Find & Apply For Physical Scientist Jobs in Dover Air Force Base, Delaware

Summary About the

Position:

This position is located at Dover Air Force Base, Delaware This is a Direct Hire Solicitation Salary negotiation may be available for those candidates who are new to Federal service. Term Appointment NTE - Position to be filled as a Term Appointment NTE 2 Years. 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. Duties Leads six technical branches, ensuring mission execution, scientific accuracy, and operational efficiency across all forensic DNA programs. Provides expert guidance on DNA methodologies, sets technical standards, and resolves complex scientific issues affecting AFMES missions. Exercises full supervisory authority over subordinate supervisors, personnel actions, performance evaluations, and workforce development. Reviews and approves changes to functions, staffing, and position design to promote scientific excellence and operational effectiveness. Serves as principal assistant to the AFME, providing authoritative input on policy, strategic planning, and resource management. Represents AFDIL in briefings and engagements with DHA, DoD components, and federal/state agencies, ensuring alignment of standards and policy decisions. Requirements Conditions of employment Appointment may be subject to a suitability or fitness determination, as determined by a completed background investigation. This position is required to be screened for and obtain necessary immunizations/vaccinations (hepatitis, influenza, etc.), unless exempted by a licensed physician. This position is required to work uncommon tours of duty hours such as, on-call, working either fixed or rotating shifts, evenings, weekends and/or holidays. In the event of severe weather conditions or other such emergency type situations (natural or man-made disaster) the incumbent may be required to report to work or remain at work as scheduled to support mission operations. This position is subject to TDY or business travel requirements to various locations. This may require travel via privately owned vehicles, commercial transport platforms, and/or military aircraft, ships, and vehicles.

Qualifications Who May Apply:

US Citizens In order to qualify, you must meet the education/experience requirements described below. Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community; student; social). You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. Your resume must clearly describe your relevant experience; if qualifying based on education, your transcripts will be required as part of your application. Additional information about transcripts is in this document.

Basis Requirements:

Biologist (0401): Degree in biological sciences, agriculture, natural resource management, chemistry, or related disciplines appropriate to the position. (

Note:

You must attach a copy of your transcripts.)

OR Combination of Education and Experience:

Courses equivalent to a major, as shown above, plus appropriate experience or additional education. Physical Scientist (1301): Degree in physical science, engineering, or mathematics which included 24 semester hours in physical science and/or related engineering science such as mechanics, dynamics, properties of materials, and electronics. (

Note:

You must attach a copy of your transcripts.) OR Combination of education and experience which includes courses equivalent to one of the majors, as shown iabove, that included at least 24 semester hours in physical science and/or related engineering science, plus appropriate experience or additional education. (

Note:

You must attach a copy of your transcripts.) Chemistry (1320): Degree in the physical sciences, life sciences, or engineering that included 30 semester hours in chemistry, supplemented by course work in mathematics through differential and integral calculus, and at least 6 semester hours of physics. (

Note:

You must attach a copy of your transcripts.) OR Combination of education and experience - course work equivalent to a major as shown 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. (

Note:

You must attach a copy of your transcripts.) In addition to meeting the basic requirement above, to qualify for this position you must also meet the qualification requirements listed below:

Specialized Experience:

One year of specialized experience which includes: 1) Providing full supervisory authority and operational control over a multidisciplinary forensic DNA laboratory, including establishing goals, priorities, and workload distribution across multiple technical branches; 2) Serving as the definitive scientific authority on advanced DNA methodologies and forensic science principles, evaluating program effectiveness, and directing corrective actions to ensure mission performance; 3) Advising senior leadership on policy development, strategic planning, and major operational decisions affecting a national-level DNA forensic program, and representing the organization in interagency engagements and technical commitments. Education

FOREIGN EDUCATION

If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show the education credentials have been evaluated by a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign education programs and such education has been deemed equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program; or full credit has been given for the courses at a U.S. accredited college or university. For further information, visit: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/. Additional information Male applicants born after December 31, 1959 must complete a Pre-Employment Certification Statement for Selective Service Registration. You will be required to provide proof of U.S. Citizenship. Term Appointment NTE - Position to be filled as a Term Appointment NTE 2 Years. Term positions require a one-year probationary period. Current permanent Federal employees (to include permanent Army employees) applying for a Term appointment will be appointed/converted into a Term appointment with no statutory return rights back to a permanent position. Direct Deposit of Pay is required. This position requires you to submit a Public Financial Disclosure Report (OGE 278) or a Confidential Financial Disclosure Report (OGE450) upon entry, and annually thereafter. Selection is subject to restrictions resulting from Department of Defense referral system for displaced employees. Multiple positions may be filled from this announcement. Salary includes applicable locality pay or Local Market Supplement. Permanent Change of Station (PCS) allowances may be authorized, subject to the provisions of the Joint Travel Regulations and an agency determination that a PCS move is in the Government Interest. 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 Review our benefits How you will be evaluated You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above. Once the announcement has closed, a review of your application package (resume, supporting documents, and responses to the questionnaire) will be used to determine whether you meet the qualification requirements listed on this announcement. Please follow all instructions carefully when applying, errors or omissions may affect your eligibility. If, after reviewing your resume and/or supporting documentation, a determination is made that you have inflated your qualifications and/or experience, you may lose consideration for this position. Veterans and Military Spouses will be considered along with all other candidates. Required Documents The documents you are required to submit vary based on whether or not you are eligible for preference in federal employment. A complete description of preference categories and the associated required documents is in the Applicant Checklist for Public Announcements. As described above, your complete application includes your resume, your responses to the online questionnaire, and documents which prove your eligibility to apply. If you fail to provide these documents, you will be marked as having an incomplete application package and you will not be considered any further. 1.

Your resume:

Your resume must be two pages or less and must support the specialized experience described in this announcement. Resumes exceeding two pages will be removed from consideration. For each relevant work experience, make sure you include the employer's name, job title, start and end dates (include month and year), for qualifications purposes, the number of hours worked per week, and a brief description that show you can perform the tasks at the required level listed in the job announcement. If your resume does not contain this information, your application may be marked as incomplete, and you may not receive consideration for this position. Use plain language. Avoid using acronyms and terms that are not easily understood. The hiring agency will not make assumptions about what's in your resume. If your resume includes a photograph or other inappropriate material or content, it will not be used to make eligibility and qualification determinations, and you may not be considered for this vacancy. For additional information, to include formatting tips, see: What to include in your resume. 2.

Other supporting documents:

Cover Letter, optional Most recent Performance Appraisal, if applicable This position has an individual occupational requirement and/or allows for substitution of education for experience. If you meet this requirement based on education you MUST submit a copy of your transcript with your application package or you will be rated ineligible.

See:

Transcripts and Licenses.

NOTE:

Documents submitted as part of the application package, to include supplemental documents, may be shared beyond the Human Resources Office. Some supplemental documents such as military orders and marriage certificates may contain personal information for someone other than you. You may sanitize these documents to remove another person's personal information before you submit your application. You may be asked to provide an un-sanitized version of the documents if you are selected to confirm your eligibility. If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements: Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating. How to Apply To apply for this position, you must complete the online questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section below. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on 07/20/2026 to receive consideration. To begin, 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 (https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/13001222 ). Follow the prompts to select your resume and/or other supporting documents to be included with your application package. As a reminder, your resume must be two pages or less and must support the specialized experience described in this announcement. Resumes exceeding two pages will be removed from consideration. For additional information, refer to the 'Required Documents' section. 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. Your resume selected in USAJOBS will be included, but you must re-select other documents from your USAJOBS account or your application may be incomplete. It is your responsibility to verify that your application package (resume, supporting documents, and responses to the questionnaire) is complete, accurate, and submitted by the closing date. Uploaded documents may take up to one hour to clear the virus scan. Additional information on how to complete the online application process and submit your online application may be found on the USA Staffing Applicant Resource Center. To verify the status of your application, log into your USAJOBS account (https://www.usajobs.gov/applicant/profile/dashboard/), all of your applications will appear on the Welcome screen. The Application Status will appear along with the date your application was last updated. For information on what each Application Status means, visit: https://help.usajobs.gov/how-to/application/status. Agency contact information Army Applicant Help Desk Website https://portal.chra.army.mil/hr_public?id=app_inq Address

KF-DDAAFC DHA

HQs

DO NOT MAIL

Falls Church, VA 22042 US Next steps If you provided an email address, you will receive an email message acknowledging receipt of your application. Your application package will be used to determine your eligibility, qualifications, and quality ranking for this position. If you are determined to be ineligible or not qualified, your application will receive no further consideration. Overview Accepting applications Posted this week • Apply by 07/20/26 Due by 11:59 p.m. ET on July 20, 2026 Location 1 vacancy in the following location: Dover AFB, DE No matching locations found. Work site options Telework eligible Yes—as determined by the agency policy. Remote job No Relocation expenses reimbursed Yes—You may qualify for reimbursement of relocation expenses in accordance with agency policy. Salary $163,023 - $197,200 per year Pay scale & grade GS 15 Promotion potential None Learn more about pay scale and grade Pay scale and grade determines the salary of the job. Work schedule Full-time Travel Required 25% or less - You may be expected to travel for this position. Appointment type Term Occupations and job series 0401 General Natural Resources Management And Biological Sciences 1301 General Physical Science 1320 Chemistry Supervisory status Yes Federal service type This job is in the Competitive Service Represented by a union No Drug test Yes Security clearance Secret Position sensitivity and risk Noncritical-Sensitive (NCS)/Moderate 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 Yes Some jobs require financial disclosure to identify conflicts of interests. Announcement number

HQKF-26-13001222-DHA

Control number 875751900