United States Department of Agriculture
Research, Education, and Economics
Agricultural Research Service

Research Chemist

GS-1320-12/13

Salary Range of $86,962 to $134,435

Announcement Open: September 3, 2024 to October 2, 2024

The incumbent serves as a Research Chemist in the Bio-Oils Research Unit, National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research in Peoria, Illinois. The focus of the unit is to develop new technology for using vegetable oils as renewable sources for value-added industrial products.  The assigned project is "New High-Value Biobased Materials with Applications Across Industry.” Incumbent will be an expert in biobased polymeric materials and conduct research addressing needs of national interest for value-added industrial materials from agricultural commodities, especially plant oils. Incumbent provides expertise on synthesis, analysis, characterization, structure/function relationships, and industrial applications of biobased materials to the Research Leader, Lead Scientist, domestic and international collaborators, ARS Office of National Programs, and stakeholders. Incumbent is responsible for conceiving, initiating, planning, executing, evaluating, and publishing research on plant oil-based materials and technologies. Incumbent has authority to identify research priorities and to develop collaborations both within and outside of ARS, including other federal agencies, universities and cooperating industrial stakeholders. Incumbent will develop a stakeholder base to advocate for enhancing the research and to enable commercialization of products to meet mandated technology transfer objectives with the potential to increase funding.

U.S. Citizenship is required. Applications are being accepted via the USAJobs Web site: https://www.usajobs.gov/. For further information and complete application instructions, go to the USAJobs Web site and refer to announcement number ARS-D24MWA-12524769-HCL. Applications must be received by the closing date of October 2, 2024.  *Please note that the announcement number will not be accessible on USAJobs until Tuesday, September 3, 2024.

Contacts:

Application procedures: Heather Lee at heather.Lee@usda.gov or 301-956-3803

Scientific information: Dr. Steven Cermak at steven.cermak@usda.gov or 309-681-6233

USDA/ARS is an equal opportunity employer and provider