ATF is a law enforcement agency in the U.S. Department of Justice that protects our communities from violent criminals/criminal organizations, illegal use/trafficking of firearms, illegal use/storage of explosives, acts of arson/bombings, acts of terrorism, and illegal diversion of alcohol/tobacco products. We partner with communities, industries, law enforcement, and public safety agencies to safeguard the public through information sharing, training, research, & technology. Visit www.atf.gov
To qualify for the GS-14 grade, candidates must also have at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-13). This is a non-bargaining unit position. Basic Requirements: Degree: 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 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. AND Specialized experience is demonstrated experience, which has equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities to perform successfully the duties of this position. Experience must be in the normal line of progression or must be related to the work of the position advertised and must be reflected in resume. Specialized experience includes: Mentoring forensic examiners or leading project teams; AND Conducting laboratory casework in the forensic examination of explosives and/or fire debris and/or trace evidence; AND Participating in routine proficiency testing. You MUST meet all qualification requirements, including time-in-grade, by the closing date of this announcement, 11/19/2025. Please do not cut and paste the position description, specialized experience, or occupational assessment questionnaire from this announcement into your resume, as this will not be considered a demonstration of your qualifications for this position. Your resume must support your responses to the application questionnaire and the qualification requirements. Failure to do so may result in an ineligible rating. See the Required Documents section for important notes about what must be included in your resume. The Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provides eligible surplus and displaced competitive service employees in the Department of Justice with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. If your Department of Justice component has notified you in writing that you are a surplus or displaced employee eligible for CTAP consideration, you may receive selection priority if: 1) this vacancy is within your CTAP eligibility, 2) you apply under the instructions in this announcement, and 3) you are found well-qualified for this vacancy. To be well qualified, you must satisfy all qualification requirements for the vacant position and score 85 or better on established ranking criteria. You must provide a copy of your written notification of CTAP eligibility with your application. Additional information about CTAP eligibility is at: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/working-in-government/unique-hiring-paths/federal-employees/career-transition/
This position is located under the Office of Science and Technology, Forensic Sciences Division, Laboratory Services Branch in Atlanta, Georgia; Beltsville, Maryland. If selected to this position you will join a well-respected team and serve as supervisory chemist. Typical work assignments may include: Establishes general work goals, makes special work assignments, and reviews work completed by employees. Leads, manages, and directs the goals and objectives of supervised staff members. Provides good communications to establish and maintain effective work relationships with staff and with management within and outside the Bureau. Functions as the first level supervisor for employees and provides scientific, technical, and administrative oversight. Ensures the section follows the quality assurance procedures for fire debris, explosives, and trace evidence examinations in accordance with accepted laboratory standards. Responsibilities will increase and assignments will become more complex as your training and experience progresses.