Chemist

Full Job Description

This Direct-Hire position is in the Food and Drug Administration and is located in the Human Foods Program (HFP), which manages the science-based testing of human and animal food and advises on scientific issues related to human and animal food laboratory operations.

The incumbent will be responsible for performing assigned chemical analysis on a wide range of samples. The position of Chemist falls under the 1320 occupational series.

To qualify for this position at grade GS-11/12, you must meet all requirements by 11:59 pm EST on 03/27/2026.

Basic Requirements 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 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.

NOTE: Applicants must submit all relevant transcripts that demonstrate you possess the required education to meet the Basic Qualifications.

Minimum Qualifications: Specialized experience is experience that equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled.

The specialized experience must demonstrate one year of full-time work experience , or the equivalent if part-time (for example, an employee working 20 hours per week for a 12-month period should be credited with 6 months of experience.) Experience may have been obtained in either the federal service or its equivalent with state or local government, the private sector, or nongovernmental organizations.

GS-11: To qualify for the GS-11, applicants must possess one (1) year of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower grade of GS-09 which includes: performing scientific analyses and testing; interpreting findings; and preparing scientific reports documenting the performed analysis.

-OR- 3 years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. degree or Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree.

-OR- A combination of specialized experience and education as described above that, when combined, equal 100% of the total requirement.

GS-12: To qualify for the GS-12, applicants must possess one (1) year of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower grade of GS-11 which includes: performing scientific analyses on complex samples with uncertain or undefined parameters; evaluating analytical results to assess their validity, reliability, and scientific significance; independently developing analytical approaches for unprecedented problems; and preparing scientific reports that include interpretation and assessment of findings.

All qualification requirements must be met by 11:59 pm (Eastern Time) on 03/27/2026.

If, after reviewing your resume and/or supporting documentation, a determination is made that you have inflated your responses when compared to your background information, you may be deemed ineligible or your score may be adjusted to more accurately reflect your skills and abilities.

You must continue to meet all requirements through the hiring process. You may be asked to provide additional information at a later time.

All interview requests and selection decisions are at the full discretion of the hiring office.

NOTE: It is your responsibility to ensure your responses and appropriate documentation is submitted prior to the closing date .

To verify your application is complete, log into your USAJOBS account,https://secure.login.gov/, select the Application Status link and then select the More Information link for this position.

The Details page will display the status of your application, the documentation received and processed, and any correspondence the agency has sent related to this application.

Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process. IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE.

Qualifications are based on breadth/level of experience.

In addition to describing duties performed, applicants must provide the exact dates of each period of employment (from MM/YY to MM/YY) and the number of hours worked per week if part time.

As qualification determinations cannot be made when resumes do not include the required information, failure to provide this information may result in disqualification.

Applicants are encouraged to use the USAJOBS Resume Builder to develop their federal resume.

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. Major Duties:

• Participate in determining the analytical instrument and equipment needs of the laboratory.
• Evaluate new instruments and changes in the currently used instruments and equipment pertinent to the scientific work of the position.
• Writes reports that identify the sample, shows the methods and procedures used, any modifications with validation data, the results and their interpretation and if the sample appears to be in violation of any agency regulation.
• Provide training for less experienced scientists on the precedents, analytical methods, and instrumentation related to the scientific discipline of the positions.
• Perform the full range of analytical chemistry on a variety of samples, including the difficult, complex or unusual samples submitted by agency personnel in connection with regulatory monitoring and enforcement activities.