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Chemist

Department of the Treasury
Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau
This job announcement has closed

Summary

TTB's mission is steeped in America's history, from the time of the Whiskey Rebellion to the work of agents like Eliot Ness. We are a nationwide team dedicated to collect alcohol, tobacco, firearms and ammunition excise taxes and ensure that alcohol beverages are labeled, advertised and marketed by law. We ranked 23 of 411 (top 6%) of agency subcomponents of 2020's Best places to Work.

Overview

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Hiring complete
Open & closing dates
08/09/2022 to 08/23/2022
Salary
$50,643 to - $80,532 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 7 - 9
Location
Beltsville, MD
1 vacancy
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Travel Required
Occasional travel - You may be expected to travel 1-5 nights per month for this position.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
12
Job family (Series)
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Secret
Drug test
No
Announcement number
22-TTB-106-P
Control number
669960400

This job is open to

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Clarification from the agency

U.S. citizens or U.S. Nationals; no prior Federal experience is required.

Duties

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This position is located at Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau,Assistant Administrator-HQ Operations/Scientific Services Division.

The following are the duties of this position at the GS-12. If you are selected at a lower grade level, you will have the opportunity to learn to perform all these duties, and will receive training to help you grow in this position.
- Review formulas and perform regulatory testing on routine nonbeverage alcohol products samples using chemical, physical, and instrumental techniques. Draws conclusions and recommends action based on analytical results and regulatory guidelines
- Identify the need for improved or new analytical methods to address regulatory issues or problems and/or enhancing laboratory capabilities, and plan, organize and conduct analyses to implement these needs
- Prepare laboratory reports summarizing results on sample submissions with conclusions reached, and other official documents such as technical reports and memoranda
- Advise investigators/auditors where specialized experience will help their investigations and respond to technical questions from TTB program offices and regulated industries
- Participate in the laboratory's quality, safety, and other protocols and procedures to recommend improvements and lead division-wide changes

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

This opportunity is also open to Status Candidates under Announcement 22-TTB-109. Please refer to that announcement for details on open period, eligibility, and how to apply.

The experience may have been gained in either the public, private sector or volunteer service. One year of experience refers to full-time work; part-time work is considered on a prorated basis. To ensure full credit for your work experience, please indicate dates of employment by month/day/year, and indicate number of hours worked per week on your resume.

Key Requirements:
  1. Please refer to "Conditions of Employment."
  2. Click "Print Preview" to review the entire announcement before applying.
  3. Must be U.S. Citizen or U.S. National

Qualifications

You must meet the following requirements by the closing date of this announcement.

For the GS-07, you must have one year of specialized experience at a level of difficulty and responsibility equivalent to the GS-05 grade level in the Federal service. Specialized experience for this position includes:
- Performing chemical analysis utilizing analytical techniques; AND
- Conducting qualitative or quantitative analysis of ingredients in water, food, chemical, or pharmaceutical products; AND
- Assisting in the development of quantitative or qualitative analytical methods.

OR You may substitute education for general or specialized experience as follows: One full year of graduate level education in a related field; or Superior Academic Achievement based on a bachelor's degree that is demonstrated through class standing (upper 1/3 of class); or grade point average (2.95/4.0 overall or 3.5/4.0 in major), or election to membership in a qualifying national scholastic honor society.

OR You may qualify by a combination of experience and education. Options for qualifying based on a combination will be identified in the online questions.

For the GS-09, you must have one year of specialized experience at a level of difficulty and responsibility equivalent to the GS-07 grade level in the Federal service. Specialized experience for this position includes:
- Performing chemical analysis utilizing modern analytical techniques; AND
- Developing methods of and conducting qualitative or quantitative analysis of ingredients in water, food, chemical or pharmaceutical products.

OR You may substitute education for general or specialized experience as follows: A master's degree or equivalent or two years of progressively higher education leading to such a degree, if related.

OR You may qualify by a combination of experience and education. Options for qualifying based on a combination will be identified in the online questions.

Education

To be qualified for this position, you must meet the basic educational and/or work experience requirements for chemist positions in the federal government. This includes:

A) Education:
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

B) A 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.

The education generally must be from an accredited (or pre-accredited) college or university recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. If you are qualifying based on foreign education, you must submit proof of creditability of education as evaluated by a credentialing agency. Refer to the OPM instructions.

Additional information

  • We may select from this announcement or any other source to fill one or more vacancies.
  • This is a bargaining unit position.
  • We offer opportunities for telework.
  • We offer opportunities for flexible work schedules.
CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT:
  • A one year probationary period may be required.
  • Must successfully complete a background investigation.
  • Complete a Declaration for Federal Employment to determine your suitability for Federal employment, at the time requested by the agency.
  • Have your salary sent to a financial institution of your choice by Direct Deposit/Electronic Funds Transfer.
  • If you are a male applicant born after December 31, 1959, certify that you have registered with the Selective Service System or are exempt from having to do so.
  • Go through a Personal Identity Verification (PIV) process that requires two forms of identification from the Form I-9. Federal law requires verification of the identity and employment eligibility of all new hires in the U.S.
  • Obtain and use a Government-issued charge card for business-related travel.
  • Undergo an income tax verification
To ensure compliance with an applicable preliminary nationwide injunction, which may be supplemented, modified, or vacated, depending on the course of ongoing litigation, the Federal Government will take no action to implement or enforce the COVID-19 vaccination requirement pursuant to Executive Order 14043 on Requiring Coronavirus Disease 2019 Vaccination for Federal Employees. Therefore, to the extent a Federal job announcement includes the requirement that applicants must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 pursuant to E.O. 14043, that requirement does not currently apply. Federal agencies may request information regarding the vaccination status of selected applicants for the purposes of implementing other workplace safety protocols, such as protocols related to masking, physical distancing, testing, travel, and quarantine.

Our comprehensive benefits are very generous. Our benefits package includes:

  • Challenging work, opportunities for advancement, competitive salaries, bonuses and incentive awards.
  • Eleven paid holidays, 13 days of sick leave, and 13 to 26 days of vacation time each year.
  • Access to insurance programs that may be continued after you retire.
  • A wide choice of health insurance plans, coverage for pre-existing conditions, and no waiting periods. We pay a substantial amount (up to 75%) of the health insurance premiums.
  • A retirement program which includes employer-matching contributions.
Learn more about Federal benefits programs at: https://help.usajobs.gov/index.php/Pay_and_Benefits

How you will be evaluated

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

Your application includes your résumé, responses to the online questions, and required supporting documents. Please be sure that your résumé includes detailed information to support your qualifications for this position; failure to provide sufficient evidence in your resume may result in a "not qualified" determination.

Rating: Your application will be evaluated in the following areas: analytical, communication, and research and analysis.

Category rating will be used to rank and select eligible candidates. If qualified, you will be assigned to one of three quality level categories, A (highest quality category), B (middle quality category), or C (minimally qualified category), depending on your responses to the online questions, regarding your experience, education, and training related to this position. A subject matter expert may be used in the evaluation. Your rating may be lowered if your responses to the online questions are not supported by the education and/or experience described in your application.

Veterans' preference is applied after applicants are assessed. Preference-eligibles will be listed at the top of their assigned category and considered before non-preference-eligibles in that category. On the GS-07, qualified preference-eligibles with a compensable service-connected disability of 10% or more will be listed at the top of the highest category.

Referral: If you are among the top qualified candidates, your application may be referred to a selecting official for consideration.

If you are a displaced or surplus Federal employee (eligible for the Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP)/Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP)) you must be assigned the middle category or better to be rated as "well qualified" to receive special selection priority.

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