Summary
This position is located at Bureau of Engraving and Printing, within the Analytical & Methods Development Division. As an Interdisciplinary Physical Scientist, Chemist, you will be collecting, analyzing, and testing raw materials (paper and/or inks), in-process and finished products, and other materials in support of quality assurance of incoming material and final product, process improvement, and new product development.
This job is open to
Clarification from the agency
U.S. citizens or U.S. Nationals; no prior Federal experience is required.
Duties
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 Interdisciplinary Physical Scientist, Chemist, you will:
- Conduct routine to complex analyses that require exercising independent judgment; engage in independent or team efforts or scientific investigations to confirm test results or resolve any problems associated with BEP products and raw materials; inform peers, CORs, Quality personnel, production personnel, and supervisor of nonconforming results.
- Conduct method development activities that incorporate knowledge of sample preparation and analytical instrumentation techniques to analyze incoming and processed materials.
- Substantially modify and adapt standard methods of analyses and physical tests to improve quality assurance testing of papers, inks, special printing substrates, and other production materials; evaluate and interpret analytical data, prepare reports which include analytical procedures, conditions, and results; check instruments for calibration status; and, if required, verify laboratory test equipment to specified standards per BEP Work instructions (WI), standard industry test methods (i.e. ASTM, TAPPI, etc.), follow all Environmental Health and Safety, security and accountability procedures.
- Operate a full range of laboratory equipment, which includes chemical, physical, and optical test equipment, such as titrators, density meters, crumple testers, abrasion testers, UV/IR lamps, image capture/analysis systems, micrometers, fold testers, tear testers, spectrometers, gas chromatographs, microscopes and universal mechanical testing systems; review testing methods and submit changes when necessary; coordinate, train, and assist lower level scientists, chemists, and technicians in the use of laboratory equipment; develop test plans and conduct special investigations.
Requirements
Conditions of Employment
Veterans Preference does NOT apply to this Direct Hire announcement.
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:
- Please refer to "Conditions of Employment."
- Click "Print Preview" to review the entire announcement before applying.
- Must be U.S. Citizen or U.S. National
SUITABILITY, CLEARANCE & REQUIREMENTS: A background investigation will be required for all new hires. Appointment will be subject to the applicant's successful completion of a background investigation and favorable adjudication. Failure to successfully meet these requirements will be grounds for disqualification in the hiring process. The background investigation process conducted by the Bureau of Engraving and Printing is very thorough. Therefore, it is imperative that applicants exercise candor and honesty when answering background questionnaires, especially as it relates to arrest, employment, education, finances, illegal drug use, and/or other criminal history.
Falsification discovered in security documents or during the background investigation process may result in an immediate negative suitability determination or immediate revocation of your interim clearance (if applicable).
Qualifications
You must meet the following requirements by the closing date of this announcement.
For the GS-12, you must have one year of specialized experience at a level of difficulty and responsibility equivalent to the GS-11 grade level in the Federal service.
Specialized experience to qualify at the GS-12 level is defined as:
- Analyzing data; AND
- Writing and reviewing technical reports; AND
- Reviewing and presenting technical data to others; AND
- Developing laboratory test methods
For the GS-11, you must have one year of specialized experience at a level of difficulty and responsibility equivalent to the GS-09 grade level in the Federal service .
Specialized experience to qualify at the GS-11 level is defined as:
- Analyzing data; AND
- Writing and reviewing technical reports; AND
- Reviewing and presenting technical data to others
OR You may substitute education for general or specialized experience as follows:
3 years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. degree
OR
Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree
OR You may qualify by a combination of experience and education. 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 36 semester hours (54 quarter hours) may be combined to be considered for qualifying education. Options for qualifying based on a combination will be identified in the online questions.
Education
Education Requirements:
Individual Occupational Requirements for the Physical Scientist:
A. Successful completion of a full 4-year course of study in an accredited college or university leading to a bachelor's or higher degree in physical science, engineering, or mathematics that included 24 semester hours in physical science and/or related engineering science such as mechanics, dynamics, properties of materials, and electronics.
OR
B. Combination of education and experience -- education equivalent to one of the majors shown in A above that included at least 24 semester hours in physical science and/or related engineering science, plus appropriate experience or additional education.
Individual Occupational Requirements for the Chemist:
A. Successful completion of a full 4-year course of study in an accredited college or university leading to a bachelor's or higher 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. 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.
Benefits
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.
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 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.
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.
Rating: Your application will be evaluated in the following areas: Technical, Analytical, and Communication.
This announcement is issued under "Direct-Hire" authority. Consistent with 5 U.S.C 3304 and OPM regulations (5 CFR 337 Subpart B) on direct-hire: All candidates who meet all the qualification and other eligibility requirements may be referred for consideration. Competitive examining rules providing for rating and ranking and veterans' preference do not apply.
Referral: If you are among the top qualified candidates, your application may be referred to a selecting official for consideration. You may be required to participate in a selection interview. We will not reimburse costs related to the interview such as travel to and from the interview site.
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 score an 80 or better to receive special selection priority.
Required Documents
All applicants are required to submit a résumé either by creating one in USAJOBS or uploading one of their own choosing. (Cover letters are optional.) To receive full credit for relevant experience, please list the month/date/year and number of hours worked for experience listed on your résumé. We suggest that you preview the online questions, as you may need to customize your résumé to ensure that it supports your responses to these questions. Please view résumé tips.
To apply for this position, you must submit a complete Application Package which includes:
All applicants must submit a résumé showing work schedule, hours worked per week, dates of employment and duties performed. All applicants are required to submit arésumé either by creating one in USAJOBS or uploading one of their own choosing. (Cover letters are optional.) We suggest that you preview the online questions, as you may need to customize your résumé to ensure that it supports your responses to these questions. Please view résumé tips.
All applicants must submit vacancy assessment question responses: All applicants are required to complete vacancy question responses by clicking the apply online button of this vacancy announcement.
VETERANS' PREFERENCE DOCUMENTATION: Veterans' Preference does NOT apply to the Direct Hire Authority however, you are still encouraged to submit your documentation. Please see applicant guide for required documentation.
CAREER TRANSITION ASSISTANCE PLAN (CTAP/ICTAP) If you are a displaced or surplus Federal employee, click CTAP/ICTAP for eligibility and a detailed list of required documents you must submit in order to be eligible.
EDUCATION DOCUMENTATION:
For positions with an education requirement, or if you are qualifying for this position by substituting education or training for experience, submit a copy of your transcripts or a list of courses showing title, number of credits, grade, and date of completion.
How to Apply
The Bureau of Engraving and Printing has partnered with the Treasury's Bureau of the Fiscal Service to provide certain personnel services to its organization. Fiscal Service's responsibilities include advertising vacancies, accepting and handling applications, and extending job offers.
You must complete this application process and submit any required documents by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) on the closing date of this announcement. We are available to assist you during business hours (normally 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. ET, Monday - Friday). If applying online poses a hardship, please contact us by noon ET on the announcement's closing date.
To begin, click Apply to access the online application. You will need to be logged into your USAJOBS account to apply. If you do not have a USAJOBS account, you will need to create one before beginning the application.
- Follow the prompts to select your résume and/or other supporting documents to be included with your application package. You will have the opportunity to upload additional documents to include in your application before it is submitted. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process.
- After acknowledging you have reviewed your application package, complete the Include Personal Information section as you deem appropriate and click to continue with the application process.
- You will be taken to the online application which you must complete in order to apply for the position. Complete the online application, verify the required documentation is included with your application package, and submit the application.
The Bureau of Engraving and Printing provides reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities on a case-by-case basis. Please contact us if you require this for any part of the application and hiring process.
For additional information on the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 or the ADA, please click on the links below:
If you wish to make changes/updates to your application and the vacancy is still open, you can click on the job announcement and "Update Application" to be taken back to your application. No updates can be made once the announcement has closed.
Please notify us if your contact information changes after the closing date of the announcement. Also, note that if you provide an email address that is inaccurate or if your mailbox is full or blocked (e.g., spam-blocker), you may not receive important communication that could affect your consideration for this position.
For additional information on how to apply, please visit the Partnership for Public Service's Go Government website.
The Fair Chance to Compete for Jobs Act prohibits the Department of Treasury and its bureaus from requesting an applicant's criminal history record before that individual receives a conditional offer of employment. In accordance with 5 U.S. Code § 9202(c) and 5 C.F.R § 920.201 certain positions are exempt from the provisions of the Fair Chance to Compete Act. ?Applicants who believe they have been subjected to a violation of the Fair Chance to Compete for Jobs Act, may submit a written complaint to the Department of Treasury by email at, FairChanceAct@treasury.gov.
To learn more, please visit our page at: Treasury.gov/fairchanceact.
To preview the assessment questionnaire: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12442541
Next steps
To verify the status of your application both during and after the announcement open period, log into your USAJOBS account at https://www.usajobs.gov. On the Home page, scroll down and locate your job application. Once the job has been located, click the "Track this application" link on the right under the application date. The page will refresh to display the Agency's Application Information page where you can scroll down and review any notifications the agency has sent you. The Application Status will appear along with the date your application was last updated.
For information on what each Application Status means, visit: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/how-to/application/status/.
Please notify us if your contact information changes after the closing date of the announcement. Also, note that if you provide an email address that is inaccurate or if your mailbox is full or blocked (e.g., spam-blocker), you may not receive important communication that could affect your consideration for this position.
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