Incumbent serves as a Chemist [Positive Laboratory Certifying Official/Certifying Scientist (PLCO/CS)] assigned to the Certification Section, Forensic Toxicology Drug Testing Laboratory (FTDTL), Fort Meade, Maryland.

Duties

• Conduct and analyze scientific testing performed by lower graded scientists and providing scientific validation of results.
• Interpret the chromatography and quantitative confirmation results from the highly specific analytical instrumentation in relation to testing human urine aliquots for selected drugs of abuse or drug metabolites.
• Ensure compliance with Federal Law and established laboratory quality control and quality assurance
  criteria and ascertain the identity and accuracy of quality control specimens in both screening and quantitative analytical reports.
• Determine the disposition of specimens whose chain of custody documents contain errors or omissions, in accordance with acceptable practices and sound judgment.
• Initiate special testing requests and/or requests for testing that is completed at other laboratories
• Prepare and certify memoranda required for the different types of validity and steroid testing.
• Read, comprehend, and interpret scientific journal reports, studies, and articles in the field of forensic urine drug testing to maintain current expertise in the execution of their duties.
• Understand and apply of pharmacokinetics for various drugs that enables them to, in the course of expert testimony, present scientific information in a manner understandable to the lay person.

Requirements

• You will be required to provide proof of U.S. Citizenship.
• One year trial/probationary period may be required.
• Male applicants born after December 31, 1959, must complete a Pre-Employment Certification Statement for Selective Service Registration.
• Appointment may be subject to a suitability or fitness determination, as determined by a completed background investigation.
• This position has a Temporary Duty (TDY) or business travel requirement of 25% or less of the time.
• This position is required to be screened for and obtain necessary immunizations/vaccinations (hepatitis, influenza, etc.), unless exempted by a licensed physician.
• This position is required to work uncommon tours of duty hours such as, on-call, working either fixed or rotating shifts, evenings, weekends and/or holidays.
• This position has been designated "Mission Essential". In the event of severe weather conditions or other such emergency type situations, the incumbent is required to report to work or remain at work as scheduled to support mission operations.

Qualifications

Who May Apply: Only applicants who meet one of the employment authority categories below are eligible to apply for this job. You will be asked to identify which category or categories you meet, and to provide documents which prove you meet the category or categories you selected. See Proof of Eligibility for an extensive list of document requirements for all employment authorities.

• This job is open to the public. U.S Citizens are eligible apply to this job as well as the eligible categories below:

In order to qualify, you must meet the education and/or experience requirements described below. 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). You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. Your resume must clearly describe your relevant experience; if qualifying based on education, your transcripts will be required as part of your application. Additional information about transcripts is in this document.

To qualify based on your experience, your resume must describe at least one year of experience which prepared you to do the work in this job.

Basic Requirement for Chemist - 1320:

A. Degree: Bachelor's degree (or higher degree) in the 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 in the physical sciences, life sciences, or engineering, 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 requirement above, to qualify for this position you must also meet the qualification requirements listed below:

Specialized Experience: One year of specialized experience performing the work of Supervisory Chemist which includes (1) providing technical guidance to subordinates engaging in extractions, analytical separations, and mass spectrometry detention of drugs of abuse; (2) producing legal and scientific confirmation of the presence of metabolites in accordance with regulatory requirements from governing programs; and (3) exercising staff supervision and control of subordinates by performing personnel administrative tasks for continuity of laboratory services. This definition of specialized experience is typical of work performed at the next lower grade/level position in the federal service (GS-11 or above).

Education

FOREIGN EDUCATION: If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show 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. For further information, visit: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html.

Additional information

• Male applicants born after December 31, 1959, must complete a Pre-Employment Certification Statement for Selective Service Registration.
• You will be required to provide proof of U.S. Citizenship.
• One year trial/probationary period may be required.
• Direct deposit of pay is required.
• Selection is subject to restrictions resulting from Department of Defense referral system for displaced employees.
• If you have retired from federal service and you are interested in employment as a reemployed annuitant, see the information in the Reemployed Annuitant information sheet.
• This is a Career Program (CP) 16 - Engineers and Scientist position.
• Multiple positions may be filled from this announcement.
• Salary includes applicable locality pay or Local Market Supplement.
• If you are unable to apply online or need to fax a document you do not have in electronic form, view the following link for information regarding an Alternate Application.
• Certification as a Positive Laboratory Certifying Official/Certifying Scientist (PLCO/CS) is required.
• Payment of Permanent Change of Station (PCS) costs is not authorized, based on a determination that a PCS move is not in the Government interest.
• Superior qualifications and special needs pay setting may be authorized at management's discretion for eligible candidates.

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

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.

Review our 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.