CHEMIST

CHEMIST

Department: Department of Agriculture

Location(s): Athens, Georgia, Normandy, Missouri

Salary Range: $75815 - $121837 Per Year

Job Summary: Serves as a Chemist in a Chemistry Branch of the Laboratory Regulatory Operations (LRO), OPHS. Performs chemical analyses on official samples, as well as various tasks associated with the adaptation and validation of methods and test systems used in field laboratories in the analysis of meat and meat products, poultry and poultry products, egg, and Siluriformes products. The samples are submitted by various FSIS field personnel located throughout the United States.

Major Duties:

• Plan and perform assigned chemical analyses on a variety of meat, poultry, egg product, and Siluriformes samples in a high-throughput diagnostic regulatory food testing laboratory.
• Independently perform analysis from start to finish. Includes the entire sample receipt and analysis process from sample login, preparation (e.g., homogenization such as blending and grinding), weighing, extraction, and instrumental/data analysis.
• Accurately reflects work performed daily on prescribed documents and within the electronic Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS).
• Prepare and maintain standards, solutions, and reagents necessary to perform assigned tasks.
• Apply ISO 17025 accredited quality assurance procedures to instruments, equipment, reagents, and standards.
• Interpret and evaluate results of your analysis and compare the results to pertinent agency regulations to determine whether samples are violative.
• Defend and/or explain your analysis and evaluation by completing a thorough justification to your supervisor and/or other OPHS officials.
• Assess and make recommendations to changes in standard operating procedures, when necessary, to better align broad guidelines specified under the ISO 17025 quality assurance program.
• Participate in the development and validation of new methods or technologies that are introduced by industry, public health partners, or other government agencies.
• Apply an in-depth understanding of the interrelationships between the analysis process and instruments/equipment used.
• Operate, troubleshoot, and repair various types of instrumentation used in the analysis process (GC, UHPLC, HPLC-MS/MS).
• Communicate with personnel from all segments of FSIS (field employees, technical service center employees, plant personnel, FSIS managers, and representatives from industry).

Qualifications: Applicants must meet all qualifications and eligibility requirements (including specialized experience and/or education) by the closing date of the announcement, as defined below: Qualifications: Applicants can qualify for the different grades based on specialized experience, education or a combination of specialized experience and education as outlined below. To qualify at the GS-11 grade: An applicant must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-9 grade or its equivalent OR 3 years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. degree or Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree. To qualify based on specialized experience at the GS-11 grade, an applicant's experience must meet the following: Independently performing complex chemical analyses, including multi-class, multi-residue, or complex matrix removal, and interpreting results in a regulatory or research laboratory setting. Independently preparing advanced reports, such as chromatographic data or regulatory limit comparisons, and presenting findings to internal or external stakeholders. Implementing quality assurance or quality control procedures and providing training to junior staff. To qualify at the GS-12 grade: An applicant must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-11 grade or its equivalent. An applicant's experience must meet the following: Independently performing complex chemical analyses, including multi-class, multi-residue, and complex matrix removal, and interpreting results in a regulatory or research laboratory setting. Independently preparing advanced, such as chromatographic data and regulatory limit comparisons, reports and presenting findings to internal or external stakeholders. Leading the development and validation of new methods or technologies. Independently implementing quality assurance or quality control procedures and providing training to junior staff. 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 and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

How to Apply: Please read the entire announcement and all instructions before you begin. You must complete this application process and submit all required documents electronically by 11:59p.m. Eastern Time (ET) on the closing date of this announcement. Applying online is highly encouraged. We are available to assist you during business hours (normally 8:00a.m. - 4:00p.m., Monday - Friday). If applying online poses a hardship, contact the Agency Contact listed below well before the closing date for an alternate method. All hardship application packages must be complete and submitted no later than noon ET on the closing date of the announcement to be entered into the system prior to its closing. Resumes must not exceed two pages. The application process is as follows: Click the Apply Online button. Answer the questions presented in the application and attach all necessary supporting documentation. Click the Submit Application button prior to 11:59 p.m., (EST) on the announcement closing date. This agency provides reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities on a case-by-case basis; contact the Agency Contact to request this. To begin, click "Apply" and follow the instructions to complete the Assessment Questionnaire and attach your resume and all required documents. Alternative Methods for Applying: If you are unable to apply using the internet, please fax your request for an application package along with your name and mailing address to HR: 1-833-840-9219. Please verify that documents you are uploading from USAJOBS transfer into the Agency's staffing system as there is a limitation to the number of documents that can be transferred. However, once in the Agency's staffing system, you will have the opportunity to upload additional documents. Uploaded documents must be less than 5MB and in one of the following document formats: GIF, JPG, JPEG, PNG, RTF, PDF, TXT or Word (DOC or DOCX). Do not upload Adobe Portfolio documents because they are not viewable. Please ensure your resume does not exceed two pages. Applicants who submit a resume that exceeds two pages will be removed from consideration. Our office cannot be responsible for incompatible software, your system failure, etc.

Application Deadline: 2025-12-18