemist course (BFCC). This is an 18-week training held at the DEA Training Academy in Quantico, Virginia. Following completion of the BFCC, individuals are required to successfully complete a 60-day laboratory qualification training at their assigned DEA facility.
This position is subject to reassignment to any domestic DEA facility, depending on the needs of the DEA. Individuals selected for this position are required to sign a mobility agreement as a condition of employment.
All required documents listed below, that are applicable to you, must be submitted to our automated system by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) on the closing date of this announcement.
1. Resume showing relevant work/volunteer experience, education and training. Include the start and end dates (from month/year to month/year) and the number of hours per week worked/volunteered. Your resume serves as the basis for qualification determinations and must support your answers to the completed online assessment questions.
2. Transcripts, if applicable and you are qualifying based on education. See the Qualification and Education sections of this announcement for more information. If selected, an official/sealed college transcript(s) will be required to verify education prior to employment.
3. Other Qualification Documentation (e.g. certificates, certifications, etc.), if applicable. See the Qualification section of this announcement for more information.
4. Veterans' Preference Documentation, if applicable. Veterans' preference does not apply to this vacancy. Any supporting documentation received from veterans will be retained to document veteran's status if selected.
- To claim 5-point preference, submit a copy of your DD-214 Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty.
- To claim 10-point preference, submit all required documentation outlined on the SF-15 (Application for 10-Point Veteran Preference) to support your claim (e.g., DD-214, official statement from the Department of Veterans Affairs, etc.). If we cannot verify your 10-point preference claim, your application will be reviewed for 5-point preference.
- To claim 10-point derived preference (i.e., spouses, widows, widowers or mothers of veterans), submit a completed SF-15 and all required documentation listed on the SF-15 to support your claim.
- To claim 0-point Sole Survivorship preference, submit a copy of your DD-214 or another form of official documentation showing that your discharge or release from active duty occurred on or after August 29, 2008 and was based on a sole survivorship discharge.
- For all preference claims:
- DD-214 Member 4 copies are preferred and must show the dates of service, type of discharge, and any qualifying service campaign medals.
- For more veterans' preference information, visit the USAJOBS Help Center.
PLEASE COMPLETE ANY ONLINE INFORMATION FOR THIS VACANCY USING YOUR LEGAL NAME. USING NICKNAMES MAY CAUSE IDENTIFICATION ISSUES LATER ON IN THE APPLICANT PROCESS.
To apply for this position, please read and follow all instructions in this announcement, complete the online application, and submit the documentation specified in the "Required Documents" section. Your complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM Eastern Time (ET) on 11/29/2024 to receive consideration.
1. To begin, click Apply to access the online application. You will need to be logged into your USAJOBS account to apply.
2. Follow the prompts to select your resume and/or other supporting documents to be included with your application package. See the "Required Documents" section for any additional forms and/or supplemental materials required.
3. Read all Eligibility questions and respond accordingly to any Eligibility you wish to claim. You will only be considered for those Eligibility questions (Status Applicant, Reinstatement, Schedule A, etc.) you respond in the affirmative to, regardless of what documentation you submit. We cannot assume you intended to respond differently to a question based on other information in your application package.
4. Complete the assessment questionnaire. Applicants are asked all questions regardless of their consideration preferences. We will only consider you for the grades, series, locations, specialties, and other considerations that you self-identify as being qualified for or interested in. Preview assessment questionnaire before you apply:
5. Verify all required documentation is included in your application package, review your responses to the assessment questionnaire for accuracy, and then submit your application.
We cannot assume responsibility or grant extensions for personal issues (e.g., troubles navigating the application process, loss of internet, not understanding a question) when applying to our announcements. For resume writing guidance, please visit the following resources: USAJOBS Resource Center, and the USAJOBS Resume Writing Video Tutorial.
A reasonable accommodation is any change to a job, the work environment, or the way things are usually done that enables an individual with a disability to apply for a job, perform job duties or receive equal access to job benefits.
Under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, federal agencies must provide reasonable accommodations when:
- An applicant with a disability needs an accommodation to have an equal opportunity to apply for a job.
- An employee with a disability needs an accommodation to perform the essential job duties or to gain access to the workplace.
- An employee with a disability needs an accommodation to receive equal access to benefits, such as details, training, and office-sponsored events.
If applying online poses an extreme hardship, you may request alternate application procedures to submit your application package. Contact the Human Resources office listed on the announcement between the business hours of 8:15 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. ET at least 2 working days prior to the closing date of this announcement. The application package for alternate application procedures must be submitted and received in the Human Resources office no later than 11:59 p.m. ET on the closing date of this announcement. Paper applications and information sent by mail will not be accepted. Benefits
A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Learn more about federal benefits.
Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.
