Summary
Serves as a Chemist in a Chemistry Branch of the Laboratory Regulatory Operations (LRO), OPHS. Performs chemical analyses on official samples, as well as various tasks associated with the adaptation and validation of methods and test systems used in field laboratories in the analysis of meat and meat products, poultry and poultry products, egg, and Siluriformes products. The samples are submitted by various FSIS field personnel located throughout the United States.
This job is open to
The public
U.S. Citizens, Nationals or those who owe allegiance to the U.S.
Career transition (CTAP, ICTAP, RPL)
Federal employees whose job, agency or department was eliminated and are eligible for priority over other applicants.
Clarification from the agency
Applications will be accepted from any U.S. citizen. Direct Hire Authority will be used to fill this position. Veterans' Preference and traditional rating and ranking of applicants does not apply to this vacancy.
Duties
- Plan and perform assigned chemical analyses on a variety of meat, poultry, egg product, and Siluriformes samples in a high-throughput diagnostic regulatory food testing laboratory.
- Independently perform analysis from start to finish. Includes the entire sample receipt and analysis process from sample login, preparation (e.g., homogenization such as blending and grinding), weighing, extraction, and instrumental/data analysis.
- Accurately reflects work performed daily on prescribed documents and within the electronic Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS).
- Prepare and maintain standards, solutions, and reagents necessary to perform assigned tasks.
- Apply ISO 17025 accredited quality assurance procedures to instruments, equipment, reagents, and standards.
- Interpret and evaluate results of your analysis and compare the results to pertinent agency regulations to determine whether samples are violative.
- Defend and/or explain your analysis and evaluation by completing a thorough justification to your supervisor and/or other OPHS officials.
- Assess and make recommendations to changes in standard operating procedures, when necessary, to better align broad guidelines specified under the ISO 17025 quality assurance program.
- Participate in the development and validation of new methods or technologies that are introduced by industry, public health partners, or other government agencies.
- Apply an in-depth understanding of the interrelationships between the analysis process and instruments/equipment used.
- Operate, troubleshoot, and repair various types of instrumentation used in the analysis process (GC, UHPLC, HPLC-MS/MS).
- Communicate with personnel from all segments of FSIS (field employees, technical service center employees, plant personnel, FSIS managers, and representatives from industry).
Requirements
Conditions of employment
- You must be a U.S. citizen or U.S. national.
- Males born after 12/31/1959 must be Selective Service registered or exempt.
- Subject to satisfactory adjudication of background investigation and/or fingerprint check.
- Successful completion of one-year probationary period, unless previously served.
- Must pass the E-Verify employment verification check. To learn more, including your rights and responsibilities, visit E-Verify at https://www.e-verify.gov/
- If you are newly hired, the documentation you present for purposes of completing the Department Homeland Security (DHS) Form I-9 on your entry-on-duty date will be verified through the DHS "E-VERIFY" system.
- If you are selected, you may need to complete a Declaration for Federal Employment (OF-306) prior to being appointed to determine suitability for Federal employment and to authorize a background investigation.
- Must be at least 18 years of age.
- False statements or responses on a resume or application can jeopardize employment and may be grounds for disciplinary action, including removal from Federal service.
- Direct Deposit - Per Public Law 104-134 every Federal employee is required to have federal payments made by direct deposit to a financial institution of that employee's choosing.
- Should be able to read, speak, write, and effectively communicate in the English language.
Qualifications
Applicants must meet all qualifications and eligibility requirements (including specialized experience and/or education) by the closing date of the announcement, as defined below:
Qualifications:
Applicants can qualify for the different grades based on specialized experience, education or a combination of specialized experience and education as outlined below.
To qualify at the GS-11 grade: An applicant must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-9 grade or its equivalent OR 3 years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. degree or Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree. To qualify based on specialized experience at the GS-11 grade, an applicant's experience must meet the following:
- Independently performing complex chemical analyses, including multi-class, multi-residue, or complex matrix removal, and interpreting results in a regulatory or research laboratory setting.
- Independently preparing advanced reports, such as chromatographic data or regulatory limit comparisons, and presenting findings to internal or external stakeholders.
- Implementing quality assurance or quality control procedures and providing training to junior staff.
To qualify at the GS-12 grade: An applicant must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-11 grade or its equivalent. An applicant's experience must meet the following:
- Independently performing complex chemical analyses, including multi-class, multi-residue, and complex matrix removal, and interpreting results in a regulatory or research laboratory setting.
- Independently preparing advanced, such as chromatographic data and regulatory limit comparisons, reports and presenting findings to internal or external stakeholders.
- Leading the development and validation of new methods or technologies.
- Independently implementing quality assurance or quality control procedures and providing training to junior staff.
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). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.
Education
Individual Occupational Requirements, IOR
Basic Requirements:
A. Degree: 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. 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.
If using education to qualify, you must submit a copy of your college transcripts. An unofficial copy is sufficient with the application as long as it includes: student name, school name, and enough information to validate qualifications (course names, prefixes, grades, semester or quarter credit hours, date degree was awarded, etc.). If selected, you will be required to submit official transcripts prior to entering on duty. Education must have been successfully obtained from an accredited school, college, or university. Verify accreditation here: Dept. of Education Accredited Schools. If any education was completed at a foreign institute, you must submit evidence that the institute was accredited by an accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education and is equivalent to U.S. education standards. For a list of private organizations that evaluate education, visit NACES. All transcripts must be in English or include an English translation.
Additional information
Selectees may be eligible for Creditable Service for Annual Leave Accrual (CSALA).
Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP), Reemployment Priority List (RPL), or Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP): Visit the OPM website for information on how to apply as a CTAP, RPL, or ICTAP eligible. To exercise selection priority for this vacancy, CTAP/RPL/ICTAP candidates must meet the basic eligibility requirements and all selective factors. CTAP/ICTAP candidates must be rated and determined to be well qualified (or above) based on an evaluation of the competencies listed in the How You Will Be Evaluated section. When assessed through a score-based category rating method, CTAP/ICTAP applicants must receive a rating of at least 85 out of a possible 100.
This announcement may be used to fill additional like vacancies should any occur in the announced duty locations.
Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication of program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact: USDA's TARGET Center at 202-720-2600 (voice and TDD).
It is the policy of the Government not to deny employment simply because an individual has been unemployed or has had financial difficulties that have arisen through no fault of the individual. To see more information visit CHCO Council.
Selectee must be able to obtain and maintain a security clearance. If selected you will be subject to a National Agency Check and Inquiry (NACI) and a credit report.
If you are selected for a position with further promotion potential, you will be placed under a career development plan, and may be non-competitively promoted if you successfully complete the requirements and if recommended by management. However, promotion is neither implied nor guaranteed.
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.
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.
Review our 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.
Your application, including the assessment questionnaire, will be reviewed to determine if you meet the qualification requirements and to determine if your resume supports the answers provided to the job-specific questions. Your resume must clearly support your responses to the questions addressing experience and education relevant to this position. You will be assessed on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics):
- Attention to Detail
- Chemistry
- Database Management Systems
- Quality Assurance
- Technical Competence
Note: If, after reviewing your resume and/or supporting documentation, a determination is made that you have inflated your qualifications and or experience, your score may be adjusted to more accurately reflect your abilities, or you may be found ineligible. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your rating. Providing inaccurate information on Federal documents could be grounds for non-selection or disciplinary action up to including removal from the Federal service.
Clicking the link below will present a preview of the application form; i.e. the online questionnaire. The application form link below will only provide a preview and does not initiate the application process. To initiate the online application process, click the "Apply" button to the right.
To view the application form, visit:
https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12846223
Required Documents
The following documents are required for your applicant package to be complete. Encrypted documents will not be accepted. Failure to submit required, legible documents may result in loss of consideration.
Resume that includes: Personal Information: name, address, contact information; Education; Work Experience related to this position as described in the major duties including work schedule, hours worked per week, dates of employment; title, series, grade (if applicable); other qualifications. Resume cannot exceed 2 pages.
- Your application may be disqualified if you include any of the information listed here: What should I leave out of my resume?
If education is required or you are using education to qualify, you must submit a copy of
all relevant college transcripts. An unofficial copy is sufficient with the application if it includes your name and the necessary course information; however, if you are selected, you will be required to submit official transcripts prior to entering on duty. Education must have been successfully obtained from an accredited school, college or university. If any education was completed at a foreign institute, you must submit with your application evidence that the institute was appropriately accredited by an accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education as equivalent to U.S. education standards. There are private organizations that specialize in this evaluation and a fee is normally associated with this service. For a list of private organizations that evaluate education, visit the
NACES website. All transcripts must be in English or include an English translation.
Surplus or displaced employees eligible for CTAP, RPL, or ICTAP priority must provide: proof of eligibility (RIF separation notice, notice of proposed removal for declining a transfer of function or directed reassignment to another commuting area, notice of disability annuity termination), SF-50 documenting separation (as applicable), current performance appraisal with rating of at least "Fully Successful" or equivalent, and your most recent SF-50 noting position, grade level, and duty location with your application per 5 CFR 330.
How to Apply
Please read the entire announcement and all instructions before you begin. You must complete this application process and submit all required documents electronically by 11:59p.m. Eastern Time (ET) on the closing date of this announcement.
Applying online is highly encouraged. We are available to assist you during business hours (normally 8:00a.m. - 4:00p.m., Monday - Friday). If applying online poses a hardship, contact the Agency Contact listed below well before the closing date for an alternate method. All hardship application packages must be complete and submitted no later than noon ET on the closing date of the announcement to be entered into the system prior to its closing. Resumes must not exceed two pages. The application process is as follows:
- Click the Apply Online button.
- Answer the questions presented in the application and attach all necessary supporting documentation.
- Click the Submit Application button prior to 11:59 p.m., (EST) on the announcement closing date.
This agency provides reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities on a case-by-case basis; contact the Agency Contact to request this.
To begin, click "Apply" and follow the instructions to complete the Assessment Questionnaire and attach your resume and all required documents.
Alternative Methods for Applying: If you are unable to apply using the internet, please fax your request for an application package along with your name and mailing address to HR: 1-833-840-9219.
Please verify that documents you are uploading from USAJOBS transfer into the Agency's staffing system as there is a limitation to the number of documents that can be transferred. However, once in the Agency's staffing system, you will have the opportunity to upload additional documents. Uploaded documents must be less than 5MB and in one of the following document formats: GIF, JPG, JPEG, PNG, RTF, PDF, TXT or Word (DOC or DOCX). Do not upload Adobe Portfolio documents because they are not viewable. Please ensure your resume does not exceed two pages.
Applicants who submit a resume that exceeds two pages will be removed from consideration.
Our office cannot be responsible for incompatible software, your system failure, etc.
Next steps
Your application will be reviewed to verify that you meet the eligibility and qualification requirements for the position prior to issuing referral lists to the selecting official. If further evaluation or interviews are required, you will be contacted. Log in to your USAJOBS account to check your application status.
You must choose to turn on email notifications in your USAJOBS profile if you want to receive important email notifications that may impact your applicant experience (e.g. If you start an application and do not submit it prior to the closing date, USAJOBS will send an email reminder that the closing date is approaching and your application is in an incomplete status).
Multiple positions may be filled from this announcement.
Under the Fair Chance Act, agencies are not allowed to request information about an applicant's criminal history until a conditional offer of employment has been made, except as allowed for access to classified information; assignment to national security duties or positions; acceptance or retention in the armed forces; or recruitment of a Federal law enforcement officer. An applicant may submit a complaint or any other information related to an organization's alleged noncompliance with the Fair Chance Act. The complaint must be submitted within 30 calendar days of the date of the alleged noncompliance. To make a Fair Chance Act inquiry or complaint, send an email with the appropriate information to fsis.fca@usda.gov, subject line: Fair Chance Act.