Summary

This position is located in the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Operational Support Division, Office of Forensic Sciences (SF), Laboratory Management and Operations Section (SFM) or Quality Assurance Section (SFQ) in Arlington, VA.

This position(s) primary purpose is to provide leadership and guidance to DEA laboratories regarding all laboratory system program activities.

Duties

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As a your typical work assignments may include:

• Mastery of the chemical specialty area of forensic chemistry which enables the chemist to serve as a technical authority relative to DEA laboratory system programs.
• Thorough understanding of management objectives, primarily gained through prior experience as a supervisory chemist in a field laboratory.
• Knowledge and skill to plan, assist in implementation, coordinate with laboratory management, and evaluate long- and short-term laboratory system programs.
• Ability to modify procedures to develop and plan projects that deal with critical and obscure problems in the program areas.
• Knowledge of related disciplines such as analytical, organic and physical chemistry, statistics, and instrumentation.
• Knowledge of Federal laws, agency regulations, and guidelines pertaining to forensic chemistry and le al and clandestine practices and uses.
• Skill in evaluating and incorporating into agency guidelines and criteria the latest developments and changes in forensic chemistry.
• Knowledge of management of operations activities in DEA laboratories and implementation of laboratory system policy and procedures.
• Mastery of chemistry principles, synthesis routes, etc., is required to properly categorize drug/chemical substances (e.g., correctly correlate and group data sets), and identify and track precursor chemicals.
• Knowledge of laboratory workflow is paramount to evaluating and recommending tools for lab modernization and automation, data acquisition, analytics, management, and laboratory workflow management.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

• U.S. Citizenship is required.
• Employment is subject to the successful completion of a background investigation. Must be able to obtain and maintain a security clearance.
• Incumbent is subject to random drug testing.
• Selective Service: Males born after 12/31/59 must be registered or exempt from Selective Service (see http://www.sss.gov/).
• Mobility Agreement is a condition of employment; the employee must sign the
  agreement and comply with management- directed temporary and permanent change of station (PCS) movement
  to meet mission requirements.

Qualifications

For more information on eligibility requirements see: DEA Employment Eligibility

Applicants must meet the required qualification requirements described below by the closing date of the 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 transcripts with your application.

Basic Education Requirement:

1) 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

2) 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.

Minimum Qualifications:

To qualify for the GS-14 grade level, you must have at least one year of specialized experience at or equivalent to the GS-13.

Qualifying experience must demonstrate the following duties: developing methods for and conducting analysis of difficult samples to detect the presence of controlled substances and related materials; serving as a consultant on forensic, chemical and technical matters in the field of controlled substance analysis; advising state, local and industrial officials on matters pertaining to controlled substance analysis; advising and assisting in the performance of certain enforcement activities such as clandestine laboratory seizures; and participating in studies to improve laboratory system programs and procedures.

Specialized experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community, student, social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

Additional information on the position qualification requirements are located in the Office of Personnel Management's (OPM) Qualifications Standards Handbook.

Time-In-Grade Requirement: Applicants must meet time-in-grade and time after competitive appointment requirements by the closing date of this announcement.

Education

See the qualification 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.

If you are claiming education as any part of your qualifications for this position, you must submit an official transcript, unofficial transcript, or a list including courses, grades earned, completion dates, and quarter and semester hours earned.

Additional information

For reasonable accommodation at the Drug Enforcement Administration, please contact the Human Resources office listed in this announcement.

Current or Former Political Appointees: The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) must authorize employment offers made to current or former political appointees. If an applicant is currently, or has been within the last 5 years, a political Schedule A, Schedule C, Non-career SES or Presidential Appointee employee in the Executive Branch, applicants must disclose this information to the Human Resources Office listed in this announcement.

Multiple positions may be filled from this announcement. If eligible, applicants to this announcement may be referred to similar positions in any Division/Office listed in this announcement. Telework eligibility and security clearance requirements may vary for such similar positions.

Relocation Incentives may be considered and approved if the DEA has determined that the position is likely to be difficult to fill in the absence of an incentive and funding for such an incentive is available.

If eligible, telework agreements may be permitted with supervisory approval.

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Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

Benefits

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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. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.

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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.