Chemist

This position is with Department of Labor, Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA), Technical Support, Pittsburgh Safety and Health Technology Center (PSHTC). MSHA works to prevent death, illness and injury from mining; promote safe and healthful workplaces for U.S. miners. MSHA carries out the provisions of the Federal Mine Safety and Health Act of 1977 (Mine Act) as amended by the Mine Improvement and New Emergency Response (MINER) Act of 2006.

Major duties

The duties described are for the full performance level. At the GS-11 grade level, assignments will be of a more limited scope, performed with less independence and limited complexity. Performs specialized gas chromatography / GCMS analysis on mine air and bulk samples. Operates and maintains mobile gas chromatography laboratories and other equipment. Adapts, develops and validates gas chromatography methods to identify and quantify gases and organic compounds, interprets and evaluates analytical results. Advises on technical inquiries concerning the proper procedures and methods for the collection of mine gases and organic compounds and the interpretation of data. Directs the activities of less senior analysts and is a team leader and spokesperson of the analytical team. Deploy mobile laboratories to remote mining operations for the immediate analysis of mine air contaminants in the event of a mine emergency or disaster. Serves as a technical expert in resultant litigation.

Qualifications

You must meet the basic requirements to qualify for Chemist, as described below. Transcripts must be submitted to verify education requirements. 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. Specialized Experience: To qualify for this position, your application and resume must clearly show that you possess the experience and/or education requirements as defined below. If qualifying based on experience, be sure these types of examples are evident in your resume. Specialized Experience is the experience that equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSA's) to perform the duties of the position successfully, and that is typically in or related to the position to be filled. To be creditable, specialized experience must have been equivalent to at least the next lower grade level. Applicants must have 52 weeks of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level, GS-9, in the Federal Service that has equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, experience and skills to successfully perform the duties of the position. GS-11: Specialized experience must include at least three of the following:

• Demonstrated ability to follow laboratory policies and procedures;
• Perform routine gas chromatography analytical work to identify and quantify gases and organic compounds;
• Perform routine statistical data analyses;
• Assists with industrial hygiene field investigations and accident investigations involving exposures to hazardous chemical agents;
• Assists with preparation and presentation of technical reports and findings;
• Deploys and operates mobile gas laboratories for the analysis of mine atmospheric samples during mine emergency events with the goal of becoming a Principal Chemist;
• Calibrates, operates, and maintains variety of analytical instrumentation such as gas chromatographs, mass spectrometers, and hydrogen generators in order to conduct established analysis and tests.

OR Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree or three years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. degree that provided the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work. OR Appropriate combination of specialized experience and education as identified in options A and B above (only graduate education in excess of 2 years of full-time study (i.e. 36 semester hours) may be used to qualify applicants for this grade level). GS-12: Specialized experience must include at least four of the following:

• Develops and verifies gas chromatography analytical methods to identify and quantify gases and organic compounds;
• Fabricates, troubleshoots, and repairs gas chromatography systems and equipment;
• Conducts routine analyses on mine atmosphere or bulk samples;
• Leads industrial hygiene field investigations and accident investigations involving exposures to hazardous chemical agents;
• Prepares technical reports or manuscripts and presents findings at professional meetings, conferences, workshops, or similar environments;
• Advises on the collection of mine gases and organic compounds and the interpretation of associated data;
• Functions as a principal chemist during mobile gas laboratory deployments and mine emergencies.

There is no substitution of education in lieu of specialized experience at the GS-12 grade level.

Education

Any applicant falsely claiming an academic degree from an accredited school will be subject to actions ranging from disqualification from federal employment to removal from federal service. If your education was completed at a foreign college or university, you must show comparability to education received in accredited educational institutions in the United States and comparability to applicable minimum course work requirements for this position. Click Evaluation of Foreign Education for more information.