Forensic Chemist

This position is located in the Department of Justice (DOJ), Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Office of Forensic Sciences, Forensic Laboratories. 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.

Overview

• Accepting applications

• Open & closing dates

  11/12/2024 to 11/15/2024

• Salary

  $128,717 – $167,336 per year

  
  
• Pay scale & grade
  

  GS 13

• Location

  1 vacancy in the following location:

  
  
• Remote job
  

  No

• Telework eligible

  Yes-as determined by the agency policy.

  
  
• Travel Required

  Occasional travel – You may be expected to travel for this position.

• Relocation expenses reimbursed
  

  No

• Appointment type
  

  Permanent

• Work schedule
  

  Full-time

• Service
  

  Competitive

• Promotion potential
  

  13

• Job family (Series)
• Supervisory status
  

  No

• Security clearance
• Drug test
  

  Yes

• Position sensitivity and risk
• Trust determination process
• Financial disclosure
  

  No

• Bargaining unit status
• Announcement number

  F-SF-25-12603061-DE-KY

  
  
• Control number
  

  818423700

This job is open to

Clarification from the agency

Duties

• Utilizes the theories and applications of analytical chemistry to independently perform analysis and interpret data to verify molecular structures of controlled substance standards.

• 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.

• Validates, via controlled chemical experimental trials, analytical testing methods for division instruments and division wet chemical tests.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

• 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/.

Qualifications

Applicants must meet all of the required qualification requirements described below by the closing of this announcement. If you are qualifying based on education or if there are mandatory education requirements listed below, you MUST submit a copy of your college transcript with your application that clearly display conferred degrees and/or relevant credit hours. All applicants must meet one of the basic qualification requirements described below for this position.

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-13 level:

This experience is related to the work of the position and equivalent to at least the GS-12 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-13 position.

Additional information on the position qualification requirements are located in the Office of Personnel Management’s (OPM) .

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: .

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: .

Additional 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. Potential duty locations are as follows:

• Pleasanton, CA

• 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. .

  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.

  
  
  

How You Will Be Evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

Under the provisions of the Direct-Hire Authority, veterans’ preference and traditional rating and ranking of applications does not apply. For this announcement, all applicants will be assessed to determine if they meet the qualifications for this position, specifically the education, specialized experience, and knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) necessary to perform the work of the position. All applications that meet the required qualifications will be referred to the selecting official in the order in which the applications were received.

Your serves as the basis for qualification determinations and must highlight your most relevant and significant work experience and education (if applicable) as it relates to this job opportunity.
Your qualifications will be evaluated on the following KSAs and other characteristics that are relevant to the duties of this position and must be fully supported by information in your resume:

• Research
• Chemistry
• Written Communication
• Teamwork

candidates must be well qualified for the position to receive consideration for selection priority. Candidates are considered well qualified if their knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) exceed the minimum qualifications described in the announcement.

• 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. .

  
  
  

  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.

• Required Documents

  As a new or existing federal employee, you and your family may have access to a range of benefits. Your benefits depend on the type of position you have – whether you’re a permanent, part-time, temporary or an intermittent employee. You may be eligible for the following benefits, however, check with your agency to make sure you’re eligible under their policies.

  
  
  

  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 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 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 .
  
  
  

  5. ICTAP/CTAP documentation, if applicable . Visit our agency’s and sites for required documentation.

Source ⇲