Organizational Location: This position is with the Department of Homeland Security, within U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Office of Laboratories and Scientific Services Directorate located in Newark, NJ, Queens, NY, and Guaynabo, Puerto Rico.

Duties

In this role you will perform a full range of difficult chemical and physical tests, forensic analyses, and/ or weapons of mass destruction detections on samples of imported merchandise or seized materials submitted to the laboratory. These samples are submitted, along with pertinent background information, by CBP employees in connection with regulatory monitoring and enforcement activities. This position starts at a salary of $72,553.00(GS-11, Step 1) to $113,047.00(GS-12, Step 10) with promotion potential to $113,047.00 (GS-12 Step 10). Salary listed reflects the rest of U.S. scale and, if applicable, will be adjusted to meet the locality pay or cost of living expenses of the duty location upon selection. Major Duties: Receiving complex, new, or unknown samples submitted for analyses, reviewing background material, performing preliminary examination of the samples. Writing analyses reports, stating the technical findings, interpretations, and conclusions regarding pertinent regulations and policy for use by CBP employees. Working as a team providing expert advice to other CBP chemists and officials on sampling and sample storage procedures, analytical methodology, instrumentation, and problems associated with analyzing samples. Maintaining currency on scientific and technological developments and advancements in analytical methodology, and analytical instrumentation related to the assigned area; and Appearing as a witness in court proceedings or may provide technical assistance in prosecuting cases.

Requirements

Qualifications

Basic Requirements: A 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 A combination of education and experience which includes course work equivalent to a major as shown 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. AND Experience: GS-11: You qualify for the GS-11 grade level if you possess 1 year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level, performing duties such as: Conducting chemical analysis of imported products or of conventional complexity and difficulty. Calibrating and operating chemical analytical instruments, such as the gas chromatograph, mass spectrometer and liquid chromatograph, with computerized equipment. Performing country of origin and related types of studies. GS-12: You qualify for the GS-12 grade level if you possess 1 year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level, performing duties such as: Determining the proper approach to chemically analyzing a sample. Performing the full range of chemical analysis and physical tests on a variety of imported merchandise or forensic samples and identifying a variety of characteristics using wet laboratory procedures and advanced analytical instrumentation. Writing reports of analysis, stating technical findings, interpretations, and conclusions NOTE: Your resume must explicitly indicate how you meet this requirement, otherwise you will be found ineligible. Please see the "Required Documents" section below for additional resume requirements. GS-11: Education Substitution: Successful completion of a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree, or 3 full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree in an accredited college or university, or LL.M. degree, may be substituted for experience at the GS-11 grade level. Such education must demonstrate the skills needed to do the work. One year of fulltime graduate education is considered to be the number of credit hours that the school attended has determined to represent 1 year of full-time study. If that information cannot be obtained from the school, 54 semester hours should be considered as satisfying the 3 years of full-time study requirement. GS-11: Combining Education and Experience: Appropriate combinations of successfully completed post-high school education and experience also may be used to meet total qualification requirements for the GS-11 grade level. To combine your education and experience, you must convert each to a percentage and then add the percentages. The combined total of your percentage of education and experience must equal at least 100% in order to qualify. If your education is currently described in quarter hours, convert the quarter hours into semester hours by multiplying the quarter hours by the fraction 2/3. To calculate your percentage of graduate education, divide the number of graduate semester hours by 18. To determine your percentage of qualifying experience, you must divide your total number of months of qualifying experience by the required number of months of experience. Add your percentages of education and experience. 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. You must meet all qualification requirements, including education if applicable to this position, subject to verification at any stage of the application process by 06/12/2024. The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) must authorize employment offers made to current or former political appointees. If you are currently, or have been within the last 5 years, a political Schedule A, Schedule C, Non-career SES or Presidential Appointee employee in the Executive Branch, you must disclose this information to the Human Resources Office. Background Investigation: U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is a federal law enforcement agency that requires all applicants to undergo a thorough background investigation prior to employment in order to promote the agency's core values of vigilance, service to country, and integrity. During the screening and/or background investigation process, you will be asked questions regarding any felony criminal convictions or current felony charges, the use of illegal drugs (e.g., marijuana, cocaine, heroin, LSD, methamphetamines, ecstasy), and the use of non-prescribed controlled substances including any experimentation, possession, sale, receipt, manufacture, cultivation, production, transfer, shipping, trafficking, or distribution of controlled substances. For additional information, review the following links: Background investigation and the e-QIP process. Residency: There is a residency requirement for all applicants not currently employed by CBP. Individuals are required to have physically resided in the United States or its protectorates (as declared under international law) for at least three of the last five years. If you do not meet the residency requirement and you have been physically located in a foreign location for more than two of the last five years, you may request an exception to determine if you are eligible for a residency waiver by meeting one or more of the following conditions: Working for the U.S. Government as a federal civilian or as a member of the military A dependent who was authorized to accompany a federal civilian or member of the military who was working for the U.S. government Participation in a study abroad program sponsored by a U.S. affiliated college or university Working as a contractor, intern, consultant or volunteer supporting the U.S. government Probationary Period: All employees new to the federal government must serve a one year probationary period during the first year of his/her initial permanent federal appointment to determine fitness for continued employment. Current and former federal employees may be required to serve or complete a probationary period.

Education

Please see the Qualifications and Required Documents sections for more information if education is applicable to this position.

Contacts

• Address Laboratories and Scientific Services Directorate Please read entire announcement Please apply online Washington, DC 20229 US
• Name: CBP Hiring Center
• Phone: 952-857-2932
• Email: [email protected]