Chemistry Branch Director

About the Role

This position is being filled under a streamlined hiring authority (Title 21 of the United States Code, 21 US Code 379d-3a) as amended by the 21st Century Cures Act of 2016 and the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023. The selected candidate will serve under a career or career-conditional appointment and be paid under the Title 21 Pay Table 1, Band D.

The position is located in the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Human Foods Program (HFP). The mission is to ensure food is a source of wellness for all U.S. consumers by protecting and promoting health through science-based approaches to prevent foodborne illness, reduce diet-related chronic disease, and ensure chemicals in food are safe.

Responsibilities

• Direct or supervise a team of scientific professionals conducting chemical analysis of food, drug, cosmetic, or other regulated products in a regulatory or public health laboratory setting.
• Develop, validate, or oversee the implementation of analytical chemistry methods in accordance with established quality system requirements (such as ISO 17025 or AOAC standards).
• Apply laws, regulations, or regulatory science principles governing the testing and surveillance of FDA-regulated or similarly regulated products.

Requirements

To qualify for the Chemistry Branch Director position (1320 occupational series), you must meet the following requirements by 11:59 pm EST on 08/29/2026:

Basic Qualification Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree or higher in chemistry, biochemistry, or chemical engineering, OR
• Combination of education and experience: coursework equivalent to a major in the fields listed 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.

Experience Requirements

In addition to the basic requirements, applicants must meet one of the following minimum years of experience:

• Bachelor’s degree: 5 years of comparable experience.
• Master’s degree: 4 years of comparable experience.
• Doctorate and/or JD degree: 2 years of comparable experience.
• MD, DO, DDS, DPM, or DVM degree: 2 years of comparable experience.

Applicants must submit all relevant transcripts demonstrating the required education to meet the basic qualifications.