Supervisory Chemist (Forensic)

Summary

These positions are located in the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Operational Support Division, Office of Forensic Sciences at the following laboratories:

• Special Testing & Research Laboratory (SFL1) in Sterling, Virginia (2 vacancies)
• New England Laboratory (SFL10) in Londonderry, New Hampshire (2 vacancies)
• INTREPID Laboratory in El Paso, Texas
  
  

This position(s) primary purpose is to supervise general laboratory activities and analytical work of a group of forensic staff.

Duties

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As a Your Typical Work Assignments May Include

• Advises criminal investigators on the development and collection of evidence and other services and scientific expertise provided by the laboratory.
• Performs duties in support of the laboratory management system, such as conducting audits, investigating instances of non-conformance, and implementing corrective or preventive action.
• Coordinates planning, organization and conduct of training targeted for forensic science specialists, criminal investigators and others involved in the collection and analysis of evidence and related items.
• Develops policies, programs and objectives for forensic science services; and organizes, reviews and recommends modifications to procedures and staffing as required.
• Professional knowledge of forensic laboratory operations at a level sufficient to evaluate, develop and implement standard laboratory operating procedures and policies.
• Manages the human, financial and instrumental resources of the laboratory to include development of personnel and policies which affect the entire DEA laboratory system.
  
  

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

• U.S. Citizenship is required.
• Employment is subject to the successful completion of a background investigation. Must be able to obtain and maintain a security clearance.
• Incumbent is subject to random drug testing.
• Successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, visit: http://www.dhs.gov/E-Verify/.
• Selective Service: Males born after 12/31/59 must be registered or exempt from Selective Service (see http://www.sss.gov/).
  
  

Qualifications

For more information on eligibility requirements see: DEA Employment Eligibility

Applicants must meet the required qualification requirements described below by the closing date of the announcement. If you are qualifying based on education or if there are mandatory education requirements listed below, you MUST submit a copy of your college transcripts with your application.

Basic Qualification Requirements

Applicants applying for the GS-14 must meet one of the following requirements:

• Have at least one full year of specialized experience that is at least equivalent to work performed at the GS-13 grade level. Specialized 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, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.
  
  

Qualifying experience must demonstrate the following: In addition to meeting the basic requirements above, applicants must have one (1) year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-13 Federal grade level in performing a full range of complex chemical analysis and physical tests on a variety of seized drug evidence and identifying such characteristics as the composition and purity using wet laboratory procedures or advanced analytical instrumentation; and writing complex reports on chemical analysis, stating technical findings and interpreting conclusions, serves as technical authority on assigned area, serves a subject matter expert to lower graded chemist and testifies in court.

• 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

• Combination of education and experience -- course work equivalent to a major as shown in B 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.
  
  

Additional information on the position qualification requirements are located in the Office of Personnel Management's (OPM) Qualifications Standards Handbook.?

Time-In-Grade Requirement: Applicants must meet time-in-grade and time after competitive appointment requirements by the closing date of this announcement.

Education

See the qualification section of this vacancy announcement for education requirements.

Education completed in foreign colleges or universities may be used to meet the education requirements if you can show that the foreign education is comparable to that received in an accredited educational institution in the United States. It is your responsibility to provide such evidence when applying. For a list of accredited organizations recognized as specializing in interpretation of foreign education credentials, visit: www.naces.org/members.php.

If you are claiming education as any part of your qualifications for this position, you must submit an official transcript, unofficial transcript, or a list including courses, grades earned, completion dates, and quarter and semester hours earned.

Additional information

For reasonable accommodation at the Drug Enforcement Administration, please contact the Human Resources office listed in this announcement.

Current or Former Political Appointees: The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) must authorize employment offers made to current or former political appointees. If an applicant is currently, or has been within the last 5 years, a political Schedule A, Schedule C, Non-career SES or Presidential Appointee employee in the Executive Branch, applicants must disclose this information to the Human Resources Office listed in this announcement.

Multiple positions may be filled from this announcement. If eligible, applicants to this announcement may be referred to similar positions in any Division/Office listed in this announcement. Telework eligibility and security clearance requirements may vary for such similar positions.

Relocation Incentives may be considered and approved if the DEA has determined that the position is likely to be difficult to fill in the absence of an incentive and funding for such an incentive is available.

If eligible, telework agreements may be permitted with supervisory approval.

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.

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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.

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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.