LAB ACCREDITATION PROGRAM SPECIALIST

Full Job Description

Join the team! This position is located in the Office of Risk Reduction (EXRR), Directorate for Laboratory Sciences (LS).

LS conducts product testing, maintains lab wide safety systems, and critical equipment related to safe lab operations, and property management activities.

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-14: 1) Demonstrated experience in managing, monitoring and assessing the effectiveness of a testing laboratory accreditation program involving a number of laboratories; 2) working knowledge and understanding of the International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperative (ILAC), mutual recognition agreements (MRAs), ISO 17025, ISO 17065, ISO 17011; 3) working knowledge of testing laboratory quality management systems needed to comply with ISO 17025, and accrediting of testing laboratories and accrediting accreditation bodies and their roles in the accreditation process; and 4) working knowledge of laboratory accreditation assessments including some experience participating in such assessments.

GS-15: 1) Demonstrated experience in managing, monitoring and assessing the effectiveness of an extensive testing laboratory accreditation program involving at least over 50 laboratories; 2) expert knowledge and understanding of the International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperative (ILAC), mutual recognition agreements (MRAs), ISO 17025, ISO 17065, ISO 17011; 3) expert knowledge of testing laboratory quality management systems needed to comply with ISO 17025, and accrediting of accreditation bodies and their roles in the accreditation process; and 4) expert knowledge of laboratory accreditation assessments including experience leading several such assessments.

A bachelor's degree in engineering or a physical science (such as chemistry, biology, etc....) is highly desirable.

Completion of formal training courses in ISO-17025 and/or ISO-17011 is highly desirable.

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. Major Duties:

The Lab Accreditation Program Specialist serves as the Senior Agency Official covering the full range of CPSC third party lab accreditation activities as established by 16CFR1112 and related regulations, directives and procedures.

He/she is required to use broad based knowledge and expertise in third party laboratory conformity assessment programs, including the International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperative (ILAC), the capabilities of Accrediting Bodies throughout the world, and the development and use of related accreditation program standards such as ISO-17025-2017.

The incumbent is knowledgeable in the development and changes to such standards and how they apply towards recognizing applicant laboratories for approval as CPSC third party laboratories that can issue conformance reports for products that meet children's products safety standards.

The Lab Accreditation Program Specialist is required to use persuasive abilities to motivate the appropriate internal and external organizations to initiate and support the development, maintenance and updating of the CPSC Lab Accreditation IT Systems.

The cooperation and respect of the officials in these organizations for the incumbent is a key factor in the Commission's operating and maintaining a high quality, accurate lab accreditation system to ensure manufacturers and others have access to identifying and using qualified labs to certify Childrens Products to ensure CPSC standards are met.

Additionally, the incumbent is responsible for: Communicating with persons and organizations in the U.S. and globally that have professional expertise related to laboratory accreditation.

This includes accreditation bodies, testing laboratories, the International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation (ILAC), and experts at the National Institute for Standards and Technology (NIST) and other federal agencies.

Communications are frequent and varied in scope including discussions with applicant laboratories on their third party certification application status, accrediting bodies in various countries to verify scope and status of specific laboratories, and with Governmental personnel on the development of the related international standards and progress on trade or mutual recognition agreements (MRAs) between countries regarding acceptance of third party lab results between that country's laboratories and the United States.

Identifying the need for new or revised policies, procedures, directives and/or control systems required by new or ongoing children's product standards and programs.

Reviews, monitors and evaluates developments in CPSC, and national and international standards as they may affect the CPSC Lab Accreditation programs policies and procedures.

Collaborates with the Associate Executive Director (AED) for Laboratory Sciences, the AED-EXHR and other management officials on controversial program issues, considers alternative courses of action, and recommends proper course to be taken.

Counseling respective management members including Commissioners and Commissioner Staff of the impact on operations of various options.

Reviewing and evaluating short- and long-range management plans and programming documents related to program goals.

Develops proposals and plans to allocate resources to provide for optimum program effectiveness in order to meet established goals.

Directing and monitoring the development and implementation of new or revised management policies, procedures, and systems needed to cope with new program requirements and functional changes resulting from new legislation, congressional and/or consumer interests, and new technological developments.

Reporting to Associate Executive Director - Laboratory Science on all related activities and their progress as well as assesses results against performance goals and other matters related to processing laboratory applications for the CPSC program including preparing quarterly and annual reports on timeliness measures for processing independent third-party lab applications and audit submittals.