USA Staffing

1. To be qualified for this position, you must meet the basic educational and/or work experience requirements for chemist positions in the federal government. This includes:

A) Education: 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. OR
B) A 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.

Choose the answer below that best describes your educational/experience background for a chemist position.

A. I have a 4-year degree from an accredited college or university leading to a bachelor's degree in physical sciences, life sciences, or engineering that included 30 semester hours (or 45 quarter credit hours) in chemistry, course work in mathematics through differential and integral calculus, and at least 6 semester hours (or 9 quarter credit hours) of physics.

B. I have a combination of education and experience including course work equivalent to a major as shown 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.

C. I do not meet the education and/or experience requirements as described above.

2. For the GS-09: Specialized experience for the GS-09 is one year of experience at the GS-07 level, or equivalent. This experience as provided below, should have equipped you with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities required to successfully perform the duties of the position. This specialized experience includes:
- Performing chemical analysis utilizing modern analytical techniques, including gas or liquid chromatography, to provide data or findings; AND
- Developing methods of qualitative or quantitative analysis of ingredients in water, food, chemical or pharmaceutical products.

OR - You may substitute education for specialized experience as follows: A master's degree or equivalent or two years of progressively higher education leading to such a degree, if related.

OR - You may qualify on a combination of education and specialized experience as follows: To combine education and experience, the total percentage of experience at the required grade level compared to the requirement, as well as the percentage of completed education compared to the requirement must equal at least 100 percent. Only graduate level education in excess of the first 18 semester hours, or 27 quarter hours may be combined to be considered for qualifying education.

Select the choice that best describes your specialized experience.

A. I have at least one full year of specialized experience at the GS-07 level as described above.

B. I have two full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a master's degree or I have a master's, or equivalent graduate degree in a field related to this position.

C. I have a combination of the education and experience listed above.

D. I do not meet the requirements as stated above.

3. For the GS-7: Specialized experience for the GS-07 is one year of experience at the GS-05 level, or equivalent. This experience as provided below, should have equipped you with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities required to successfully perform the duties of the position. This specialized experience includes:
- Performing analysis in a lab setting to identify the chemical makeup or characteristics of a particular sample using modern analytical chemistry techniques; OR
- Conducting qualitative or quantitative analysis of ingredients in products using modern analytical chemistry techniques; AND
- Assisting in the development of quantitative or qualitative analytical methods.

OR - You may substitute education for specialized experience as follows: One full year of graduate level education in a related field; or Superior Academic Achievement based on a bachelor's degree that is demonstrated through class standing (upper 1/3 of class); or grade point average (2.95/4.0 overall or 3.5/4.0 in major), or election to membership in a qualifying national scholastic honor society.

OR - You may qualify on a combination of education and specialized experience as follows: To combine education and experience, the total percentage of experience at the required grade level compared to the requirement, as well as the percentage of completed education compared to the requirement must equal at least 100 percent.

Select the choice that best describes your specialized experience.

A. I have at least one full year of specialized experience at the GS-05 level as described above.

B. I have successfully completed at least one full year of graduate level education (18 semester hours, 27 quarter hours, or equivalent) in a degree program related to this position.

C. I have a combination of the education and experience listed above.

D. I have a bachelor's degree and meet one of the following requirements for superior academic achievement: A GPA of 3.0 or higher on a 4.0 scale for all completed undergraduate courses or those completed in the last two years of study, or a GPA of 3.5 or higher on a 4.0 scale for all courses in the major field of study or those courses in the major completed in the last two years of study, or rank in the upper one third of the class in the college, university, or major subdivision, or membership in a national honor society recognized by the Association of College Honor Societies.

E. I do not meet the requirements as stated above.

4. Select all the laboratory techniques and equipment you have used, operated, maintained or calibrated. Include selections wherein you performed troubleshooting as well.

A. Pipetting and preparing solutions

B. Analytical balances

C. Centrifuges

D. Titration apparatus

E. pH Meters

F. Distillation

G. UVvis Spectrophotometer

H. Atomic absorption (AA) spectrometer

I. Gas chromatograph

J. Gas Chromatography/Liquid Chromatography with Mass Spectrometry (GCMS)

K. Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer (ICPMS)

L. High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC)

M. Densitometer

N. None of the above

5. Choose the statement that best describes your experience writing laboratory summary reports, technical project updates, or technical publications for the scientific community.

A. I do not have experience in writing these types of reports.

B. I have drafted reports for a non-technical audience.

C. I have drafted reports for a technical audience.

D. In addition to drafting reports for a technical audience I have published technical information, or I have authored/co-authored a technical publication.

6. Indicate where this experience can be found in your resume. Do not put "see resume." (limit 250 characters)

7. I have experience writing standard operating procedures for the operation of analytical equipment.

A. Yes

B. No

8. Select the statement that best describes your experience orally presenting technical information.

A. I have briefed my supervisor or others during meetings on the status of my projects.

B. I have presented technical information to a non-technical audience.

C. I have presented technical findings to a technical audience in meetings or other group settings.

D. I have presented a technical paper at a national meeting of a scientific organization (e.g., American Chemical Society (ACS), Association of Official Analytical Collaboration (AOAC) International).

E. I have never presented technical information/papers to an audience.

9. From the following list, identify the types of contacts that you interact/communicate with in performance of chemist duties.

A. Team members in the coordination and completion of shared assigned tasks

B. My supervisor to update them on my progress

C. Team or project leader to communicate progress on assigned tasks

D. Team members, as part of my duties as a team leader

E. Peer groups within the organization, but outside my division or workgroup

F. Professional contacts of the scientific community, outside my organization

G. None of the above

10. Choose the statement that best describes your experience using chemistry to analyze alcoholic beverages, natural products, food products, chemical or pharmaceutical products.

A. I have experience in the analysis of pharmaceutical products.

B. I have experience analyzing alcoholic beverages, natural products or food products utilizing various physical and chemical analytical techniques for product classification or regulatory compliance.

C. I have experience analyzing such products utilizing various physical and chemical analytical techniques for quality control or other characterization.

D. I do not have experience in the analysis of such products.

11. Indicate where this experience can be found in your resume. Do not put "see resume." (limit 250 characters)

12. Choose the statement that best describes your experience in working in an ISO 17025 accredited analytical laboratory.

A. I have experience working in a laboratory with a formal quality program independently following all procedures and protocols.

B. I have experience working in an ISO 17025 accredited laboratory assisting others on ISO 17025 procedures and protocols and (or) others have consulted me as an expert for assistance in performing this task, with such work being a central or major part of my responsibilities.

C. I have experience working in a laboratory that did not have any formal quality program.

D. I do not have any of the above experience.

13. Indicate where this experience can be found in your resume. Do not put "see resume." (limit 250 characters)

14. Select the response that best describes your experience using analytical problem solving in a laboratory environment.

A. I have identified analytical problems and offered recommendations based on data that I have acquired.

B. I have implemented improvements for analytical problems that others have identified.

C. I have identified analytical problems and offered recommendations.

D. I have acquired data, identified problems, offered recommendations, and implemented improvements to solve analytical problems.

E. I have no experience using analytical problem solving in a laboratory environment.

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