About the Position: The incumbent serves as a senior Chemist (Forensic Examiner) assigned to the Drug Chemistry Division of the United States Army Criminal Investigation Laboratory. This is a Direct Hire Authority (DHA) solicitation utilizing the DHA for STEM positions to recruit and appoint qualified candidates to positions in the competitive service.

Duties

Reviews evidence and exercises independent judgment to determine the proper approach and sequence of examinations. Receives, inventories, and signs for physical evidence/material and maintains integrity of submitted evidence/material; safeguards evidence/material for other examinations. Documents forensic materials using specialized forensic techniques and renders expert findings in written reports and testimony presented in court-martials and various other judicial and administrative proceedings to include foreign courts worldwide. Communicates technical forensic information and requirements to legal and military personnel in support of criminal investigations, forensic exploitation, and intelligence gathering operations throughout military environments.

Requirements

• Appointment may be subject to a suitability or fitness determination, as determined by a completed background investigation.
• Must be able to obtain and maintain a SECRET Security Clearance.
• Pre-employment and random drug testing is required IAW AR 600-85.
• Position is subject to Lautenberg/Domestic Violence Misdemeanor amendments.
• Will be required to wear special protective equipment.
• Will be required to participate in DNA profiling database within the Defense Forensic Science Center.

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. Basic Requirement for a Chemist (Forensic Examiner): A. Degree: Bachelor's degree (or higher degree) in the 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 in the physical sciences, life sciences, or engineering, 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 requirement above, to qualify for this position you must also meet the qualification requirements listed below: Specialized Experience: GS-11: One year of specialized experience which includes analyzing and processing of casework that involves suspected legally controlled substances, drugs of abuse and other similar miscellaneous evidence material. This definition of specialized experience is typical of work performed at the second lower grade/level position in the federal service (GS-09). OR Education: Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree or 3 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree in a field which demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of the position, such as: [insert applicable field(s) of study]. OR Combination of Education and Experience: A combination of education and experience may be used to qualify for this position as long as the computed percentage of the requirements is at least 100%. To compute the percentage of the requirements, divide your total months of experience by 12. Then divide the total number of completed graduate semester hours (or equivalent) beyond the second year (total graduate semester hours minus 36) by 18. Add the two percentages. GS-12: One year of specialized experience which includes processing physical crime scene evidence; conducting examination involving the following types of evidence: suspected legally controlled substances, drugs of abuse and other similar miscellaneous evidence; preparing written report of findings. This definition of specialized experience is typical of work performed at the next lower grade/level position in the federal service (GS-11). GS-13: One year of specialized experience which includes examining, analyzing and processing of casework that involves suspected legally controlled substance, drugs of abuse and other similar miscellaneous evidence materials; providing expert court testimony, consultation, crime scene support, and forensic training; reporting on the analysis of forensic evidence. This definition of specialized experience is typical of work performed at the next lower grade/level position in the federal service (GS-12). Some federal jobs allow you to substitute your education for the required experience in order to qualify. For the GS-12 and GS-13 grade level, you must meet the qualification requirement using experience alone--no substitution of education for experience is permitted. You will be evaluated on the basis of your level of competency in the following areas:

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