Physical Scientist (Latent Print Examiner) Direct Hire
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engineering occupations jobs near catonsville, md

Physical Scientist (Latent Print Examiner) Direct Hire

US Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives
Beltsville, MD

Apply Now

Job Details

Full-time
$102,415 - $133,142 a year
10 days ago

Qualifications

Court testimony
Laboratory test results documentation
Expert witness consultation
Laboratory reports
Scientific writing
Laboratory techniques
Investigative reports
Technical writing experience within technology
Fingerprint analysis
Expert testimonials
Scientific reports

Full Job Description

Summary

The Physical Scientist (Latent Print Examiner) will work in the Office of Science and Technology (OST), Forensic Sciences Division, Laboratory Services Branch, in Beltsville, MD. This position supports the mission of OST by providing highly technical and scientific services in support of the Bureau's primary law enforcement mission.

Direct-Hire Authority (DHA) is a hiring authority granted by the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) to address critical hiring needs or severe candidate shortages

Learn more about this agency

This job is open to

The public

U.S. Citizens, Nationals or those who owe allegiance to the U.S.

Career transition (CTAP, ICTAP, RPL)

Federal employees whose job, agency or department was eliminated and are eligible for priority over other applicants.

Clarification from the agency

This position is being filled using Direct-Hire Authority.

Duties

The major duties of the Physical Scientist (Latent Print Examiner) position include, but are not limited to, the following:

Performs forensic fingerprint examinations with minimal technical guidance.
Uses appropriate laboratory techniques to develop and compare latent prints in order to determine if they share a common origin.
Draws conclusions based on fully documented physical examination of the evidence and interpretation of scientific results and prepares laboratory reports.
Works with senior examiners to evaluate new technology and scientific equipment for adoption or acquisition by Laboratory Services.
Provides expert witness testimony on the basis of laboratory examinations.

Duties will be developmental in nature when filled below the full performance level.

Requirements

Conditions of employment

The requirements listed below must be met by the closing date of the announcement.

Must be U.S. Citizen or National

Selective Service registration is required for males born on, or after, December 31, 1959. Those not registered should have an approved exemption on file.

May be required to serve a one-year probationary period.

Pass drug screening and subject to random drug test.

Suitable for Federal employment determined by background investigation.

MOBILITY PLAN: New employees hired pursuant to this vacancy announcement must sign a mobility agreement. The purpose of ATF's mobility policy is to enhance career development and progression, and achieve mission and business effectiveness. To accomplish these objectives, the mobility plan will facilitate the movement of employees through special short-term assignments or permanent reassignments throughout the Bureau. Applicants who decline to sign a mobility agreement, as required, will be removed from the hiring process. This is a non-bargaining unit position.

Qualifications

To qualify for the Physical Scientist (Latent Print Examiner) position at the GS-12 grade level, you must meet the following requirements by the closing date of this announcement.

Basic Requirements

A. Degree: physical science, engineering, or mathematics that included 24 semester hours in physical science and/or related engineering science such as mechanics, dynamics, properties of materials, and electronics.

OR

B. Combination of education and experience - education equivalent to one of the majors shown in A above that included at least 24 semester hours in physical science and/or related engineering science, plus appropriate experience or additional education.

AND

To qualify for this position at the GS-12 grade level, candidates must also have at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-11) by the closing date of this announcement.

Specialized experience is demonstrated experience, which has equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities to perform successfully the duties of this position. Experience must be in the normal line of progression or must be related to the work of the position advertised and must be reflected in resume.
Specialized experience must include all of:

Examining physically a wide range of evidence from criminal investigations requiring the development and comparison of latent prints; AND
Performing comparative testing of finger/palm print evidence, both visible and latent, to determine if they share a common origin; AND
Preparing laboratory reports detailing the conclusions of examinations and comparisons of finger/palm print evidence performed; AND
Providing court testimony as an expert witness based on laboratory examinations of finger/palm print evidence (formal training or experience).

Your resume must support your responses to the application questionnaire and the qualification requirements. Failure to do so may result in an ineligible rating.See the Required Documents section for important notes about what must be included in your resume.

After you submit this application, you will receive an e-mail informing you that a USA Hire assessment is required of you. You will have 48 hours from the closing date of this announcement (08/27/2026) to complete the assessment as this assessment is part of your application.

Education

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

FOREIGN EDUCATION: Education completed in foreign colleges or universities may be used to meet the requirements. You must show proof the education credentials have been deemed to be at least equivalent to that gained in a conventional U.S. education program. It is your responsibility to provide such evidence when applying. For special instructions pertaining to foreign education and a list of organizations that can evaluate foreign education, see the Department of Education website. If you are qualifying on foreign education, you MUST submit proof of creditability of education as evaluated by a credentialing agency. All documentation must be in English or include an English translation.

Additional information

This announcement is being advertised under an agency specific OR a government-wide Direct-Hire Authority approved by OPM for filling vacancies when a severe shortage or critical hiring need exists. Veterans Preference and other Category Rating procedures do not apply to this announcement. Applicants must meet all qualification requirements of the position. The hiring office may interview and select any qualified candidate of their choosing from the qualified pool. See OPM, Direct Hire Authority for more information.

Additional selections may be made from this announcement.

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution. Candidates will not be hired based on their race, sex, color, religion, or national origin.

Notice to Prospective Employees of Ethical Obligations from ATF's Human Resources Operations Division. Please click on the following link to read important information. DOJ Notice to Prospective Employees of Ethical Obligations

Career Transition Programs (CTAP or ICTAP): These programs apply to Federal and/or DOJ employees who meet the definition of surplus or displaced from a position in the competitive service. To receive selection priority for this position, you must:

Meet CTAP or ICTAP eligibility criteria;

Be rated well-qualified for the position with a score of 85 or above based on the competencies listed above; and

Submit the appropriate documentation to support your CTAP or ICTAP eligibility.

Probationary Period: As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you may be required to serve a 1-year probationary period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider:
1) your performance and conduct;
2) the needs and interests of the agency;
3) whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and
4) whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service.

Upon completion of your probationary period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

EEO Statement/Policy: The United States government does not discriminate in employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, pregnancy, national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, membership in an employee organization, retaliation, parental status, military service or other non-merit factor.

Reasonable Accommodation:ATF provides reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the job application and hiring process, and you meet the eligibility requirements listed above, please notify the human resources specialist listed on the vacancy announcement, or contact the ATF's Office of Equal Employment Opportunity at (202) 648-8760 or send an email to [email protected]. The decision on granting a reasonable accommodation is handled on a case-by-case basis.

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

Benefits

A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.

Review our benefits

Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.

How you will be evaluated

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

Once the job opportunity announcement closes at 11:59 pm ET on 08/27/2026, your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g., resume, supporting documents) along with the results of the applied assessment. Qualified applicants who pass the online assessment and SME Review, which is used to determine proficiency, will be referred to the selecting official for consideration. The Hiring Official may select any qualified candidate. Veterans' preference is not applicable.

Structured Resume Review: Subject matter experts (SMEs) will review your resume to determine your technical qualifications for this position based on the required specialized experience. SMEs will review ONLY two pages of your resume, starting at your work experience. SMEs will not review any additional information beyond your resume (e.g., cover letter). Applicants who pass the structured resume review will be added to the list of qualified candidates.

USA Hire: You will be asked to take the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments where you will be evaluated on critical competencies relevant to this position. You must meet all qualifications, including meeting or exceeding the cut score on the required assessments. Be sure to review all instructions prior to beginning your USA Hire Assessments. Your assessment results will be kept on record for one year and used toward future positions for which you might apply that require the same assessments.

You will be evaluated based on how well you meet the qualifications listed in this vacancy announcement. You will be assessed on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics):

- Attention to Detail
- Customer Service
- Decision Making
- Flexibility
- Forensics
- Integrity/Honesty
- Interpersonal Skills
- Learning
- Oral Communication
- Reading Comprehension
- Research
- Self-Management
- Stress Tolerance
- Teamwork
- Written Communication

When addressing the specialized experience statement, applicants must present evidence of the experience in their resume. If the specialized experience statement is repeated in the applicant's resume, Human Resources will deem the applicant as ineligible.

If you would like to preview the application questionnaire, please see: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/13016600.

Required Documents

It is your responsibility to carefully review the list of required documents below and submit the necessary documentation based on your eligibility.

Resume - All Applicants: You must submit a resume (a two page or less resume is required) containing the following pieces of information for each job entry listed in your employment history. Showing relative permanent and volunteer work experience, education, and training, your resume serves as the basis for qualification determinations.

Official position title,
Employer name and contact information,
Start and end dates (including month and year),
Indicate full-time or number of hours worked per week if part-time,
Your Pay Plan/Series/Grade for all federal positions, and
A list of duties performed and accomplishments.

Resumes must be limited to two pages in length. Only the most recent resume submitted under the "Resume" "Document Type" will be used to determine your qualifications and for rating purposes. Only the first two pages will be reviewed for consideration.

If you are a displaced Federal employee claiming eligibility under CTAP or ICTAP:

You must submit your separation notice or agency RIF letter from your agency OR if you have not yet been separated, you can provide the letter of intent to separate you from the agency because of reduction-in-force.

Submit a copy of your most recent performance appraisal and SF-50 showing current/former position, grade, promotion potential, and duty location OR Certification of Expected Separation, Reduction-In-Force Separation Notice, or Notice of Proposed Removal; SF-50 that documents the RIF separation action; and most recent performance appraisal.

If you are using education to qualify for this position, or education is required:

You must submit a transcript, which may be unofficial, as long as it contains a full listing of courses, credit earned, grade and grade-point-average, subject area, degree(s) earned, and dates of award. Note: If you are selected for this position, official transcripts will be required prior to your first day.

Your transcript must come from a nationally accredited educational institution recognized by the Department of Education.

Please do not submit electronic transcripts with documentation security protection. These may prevent our application system from accepting and processing the document.

If submitting a foreign transcript, you must have the transcript reviewed by an approved foreign education review organization recognized by the Department of Education. Your transcript must also be in English or have an English translation included.

Failure to provide the required documentation by the closing date of this announcement will result in elimination of further consideration for this position.

How to Apply

To apply for this position, you must complete the online application questionnaire and submit your supporting documentation. Your complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on 08/27/2026 to receive consideration.

The application process is as follows:

Click Apply to access the online application. You will need to be logged into your USAJOBS account to apply. If you do not have a USAJOBS account, you will need to create one before beginning the application.

Follow the prompts to select your resume and/or other supporting documents to be included with your application package. You will have the opportunity to upload additional documents to include in your application before it is submitted. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process.

After acknowledging you have reviewed your application package, complete the Include Personal Information section as you deem appropriate and click to continue with the application process.

You will be taken to the online application which you must complete in order to apply for the position. Complete the online application, verify the required documentation is included with your application package, and submit the application.

Essay Questions: The following four narrative questions provide an opportunity for you to highlight your dedication to public service for the hiring manager and agency leadership (or designee(s)). While your responses are not required and will not be scored, we encourage you to thoughtfully address each question. Please provide a response of 200 words or less to each question (see the application questionnaire). You will be asked to certify that you are using your own words and did not use a consultant or artificial intelligence (AI) such as a large language model (LLM) like ChatGPT or Copilot.

How has your commitment to the Constitution and the founding principles of the United States inspired you to pursue this role within the Federal government? Provide a concrete example from professional, academic, or personal experience.

In this role, how would you use your skills and experience to improve government efficiency and effectiveness? Provide specific examples where you improved processes, reduced costs, or improved outcomes.

How would you help advance the President's Executive Orders and policy priorities in this role? Identify one or two relevant Executive Orders or policy initiatives that are significant to you, and explain how you would help implement them if hired.

How has a strong work ethic contributed to your professional, academic or personal achievements? Provide one or two specific examples, and explain how those qualities would enable you to serve effectively in this position.

After submitting an online application, you will be notified whether or not you are required to take additional online assessments through the USA Hire Competency Based Assessment system. This message will be delivered to you via email notification. The email may be routed to your "Spam" or "Junk" folder.

If you are asked to take the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be presented with a unique URL to access the USA Hire system. Access to USA Hire is granted through your USAJOBS login credentials. Be sure to review all instructions prior to beginning your USA Hire Assessments. Click here for Computer System Requirements (https://help.usastaffing.gov/Apply/index.php?title=USA_Hire_System_Requirements)

Note, set aside at least 3 hours to take these assessments; however, most applicants complete the assessments in less time. If you need to stop the assessments and continue at a later time, you can re-use the URL sent to you via email and also found on the Additional Application Information page that can be located in the application record in your USAJOBS account.

To update your application, including supporting documentation, at any time during the announcement open period return to your USAJOBS account. There you will find a record of your application, the application status, and an option to Edit My Application. This option will no longer be available once the announcement is closed.

To verify the status of your application both during and after the announcement open period, log into your USAJOBS account. Your applications will appear on the Welcome page. Navigate to the job application and click Track this application to view your application status. The link will take you to the hiring agency application system, which has the most up-to-date status of your application. The Application Status will appear along with the date your application was last updated. For information on what each Application Status means click here.

Need Help?
If you need help with USAJOBs or the application process, please see the USAJOBS Help or Application Manager Online Help websites which includes information on managing your account, creating an application, uploading documents, etc.

Agency contact information

Judith Mills

Phone

281-716-8235

[email protected]

Address

Office of Science and Technology
99 New York Ave., N.E.
Washington, DC 20226
US

Next steps

You can check the status of your application anytime by accessing the USAJOBS online application system at http://www.usajobs.gov. You will need to provide your USAJOBS User ID and Password to access the Track your Online Job Application feature. You may also click on the link provided to access additional information on USAJobs.

All applicants will be notified at four (4) stages in the hiring process:
(1) upon receipt of your application;
(2) after your qualifications have been assessed;
(3) whether or not you've been referred to the Selecting Official;
(4) whether or not you've been selected for the position.

If your name is sent to the hiring manager, you may be invited for an interview.

We strive to extend a final offer of employment within 90 days from the close of this announcement.

Overview

Accepting applications

Location

2 vacancies in the following location:

Beltsville, MD

No matching locations found.

Work site options

Telework eligible

Yes—as determined by the agency policy.

Remote job

Relocation expenses reimbursed

Salary

$102,415 - $133,142 per year

Pay scale & grade

GS 12

Promotion potential

Learn more about pay scale and grade

Pay scale and grade determines the salary of the job.

Work schedule

Full-time

Travel Required

Occasional travel - You may be expected to travel for this position.

Appointment type

Permanent

Occupations and job series

1301 General Physical Science

Supervisory status

Federal service type

This job is in the Competitive Service

Represented by a union

Drug test

Yes

Security clearance

Top Secret

Position sensitivity and risk

Critical-Sensitive (CS)/High Risk

Jobs require a background check and some require a security clearance. The type depends on the job.

Background check type

Suitability/Fitness

Financial disclosure required

Some jobs require financial disclosure to identify conflicts of interests.

Announcement number

26-OST-DHA-13016600-JIM

Control number

880557100

Apply Now

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Summary

This job is open to

The public

Career transition (CTAP, ICTAP, RPL)

Clarification from the agency

Duties

Requirements

Conditions of employment

Qualifications

Education

Additional information

Benefits

How you will be evaluated

Required Documents

How to Apply

Agency contact information

Next steps

Overview