Toxicologist

Summary

This position is located in the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Center for Tobacco Products, Office of Science, Division of Nonclinical Science in Silver Spring, Maryland.

Duties

• Serve as a subject matter expert in regulatory toxicology and non-clinical sciences and provide guidance to Food and Drug Administration (FDA) personnel in areas related to tobacco product review.
• Serve as an expert regulatory review scientist with the responsibility for analyzing and determining the adequacy of complex data and tests submitted by a manufacturer regarding the environmental and public health impact of regulated products.
• Prepare and deliver presentations to medical and scientific experts in various professional settings, such as internal working groups, external working groups, conferences, briefings, and advisory committees.
• Provide consultative services to scientists and officials on a wide range of matters.

Education

TRANSCRIPTS: Positions which are scientific or technical in nature often have very specific educational requirements. You must submit an official transcript, unofficial transcript, or a list including courses, grades earned, completion dates, and quarter and semester hours earned.

If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities, see the Foreign Education section below for additional requirements. Pay careful attention to the Qualifications and Education sections to identify vacancies where a transcript is required. Even if you hold a similar position or are a current employee, you are not exempt from transcript requirements.

Electronic Transcript Caution: If you have obtained your transcripts electronically, the file might contain security measures that could prevent our application system from reading the file. Therefore, you should consider asking the institution to provide the file in a non-secured electronic format. Alternatively, you could scan or take a photo of the printed copy of the transcript.

If your uploaded transcript cannot be read by our system, you may receive consideration and credit for the information we can access.

FOREIGN EDUCATION Applicants using part, or all of their education completed outside of the U.S. to meet the qualification requirements, must have their foreign education evaluated by an accredited organization to ensure that the foreign education is comparable to education received in accredited educational institutions in the U.S. We will only accept the completed foreign credential evaluation.

To be acceptable, the foreign credential evaluation must include/describe at a minimum, the following information: (1) The type of education received by the applicant; (2) The level of education in relation to the U.S. education system, and state that its comparability recommendations follow the general guidelines of the International Evaluation Standards Council; (3) The content of the applicant’s educational program earned abroad, and the standard obtained; (4) The status of the awarding foreign school’s recognition and legitimacy in its home country’s education system; and (5) Any other information of interest such as what the evaluation service did to obtain this information, the qualifications of the evaluator, and any indications as to other problems such as forgery.

Note: Some positions require the completion of specific courses or a specified number of credit hours. Therefore, the foreign credential evaluation should provide information similar to that of an official transcript, to include a list of the courses taken, quarter and/or semester hours awarded, the cumulative grade point average (GPA), honors received, if any, date degree awarded.

Applicants can request an evaluation from a member organization of one of the two national associations of credential evaluation services listed below: National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES) Association of International Credentials Evaluators (AICE) Credential evaluations are not free, and applicants are responsible for the cost of the selected service.

For more information about this requirement, please visit the the https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/

How You Will Be Evaluated

You must meet the requirements of the job by 11:59 (Eastern Standard Time) of the closing date: 06/19/2026 Your eligibility for consideration and qualifications for the position (as listed in this vacancy announcement above) will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g., resume, supporting documents) and your score from the required assessment(s).

The application review process will be conducted in multiple stages: Eligibility Consideration: Once the application process is complete, the Human Resources Office will review your application and supporting documentation to determine it is complete, meets the two (2) page resume limit and meets the eligibility requirements for this vacancy.

Minimum Qualifications: Then, the Human Resources Office will review your resume and supporting documentation to determine whether you meet the minimum job requirements and qualifications.

Assessment and Rating Process: This vacancy will use the following assessment(s): Structured Resume Review Next, the Human Resources Office and/or Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) will review your technical qualifications based on the extent and quality of your experience, education (if applicable to the job), and training described in your resume, questionnaire, and assessment documentation as related to the duties and competencies of this position.

You will be assessed on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities and other characteristics). You need not respond to the KSA’s separately, but your resume should contain sufficient information to demonstrate possession of these competencies. Technical Competence Research Writing Oral Communication This assessment and rating process will determine your quality category for referral.

Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or application questionnaire may result in your removal from consideration or your score may be adjusted to more accurately reflect your skills and abilities. All qualified Non-Competitive applicants and the best-qualified applicants will be referred to the hiring manager for consideration.

Career Transition Assistance Programs: Employees who have been involuntarily separated from a Federal service position within the competitive service or whose positions have been deemed surplus or no longer needed.

To receive selection priority, you must: 1) meet CTAP or ICTAP eligibility criteria; 2) be rated well-qualified for the position (obtain a score of 85 or higher on assessments); and 3) submit the appropriate documentation to support your CTAP or ICTAP eligibility.

Referral Consideration: If you are referred to the hiring manager for consideration, you may be further evaluated based on an interview, review of requested work samples, etc. Failure to comply with any of the additional assessment requirements will result in removal from further consideration.

Required Documents

• Resume: At a minimum, your resume should list the position title, employer name, start and end dates (including month and year), salary (or grade and step), hours worked per week, and a list of duties performed or accomplishments, for EACH position listed.
• USAJobs – What to Include USAJobs – Page Limit Your two (2) page RESUME showing all relevant work experience (paid and unpaid) including: duties performed; full name and address of the each employer; start and end dates (month/day/year); work schedule (part-time, full-time, number of hours if intermittent); salary; and any completed education and training (program title, subject area, number of hours completed, and completion date).
• Transcripts and Professional Licensure: If applicable see the Qualifications and Education Requirements section Performance Appraisal: A performance appraisal must be provided if you wish to be considered as a: Current/Former land management agency employee eligible under the Land Management Workforce Flexibility Act.
• Family member formerly serving overseas eligible under Executive Order 12721.
• Current and Former Federal Employees: To verify your eligibility and status, you must submit your most recent SF-50 showing you are/were in the competitive service and the highest grade or promotion potential held.
• The SF-50 must also show: Full position title, Pay Plan, Series, Grade/Step, Position Occupied, Tenure code; and, Service Computation Date.
• If you are applying for a higher grade, the SF-50 provided must also demonstrate you meet time-in-grade.
• Multiple SF-50s may need to be submitted to show all the required information.
• See more on the USAJOBS SF-50 Help Page.
• I/CTAP: Current/former Federal employees who are surplus or displaced, please submit supporting documentation (e.g., a Certification of Expected Separation, separation notice, RIF separation notice, notice of proposed removal, SF-50 for RIF separation, etc.) and your most recent performance appraisal.
• To be selected under I/CTAP, you must be found well-qualified for this position and have a current performance appraisal rating of at least “Fully Successful”.
• See the How You Will Be Evaluated section for the agency’s definition of well-qualified.
• See more on the USAJOBS Career Transition Assistance Site.
• Schedule A (individuals with disabilities): Individuals with intellectual disabilities, severe physical disabilities, or psychiatric disabilities, may apply for appointment through the Schedule A hiring authority.
• Certified verification of a disability from a licensed medical professional; a licensed vocational rehabilitation specialist; or any Federal, state, or District of Columbia agency or U.S. territory that issues or provides disability benefits will be required.
• Military spouses eligible for a noncompetitive appointment: Documentation verifying marriage (e.g., marriage certificate) and as applicable, copy of the service member’s DD-214 or Statement of Service; copy of the service member’s VA disability letter; statement certifying you are the un-remarried widow or widower of the service member; and documentation of the service member’s death while on active duty (e.g., DD-1300).
• Special appointing authority for veterans and Veterans’ Preference: Veterans must submit a DD-214 (Certificate of Release or Discharge) that has the dates of service and discharge status and VA disability letter (if applicable) as proof of eligibility under a special appointing authority for veterans (e.g., VEOA, etc.) and proof for veterans’ preference.
• Active Duty Members: To claim status under the Veterans Opportunity to Work, submit written documentation from the armed forces that certifies the service member is expected to be discharged or released from active duty service in the armed forces under honorable conditions not later than 120 days after the date the certification is submitted with your application package.
• Parents of Deceased or Disabled Veterans: To claim preference, submit a copy of the deceased or disabled veterans’ DD Form 214, Certificate of Release or Discharge from the armed forces that has the dates of service and discharge status AND the SF-15, Application for 10-point Veterans’ Preference.* Widow or Widower: To claim preference, submit a copy of the deceased or disabled veterans’ DD Form 214, Certificate of Release or Discharge from the armed forces that has the dates of service and discharge status AND the SF-15, Application for 10-point Veterans’ Preference.* Spouse of a Living Veteran: To claim preference, you must submit a copy of the veterans’ DD Form 214, Certificate of Release or Discharge from the armed forces that has the dates of service and discharge status AND the SF-15, Application for 10-point Veterans’ Preference*, and Documentation of Veteran’s Inability to Work Because of a Service-Connected Disability. *See the instructions in the SF-15 on required documentation for submission.