Summary

About the Position:

This is a Direct Hire Authority (DHA) solicitation utilizing the DHA for STEM Positions and Cyber Security and related positions' to recruit and appoint qualified candidates to positions in the competitive service.

Serves as Chief, Certification Section of the Forensic Toxicology Drug Testing Laboratory (FTDTL).

Duties

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• Organize method development and validation and recommend acceptance of methods to the Army Forensic Toxicology Program Manager, DoD Drug Testing Program Manager, FTDTL RPs, and SAMHSA.
• Manage modification of methodology and implementation of new techniques, methodology, software, or analytical equipment.
• Approve, modify, or reject formal requests prepared by subordinate supervisors for promotions, reassignments, awards, selections, etc.
• 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.
• Provide expert guidance on confirmatory testing and MS-based screening related troubleshooting and matters of interpretation of specimen results and of experimental data from new method development.
• Develop, write, and maintain highly technical Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) based on strict regulatory guidance, and ensuring exact compliance by all subordinates.
• Assign work to subordinate supervisors.
• Establish division goals and priorities; evaluate results; and, maintain control through reviews, briefings, reports, or observations to identify where program adjustments are needed to meet mission requirements.
• Plan, staff, direct, and control the FTDTL's technical operations and development, as related to chemical extraction, mass spectrometry, method development and validation, and method, personnel, and equipment certification.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

• You will be required to provide proof of U.S. Citizenship.
• Male applicants born after December 31, 1959, must complete a Pre-Employment Certification Statement for Selective Service Registration.
• One-year supervisory 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 requires the employee to occasionally travel (TDY) up to 5% of the time.
• This position must be certified to perform their duties on both civilian and military specimens

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.

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.

For GS-13:

Specialized Experience: One year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-12 grade level in the Federal service which includes: 1) conducting and analyzing of scientific testing to provide scientific validation of results; 2) analyzing of complex scientific testing results, screening and confirmation; 3) interpreting the quantitative results from the highly specific analytical instrumentation (such as gas or liquid chromatograph/mass spectrometer) to test human urine samples for selected drugs of abuse or drug metabolites; 4) utilizing in-depth knowledge of the field of chemistry, pharmacokinetics and toxicology to solve problems.

Individual Occupational Requirements

Basic Requirements:

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.

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.

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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.