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Chemical Engineer

General Services Administration
Federal Acquisition Service

Summary

As a Chemical Engineer, the incumbent provides professional chemical engineering support to acquisition and supply functions for assigned items. 

Location of position: Federal Acquisition Service (FAS), Office of General Supplies and Services (GSS), Supply Chain Operations Division (QSDD), Various locations. 

We are currently filling one vacancy, but additional vacancies may be filled as needed.

Overview

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Accepting applications
Open & closing dates
01/08/2026 to 01/23/2026
Salary
$90,968 to - $145,468 per year

Locality pay will be determined once the selectee's duty location has been established.

Pay scale & grade
GS 12
Locations
San Francisco County, CA
1 vacancy
Lakewood, CO
1 vacancy
Washington, DC
1 vacancy
Atlanta, GA
1 vacancy
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
Yes—This position is full-time in the office. In rare instances, situational telework may be approved on a case-by-case basis.
Travel Required
Occasional travel - Occasional travel may be required
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
12
Job family (Series)
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Other
Drug test
No
Position sensitivity and risk
Moderate Risk (MR)
Trust determination process
Financial disclosure
No
Bargaining unit status
No
Announcement number
QS-2025-0024
Control number
853902800

Duties

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Performing professional chemical engineering such as:

  • Research, evaluate, document, and assess customer product requests (and other functions/activities) to ensure chemical qualities, composition, and other similar elements of products meet customer requirements in terms of acquisition, transportation, storage, and delivery.
  • Perform technical evaluations and prepare technical support documents for specifications, standards, commercial item descriptions, item purchase descriptions, and qualified product lists, in GSA managed products to include but not limited to chemicals, cleaners of all types, disinfectants, insecticides, polishes and floor finishes for commercial or military applications.
  • Assists contracting officers during the procurement process by evaluating vendor product data for concurrence with item purchase description salient characteristics. Analyze requests from contractors for deviations from contract specifications to determine the impact on the function or service ability of an item and provide recommendations to the contracting officer.
  • Review complex engineering problems and provide recommendations to GSA management. Analyze characteristic data concerning new or improved commodities and new items proposed for inclusion in the GSA system.
  • Apply physical, chemical, and numerical analytical criteria such as pH, specific gravity, density, flash point, ratios and percentages. Apply hazardous material classification and make determinations as to product classifications such as flammable, oxidizing, corrosive and acute toxicity; read and interpret Safety Data Sheets for physical and chemical properties. 

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • US Citizenship or National (Residents of American Samoa and Swains Island)
  • Meet all eligibility criteria within 30 days of the closing date
  • Register with the Selective Service if you are a male born after 12/31/1959
  • Meet time-in-grade within 30 days of the closing date, if applicable

If selected, you must meet the following conditions:

  • Current or Former Political Appointees:  The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) must authorize employment offers made to current or former political appointees. If you are currently, or have been within the last 5 years, a political Schedule A, Schedule C or Non­Career SES employee in the Executive Branch, you must disclose this information to the HR Office. Failure to disclose this information could result in disciplinary action including removal from Federal Service.
  • Serve a one year probationary period, if required.
  • Undergo and pass a background investigation (Tier 2 investigation level).
  • Have your identity and work status eligibility verified if you are not a GSA employee. We will use the Department of Homeland Security’s e-Verify system for this. Any discrepancies must be resolved as a condition of continued employment.
  • Must be or become hazmat certified for the transportation of regulated (hazardous) materials per 49 CFR, IMDG and IATA regulations within 90 days of being hired.

Qualifications

For each job on your resume, provide:

  • the exact dates you held each job (from month/year to month/year)
  • number of hours per week you worked (if part time).

If you have volunteered your service through a National Service program (e.g., Peace Corps, Americorps), we encourage you to apply and include this experience on your resume.

For a brief video on creating a Federal resume, click here.

If you are a new federal employee, your starting salary will likely be set at the Step 1 of the grade for which you are selected.

The GS-12 salary range starts at $90,968 per year and is dependent upon duty location.

If you are a new federal employee, your starting salary will likely be set at the Step 1 of the grade for which you are selected.  

BASIC REQUIREMENTS FOR ENGINEERS: A Degree in professional engineering OR a combination of college-level education, training, and/or technical experience. For specifics on qualifying education and/or experience - use the following link: Basic Requirements for Engineer Positions.

SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE:  
In addition to the Basic Requirements listed above, you must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-11 in the Federal service. Specialized experience is experience applying chemical engineering principles, concepts, and practices in order to perform technical evaluations. Such experience must include two of the following:

  1. Determining chemical components used to assist with chemical analysis.

  2. Performing chemical testing to obtain solutions for process/production systems.

  3. Presenting chemical analysis reports to senior leadership.

This position has a positive education requirement: Applicants must submit a copy of their college or university transcript(s) and certificates by the closing date of announcements to verify qualifications. If selected, an official transcript will be required prior to appointment.  

Education

Note: If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit: https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html

Additional information

Candidates will not be hired based on their race, sex, color, religion, or national origin.

Applicants are encouraged to make their resume searchable in their USAJOBS.gov profile. This will allow Federal hiring specialists and hiring managers across agencies to find their resume as part of agency recruitment campaigns or staffing searches.

If you apply to this position and are selected, we will not ask about your criminal history before you receive a conditional job offer. If you believe you were asked about your criminal history improperly, contact the agency or visit GSA's webpage.

Additional vacancies may be filled through this announcement in this or other GSA organizations within the same commuting area as needed; through other means; or not at all.

On a case-by-case basis, the following incentives may be approved:

  • Recruitment incentive if you are new to the federal government
  • Relocation incentive if you are a current federal employee
  • Credit toward vacation leave if you are new to the federal government

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.

How you will be evaluated

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


A panel of Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) will review the resumes of qualified candidates and assign a score for each of the five required Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs) based on the experience documented in the resume and narrative responses.

  1. Knowledge of engineering theories, concepts, principles, standards, and methods sufficient to provide advisory services in engineering analyses, documentation, investigations, and in the planning and/or design process.

  2. Skill in planning and conducting studies and reviews and developing technical documents such as site reviews, feasibility through final designs, and associated guidance criteria, procedures, and instructions.

  3. Skill in written and oral communications to provide clear and concise written and oral information relating to assigned program area, provide and/or prepare reports and data.

  4. Ability to develop new insights into situations and knowledge of new and emerging engineering methods and technology to apply when addressing chemical engineering problems and needs.

  5. Knowledge of principles, practical concepts and processes of other related chemical engineering and physical and biological/environmental science disciplines in order to ensure connection, contribution, or inclusion of the multiple disciplines involved in chemical engineering assignments.

Demonstration of these KSAs must be supported by your resume. Applicants should also make note of each KSA, as you will be asked to address them later in the application process.

Consideration will be given to performance appraisals and incentive awards in merit promotion selection decisions in accordance with 5 CFR 335.103(b)(3). You should list any relevant performance appraisals and incentive awards in your resume so that information will be taken into consideration during the selection process.  If selected, you may be required to provide supporting documentation.

If you are eligible under the Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) or GSA’s Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP), your resume must clearly demonstrate experience in at least 3 of the 5 required Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs) to receive priority consideration.


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