- Position Title
- Lead Interdisciplinary Scientist
- Agency
- Food and Drug Administration
- Announcement Number
- FDA-ORA-23-IMP-11985401-LB Opens in new window
- Open Period
- Tuesday, May 30, 2023 to Monday, June 5, 2023
For preview purposes only. To apply, please return to the USAJOBS announcement and click the Apply button.
Eligibilities
PLEASE READ THE FOLLOWING ELIGIBILITY QUESTIONS VERY CAREFULLY. YOUR RESPONSES WILL AFFECT YOUR CONSIDERATION FOR THIS POSITION!
This advertisement is in accordance with merit promotion procedures. This means that only specific groups of applicants are eligible for consideration (as identified in the "This job is open to" section of the JOA). The following questions will determine if you are within any of these specific groups eligible for consideration under this advertisement. You will only be considered for each eligibility which you respond "Yes" to.
NOTE: There is an exception, as noted below, for status candidates who do not select the correct type of consideration for referral purposes (i.e., competitive vs. non-competitive).
If you respond "Yes" to an eligibility and do not provide the required documentation, you will not be considered under the eligibility. If you respond "No" to all eligibility options in this list, your application will not be considered under this advertisement.
For more information about eligibility, please review the following article on USAJOBS, "Which jobs am I eligible to apply for?" located at: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/faq/application/eligibility/
If you still have questions about this advertisement or your potential eligibility, please e-mail quickquestions@fda.gov or call 888-478-4340.
This advertisement is in accordance with merit promotion procedures. This means that only specific groups of applicants are eligible for consideration (as identified in the "This job is open to" section of the JOA). The following questions will determine if you are within any of these specific groups eligible for consideration under this advertisement. You will only be considered for each eligibility which you respond "Yes" to.
NOTE: There is an exception, as noted below, for status candidates who do not select the correct type of consideration for referral purposes (i.e., competitive vs. non-competitive).
If you respond "Yes" to an eligibility and do not provide the required documentation, you will not be considered under the eligibility. If you respond "No" to all eligibility options in this list, your application will not be considered under this advertisement.
For more information about eligibility, please review the following article on USAJOBS, "Which jobs am I eligible to apply for?" located at: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/faq/application/eligibility/
If you still have questions about this advertisement or your potential eligibility, please e-mail quickquestions@fda.gov or call 888-478-4340.
1.
Are you a current employee of any agency within the Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) who has been notified that your job is no longer needed or that you will lose your job by reduction-in-force (RIF)? If the duty station of your job you're separating from is in the same local commuting area as this vacancy, is at or below the grade level of this vacancy, and has the same (or lower) promotion potential as this vacancy, you may be entitled to selection priority under the Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP).
You must submit the documentation identified for I/CTAP under the Required Documents section of the job advertisement.
You must submit the documentation identified for I/CTAP under the Required Documents section of the job advertisement.
2.
Are you a current FDA employee on a permanent appointment in the competitive service and your position is at a lower grade than the position being advertised, and you have never held a position at the grade or with the same (or higher) promotion potential of the position being advertised? If you answer "Yes' to this question, you must submit your most recent SF-50 as described under the Required Documents section of the job advertisement. Your SF-50 must reflect career or career-conditional tenure (Block 24 is 1 or 2) and the position is in the competitive service (Block 34 is 1).
NOTE: This question is used to determine if you can apply as a status candidate under merit promotion procedures. It is also used to determine how status candidates will be considered (competitively vs. noncompetitively). If you are an eligible and qualified status candidate and the review of your application shows you have already competed for the grade of this position, your response will be changed to ensure proper consideration procedures are followed.
NOTE: This question is used to determine if you can apply as a status candidate under merit promotion procedures. It is also used to determine how status candidates will be considered (competitively vs. noncompetitively). If you are an eligible and qualified status candidate and the review of your application shows you have already competed for the grade of this position, your response will be changed to ensure proper consideration procedures are followed.
3.
Are you a current FDA employee on a permanent appointment in the competitive service and your position is at the same (or higher) grade level with the same (or higher) promotion potential as the position being advertised? If you answer "Yes' to this question, you must submit your most recent SF-50 as described under the Required Documents section of the job advertisement. Your SF-50 must reflect career or career-conditional tenure (Block 24 is 1 or 2) and the position is in the competitive service (Block 34 is 1).
NOTE: This question is used to determine if you can apply as a status candidate under merit promotion procedures. It is also used to determine how status candidates will be considered (competitively vs. noncompetitively). If you are an eligible and qualified status candidate and the review of your application shows you have never held or competed for the grade of this position (or a higher grade), your response will be changed to ensure proper consideration procedures are followed.
NOTE: This question is used to determine if you can apply as a status candidate under merit promotion procedures. It is also used to determine how status candidates will be considered (competitively vs. noncompetitively). If you are an eligible and qualified status candidate and the review of your application shows you have never held or competed for the grade of this position (or a higher grade), your response will be changed to ensure proper consideration procedures are followed.
4.
Are you a current FDA employee who wishes to be considered under a Schedule A appointment for individuals with disabilities? If you are an individual with a documented intellectual, severe physical, or psychiatric disability, you may be eligible. You must submit the applicable Schedule A (individuals with disabilities) documentation identified under the Required Documents section of the job advertisement.
Sch. A (individuals with disabilities) appointments are in the excepted service; you may be converted to the competitive service after completing 2 years of satisfactory service.
NOTE FOR CURRENT FDA COMPETITIVE SERVICE EMPLOYEES: If you are a current FDA employee in the competitive service who is eligible under Sch. A (individuals with disabilities), if appointed under this authority you will no longer be a competitive service employee and will have to sign the FDA's Statement of Understanding When Voluntarily Leaving the Competitive Service to Enter the Excepted Service.
Sch. A (individuals with disabilities) appointments are in the excepted service; you may be converted to the competitive service after completing 2 years of satisfactory service.
NOTE FOR CURRENT FDA COMPETITIVE SERVICE EMPLOYEES: If you are a current FDA employee in the competitive service who is eligible under Sch. A (individuals with disabilities), if appointed under this authority you will no longer be a competitive service employee and will have to sign the FDA's Statement of Understanding When Voluntarily Leaving the Competitive Service to Enter the Excepted Service.
5.
Are you a current Public Health Service (PHS) Commissioned Corps Officer stationed at a position within the Food and Drug Administration (FDA)? Not all positions are appropriate for the Commissioned Corps and it is at the supervisor's discretion to fill a position through the Corps.
To be eligible, you must:
1. Be a current PHS Commissioned Corps Officer with FDA; and
2. Submit a copy of your most recent PHS personnel orders or letter from the Public Health Service verifying you are currently in, or have been accepted to, the Commissioned Corps.
See the PHS Commissioned Corps website for more information.
Based on the above, are you eligible and would you like to be considered for a Commissioned Corps appointment?
To be eligible, you must:
1. Be a current PHS Commissioned Corps Officer with FDA; and
2. Submit a copy of your most recent PHS personnel orders or letter from the Public Health Service verifying you are currently in, or have been accepted to, the Commissioned Corps.
See the PHS Commissioned Corps website for more information.
Based on the above, are you eligible and would you like to be considered for a Commissioned Corps appointment?
Preferences
1.
Select the series you want to be considered for. You must choose at least one series.
2.
In the last five years, based on the closing date of this announcement, have you served or are you currently serving as an Executive Branch political, Schedule C, or Non-career SES appointee?
You can find out if you have held one of these appointment types by looking at your Standard Form 50s in your Electronic Official Personnel Folder (eOPF), in Section 5 where the legal authorities are listed.
You can find out if you have held one of these appointment types by looking at your Standard Form 50s in your Electronic Official Personnel Folder (eOPF), in Section 5 where the legal authorities are listed.
- A political appointee is an appointment made by the President without confirmation by the Senate (5 CFR 213.3102(c)) OR an assistant position to a top-level federal official if filled by a person designated by the President as a White House Fellow (5 CFR 213.3102(z)).
- A Schedule C appointee occupies a position excepted from the competitive service by the President, or by the Director of OPM, because of the confidential or policy-determining nature of the position duties (5 CFR 213.3301 and 5 CFR 213.3302).
- A Non-career SES appointee is approved by the White House and serves at the pleasure of the appointing official without time limitations (5 CFR 317 Subpart F).
3.
===== Acknowledgement of Restrictions on the Employment of Relatives by Public Officials =====
5 U.S. Code, § 3110 lays out specific and important restrictions on the employment of relatives within an agency.
A public official of a government agency may not appoint, promote, or otherwise advocate for the employment, advancement, or promotion of relatives within the agency for which the public official is employed or has control over.
Employees hired in violation of 5 U.S. Code, § 3110 will not be entitled to any pay for their period of employment, and any pay already received before the violation becomes known, will be considered as a debt to the government on the part of the employed individual.
For the purpose of this question, a "relative" is defined as: father, mother, son, daughter, brother, sister, uncle, aunt, first cousin, nephew, niece, husband, wife, father-in-law, mother-in-law, son-in-law, daughter-in-law, brother-in-law, sister-in-law, stepfather, stepmother, stepson, stepdaughter, stepbrother, stepsister, half brother, or half sister.
QUESTION:
After having read the definition of "relative" as stated above, does the Food and Drug Administration employ any of your relatives?
IF YES: You must provide the following information, for each relative employed by the FDA:
- The full legal name of the relative.
- The relative's relationship to you (from the list above).
- If known, the relative's employing organization and position.
4.
Your responses to the all questions, and any information or documentation which you provide as part of your application, will be thoroughly reviewed for accuracy and truthfulness. Please take this opportunity to review your responses to ensure their accuracy. If you fail to answer this question, your application will not be considered. Knowingly providing false information in your application (or submitted documentation) is a crime!
- I certify that, to the best of my knowledge and belief, all of the information included in my application is true, correct, and provided in good faith.
- I understand that if I intentionally make a false statement, or commit deception or fraud in my application, or in any document or interview associated with the examination process, I may be fined or imprisoned (18 USC, Sec 1001); my eligibility may be canceled, I may be denied an appointment, or I may be removed and debarred from Federal service (5 CFR, Part 731).
- I understand that any information I provide may be investigated.
- I understand that responding "No" to this item will result in my not being considered for this position.
Assessment 1
Thank you for your application. Your responses to the questionnaire below will determine if you meet the qualifications for the position being advertised.
1.
From the descriptions below, select the one which best describes your position.
2.
From the descriptions below, select the item which best describes your education and/or combination of education and experience to meet the Basic Qualification Requirements for the Supervisory Interdisciplinary Scientist GS-0401; 0403; 1320 position.
3.
From the descriptions below, select the one which best describes your education and/or experience to meet the Minimum Qualification Requirements for GS-0401, 0403, 1320-13, Lead Interdisciplinary Scientist.
Select the one statement that most accurately describes your training and experience carrying out each task using the scale provided.
Select the one statement that most accurately describes your training and experience carrying out each task using the scale provided.
4.
Evaluates and ensures safety and quality of FDA regulated products.
5.
Determines the approach, methods, and procedures to use to obtain the information requested.
6.
Modifies or develops methods to satisfy special requirements.
7.
Incorporates safety related issues and environmental concerns into the conduct of scientific activities.
8.
Analyzes difficult, novel and complex samples which may require development or modification of methods.
9.
Assesses unusual circumstances, variations in approach, and incomplete or conflicting data to determine the validity and scientific significance.
10.
Works with other scientists and laboratories to ensure cross-collaborative efforts across commodity areas.
11.
Provides leadership, guidance and technical direction to ensure effective accomplishments of project, program segment or organizational unit.
12.
Facilitates and support the work of the team of employees to accomplish management goals and objectives.
13.
Develops and implements team building techniques.
14.
Provides guidance on matters related to program planning/monitoring, budgeting, management analysis, personnel and/or manpower management.
15.
Identifies needs, develops new methods and approaches and plans to satisfy needs.
16.
Prepares summaries and reports addressing problems and deficiencies, corrective action taken and recommendations for strengthening and improving programs.
17.
Participates in conferences, meetings, hearings or presentation involving problems or issues of considerable consequence.
18.
Testifies in court or other formal or informal reviews concerning the science produced and the credibility of the work required.
19.
Informs the supervisor of progress and potentially controversial matters.