Join the team! This position is located in the Office of Hazard Identification and Reduction, Directorate for Laboratory Sciences, Division of Chemistry (LSC) at the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) National Product Testing and Evaluation Center.  The LSC Division is responsible for testing and evaluating consumer products including children's products, household cleaners, fireworks, etc., for chemical and explosion hazards.  

Duties

Serves as a senior expert chemist and provides scientific leadership in chemistry at LSC. Organizes, plans, and conducts complex physical and chemical investigations in laboratory and/or field setting to detect, identify, and quantify potentially toxic chemicals in a broad range of consumer product samples including novel and highly unusual samples. Develops physical or chemical methodologies and provides authoritative scientific recommendations on the relevant regulations and procedures in the hazardous substances program area. As a member of LSC, the selectee will be a member of various project teams, providing knowledge and expertise to the solution of specific problems assigned to the project team.  Exercises expert scientific judgement to independently determine and perform necessary procedural changes to deal with novel complexities.

Requirements

• U.S. Citizenship Required.
• Background Investigation Required.
• Must meet education requirements.
• Drug Testing Required.

Qualifications

In addition to the mandatory education requirement, all applicants must have 52 weeks of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level in the Federal Service. Specialized experience is experience that has equipped the candidate with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position. Qualifying specialized experience must demonstrate the following:  GS-11: 1) applying professional or academic knowledge of chemical principles, theories, methods, or data to conduct physical and chemical investigations; 2) experience in a laboratory and/or field setting to detect, identify, and quantify chemicals; and 3) providing scientific recommendations based on professional or academic knowledge in chemistry. GS-12: 1) organizing, planning, and conducting physical and chemical investigations that involve difficult problems; 2) experience in a laboratory and/or field setting to detect, identify, and quantify chemicals in a range of sample types; 3) providing sound scientific recommendations based on professional experience in the area of chemistry. GS-13: 1) organizing, planning, and conducting physical and chemical investigations that involve complex problems; 2) experience in a laboratory and/or field setting to detect, identify, and quantify chemicals in a range of sample types; 3) providing sound scientific recommendations based on professional expertise in the area of chemistry. Experience with and/or advanced knowledge of pyrotechnics or explosives is preferred. Evidence of the above specialized experience must be supported by detailed documentation of duties performed in positions held.  Your resume is the key means we have for evaluating your skills, knowledge, and abilities as they relate to this position. Therefore, we encourage you to be clear and specific when describing your experience. We will not make assumptions regarding your experience or based on job titles alone.  If your resume does not support your questionnaire answers, we will not allow credit for your response(s). 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. Applicants must meet the qualifications for this position by the closing date of this announcement.

Education

Mandatory Education Requirement. All applicants must meet one of the following requirements to qualify:

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.

In addition to meeting the basic education requirements indicated above, applicants must have specialized experience and/or directly related education in the amounts shown below:

GS-11: Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree or 3 full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree or LL.M., if related or 1 year of specialized experience equivalent to a GS-9.

GS-12: There is no substitution for specialized experience for this grade level. Applicants must have 1 year of specialized experience (as stated above) equivalent to at least the GS-11 grade level.

GS-13: There is no substitution for specialized experience for this grade level. Applicants must have 1 year of specialized experience (as stated above) equivalent to at least the GS-12 grade level.

You MUST provide transcripts to support your educational claims. Unofficial transcripts are acceptable during the application process. Official transcripts will be required upon appointment.

All materials must be submitted by the closing date of this announcement.

All education claimed by applicants will be verified. 

Contacts

• Address CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY COMMISSION Consumer Product Safety Commission Office of Human Resources Management Room 838 4330 East West Highway Bethesda, Maryland 20814 United States
• Name: HR Specialist
• Phone: 301-504-7925
• Email: [email protected]