Clarification from the agency

U.S. Citizens

In this position, you will:

• Apply biological sciences and computational expertise to lead technical efforts for the NIST Center for AI Standards and Innovation (CAISI) chemical and biological security team.
• Develop, manage, and lead CAISI's approach to assessing the capabilities and potential national security implications of chem-bio AI models, including those that aid in the analysis, prediction, or generation of novel chemical or biological sequences, structures, or functions.
• Work closely with technical research staff within CAISI, U.S. government partners, including the intelligence community, and the scientific community to develop and apply new technical approaches and methodologies for assessing design capabilities and performance of chem-bio AI models.
• Build and coordinate a network of scientific and national security stakeholders to define guidelines for assessing and mitigating potential risks of chem-AI models while enabling innovation.
• Provide guidance to CAISI leadership on emerging benefits and risks at the intersection of AI and biotechnology.
• Serve as a technical representative for the CAISI chemical and biological security team at interagency, academic, and other external meetings.
• Lead and manage other lines of effort for the chemical and biological security team as designated by the Team Lead, including shaping and defining the longer-term strategy of chemical and biological security, as well as broader national security efforts.

Conditions of employment

• U.S. citizenship
• Males born after 12-31-59 must be registered for Selective Service
• Suitable for Federal employment
• Completion of Confidential Financial Disclosure, Form OGE-450
• Designated and/or random drug testing required
• Bargaining Unit Position: No
• Selective Placement Factor: Position duties require immediate access to classified intelligence; therefore, applicants must possess a current TS/SCI clearance.

Qualifications

All applicants must submit a resume NOT TO EXCEED two pages on standard-size paper. If the resume exceeds two pages, only the first two pages will be reviewed for qualifications or assessment determinations.

Basic Requirements

• Strong subject matter expertise in Biotechnology, Computational Biology, Machine Learning, Computer Science, Structural Bioinformatics or closely related field
• Experience collaborating with national security agencies and stakeholders, especially in the Intelligence Community (IC), on collaborative efforts to assess AI systems' biological misuse-relevant capabilities
• Experience delivering analytic products and briefings to agency leadership and interagency partners
• Experience engaging with industry, academic partners, and research institutions

How you will be evaluated

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

All applicants must submit a resume NOT TO EXCEED two pages on standard-size paper. If the resume exceeds two pages, only the first two pages will be reviewed for qualifications or assessment determinations.

How you will be evaluated: We will review your resume, optional cover letter and supporting documents to assess your qualifications for this position. Please be sure that your resume and supporting documents include detailed information to support your qualifications for this position. Failure to provide sufficient and/or legible evidence in your resume or supporting documents may result in a "not qualified" determination. You MUST select at least ONE eligibility (i.e., how you wish to be considered) to receive consideration for this position.

Referral: All applicants who meet the minimum qualifications will be referred to the selecting official for consideration. Under Direct Hire Authority, applicants are not rated and ranked, and veteran preference does not apply.

CTAP or ICTAP eligibility: If you are a displaced or surplus Federal employee eligible for the Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) or Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP), you must be determined eligible and rated as well-qualified to receive special selection priority. "Well Qualified" means that in addition to meeting the minimum qualification requirements and selective placement factor(s), if applicable, you must receive a score of 85 or higher. Please review the following site regarding required documents to support CTAP or ICTAP eligibility and additional information regarding this authority - CTAP/ICTAP Eligibility

The documents required may vary based on how you're applying (i.e., as a veteran or disabled veteran, current or former Federal employee, etc.). Please review the Required Documents for this position to find out if there are any documents required with your application. Failure to submit required documents, based upon how you apply, may result in loss of consideration due to an incomplete application package.

A complete application includes: 1) A resume (not to exceed two pages), 2) vacancy question responses regarding technical qualifications, and 3) submission of any required documents. Please note that if you do not provide all required information, as specified in this announcement, or if the documents submitted are illegible you may not be considered for this position (or may not receive the special consideration for which you may be eligible).

Resume: All applicants must submit a resume by creating one in USAJOBS or uploading one of their choosing. The resume MUST NOT exceed two pages on standard-size paper. If the resume exceeds two pages, only the first two pages will be reviewed for qualifications or assessment determinations. Cover letters are optional. To receive any credit for relevant experience, please list the month/year and the number of hours worked for experience listed on your resume. We suggest you review the qualification requirements for this position as you may need to customize your resume to ensure that it supports the position qualifications. Please refer to the Resume Guidance on how to build an effective resume.

Next steps