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Chemist

Department of the Treasury
Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau
Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau, Scientific Services Division
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 rank among the top 12% of agency subcomponents in the 2023 Best Places to Work in the Federal Government.

Overview

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Reviewing applications
Open & closing dates
12/31/2024 to 01/14/2025
Salary
$55,924 to - $88,926 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 7 - 9
Location
3 vacancies in the following location:
Beltsville, MD
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Travel Required
Occasional travel - You may be expected to travel 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
Financial disclosure
No
Bargaining unit status
Yes
Announcement number
25-TTB-31-P
Control number
826246400

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 (TTB), Assistant Administrator - HQ Operations.

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.

As a Chemist, you will:

  • Review complex formulas and/or perform regulatory analyses on a wide range of complex alcohol beverages, non-beverage alcohol products, or tobacco product samples using chemical, physical, and instrumental techniques (may require extensive examination, method development or modification).
  • Prepare laboratory reports summarizing results on sample submissions and conclude; write official documents such as other technical reports
  • Perform troubleshooting and routine maintenance of laboratory instrumentation; identify needs for new technology and scientific equipment; evaluate value and make recommendations to laboratory management

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

This opportunity is also open to Status Candidates under Announcement 25-TTB-30. 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 résumé.

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

Qualifications

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

Specialized experience for the GS-09 is one year of experience at the GS-07 level, or equivalent. This experience as provided below, should have equipped you with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities required to successfully perform the duties of the position.

This specialized experience includes:
- Performing chemical analysis utilizing modern analytical techniques, including gas or liquid chromatography, to provide data or findings; AND
- Developing methods of qualitative or quantitative analysis of ingredients in water, food, chemical or pharmaceutical products.

OR
- You may substitute education for 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 on a combination of education and specialized experience as follows: To combine education and experience, the total percentage of experience at the required grade level compared to the requirement, as well as the percentage of completed education compared to the requirement must equal at least 100 percent. Only graduate level education in excess of the first 18 semester hours, or 27 quarter hours may be combined to be considered for qualifying education.





For the GS-7: Specialized experience for the GS-07 is one year of experience at the GS-05 level, or equivalent. This experience as provided below, should have equipped you with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities required to successfully perform the duties of the position.

This specialized experience includes:
- Performing analysis in a lab setting to identify the chemical makeup or characteristics of a particular sample using modern analytical chemistry techniques; OR
- Conducting qualitative or quantitative analysis of ingredients in products using modern analytical chemistry techniques; AND
- Assisting in the development of quantitative or qualitative analytical methods.

OR
- You may substitute education for 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 on a combination of education and specialized experience as follows: To combine education and experience, the total percentage of experience at the required grade level compared to the requirement, as well as the percentage of completed education compared to the requirement must equal at least 100 percent.


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.


Education Requirements: 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.
  • This is a Bargaining unit position represented by NTEU Chapter 305.
  • We offer opportunities for telework.
  • We offer opportunities for flexible work schedules.
CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT (CONTINUED):
  • 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.
  • Wear required safety clothing and/or equipment required by the position. This may include safety shoes, hard hats, hearing protection, gloves, masks, etc.
  • This position requires that the successful candidate undergo personnel vetting, which includes a background investigation and enrollment upon onboarding into "Continuous Vetting." Enrollment in Continuous Vetting will result in automated record checks being conducted throughout one's employment with Treasury. The successful candidate will also be enrolled into FBI's Rap Back service, which will allow Treasury to receive notification from the FBI of criminal matters (e.g., arrests, charges, convictions) involving enrolled individuals in near real-time. For more information about individual rights, Noncriminal Justice Applicant's Privacy Rights - FBI, FD-258 Privacy Act Statement - FBI, and SEAD-3-Reporting-U.pdf (dni.gov).

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 résumé may result in a "not qualified" determination.

Applicants that are in the top tier will then be referred for an additional review.

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.

For GS-7: 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. 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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