This position is within the Department of Health & Human Services, Food and Drug Administration, with multiple locations throughout the U.S. and its territories. The core responsibilities of this position are summarized below.
Note: Salary figures shown represent the "Rest of U.S." locality pay rate. Salaries may vary based on the actual location you are hired at. You can reference OPM's2018 General Schedule Pay Tables site to see the current locality-adjusted salary rates for any region.
Summary
This position is within the Department of Health & Human Services, Food and Drug Administration, with multiple locations throughout the U.S. and its territories. The core responsibilities of this position are summarized below.
Note: Salary figures shown represent the "Rest of U.S." locality pay rate. Salaries may vary based on the actual location you are hired at. You can reference OPM's2018 General Schedule Pay Tables site to see the current locality-adjusted salary rates for any region.
This position is being advertised under a OPM governmentwide Direct Hire issued on October 11, 2018 for Scientific, Technical, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) and cybersecurity related positions nationwide. All U.S. Citizens, Nationals and those owing allegiance to the U.S. may apply. You may be required to submit additional information. Interviews are at the discretion of the hiring office.
Perform scientific analysis, investigation, and research on the chemical and physical properties of food components, drugs, antibiotics, agricultural chemicals, immunogenic agents, biological products, and/or environmental agents.
Develop and modify analytical methods or research projects to study the composition, molecular structure, chemical properties, and chemical reactions of substances in natural and manmade environments.
Assist in writing comprehensive statistical and analytical reports from scientific investigations studies and projects.
Participate in developing analytical methods and extending their application to other substances, designing new sampling and sample preparation procedures and validation and collaborative studies.
You must be a United States Citizen, National, or other permanent lawful resident owing allegiance to the United States, to be considered.
If you were born male, after, December 31st 1959, you must be registered with the Selective Service System, or have an approved exemption. Learn more at www.SSS.gov
Additional selections may be made from this vacancy, within the same geographical area, by other organizational elements from within FDA, through shared corporate recruiting activities.
This is a Direct-Hire advertisement: Veterans Preference and Category Rating are NOT applicable! Learn more about Direct-Hire at https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/hiring-information/competitive-hiring/#url=directhire
A one year probationary period may be required.
See the Additional Conditions of Employment section for more...
Qualifications
BASIC REQUIREMENTS:
In order be eligible for the position of Chemist, (GS-1320-11/12/13), you must meet the following requirements...
Have a degree in 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
Have a combination of education and experience -- course work equivalent to a major listed 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 REQUIREMENTS: You must possess one year (52-weeks) of specialized experience, equivalent to at least the next lower grade level in the Federal service.
Such experience will be determined based upon the position to be filled.
All qualification requirements must be met by 11:59 pm (Eastern Time) on 11/26/2018. If, after reviewing your resume and/or supporting documentation, a determination is made that you have inflated your responses when compared to your background information, you may be deemed ineligible or your score may be adjusted to more accurately reflect your skills and abilities.
Additional Conditions of Employment:
Security and Background Requirements: Appointment will be subject to the applicant's successful completion of a background security investigation. Failure to successfully meet these requirements may be grounds for appropriate personnel action. If hired, a background security reinvestigation or supplemental investigation may be required at a later time. Applicants are also advised that all information concerning qualifications is subject to investigation. False representation may be grounds for non-consideration, non-selection or appropriate disciplinary action. E-Verify: If you are selected for this position, the documentation that you present for purposes of completing the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Form I-9 will be verified through the DHS "E-Verify" System. Federal law requires DHS to use the E-Verify System to verify employment eligibility of all new hires, and as a condition of continued employment obligates the new hire to take affirmative steps to resolve any discrepancies identified by the system. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is an E-Verify Participant. Direct Deposit: All Federal employees are required to have Federal salary payments made by direct deposit to a financial institution of their choosing. Pre-employment physical required: No
Drug testing required: No
License required: No
Mobility agreement required: No
Immunization required: No
Bargaining Unit Position: Yes
Relocation Incentives may be authorized; however, this is contingent upon funds availability. If authorized, certain incentives will require you to sign a service agreement to remain in the Federal government for a period of up to 3 years. Note: This statement does not imply nor guarantee an incentive will be offered and paid. Incentives include the following: moving expenses, recruitment or relocation incentive; student loan repayment, superior qualifications appointment, creditable service for annual leave for prior non-federal work experience or prior uniformed military service, etc.
Financial disclosure statement, OGE-450, required: Please be advised that this position will be subject to FDA's prohibited financial interest regulation and may require the incumbent of this position to divest of certain financial interests. Applicants are advised to seek additional information on this requirement from the hiring official before accepting this position. Scientific Research Positions: Research positions require an evaluation of the scientific contributions, recognition and professional standing of the researcher as they related to the position being filled. Writing Samples & Portfolios: A writing sample or publication portfolio may be required. Peer Review: Some scientific and research positions may be subject to peer review.
Education
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. For more information about this requirement, please visit the U.S. Department of Education website for Foreign Education Evaluation.
Additional information
If you are serving, or have served in the last 5 years (from 11/26/2018) as an Executive Branch political, Schedule C, or Non-career SES appointee, HHS/FDA may be required to obtain approval by the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) prior to beginning employment. You can find out if you have held one of these appointment types by looking at your Standard Form 50s in your Electronic Official Personnel Folder (eOPF), in Section 5 where the legal authorities are listed. If you have served or are currently serving, you must provide a copy of your SF-50, Notification of Personnel Action, documenting this appointment. In addition, you will be required to respond to the question in the assessment and certify your responses to the questionnaire. See Political Appointee FAQ - OPM for more...
Direct-Hire Authority: On October 11th, 2018, the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) issued a special government-wide Direct Hire Authority (DHA) for Scientific, Technical, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM), and cyber security-related positions nationwide. This position is open to all U.S. Citizens and all qualified candidates will be referred for consideration. The hiring manager may select from any of these qualified candidates without regard to veteran's preference. Learn more about Direct-Hire on OPM's website...
Veterans Preference: Veterans Preference does not apply to this advertisement because it falls under the aforementioned DHA.
Reasonable Accommodation: This agency provides reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process, please contact the Bethesda Center Help Desk (888) 478-4340; TTY/TDD: (866) 539-4484; or by email quickquestions@fda.hhs.gov. The decision on granting reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis. See the Reasonable Accommodation Policy for more information...
Equal Employment Opportunity: The United States Government does not discriminate in employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy and gender identity), national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, membership in an employee organization, retaliation, parental status, military service, or other non-merit factor See the EEO Policy for more information...
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.
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.
Once the job opportunity announcement closes (at 11:59 pm ET on 11/26/2018), your resume and all supporting documents will be reviewed by HR to determine your eligibility for Federal employment and your qualification for this position specifically.
Because this vacancy will be filled through OPM's Direct Hire Authority. Veterans Preference and traditional rating and ranking of applicants do not apply to positions filled under this announcement. Applications received as a result of job fairs, recruitment events, and emergency hiring mechanisms in support of this hiring initiative will also be accepted during the duration of the direct-hire authority. All qualified candidates will be referred for consideration; the hiring office may conduct interviews at their discretion.
Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your eligibility
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.
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.
The following documents are REQUIRED for this vacancy,
Resume
Transcript
A document that is required must be submitted by all applicants because the document is needed to verify your qualifications, education, or other eligibility information. Failure to provide one of the documents in the list below may result in your application being considered incomplete.
The following additional documents are ACCEPTED for this vacancy.
Cover Letter
DD-214
Other
Other Veterans Document
Resume
SF-15
SF-50
Transcript
These supplemental documents are ued to support your application claims but may not apply to every applicant. If a document appears in this list, it may still be required for verification purposes, such as claims for special hiring authorities, licensure or certification, education, etc. The links below will provide additional information about documentation.
Learn more about supporting documents and documentation requirements on USAJOBS:
Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.
To apply for this position, you must complete the assessment questionnaire and submit all documentation specified in the Required Documents section. To receive consideration for this position, you must submit your complete application by 11:59 pm Eastern Time on the closing date of this announcement (11/26/2018).
Instructions for applying to this job:
You must be signed in to USAJOBS. If you do not have a USAJOBS account, you must first create one before you can apply
If you are signed in, you can tap/click "Apply Online" to begin the process.
USAJOBS will ask you to select a resume to submit. We recommend that you submit a USAJOBS Resume Builder formatted resume so that you know you're submitting all the information we will need. You may also submit a resume in the format of your choice. For tips on what to include in your resume, see the USAJOBS Resume Help site.
USAJOBS will then allow you to include documentation from your USAJOBS Saved Documents area. (You may also attach additional supporting documents during this stage, or you may do so prior to submitting your application.)
You will then be required to respond to certify your application materials and you'll be given the chance to elect to provide demographic information (if you have completed this part of your USAJOBS profile).
Finally, you will be transferred to the USA Staffing® Application Manager system to complete the occupational questionnaire and finalize your application for submission. Follow the on-screen instructions provided and respond to ALL questions presented to you. You will be allowed to finalize and submit additional documents one last time. You will review your application and make final submission. You will then be returned back to USAJOBS.
Should you need help while using the Application Manger site, please click the ? Help icon at the top-right corner of the screen, or see the Applicant Help Site. If this does not resolve your question, the FDA Applicant Help Desk contact information is below.
Instructions for reviewing or editing your application:
If you need to make a change to your application, or if you just want to know your application status, you will need to be logged in to your USAJOBS account. Tap/click on your name in the top-right corner, then select "Applications".
You will see a list of the most recent applications you have submitted. Tap/click on the one you wish to review or edit. The item will expand and provide your current status, along with additional information about that application. If you wish to change something then tap/click the "Update Application" button.
You will be taken through the same steps you did when you initially applied. You can make changes to add or remove supporting documents before being transferred over to the USA Staffing® Application Manager where you can continue making changes to your responses to the occupational questionnaire. Step through the process as you did the first time, taking care to make the changes you need, and submitting in the final step.
You are encouraged to apply online. Applying online will allow you to review and track the status of your application. This agency provides reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process, please contact the FDA Applicant Help Desk at (888) 478-4340; TTY/TDD: (800) 877-8339; or by email quickquestions@fda.gov. (If you request by e-mail, please replace the blank space in the body with the Vacancy Identification Number, VIN, which is:10355304). Decisions on granting reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis.
The FDA Applicant Help Desk is staffed from 7am to 6pm (Eastern Time), Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays.
Center for Drug Evaluation and Research
10903 New Hampshire Ave
Silver Spring, MD 20993
US
Next steps
Once you have submitted your complete application, (to include the resume, all required supporting documentation, and the responses to the assessment questionnaires), your application will be reviewed by HR to determine your eligibility and qualification status. If you are referred to the hiring office, they may contact you at their discretion for an interview. If you are not referred, you may not immediately receive a notification due to the high volume of applications that are typically submitted to direct-hire advertisements.
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
The following documents are REQUIRED for this vacancy,
Resume
Transcript
A document that is required must be submitted by all applicants because the document is needed to verify your qualifications, education, or other eligibility information. Failure to provide one of the documents in the list below may result in your application being considered incomplete.
The following additional documents are ACCEPTED for this vacancy.
Cover Letter
DD-214
Other
Other Veterans Document
Resume
SF-15
SF-50
Transcript
These supplemental documents are ued to support your application claims but may not apply to every applicant. If a document appears in this list, it may still be required for verification purposes, such as claims for special hiring authorities, licensure or certification, education, etc. The links below will provide additional information about documentation.
Learn more about supporting documents and documentation requirements on USAJOBS:
Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.
To apply for this position, you must complete the assessment questionnaire and submit all documentation specified in the Required Documents section. To receive consideration for this position, you must submit your complete application by 11:59 pm Eastern Time on the closing date of this announcement (11/26/2018).
Instructions for applying to this job:
You must be signed in to USAJOBS. If you do not have a USAJOBS account, you must first create one before you can apply
If you are signed in, you can tap/click "Apply Online" to begin the process.
USAJOBS will ask you to select a resume to submit. We recommend that you submit a USAJOBS Resume Builder formatted resume so that you know you're submitting all the information we will need. You may also submit a resume in the format of your choice. For tips on what to include in your resume, see the USAJOBS Resume Help site.
USAJOBS will then allow you to include documentation from your USAJOBS Saved Documents area. (You may also attach additional supporting documents during this stage, or you may do so prior to submitting your application.)
You will then be required to respond to certify your application materials and you'll be given the chance to elect to provide demographic information (if you have completed this part of your USAJOBS profile).
Finally, you will be transferred to the USA Staffing® Application Manager system to complete the occupational questionnaire and finalize your application for submission. Follow the on-screen instructions provided and respond to ALL questions presented to you. You will be allowed to finalize and submit additional documents one last time. You will review your application and make final submission. You will then be returned back to USAJOBS.
Should you need help while using the Application Manger site, please click the ? Help icon at the top-right corner of the screen, or see the Applicant Help Site. If this does not resolve your question, the FDA Applicant Help Desk contact information is below.
Instructions for reviewing or editing your application:
If you need to make a change to your application, or if you just want to know your application status, you will need to be logged in to your USAJOBS account. Tap/click on your name in the top-right corner, then select "Applications".
You will see a list of the most recent applications you have submitted. Tap/click on the one you wish to review or edit. The item will expand and provide your current status, along with additional information about that application. If you wish to change something then tap/click the "Update Application" button.
You will be taken through the same steps you did when you initially applied. You can make changes to add or remove supporting documents before being transferred over to the USA Staffing® Application Manager where you can continue making changes to your responses to the occupational questionnaire. Step through the process as you did the first time, taking care to make the changes you need, and submitting in the final step.
You are encouraged to apply online. Applying online will allow you to review and track the status of your application. This agency provides reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process, please contact the FDA Applicant Help Desk at (888) 478-4340; TTY/TDD: (800) 877-8339; or by email quickquestions@fda.gov. (If you request by e-mail, please replace the blank space in the body with the Vacancy Identification Number, VIN, which is:10355304). Decisions on granting reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis.
The FDA Applicant Help Desk is staffed from 7am to 6pm (Eastern Time), Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays.
Center for Drug Evaluation and Research
10903 New Hampshire Ave
Silver Spring, MD 20993
US
Next steps
Once you have submitted your complete application, (to include the resume, all required supporting documentation, and the responses to the assessment questionnaires), your application will be reviewed by HR to determine your eligibility and qualification status. If you are referred to the hiring office, they may contact you at their discretion for an interview. If you are not referred, you may not immediately receive a notification due to the high volume of applications that are typically submitted to direct-hire advertisements.
Fair and transparent
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
