CHEMIST ; UMP

The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Division of Laboratories, Inorganic Analysis Unit, at the Springfield Combined Laboratory is seeking a Chemist I to join our team as an Analytical Chemist. The candidate would be comfortable with good lab techniques and practices, performing analytical methods and working with hazardous chemicals. We are looking for a motivated professional who is highly organized, detail‑oriented, and comfortable adapting to evolving priorities in a collaborative, fast‑paced laboratory environment.

The ideal candidate will demonstrate strong communication skills—verbal, written, and electronic—and the ability to work effectively with both internal colleagues and external partners.

The benefits of working at the EPA include a 37 ½ hour work week, a generous salary and benefits package—including paid time off for vacation, sick or personal leave, holidays—pension and other retirement benefits, tuition reimbursement, and insurance eligibility on day one (medical, dental, vision, and life).

• Performs analyses of environmental samples for inorganic compounds for the Inorganic Analysis Unit.
• Prepares Data Packets (DP), reviews and presents data from the analyses performed.
• Provides laboratory support functions as required.
• Performs method development as required.
• Performs other duties as required or assigned, which are reasonably within the scope of the duties.

• Requires completion of four years of college, including 32 semester hours in chemistry from a recognized college or university.
• This class is included as an Upward Mobility Program credential title.

• Preferred working knowledge of the principles, practices and techniques of chemical analyses as applied in environmental analytical work.
• Prefers the ability to assume responsibility for extreme accuracy in analyses and to set up and use highly sophisticated analytical laboratory instrumentation.
• Prefers the ability make chemical analyses of various products and substances according to standardized procedures.
• Prefers the ability to follow written and oral directions, formulae, and charts.
• Prefers working knowledge of the USEPA Drinking Water Manual and the National Environmental Laboratory Accreditation Program (NELAP) Institute (TNI) standards as they apply to accreditation for the analysis of environmental samples.
• Prefers the ability to utilize a personal computer with knowledge of Microsoft Office suite software.

• Requires a valid and current appropriate driver’s license.
• Requires the ability to travel in performance of duties, with overnight stays as appropriate.
• Overtime is a condition of employment, and you may be requested or required/mandated to work overtime including scheduled, unscheduled, or last‑minute overtime. This requires the ability to work evenings and weekends.
• Requires ability to attend seminars, conferences, and trainings to stay current on methods, tools, ideologies, or other industry related topics to the job duties.
• Requires ability to pass a name‑based background check.
• The condition of employment listed here are incorporated and related to any of the job duties as listed in the job description.

Work Hours: 8:30 AM – 5:00 PM Monday to Friday; 1 hr lunch
Headquarter

Location:

825 N Rutledge St, Springfield, Illinois, 62702
Work County: Sangamon

Springfield, IL, US, 62702

Anticipated Starting Salary (Effective 7/1/26) $5,572 monthly;
Full Range $5,572 - $7,898 monthly.

The State of Illinois is committed to working with and providing reasonable accommodations to people with disabilities. Further, federal law requires employers to provide reasonable accommodation to qualified individuals with disabilities. Please tell us if you require a reasonable accommodation to apply for a job, interview for a job, or for any other activity related to the hiring process. Examples of reasonable accommodation include, but are not limited to, making a change to the application process (if possible), providing documents in an alternate format, using…