Drug Analysis Technician

UNITED STATES PROBATION AND PRETRIAL SERVICES

WESTERN DISTRICT OF WASHINGTON

DRUG ANALYSIS TECHNICIAN

Announcement Number 23-WAW-38

Announcement Date September 10, 2023

Closing Date Open until filled; preference given to applications received by October 1, 2023.

The U.S. Probation and Pretrial Services Office for the Western District of Washington is currently accepting applications for the position of Drug Analysis Technician.  Drug Analysis Technicians provide support to federal law enforcement officers throughout the district by conducting observed urine collection from clients.  The successful candidate must be responsible, flexible, and able to work collaboratively in a professional environment that requires discretion and confidentiality.

There are five offices within the Western District of Washington (Seattle, Tacoma, Tukwila, Everett, and Vancouver).  The assignment to a duty station is at the discretion of the Chief.  This position is responsible for drug testing in Everett, Mount Vernon, Bellingham, and the Seattle Courthouse, but travel to other testing sites may be required.

Representative Duties

• Observes collection of urine samples from individuals of the same gender and maintains appropriate records, ensuring required chain of custody protocol. Collects and distributes test results to appropriate staff members.  Enters testing data into database on a regular basis.
• Records information for reports and investigations related to drug testing. Prepares reports in support of the drug testing program.
• Maintains the urinalysis program, including supplies, billings, testing equipment and testing schedules.
• Provides backup to the Drug Lab Technician.

Qualifications

• High school diploma or equivalent and at least two years of progressively responsible clerical or administrative experience. Experience in a legal environment is desired.
• Applicant must be male gender to collet urine from clients of the same gender (bona fide occupational qualification (BFOQ).
• Skill in learning and applying chain of custody procedures pertaining to urine collection.
• Proven experience in handling multiple priorities with frequent interruptions.
• Ability to interact and communicate effectively, both orally and in writing, with people of diverse backgrounds. This includes people under supervision, law enforcement and collateral agency personnel at different government levels, and community service providers.
• Ability to maintain confidentiality, demonstrate sound judgment, and handle sensitive material with a calm, professional, friendly, and patient demeanor.
• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail.
• Working knowledge of databases and computer software programs and accurate data entry skills.
• Ability to work under deadlines; to be self-motivated and flexible.

Salary Range

Court Personnel System Classification Level:

CL22, Step 1 – 61, $33,529 – $54,519 annually.

CL23, Step 1 – 61, $46,0098 – $67,514 annually.

Depending on experience and qualifications.

Benefits

The District Court offers a generous benefit package, competitive salary, and a dedication to work/life balance including flexible schedules, ORCA transit passes, and telework opportunities.  Judiciary employees participate in the Federal Employees Retirement System, Thrift Savings Plan (similar to a 401K), health and life insurance benefits, long term care options, annual sick leave accrual, and eleven paid holidays per year.  Judiciary employees are not covered by the Office of Personnel Management’s civil service classification system or regulations. For additional information on employment with the federal courts, please visit www.uscourts.gov.

Application Instructions

Qualified applicants are required to submit the following:

• Cover letter
• Resume
• A response to the question below
• A completed *AO78, Application for Federal Employment - *For this vacancy announcement (22-WAW-42), you do not need to complete the optional background information – questions 18, 19, and 20.

Attachments must be submitted as Microsoft Word (DOC) or Adobe Acrobat (PDF) files. Other formats are not acceptable. Applications will only be considered complete when the required attachments, with the required information in the appropriate format, are received by Human Resources. Incomplete applications and/or attachments received after the closing date may not be considered in the recruitment process.  Application materials can be submitted via e-mail to:  seattle_personnel@wawd.uscourts.gov, referencing position number #23-WAW-38.

From the following list of competencies, please select two and describe why you feel they are important for this position.

• Policy and Court System Awareness
• Ethics and Values
• Quality Driven
• Problem Solving
• Planning
• Continuous Learning
• Communication
• Composure
• Team Orientation
• Workload Management

Responses should be no more than two pages and will be evaluated on the following: organization and flow of thought, thoroughness and thoughtfulness of content, level of detail, and writing skills (including grammar, punctuation, and sentence structure).

Information for Applicants

Only qualified applicants will be considered for this position.  Applicants must be United States citizens or eligible to work in the United States.  Applicants selected for interviews must travel (for in-person interviews) or connect via Zoom (for remote interviews) at their own expense. 

The United States District Court requires employees to follow a code of conduct which is available upon request. Reference checks with current and former employers will be conducted on top candidates.  A background investigation with law enforcement agencies, including fingerprint and criminal record checks, will be conducted as a condition of employment.  Any applicant selected for a position will be hired provisionally pending successful completion of the investigation.  Unsatisfactory results may result in termination of employment.

The Federal Financial Management Reform Act requires direct deposit of federal wages.

U.S. Probation and Pretrial Services for the Western District of Washington is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We encourage applications from all qualified individuals and seek a diverse pool of applicants in terms of race, ethnicity, national origin, sex, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, age, languages spoken, veteran’s status, disability, religion, and socio-economic circumstance.

The Court provides reasonable accommodations to applicants with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation, please notify human resources. The decision on granting reasonable accommodations will be made on an individual basis.

The Court reserves the right to modify the conditions of this job announcement, to withdraw the announcement, or to fill the position sooner than the closing date, any of which may occur without prior written or other notice.  If a position becomes vacant in a similar classification, within a reasonable time from the original announcement, management may elect to select a candidate from the applicants who responded to the original announcement without posting the position.  More than one position may be filled from this announcement.

The United States District Court is an equal opportunity employer and values diversity in the workplace.