Duties

Summary

Do you have a passion for public service? The US Secret Service (USSS) is looking for you! The USSS is a premier law enforcement organization with dual critical national security missions: protect our nation's leaders and to conduct criminal investigations. The USSS is seeking to hire talented physical scientists in its Forensic Services Division to support counterfeit or criminal investigations carried out by the Secret Service.

Learn more about this agency

Responsibilities

The Physical Scientist, GS-1301-13, in the Forensic Services Division :

• Performs research and validation part of the quality assurance program; ensures critical elements are met to maintain status of the accrediting body; and ensures quality and conformance with lab policies and procedures.
• Provides complex technical examinations and develops solutions that would have practical application in forensic examinations.
• Serves as a team member/coordinator for teams dispatched to crime scenes; and collects, preserves and analyzes evidence while maintaining chain of custody and integrity of the evidence from collection to final disposition.
• Serves as an expert witness in court proceedings; plans, coordinates, and conducts technical research projects; and drafts and reviews reports, recommendations, standard operating procedures and guidelines.
• Conducts training for developmental level specialists; and serves as a technical expert and liaison.

Travel Required

Occasional travel - Occasional Travel

Supervisory status
No

Promotion Potential
13

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

• U.S. citizenship is required.

Obtain and maintain a Tier 5 Top Secret; submit to a polygraph examination prior to your appointment; pass a drug test (urinalysis) and certify you have registered with the Selective Service System if you are a male applicant born after December 31, 1959, or certify you are exempt from having to do so under Selective Service law.

Qualifications

You must demonstrate at least one (1) year of the defined specialized experience and meet the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Individual Occupational Requirements (IOR).

Specialized experience is defined as performing duties equivalent to the GS-12 level such as:

GS-13: analyzing complex technical forensic analyses; serving as a team coordinator for laboratory audits; planning and coordinating method development projects to improve quality assurance within the laboratory; coordinating and conducting training for developmental level specialists; preparing written reports based on quality assurance matters; and testifying as an expert witness in the area of technical forensic discipline.

AND

OPMs Individual Occupational Requirements (IOR) is defined as:

https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/1300/general-physical-science-series-1301/

Accrediting institutions recognized by the United States https://www.ed.gov/

Education

See Qualifications section

Additional information

Our team members continue a tradition of excellence - whether investigating financial crimes or protecting national and visiting foreign leaders. In the USSS we serve the country with duty, loyalty, justice, integrity, and courage.

The Office of the Investigations, Forensic Services Division (FSD), is responsible for planning, directing, and coordinating forensic science activities in the Secret Service to include: analyses of questioned documents, fingerprints, false identification, credit cards, voice identification, and related forensic science areas; the administration of a polygraph examination program conducted in field offices nationwide; and the analysis and preparation of photographs/evidence for court appearances.

How You Will Be Evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

See Qualifications section

To preview questions please click here .

Background checks and security clearance

Security clearance
Top Secret

Drug test required
Yes

Required Documents

See How To Apply section

If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:

Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education .

Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.