Legislative Branch

Physical Science Technician

Washington, District of Columbia Full time

Physical Science Technician

Department: Legislative Branch

Location(s): Washington, District of Columbia

Salary Range: $70623 - $91815 Per Year

Job Summary: GPO employees possess a diverse array of talent in many administrative fields and trades. We provide other agencies with innovative services for the printing, publishing, storage, and distribution of digital content. If you are an energetic, inventive individual looking for a challenging, yet rewarding career opportunity, GPO may be the place for you. This position is part of the Agency Support Operations, Government Publishing Office in Washington, District of Columbia.

Major Duties:

  • Assists senior technicians and chemists in the analysis of materials used in printing, lamination and binding processes.
  • Analyzes materials for physical durability, Spectroscopy and performs general wet chemistry analysis.
  • Performs chemical and physical experiments to support QC testing, research and troubleshooting problems.
  • Performs periodic control sample testing of assigned test apparatus in the laboratory.
  • Adheres to fundamental safety protocols and Safe Work Practices (SWP's).

Qualifications: To qualify for the Physical Science Technician, PG -1311-9, you must meet the following requirements: This position has a Individual Occupation Requirement for the Physical Science Technician, PG-1311 series: Specialized experience - Examples of qualifying specialized experience include work in the fields of astronomy, physics, geophysics, chemistry, hydrology, health physics, engineering, electronics, geology, oceanography, and metallurgy. Experience as a laboratory mechanic or in a trade or craft may be credited as general or specialized experience when the work was performed in close association with physical scientists or other technical personnel and provided intensive knowledge of appropriate scientific principles, methods, techniques, and precedents. And in addition to meeting the above individual occupation requirement, applicants must also meet the minimum qualifications as described below: Minimum Qualifications for the Physical Science Technician, PG-1311-09: one year of specialized experience equivalent to the PG-07 grade level in the Federal Service related to the work of the position. The applicant must meet the following specialized experience: 1) Provides data summation reports to senior technicians or chemists for adaptation to final technical reports. 2) Experience collecting raw materials or finished products that include paper, inks, coating and polymers and logging the data into a database. 3) Operates instruments such as analytical instrumentation to acquire data and obtain reliable measurements. OR Two full years of graduate education or a master's degree in a related field. 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. All qualification requirements must be met by the closing date of this announcement(03/13/2026) to be considered.

How to Apply: To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package, which includes 1) your responses to the Occupational Questionnaire, 2) your resume, and 3) any other documents needed to verify your qualifications or eligibility (see the required documents section). Please follow the instructions listed below for submitting your complete application package. Application procedures are specific to this vacancy announcement. Please read all instructions before you begin. Resume Requirements: Resumes are limited to two (2) pages Resumes should focus on the knowledge, skills, abilities; accomplishments and results; and training and education relevant to this position. Resumes must be in the following format (for each position held relevant to this position): Short summary of position duties Accomplishments while in the position Results of those accomplishments Copying and pasting position descriptions into a resume is not acceptable. Illegible Information and/or Documents If your supporting documents and resume are illegible or do not provide the necessary information for the Human Capital Specialist and/or Subject Matter Expert to make a qualification determination, you may lose consideration for this position. Last Document Uploaded If multiple copies of the same document are uploaded/faxed and submitted with your application, GPO will only consider the last copy of the document uploaded/faxed when determining your eligibility and qualifications. For example, if you upload/fax two or more resumes only the last resume uploaded/faxed and submitted will be considered. Print a copy of the occupational questionnaire so that you may read and review the questions before submitting your online responses. Click here to view the Occupational Questionnaire: The completed Application Package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on Error! Filename not specified.- To begin, click Apply to access the online application. You will need to be logged into your USAJOBS account to apply. If you do not have a USAJOBS account, you will need to create one before beginning the application. - Follow the prompts to select your resume and/or other supporting documents to be included with your application package. You will have the opportunity to upload additional documents to include in your application before it is submitted. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process. - After acknowledging you have reviewed your application package, complete the Include Personal Information section as you deem appropriate and click to continue with the application process. - You will be taken to the online application which you must complete in order to apply for the position. Complete the online application, verify the required documentation is included with your application package, and submit the application. To verify the status of your application, log into your USAJOBS account http://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login), all of your applications will appear on the Welcome screen. The Application Status will appear along with the date your application was last updated. For information on what each Application Status means, visit: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/how-to/application/status/.

Application Deadline: 2026-03-13