Summary
The Chemist will work in the Office of Science and Technology (OST) in the Forensic Science Laboratories. This position supports the mission of OST by providing highly technical and scientific services in support of the Bureau's primary law enforcement mission. Direct-Hire Authority (DHA) is a hiring authority granted by the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) to address critical hiring needs or severe candidate shortages
Duties
The major duties of the Chemist position include, but are not limited to, the following: Use ATF and laboratory policies, regulations, standard approaches, and methods to perform routine chemistry specific (explosives or fire debris) examinations. Perform examinations, which usually require both wet chemistry and instrumental procedures such as gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, X-ray diffraction, infrared spectroscopy, etc. Prepare laboratory reports stating results of analysis. Provide expert witness testimony on the basis of laboratory examinations. Work with senior examiners to evaluate new technology and scientific equipment for adoption or acquisition by Laboratory Services.
Requirements
The requirements listed below must be met by the closing date of the announcement. Must be U.S. Citizen or National Selective Service registration is required for males born on, or after, December 31, 1959. Those not registered should have an approved exemption on file. May be required to serve a one-year probationary period. Pass drug screening and subject to random drug test. Suitable for Federal employment determined by background investigation.
Education
This position requires 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. Please refer to the Qualifications section for full details. If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements, please see the statements below. Education must be reviewed and certified by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education, in order for it to be creditable towards your qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from accredited institution. FOREIGN EDUCATION: Education completed in foreign colleges or universities may be used to meet the requirements. You must show proof the education credentials have been deemed to be at least equivalent to that gained in a conventional U.S. education program. It is your responsibility to provide such evidence when applying. For special instructions pertaining to foreign education and a list of organizations that can evaluate foreign education, see the Department of Education website. If you are qualifying on foreign education, you MUST submit proof of creditability of education as evaluated by a credentialing agency. All documentation must be in English or include an English translation.
How you will be evaluated
Once the job opportunity announcement closes (at 11:59 pm ET on 10/21/2026, your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g., resume, supporting documents) along with the results of the applied assessment. Qualified applicants who pass the online assessment, which is used to determine proficiency, will be referred to the selecting official for consideration. The Hiring Official may select any qualified candidate. Veterans' preference is not applicable. USA Hire: You will be asked to take the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments where you will be evaluated on critical competencies relevant to this position. You must meet all qualifications, including meeting or exceeding the cut score on the required assessments. Be sure to review all instructions prior to beginning your USA Hire Assessments. Your assessment results will be kept on record for one year and used toward future positions for which you might apply that require the same assessments. You will be evaluated based on how well you meet the qualifications listed in this vacancy announcement. You will be assessed on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics): Attention to Detail Flexibility Integrity/Honesty Interpersonal Skills Reasoning Self-Management Stress Tolerance Teamwork If you would like to preview the application questionnaire, please see: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/13058937.