Summary
The position is based at the FDA's Center for Tobacco Products (CTP), Office of Science (OS), Division of Product Science (DPS), Microbiology Branch, located in Silver Spring, Maryland, within the Department of Health and Human Services. CTP is the FDA center responsible for implementing the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act (Tobacco Control Act), landmark legislation passed by Congress in 2009 that established federal authority to regulate tobacco products.
Duties
Demonstrates authoritative knowledge of microbiology principles, methodologies, and regulatory science. Applies expert-level scientific judgment to interpret complex data, design studies, and provide guidance to stakeholders.
Communicates complex scientific information clearly, accurately, and persuasively in both written and oral formats to diverse audiences, including scientists, regulatory officials, industry representatives, and the public.
Initiates, designs, and presents scientific research to fill knowledge gaps relevant to regulatory decisions. Maintains current awareness of emerging science through review of relevant literature and other scientific resources.
Provides advice on new findings through review of scientific literature, participation in professional meetings and undertaking independent research.
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 : 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 (ET) of the closing date: 08/21/2026 Your eligibility for consideration and qualifications for the position (as listed in this vacancy announcement above) will be evaluated based Accomplishment Record Review. An Accomplishment Record (AR) is a structured assessment tool used to collect detailed information about applicants' training, education, experience, and past achievements as they relate to the critical competencies required for a specific position. It is grounded in the behavioral consistency principle - the well-established idea that past behavior is the best predictor of future behavior on the job. Applicants are asked to submit written narrative descriptions of personal accomplishments that best illustrate their proficiency in key job competencies, which are typically between four and eight competencies per assessment. Each narrative should describe: (1) the problem or situation faced, (2) the specific actions the applicant took, and (3) the results or outcomes achieved. Accomplishment statements are evaluated by a panel of trained raters using competency-based benchmarks developed specifically for the targeted occupation. Scoring is based on the degree to which the behaviors and outcomes described in an applicant's accomplishment reflect the benchmark levels of proficiency - not simply on the length or eloquence of the narrative. 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. Competency 1- Applied Scientific Knowledge and Technical Proficiency Competency 2- Written and Oral Communication Competency 3- Planning and Project Support Competency 4- Research Support and Scientific Currency Category Rating (CR): If qualified, you will be assigned to one of three quality level categories: Best Qualified, Well Qualified, and Qualified. The category assignment is a measure of the degree in which your background matches the competencies required for this position. CR does not add veterans preference points but protects the rights of veterans by placing them ahead of non-preference eligibles within each category. Preference eligible Vets who meet the minimum qualification requirements with a compensable service-connected disability of at least 10% or higher must be listed in the highest quality category (except in the case of scientific or professional positions at the GS-9 level or higher). 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.