FDA Starts Major Hiring Initiative

Biologists, chemists, medical officers, mathematical statisticians and investigators are among the experts in demand as the U.S. Food and Drug Administration begins a multi-year hiring initiative.

The FDA is hiring hundreds of individuals with science and medical backgrounds to help meet the agency's responsibilities to assure the safety and/or efficacy of human and veterinary drugs, biological products, medical devices, food, cosmetics and products that emit radiation.

"It takes a large pool of talented people for the FDA to protect and promote the public health," said John Dyer, FDA's Deputy Commissioner for Operations and Chief Operating Officer. "Each month there is a delay in bringing critical staff on board impairs the agency's ability to fulfill this mission."

In fiscal year 2008 alone, the FDA is looking to fill more than 600 new positions and to backfill over 700 others to implement the FDA Amendments Act of 2007, the Food Protection Plan and the Import Safety Action Plan. That's nearly triple the number of people hired from 2005-2007.

Many of the jobs will be based in the Washington metropolitan area, specifically Rockville, Silver Spring and College Park, Md., as well as across the country in the FDA's five regions, 20 districts, more than 179 resident posts, and the newly created FDA offices overseas.

FDA will be participating in and holding job fairs throughout the country. To find a job fair near you, visit www.fda.gov/jobs/jobfairs08.html. To apply, send a curriculum vitae with a cover letter to joinourteam@fda.gov.