Criminal Investigator (Special Agent)

Full Job Description

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) is looking for energetic, innovative, solution-oriented professionals to help the ATF team succeed in our responsibilities to reduce violent crime and protect the public.

GL-5: You qualify for the GL-5 grade level if you have three years of progressively responsible experience, 1 year of which was equivalent to at least the GS/GL-04 performing duties such as Gathering pertinent data Communicating effectively orally and in writing.

OR A bachelor's degree or successful completion of a full 4-year course of study in ANY FIELD leading to a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university.

Conferred date must be listed on your unofficial or official transcripts.

OR Will receive within 9 months of the closing date of this announcement a bachelor's degree in ANY FIELD of study from an accredited college or university.

Expected conferred date must be listed on your resume along with submissions of your unofficial transcripts.

GL-7: You qualify for the GL-7 grade level if you possess: 1 year of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower grade level, performing all of the following duties: Assisting in criminal investigations by gathering evidence, conducting record and database searches Participating in searches, seizures, and arrests Preparing reports for routine investigations OR Successful completion of one year of full-time graduate education from an accredited college or university in a major such as: Criminal Justice and/or Administration; Law and Society; Forensics; Public Safety and/or Administration; Homeland Security; Law Enforcement; Justice Administration; Organizational Security and Management; Criminology; Cyber Security; Social Work; Fire Science.

Check with your school to determine how many credit hours comprise a year of graduate education. If that information is not available, use 18 semester or 27 quarter hours.

OR A bachelor's degree in Criminal Justice and/or Administration; Law and Society; Forensics; Public Safety and/or Administration; Homeland Security; Law Enforcement; Justice Administration; Organizational Security and Management; Criminology; Cyber Security; Social Work; Fire Science with Superior Academic Achievement (SAA).

To qualify for SAA, you must meet one of the following: A grade point average of "B" (a GPA of 3.0 or higher out of a possible 4.0) for all completed undergraduate courses, or those completed in the last two years of undergraduate study.

A grade point average of "B+" (a GPA of 3.5 or higher out of a possible 4.0) for all courses in the applicant's major field of study, or those courses in the applicant's major completed in the last two years of undergraduate study.

Rank in the upper one-third of the applicant's class in the college, university, or major subdivision.

Membership in a national honor society (other than freshman honor societies) recognized by the Association of College Honor Societies.

OR Will receive within 9 months from the closing date of this announcement a bachelor's degree with Superior Academic Achievement or one full year of graduate level education (equivalent to 18 semester or 27 quarter hours) in the field of studies of Criminal Justice and/or Administration; Law and Society; Forensics; Public Safety and/or Administration; Homeland Security; Law Enforcement; Justice Administration; Organizational Security and Management; Criminology; Cyber Security; Social Work; Fire Science from an accredited college or university.

Expected conferred date must be listed on your resume along with submissions of your unofficial transcripts.

GL-09: You qualify for the GL-9 grade level if you possess 1 year of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower grade level, performing duties such as: Serving subpoenas, arrest, and search warrants Conducting interviews, interrogations of suspects and witnesses Providing status reports of ongoing criminal investigations to higher level management OR A master's or equivalent graduate degree or 2 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree in Criminal Justice and/or Administration; Law and Society; Forensics; Public Safety and/or Administration; Homeland Security; Law Enforcement; Justice Administration; Organizational Security and Management; Criminology; Cyber Security; Social Work; Fire Science a J.D.

or an LL.B. degree from an accredited college or university may substitute for experience required at this level.

Check with your school to determine how many credit hours comprise two years of graduate education. If that information is not available, use 36 semester or 54 quarter hours.

OR Will receive within 9 months from the closing date of this announcement a master's degree or equivalent or 2 full years of progressively higher graduate level education (equivalent to 36 semester or 45 quarter hours) or a J.D.

or an LL.B.

degree in the field of studies of Criminal Justice and/or Administration; Law and Society; Forensics; Public Safety and/or Administration; Homeland Security; Law Enforcement; Justice Administration; Organizational Security and Management; Criminology; Cyber Security; Social Work; Fire Science from an accredited college or university.

Expected conferred date must be listed on your resume along with submissions of your unofficial transcripts.

NOTE: Your resume must indicate how you meet the qualifications above, otherwise, you will be found ineligible.

Please see the "Required Documents" section below for additional resume requirements.

Combining Experience and Education: To combine your education and experience, you must convert each to a percentage and then add the percentages.

The combined total of your percentage of education and experience must equal at least 100% in order to qualify.

If your education is currently described in quarter hours, convert the quarter hours into semester hours by multiplying the quarter hours by the fraction 2/3.

To calculate your percentage of graduate education, divide the number of graduate semester hours by 18.

To determine your percentage of qualifying experience, you must divide your total number of months of qualifying experience by the required number of months of experience.

Add your percentages of education and experience. The two percentages must total at least 100%.

Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community, student, social).

You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. Drug Testing: You must satisfactorily complete a drug test prior to being hired.

More information on the ATF Drug Policy can be found here.

Medical Examination: Individuals must meet the established medical standards and/or physical requirement for the position, proving they are medically and physically capable of performing the essential job functions and duties of the position safely.

Polygraph Examination: You will be required to successfully complete a polygraph examination.

Applicants who have significant responses or who manipulate the polygraph process will be removed from the hiring process.

Researching polygraph is unnecessary and highly discouraged, as many websites recommend methods that, if employed, may be deemed as a manipulation of the polygraph process.

Polygraph Reciprocity: ATF may accept the results of a prior federal polygraph exam in lieu of an ATF polygraph exam.

Background Investigation: You will be required to undergo a background investigation prior to employment.

During the screening and/or background investigation process, you will be asked questions regarding any felony criminal convictions, the use of illegal drugs and the use of non-prescribed controlled substances including any experimentation, possession, sale, receipt, manufacture, cultivation, production, transfer, shipping, trafficking, or distribution of controlled substances.

Major Duties:

This is an excepted service Schedule B (213.3210) appointment.

After completing 3 years of satisfactory service, you may be converted without further competition to a permanent appointment in the competitive service.

Organizational Location: This position is with the Department of Justice, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, Field Operations. Location is negotiable upon final selection.

You will be asked for your location preferences once all pre-employment process have been completed. ATF will have the final determination based on the needs of the agency.

This position starts at a salary of $50,241 (GL-5, Step 1) to $82,301 (GL-9, Step 10) with promotion potential to the GS-13 grade level.

The salary listed reflects the "Rest of U.S." scale and, if applicable, will be adjusted to meet the locality pay or cost of living expenses of the duty location upon selection.

In this position, you will serve as a Criminal Investigator (Special Agent) trainee performing the below duties: Investigating criminal violations of Federal laws within the enforcement jurisdiction of the U.S.

Department of Justice. Conducting investigations of violations relating to explosives, firearms, arson, and alcohol and tobacco diversion. Preparing concise criminal investigative case reports.

Testifying for the Federal Government in court or before grand juries.

Gathering and analyzing evidence through investigative leads, seizures, arrests, execution of search warrants, and a variety of other means.