Emerging Biological​/Chemical Threats SME

This role provides scientific, technical and programmatic support in the DHS Science and Technology Directorate, as part of a multidisciplinary team of high-performance professionals supporting the client's most vexing technical and technological challenges, and developing solutions to counter current, emerging, and future homeland security threats. Specifically, the selected candidates will support S&T on programs including, but not limited to: AI/ML and data science applications to scientific technical foresighting, bioinformatics and biodetection, microbial, viral and toxin hazard assessment and synthetic biology.

The successful candidate will be self-motivated, operate well in a matrixed environment, be able to learn, digest, and provide scientific and technical guidance on a broad spectrum of biological and chemical subjects, and be able to distill and communicate complex technical concepts to enable nontechnical managers to make informed decisions and to communicate R&D impact to senior officials and policy makers.

The responsibilities of the team member may include:

• Researching and providing guidance on leading-edge technologies, particularly as they relate to biology and chemistry,
• Evaluating the feasibility of technical approaches to problems,
• Reviewing biological and/or chemistry-related technical reports and providing critiques of methods and results,
• Developing and evaluating scientific capability development strategies,
• Monitoring emerging chemical and biological threats program and technical performance against goals,
• Developing test and evaluation methodologies,
• Assessing the efficacy, safety, and lifecycle costs of proposed or realized scientific solutions,
• Supporting R&D portfolio management activities, including tracking milestones, budgets, and deliverables,
• Developing scientific program status reports, PowerPoint briefings, and read-ahead materials,
• Developing, monitoring, and maintaining a central repository of chem/bio scientific and technical program information (e.g. reports, requirements, etc.),
• Organizing, coordinating, and participating in meetings, discussions, and seminars on biological and chemical threat and detection technology topics,
• Supporting interagency and international coordination on science and technology topics,
• Communicating scientific findings to technical and non-technical audiences as needed.

This is currently a hybrid telework position requiring staff to be in-person at the DHS S&T client site in Washington, DC as needed in accordance with the requirements of the contract. Applicants must be located within the National Capital Region.

• Bachelor's degree and 10 years of relevant experience, or Master's or Ph.D. and 5 years of relevant experience.
• Degrees may be in biology, chemistry, biochemistry, or related field
• SECRET clearance (or Eligibility to obtain a minimum of an Interim Secret clearance)
• Eligibility to obtain DHS access and suitability
• Experience providing strategic scientific guidance, such as technology roadmaps, feasibility analysis, and market research regarding the boundaries of state-of-art technology
• Evidence of providing scientific guidance and communications to stakeholders, both written and verbally, targeting both technical and non-technical audiences. This evidence may be in the form of conference talks, industry days, publications, feasibility analyses, or market research regarding state-of-art technologies and their implications

• Experience providing direct or consultant scientific and programmatic support to federal R&D programs or system development efforts, preferably supporting national security
• Comfort reading, analyzing, and critiquing scientific manuscripts, similar to…