Job opening: PHYSICAL SCIENCE TECHNICIAN (FORENSICS)
Salary: $60 314 - 94 863 per year
Published at: Oct 18 2023
Employment Type: Full-time
About the Position: You will serve as a forensic science technician, responsible for the receipt of irreplaceable forensic evidence, collection, preservation, and evaluation of evidentiary samples, and the development of forensic testing strategies to support submitting agencies. Collection and preservation techniques are performed to collect controlled substances to include narcotics, DNA, digital evidence, firearms and ammunition, latent fingerprints, questioned documents, and trace evidence.
Duties
Evaluates items of evidence to determine suitability for analysis, the type of processing required, and the appropriate sequence of testing to prevent the loss, contamination, or deleterious change of evidentiary items.
Utilizes cyanoacrylate ester fuming chambers, cyanoacrylate ester, ultraviolet decontamination lamps and positive controls to ensure equipment and chemicals are working appropriately.
Collect samples of controlled substances using swabs, disposable pipettes, glassine envelopes, culture tubes, automatic liquid sampler vials, etc.
Conduct trace evidence collections using adhesive tape grids.
Ensure all evidence and forensic materials submitted.
Testify in federal, military, state, local and foreign country courts as an expert witness, present technical testimony in layman's terms, defends methods against rigorous cross-examination.
Swabs items of evidence to collect and preserve DNA for future examinations.
Renders firearms safe and appropriately annotates this safety measure.
Responsible for all facets of case management and evidence and forensic materials accountability throughout the Laboratory's activities.
Requirements
- Appointment may be subject to a suitability or fitness determination, as determined by a completed background investigation.
- POSITION SENSITIVITY: This position is designated non-critical sensitive and requires a Secret clearance.
- Must obtain and pass a pre-employment physical.
- Must obtain and maintain a valid state driver's license and government driver's license.
- Must be able to lift up to 50 pounds.
- TDY in excess of 10% may be required.
- This position is covered by the 1996 Lautenberg Amendment to the Gun Control Act of 1968. Persons convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence are not eligible for the position.
- May be required to work overtime and other than normal duty hours.
- Must comply with Drug Abuse Testing Program requirements.
- This position is a Testing Designated Position (TDP) subject to applicant testing and random drug testing.
- Applicants tentatively selected for appointment to this position will participate in drug urinalysis testing unless currently occupying a TDP within the Department of Defense.
- Tentatively selected applicants will be required to sign DA Form 5019 (Condition of Employment for Certain Civilian Positions Identified as Critical Under the Department of the Army Drug-Free Federal Workplace Program).
Qualifications
Who May Apply: US Citizens
In order to qualify, you must meet the education and/or 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.
GS-09: To qualify based on your experience, your resume must describe at least one year of experience which prepared you to do the work in this job. Specialized experience is defined as experience that is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled, such as: collecting samples of controlled substances; marking and separating evidence that require examination; and maintaining evidence to prevent loss or decontamination.
Education Substitution for Specialized Experience for GS-09: Successful completion of two full years of graduate level education related to Physical Science (e.g. Geology, Chemistry, or Physics.)Combination of Experience and Education Substitution for Specialized Experience for GS-09: If you have some, but not all, of the experience or education described above, you may still qualify by combining the amount of creditable experience and education that you possess. To compute the percentage, divide your total months of qualifying experience by 12. Then divide your semester hours of graduate education in excess of 18 hours (total semester hours minus 18) by 18. Add the two percentages. The total percentage must equal at least 100% to qualify.
GS-10: To qualify based on your experience, your resume must describe at least one year of experience which prepared you to do the work in this job. Specialized experience is defined as experience that is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled, such as: collecting samples of controlled substances; marking and separating evidence that require examination; maintaining evidence to prevent loss or decontamination; and assisting with the identification, collection and preservation of forensic evidence at crime scenes.
GS-11: To qualify based on your experience, your resume must describe at least one year of experience which prepared you to do the work in this job. Specialized experience is defined as experience that is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled, such as: assisting with the identification, collection and preservation of forensic evidence at crime scenes; evaluating items of evidence to determine suitability for analysis; ensuring laboratory equipment used in forensic examination is properly maintained.
You will be evaluated on the basis of your level of competency in the following areas:
CommunicationsData Collection and AnalysisForensicsPhysical Evidence
Education
FOREIGN EDUCATION: If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show the education credentials have been evaluated by a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign education programs and such education has been deemed equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program; or full credit has been given for the courses at a U.S. accredited college or university. For further information, visit:
http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html
Contacts
- Address AS-APF-W2MBAA USA CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION LABORATORY
DO NOT MAIL
Fort Belvoir, VA 22060
US
- Name: Army Applicant Help Desk
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