Criminal Investigator (Special Agent) (Open Continuous Announcement)

About the role

This is an open continuous announcement until May 31, 2027. Qualified applicants will be considered and referred as vacancies become available. 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.

What you will do

• May be paid to new federal employees only and subject to successful completion of 12-week CITP and 15-week Special Agent Basic Training at FLETC-Glynco, GA.
• Total Amount: up to $60,000** Annual amount: $15,000 over four years*** Relocation Incentive: May be paid to eligible current federal employees only and subject to successful completion of required Special Agent Basic Training at FLETC-Glynco, GA.
• Total Amount: $25,000 ** Annual Amount: $12,500 over two years*** **May not exceed 25% of total salary, including locality pay. ***Subject to federal taxes and any applicable state/local taxes 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.

Requirements

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this position.
• Males born after 12/31/1959 must be registered with Selective Service.
• Primary U.S. residency for at least three of the last five years (additional details below).
• Age Requirement: Must be at least 21 years of age and not older than 37 at the time of appointment.
• The day immediately preceding an individual's 37th birthday will be the last day for selection consideration.
• However, the age restriction may not apply if you are a preference-eligible veteran or if you are currently serving or have previously served in a federal civilian law enforcement position covered by 5 U.S.C. § 8336(c) or 5 U.S.C. § 8412(d).
• (After subtracting the years/months of prior and current Federal service worked in a primary law enforcement position, applicants must be less than 37 years of age).
• Motor Vehicle Operation: You must have a valid automobile driver's license at the time of appointment.
• Security Clearance: You will be required to obtain a Top-Secret clearance for this position.
• You will be required to carry a firearm and maintain firearm proficiency.
• Pass the below assessment hurdles: ATF Special Agent Applicant Assessment Physical Task Test Structured Interview Pass the below pre-employment requirements: Drug Test Medical Examination Polygraph Examination Background Investigation Attend and successfully pass the below training: Criminal Investigator Training Program (CITP) ATF Special Agent Basic Training (SABT) Mobility Agreement: You must sign a mobility statement and agree to be relocated at any time to any office in the United States, to include U.S. territories.
• All candidates will be required to perform a minimum of 3-5 years at their initial duty station.
• Residency: DOJ requires that during three of the last five years you have either: resided in the United States, worked for the United States in a foreign country in a Federal, military, or federally sponsored capacity, and/or been a dependent of a Federal or U.S. military employee in a foreign country.
• You may be asked to provide sufficient documentation to meet this residency requirement.

Education

If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements, please see the statements below. Education must be reviewed and certified by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education, in order for it to be creditable towards your qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from accredited institution.

FOREIGN EDUCATION: Education completed in foreign colleges or universities may be used to meet the requirements.

You must show proof the education credentials have been deemed to be at least equivalent to that gained in a conventional U.S. education program.

It is your responsibility to provide such evidence when applying. For special instructions pertaining to foreign education and a list of organizations that can evaluate foreign education, see the Department of Education website. If you are qualifying on foreign education, you MUST submit proof of creditability of education as evaluated by a credentialing agency.

Transcripts must be uploaded with your application to verify education. All documentation must be in English or include an English translation.

Criminal Investigator Training Program: Criminal Investigators must complete and pass an initial course of basic training, specifically the Criminal Investigator Training Program (CITP) and the ATF Special Agent Basic Training (SABT) at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center in Glynco, Georgia.

Both basic and advanced training programs are designed to prepare law enforcement personnel with the skills, aptitudes, and competencies required to serve as a Criminal Investigator. More information on these programs can be found here. Firearms Requirement: You will be required to carry a firearm and maintain firearm proficiency.

This position requires that the incumbent meet initial and continuing qualifications in the use of firearms as outlined in the Gun Control Act of 1968, amended by the Lautenberg Amendment of 1996.

The Lautenberg Amendment makes it a felony for anyone convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence such as an assault or attempted assault on a family member, to ship, transport, possess, or receive firearms or ammunition.

Law Enforcement Availability Pay (LEAP): As a law enforcement officer you will be required to work on an unscheduled basis in excess of the 40-hour work week. These positions require substantial overtime to include holidays, weekends and nights.

You must be readily accessible to perform this unscheduled work.

To ensure your availability, you will receive extra compensation in the form of Law Enforcement Availability Pay, which is calculated at a flat rate of 25 percent of base salary. Bargaining Unit: This position is not covered under the bargaining unit.

Federal Law Enforcement Retirement Coverage 12(d): Criminal Investigators are covered under the provisions of both the Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) 6 (c) or the Federal Employees Retirement System and 5 U.S.C. § 8412(d).

Employees covered by either retirement system that reach age 50 or over with at least 20 years of service as a law enforcement officer are eligible for law enforcement retirement. In addition, employees covered by FERS (all new hires to the Federal government) are eligible for law enforcement retirement at any age with at least 25 years of service as a law enforcement officer.

Finally, employees who reach age 57 with at least 20 years of service as law enforcement officers are subject to mandatory retirement under both retirement systems.

If you are a preference eligible veteran, additional opportunities may be available to you; you may find additional information at the following website: *** Positions with known promotion potential do not guarantee promotion, nor is the promise of promotion implied.

"Federal Regulations state no ATF employee, his/her spouse, or his/her minor child shall have, directly or indirectly, any financial interest, including compensated employment, stock, or proprietary interest in the alcohol, tobacco, firearms or explosives industries.

You should be aware that you may be asked to relinquish any ownership of or interests in the alcohol, tobacco, firearms or explosives industries before a determination can be made whether access to ATF information, information technology systems, and/or facilities can be authorized."

How you will be evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above. This vacancy will utilize a multiple hurdle assessment process to determine the qualifications of applicants. Hurdle 1 - Minimum Qualifications Hurdle 2 - Special Agent Applicant Assessment (SAAA).

Hurdle 3 - Physical Task Test (PTT). Hurdle 4 - Structured Interview rated by a Subject Matter Expert (SME) panel for related position competencies against a pre-determined rating schedule.

The structured interview will determine the final rating of the applicant for possible referral to the hiring official for hiring consideration.You will be evaluated on the below competencies for the ATF Special Agent Applicant Assessment: Writing Reasoning Integrity Conscientiousness Dependability/Reliability Use of Force Judgment Cooperativeness You will receive an email invitation to complete the ATF Special Agent Applicant Assessment.

This invitation will come in two emails from ***. One email will be the link to the exam, and the second will be the password. Please be patient as this could take several weeks.

Veterans: Qualified veterans who meet the requirements for veterans' preference will be placed above non-veterans for selection consideration.

Documents you must provide

• It is your responsibility to carefully review the list of required documents below and submit the necessary documentation based on your eligibility.
• Resume Resume - All Applicants: You must submit a resume (a two page or less resume is required) containing the following pieces of information for each job entry listed in your employment history: Official position title, Employer name and contact information, Start and end dates (including month and year), A list of duties performed and accomplishments.
• Veterans' Preference documentation: If you are claiming veterans' preference you must submit: (1) a copy of your DD-214, "Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty," (Member 4 copy), showing the dates of active duty, type of discharge, and character of service, OR (2) a certification letter from the armed forces that certifies you are expected to be discharged or released from active duty service in the armed forces under honorable conditions no later than 120 days after the date the certification is submitted.
• This letter must contain (a) military service dates including the expected discharge or release date and (b) character of service.
• If you are claiming 10-point veterans' preference as a Disabled Veteran, Purple Heart Recipient, or Mother or Spouse of a Disabled or Deceased Veteran, in addition to the documents specified above, you must submit all additional proof required by the SF-15, and if applicable, a completed SF-15.
• College Transcripts - If you are using education to qualify for this position, or education is required, you must submit: An unofficial transcript containing a full listing of courses, credit earned, grade and grade-point-average, subject area, degree(s) earned, and dates of award.
• Note: If you are selected for this position, official transcripts will be required prior to your first day.

What to expect next

We will assess your experience and training based off your resume and/or education to determine those who meet the minimum qualification.

Those who are found to meet the minimum qualifications will move on to the below phases of the hiring process: Phase I (Assessment) Special Agent Applicant Assessment (SAAA) Special Agent Physical Task Test (PTT) Structured Interview Phase II (selection).

Must pass all assessment requirements to be considered for Phase II.

Selection Panel Tentative Job Offer Phase III (Onboarding).

Must pass all onboarding requirements before receiving final job offer.

Drug Test Medical Examination Polygraph Examination Background Investigation Phase IV (Enter on Duty) Receive Final Job Offer You will receive e-mail notifications as your application status is updated by DOJ. However, you can also see your application status any time by logging in to your USAJOBS account and looking on the "Applications" page.

Click the position title to expand the display for each application in the list. Additional selections may be made from this announcement.

Additional information

Your resume must support your responses to the online questionnaire and the qualification requirements.

Failure to do so may result in an ineligible rating.

See the Required Documents section for important notes about what must be included in your resume. Additional selections may be made from this announcement. Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

Candidates will not be hired based on their race, sex, color, religion, or national origin.

EEO Statement/Policy: The United States government does not discriminate in employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, pregnancy, national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, membership in an employee organization, retaliation, parental status, military service or other non-merit factor.

DOJ Reasonable Accommodation Policy: Federal agencies must provide reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities where appropriate. Applicants requiring reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process should contact the hiring agency directly. Determinations on requests for reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis.

The DOJ Reasonable Accommodation policy can be found here: *** Selective Service: If you were born male, on or after December 31, 1959, you must certify that you have registered with the Selective Service System or are exempt from having to do so under the Selective Service Law.

Additional information is found at: *** Fair Chance to Compete for Jobs: The Fair Chance Act prohibits Federal agencies from requesting an applicant's criminal history information before the agency makes a conditional offer of employment.

If you believe a DOJ employee or Federal contractor acting on its behalf has violated your rights under this Act, you may submit a written complaint within 30 days of the date of the alleged non-compliance directly to ***.

Note: In accordance with 5 U.S. Code § 9202(c) and 5 C.F.R § 920.201(b) certain positions are exempt from the provisions of the Fair Chance Act.