Office of Food Additive Safety (OFAS) Staff Fellow
The Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (CFSAN) is a national leader in protecting and promoting public health. CFSAN is responsible for promoting and protecting the public's health by ensuring that the nation's food supply is safe, sanitary, wholesome, and honestly labeled, and that cosmetic products are safe and properly labeled.
Our CFSAN employees within Office of Food Additive Safety (OFAS) consist of highly specialized experts that protect and enhance consumer health by ensuring the safety of substances added to food and food contact materials.
View Full Staff Fellow Job Announcement Posting: https://www.fda.gov/media/155662/download
Open Period: 01/26/2022 to 02/04/2022
Location: College Park, MD
Salary: $74,950 to 138,868 (Locality included)
Duties of the Position:
- Serves as a technical expert and advisor to firms consulting with FDA on the safety and regulatory compliance of foods derived from new plant varieties.
- Applies biological knowledge and experience to the assessment of foods derived from new plant varieties to assure their safety.
- Evaluates molecular characterization, genetic stability, and food composition data and information submitted by developers to determine the safety of food from new plant varieties and prepares written review memoranda and response letters that summarize FDA’s scientific evaluation.
- Analyzes and reviews research protocols to determine if the experimental design will answer the relevant safety questions related to food from new plant varieties.
- Collaborates with and advises stakeholders on biological issues related to food safety, laws, regulations, and policies, as well as scientific research and industry developments in biology and related fields related to foods derived from new plant varieties.
- Conducts outreach efforts to foster innovations in plant biotechnology and advance the FDA’s plant biotechnology program and responds to stakeholder inquiries about the program.
Qualifications: To qualify as a Staff Fellow, you must: be a US Citizen, Permanent Resident, or Non-Citizen with residency status in the US, three (3) out of the last five (5) years.; possess a doctoral- level degree from an accredited institution of higher learning, including: Ph.D., M.D., D.V.M., D.D.S., D.M.D., Sc.D., or other research doctoral-degree widely recognized in U.S. academe as equivalent to a Ph.D. (In limited instances a lower level of education and/or experience may be acceptable).
In addition to the above, applicants must meet one of the following in (A) Basic Qualifications and (B) Experience. (Candidates who possess a Ph.D. and meet the basic qualifications (A) but do not have experience are still encouraged to apply).
A. BASIC QUALIFICATIONS: These positions are multidisciplinary, and applicants will be required to meet the specific education qualification requirements of one of the applicable occupational series below (a copy of your transcripts identifying the requirement has been met is required).
- BIOLOGY, (Series 401): Degree in Biological sciences, agriculture, natural resource management, chemistry, or related disciplines appropriate to the position; OR Combination of education and experience: Courses equivalent to a major, plus appropriate experience or additional education.
B. SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: Candidates must have at least one full year of specialized experience that equipped the applicant with the knowledge, skills and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position and is typically in or related to work of the position to be filled. Examples of specialized experience for this position include: conducting or analyzing biological studies related to plant science and present at meetings, seminars, training, or stakeholder meetings on scientific activities.
Application Procedures: To be considered for this job opportunity, candidates must submit a resume and a copy of their transcripts demonstrating that the education and specialized experience qualifications (as noted above under qualification sections) are met by 11:59 p.m. (EST) on 02/04/2022 to: Applytocfsan-ofas@fda.hhs.gov
The United States Government does not discriminate in employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy and gender identity), 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. Federal agencies must provide reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities where appropriate.