FDA Jobs

FDA jobs are under the category of “Working at FDA” and can be found on the left bottom side of the FDA home page. (www.fda.gov) The “FDA seeking to fill mission-critical positions” is the headline of the page.  You now have two choices. Either peruse the main menu or go to the specific Center jobs in the middle of the page.

Jobs at different Centers takes you out of the “Working at FDA” menu. You can get information about specific Centers in the FDA and current vacancies. The jobs listed under each of five centers is not as complete as job listings found elsewhere on the website. That said; let’s look at the jobs for the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER).

You can apply for a job at CDER online. You do it through USAJOBS where you create your own account and file your resume and paperwork. Choose “View current FDA . . . Openings” and you will be at the USAJOBS website. The FDA uses this website to accept applications for its various jobs.

You can briefly see the listing of jobs, but then you want to choose a detailed view of a job. The pharmacist position is open to all US citizens. Some of the jobs listed are only available to Federal employees. FDA jobs are available, you just have to comb through the data to find one that fits your skills and experience. FDA news lists events such as job fairs throughout the country.

A listing of all jobs at the FDA can be found in the “Working at FDA” menu under “Hiring Initiative”. Once you are there, under ‘How to apply” is your goldmine of jobs. “Browse/Search All FDA Jobs” lists the openings at various locations throughout the US. First you need to type in “all jobs” in the search box. You can look at a “Brief view” of all the jobs or you can look at a “detailed view”.

The “detailed view” gives you an incredible amount of information under the word “more.” In addition to Salary Range and Duty Location you will find:

• Job Summary
• Key Requirements
• Duties
• Qualifications Required

o   Education statements

• How you will be evaluated for the position
• Benefits and Other Info
• Other Information
• How to Apply

o   Step One – Online Resume

o   Step Two – Vacancy Specific Questions

o   Step Three – Submit Supporting Documents

• Required Documents
• Agency Contact Info
• What To Expect Next

It is a daunting task to wade through all the documentation required, but if you can read and follow directions, you may win an interview.

Another category worth noting is also under the “Working at FDA” menu and is the “Fellowship, Internship, Graduate and Faculty Programs.” Once there, you have the following options:

• CDER Academic Collaboration Program
• Student Intern Program
• Visiting Pediatric Pharmacology Fellows Rotation Program
• Commissioner’s Fellowship program
• Veterinary Medicine Student Internships
• Medical Device Fellowship Program
• Device Evaluation Intern Program
• Pharmacy Student Experiential Program
• Postgraduate Research Program
• Science Internship Program
• Faculty Research Program
• Foreign National Training Program
• Interdisciplinary Toxicology Program
• Office of Policy and Planning Internship Program
• Federal Career Intern Program

Some of the internship programs carry a stipend, so if you do not have a job, this may be a good way to gain experience. Some of the graduate student programs only provide academic credit hours toward your advanced degree. The fellowships are 13 to 24 month appointments and carry a salary.

The “Veterinary Medicine Student Internships” are for the summer only. You can read all about the fellowships and internships at the website under “Working at FDA”.

Under the option of “Career Descriptions” you can read about the various positions at the FDA and the description of the position that includes the qualifications. There are different pay grade levels depending on your education and experience.

By getting the information about different positions, you can plan your education accordingly so that you qualify for something you are interested in. There are a myriad of opportunities through FDA jobs.

Written by: Margaret Stenerson

10 7 2010