Health Scientist

Summary

This position is located in the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Laboratory Systems and Response, headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. This announcement will close at 11:59 PM, on the day that 50 applications have been received or the closing date of the announcement, whichever comes first.

Duties

As a Health Scientist, you will: Develop, implement, and evaluate the scientific and operational capacity of public health laboratories and programmatic activities. Design, plan, develop, and enhance scientific laboratory capacity projects for high visibility scientific programs, conduct special studies, meet & consult with the heads of various CDC functions, & provide technical expert advice in the coordination of projects between several different organizations. Serve as a scientific authority/consultant for scientific programs, studies, or issues which are considered to be complex in nature in terms of scientific or technical implications. Work with senior officials from other agencies, such as from private corporations to coordinate the implementation of working group recommendations. Initiate selected scientific projects that span the scientific interests of multiple organization divisions.

Qualifications

Basic Qualifications: Bachelor's or graduate/higher level degree: major study in an academic field related to the medical field, health sciences or allied sciences appropriate to the work of the position. This degree must be from an educational program from an accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education(external link) at the time the degree was obtained. Minimum Qualifications: You must have one year specialized experience to perform successfully the duties of the position. To be creditable, specialized experience must have been equivalent to at least the GS-13 grade level in the Federal service performing ALL of the following: Providing senior-level scientific and technical leadership in laboratory science programs related to public health readiness and response. Providing expert consultation on scientific issues such as laboratory quality, biosafety, research methodologies (e.g., study or survey design and data analysis), and advanced technologies for the detection, diagnosis, prevention, and control of infectious diseases. Developing scientific assay review systems for the development and characterization of surveillance test methods that comply with agency and federal policy, as well as regulatory requirements. Improving the development and evaluation of diagnostic tests intended for distribution to public health partners. Coordinating with scientific leadership including Associate Directors of Laboratory Science, to align laboratory practices and strengthen laboratory integration across the Agency. Documenting experience: IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. Qualifications are based on breadth/level of experience. In addition to describing duties performed, applicants must provide the exact dates of each period of employment (from MM/YY to MM/YY) and the number of hours worked per week if part time. As qualification determinations cannot be made when resumes do not include the required information, failure to provide this information may result in disqualification. Applicants are encouraged to use the USAJOBS Resume Builder to develop their federal resume. Do not copy and paste the duties, specialized experience, or occupational application questionnaire from this announcement into your resume as that will not be considered a demonstration of your qualifications for this position. In accordance with Office of Personnel Management policy, federal employees are assumed to have gained experience by performing duties and responsibilities appropriate for their official series and grade level as described in their position description. Experience that would not normally be part of the employee's position is creditable, however, when documented by satisfactory evidence, such as a signed memorandum from the employee's supervisor or an SF-50 or SF-52 documenting an official detail or other official assignment. The documentation must indicate whether the duties were performed full time or, if part time, the "percentage of times" the other duties were performed. It is expected that this documentation is included in the employee's official personnel record. In order to receive credit for experience in your resume that is not within the official series and grade level of your official position, you must provide a copy of the appropriate documentation of such experience as indicated above. Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through national Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; community; student; social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to gain employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. If such experience is on a part-time basis, you must provide the average number of hours worked per week as well as the beginning and ending dates of the experience so it can be fully credited. OPM Qualification General Policies Website

Education

Foreign Education: If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show that the education credentials have been evaluated by a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign education programs and such education has been deemed equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program; or full credit has been given for the courses at a U.S. accredited college or university. For further information, visit: http://www.ed.gov.