Food Safety Advisor For Critical Foods (Interdisciplinary Scientist)

This position is being filled under a stream-lined hiring authority, Title 21, Section 3072 of the 21st Century Cures Act. The candidate selected for this position will serve under a career or career-conditional appointment and be paid under the provisions of this authority.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA or Agency) is the regulatory, scientific, public health and consumer protection agency responsible for ensuring all human and animal drugs, medical devices, cosmetics, foods, food additives, drugs and medicated feeds for food producing animals, tobacco and radiation emitting devices safe, and effective.

The mission of the Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (CFSAN) protects and promotes public health by ensuring that the nation's food supply is safe, sanitary, wholesome, and honestly labeled, and that cosmetic products and dietary supplements are safe and properly labeled.

Duties/Responsibilities The Office of Food Safety primary responsibilities include: Providing oversight of regulations, guidance, policy, programs, position papers, and advisory opinions, and recommends research priorities for issues related to food safety within the scope of the responsibility of the Office; Providing expert advice to inquiries from throughout the Center, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), other Federal Agencies, U.S. and foreign government officials and external stakeholders including Congress, as well as industry, international and other organizations on food safety programs and policies; Supporting interaction and collaboration among Federal and State partners in shellfish, milk safety and retail food protection cooperative programs; Providing expertise in acidified and low acid food technologies, including the registration and evaluation of filed processes; Reviewing industry petitions and regulatory actions to determine if they are supported by relevant science and established policy; Providing expert scientific testimony and provide technical review of laboratory analyses supporting proposed enforcement actions and when needed, provides expert scientific testimony; Conducting food safety research in food processing, food packaging, and food technology and conducts seafood safety research; and Providing coordination, oversight and management of the food safety programs. The incumbent is responsible for providing policy, scientific and technical advice and assistance related to the safety of milk and milk products, including infant formula. In addition, the incumbent will perform the following duties: • Develops, implements, and monitors policies and programs, such as compliance programs, initiatives, and other related activities, as affected by the various food safety laws, such as the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act and the Public Health Service Act involving the complex and priority scientific matters affecting the regulations, policies and programs related to manufacturing/processing environment, target pathogens, and indicators of concern for low moisture foods, including infant formula and other critical foods. • Applies knowledge of the laws, regulations, policies, and guidelines pertaining to the regulation, enforcement and compliance of critical foods. • Applies scientific knowledge and understanding of the manufacturing/process environment and low moisture foods to assist in developing regulatory policy and guidance documents related to the infant formula and medical foods, developing agency responses to citizen petitions, and providing technical and policy input to support compliance and enforcement actions relating to infant formula and medical foods. • Reviews risk assessments associated with the presence of microbiological, biological, or chemical contaminants in low moisture foods, including infant formula, for developing risk management strategies for the regulatory control of biological, microbial, chemical, or physical contaminants found in critical foods products for human consumption. • Develops and evaluates compliance strategies and policies, field programs and targeted surveys for microbiological, biological, or chemical contaminants to assess the quality and safety of critical food products. • Provides responses to inquiries and recommendation from field offices on policies, regulations, positions, and regulatory guidelines related to microbiological, biological, or chemical contaminants found in critical foods, particularly in low moisture foods such as infant formula. • Replies to correspondence from the regulated community and other interested persons on food safety issues related to microbiological, biological, or chemical contaminants that are industry-wide in scope or have health implications. Prepares and makes presentations at professional meetings and serves on agency, governmental, and national and international committees to promote agency goals and programs on food safety issues related to microbiological, biological, and chemical contaminants found in critical food.

Qualifications To be placed into a Cures position, candidates must meet the following criteria: 1. Scientific, Technical, and Professional Fields 2. Qualified and Outstanding Candidates a. Qualified applies to all candidates for Cures appointments. The FDA OTS will use the basic requirements defined in the OPM Qualification Standards as a baseline for comparing experience levels and other candidate attributes for relevant positions. b. Outstanding candidates can be defined by existing outstanding work experience, outstanding performance rating, or both. In order to qualify for this Title 21 Cures position, the candidate(s) must meet the following required qualifications. Please note: Additional education and experience listed that is not indicated as required is preferable and desired. Candidates who do not meet the “desired” criteria will not be excluded from consideration for this position. Education Requirement: Biologist Series, 0401: Degree: 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, as shown in A above, plus appropriate experience or additional education.

Microbiologist Series, 0403: Degree: microbiology; or biology, chemistry, or basic medical science that included at least 20 semester hours in microbiology and other subjects related to the study of microorganisms, and 20 semester hours in the physical and mathematical sciences combining course work in organic chemistry or biochemistry, physics, and college algebra, or their equivalent. OR Combination of education and experience: courses equivalent to a major in microbiology, biology, chemistry, or basic medical science that included courses as shown in A above, plus appropriate experience or additional education. For more information please see: OPM Occupational Series Qualification Requirements. Desired Education: Our ideal candidate will possess an Advanced Degree. Professional Experience: Experience independently reviewing data and information to determine the root cause of contamination or other food safety events, specifically related to low moisture foods, including infant formula. Desired Professional Experience: Our ideal candidate will possess: • Experience in food production, specifically factory/industry experience in low moisture foods. • Comprehensive understanding of the powdered infant formula manufacturing/processing environment, target pathogens, and indicators of concern in low moisture foods. • Extensive experience in advanced food production and manufacturing, current principles, and theories, principles, methods associated with milk and milk products, including infant formula. • Extensive professional scientific and practical knowledge of contaminants associated with milk and milk products, including infant formula. • Experience in collaborating with national and international industry members, academics, state, and federal public health officials, and other parties interested in milk and milk (including infant formula) products. • Experience in communicating and fostering partnerships with national and international industry members, academics, state, and federal public health officials, and other parties interested in milk and milk (including infant formula) products.

How to Apply Applications will be accepted from all qualified internal and external applicants. Please send letter of interest addressing your experience in the major duties and responsibilities of the position, SF-50 for current federal employees only, transcript (with foreign credentials evaluation, if applicable) to [email protected] by July 18, 2023. For questions, please contact [email protected]. Please reference Job Reference ID: “Food Safety Advisor for Critical Foods (Interdisciplinary Scientist), OFS” Announcement Contact For questions regarding this Cures position, please contact [email protected].