• Providing authoritative forensic toxicology expertise by developing, evaluating, and validating analytical methods for detecting and quantifying drugs and metabolites in human specimens.
• Interpreting complex toxicological data to assess impairment, drug metabolism, human performance, and postmortem toxicology for criminal, administrative, and investigative proceedings.
• Delivering expert forensic testimony in military, federal, state, and foreign courts and preparing legally defensible forensic reports, documentation, and analytical interpretations.
• Advising investigators, attorneys, physicians, and laboratory personnel on evidence collection, preservation, examination, and toxicological interpretation during worldwide consultations.
• Leading quality assurance evaluations by conducting technical inspections, overseeing proficiency testing, and reviewing SOPs and technical manuals used across DoD drug testing laboratories.
• Conducting forensic toxicology research to improve analytical methods, enhance legal defensibility, and advance forensic capabilities across DoD and partner organizations.

Conditions of employment

• Appointment may be subject to a suitability or fitness determination, as determined by a completed background investigation.
• This position may be screened for and obtain necessary immunizations/vaccinations(hepatitis, influenza, etc.), unless exempted by a licensed physician.
• This position is required to work uncommon tours of duty hours such as, on-call, working either fixed or rotating shifts, evenings, weekends and/or holidays.
• This position is designated “Mission Essential”. In the event of severe weather conditions or other such emergency type situations the incumbent may be required to report to work or remain at work as scheduled to support mission operations.
• This position is subject to TDY or business travel requirements to various locations. This may require travel via privately owned vehicles, commercial transport platforms, and/or military aircraft, ships, and vehicles.
• This position is designated Tier 3, Non-Critical Sensitive, Moderate Risk and requires the incumbent to obtain and maintain a Secret Security Clearance Level as a condition of employment.

Qualifications

Who May Apply: US Citizens

In order to qualify, you must meet the education/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.

Basic Requirement for Toxicologist (Forensic):

Degree: Bachelor's degree (or higher degree) in toxicology; or an appropriate discipline of the biological, medical, or veterinary sciences that included at least 30 semester hours in chemistry, biochemistry, or physiology, and 12 semester hours in toxicology.

In addition to meeting the basic requirement above, to qualify for this position you must also meet the qualification requirements listed below:

Specialized Experience: One year of specialized experience which includes developing and validating analytical methods for forensic toxicology, interpreting complex toxicological results for criminal or administrative investigations, and providing expert forensic testimony or technical consultation to investigators, attorneys, or laboratory personnel. This definition of specialized experience is typical of work performed at the next lower grade/level position in the federal service (GS-13).

How you will be evaluated

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

Once the announcement has closed, a review of your application package (resume, supporting documents, and responses to the questionnaire) will be used to determine whether you meet the qualification requirements listed on this announcement. Please follow all instructions carefully when applying, errors or omissions may affect your eligibility.

If, after reviewing your resume and/or supporting documentation, a determination is made that you have inflated your qualifications and/or experience, you may lose consideration for this position.

Veterans and Military Spouses will be considered along with all other candidates.