Supervisory Intelligence Research Specialist (FIM)

About the role

This position is located in the DEA, North and Central America Division, Mexico City Country Office in Mexico City, Mexico.

What you will do

• Provides program direction for formulating and implementing a worldwide program, both domestic and international, for the collection, analysis, production, and dissemination of both operational and strategic intelligence.
• Formulates the objectives of a major segment of the intelligence program.
• Provides direction, advice and coordination relative to critical intelligence projects.
• Develops productive working relationships and promotes coordination with high-level representatives of U.S. intelligence and law enforcement agencies.
• Plans and oversees the operations of an intelligence program.
• Develops plans for the collection, evaluation, processing, and dissemination of operational, tactical, and strategic drug intelligence.
• Responsible for the dissemination of strategic and operational intelligence to other DEA entities.
• Performs supervisory functions over staff, establishing guidelines and expectations for performance, and ensures performance improvement.
• May be required to testify during career as an Intelligence Research Specialist.
• ASSIGNMENT INFORMATION: Mexico City, Mexico: Length of Tour (Years): 3 years initial Open Until Filled: No Language Requirement: Spanish 600 Hours (20 Weeks); Must achieve a limited working proficiency (Reading 2 / Speaking 2) Post (Hardship) Differential: 15% Danger Pay Allowance: 20% Post (COLA): 35% Rest & Recuperation: 2 Housing Allowances: Government Leased Quarters (GLQ) Consumable Post: No Furnished Post: Yes Education Allowance: Yes Special Allowance: No Relocation Incentive: 20% one-time payment; minimum of 3yr service agreement Hard to Fill: Yes, Tier 3 Foreign HTF Education Availability: K-12 Tour Limit (years): 5 yrs.
• (Extension beyond 5 years must be approved by Executive Office) Special Note: Education of dependents through high school provided by U.S. Government in accordance with appropriate regulations.
• The DOS Regional Education Officer from the Office of Overseas Schools determines a school's adequacy level based upon numerous factors.
• All questions and concerns regarding adequacy clarification should be directed to the Office of Overseas Schools at ***.Website: State.Gov - Search: Office of Allowances for DSSR 270 Education Allowance Policy Post Differential, COLA and Danger Pay rates are subject to change.
• Relocation Incentive: This position is eligible for a relocation incentive.
• To qualify for a relocation incentive for foreign HTF offices, an employee must sign a service agreement committing to a specified period of employment at the new duty station, measured in years, not to exceed four years.
• The incentive consists of annual payments of a specified percentage of the employee's rate of basic pay (as defined by 5 CFR § 575.202).
• The specified percentage and the number of annual payments are determined on an office-by-office basis at the time the foreign office is designated as a HTF office.
• DEA pays the relocation incentive in an annual lump sum payment to the designated employee at the commencement of the "approved" DEA-174 period and once the employee has established a residence in the geographic region of the HTF office.
• Refer to DEA's Hard-to-Fill Office Policy July 1, 2026, Payment of Relocation Incentive (2.c).
• Employees should contact the Foreign Administrative Support Section prior to completing the Relocation Incentive Service Agreement as additional instructions may apply for service beyond the initial three-year tour.

Education

Education requirements do not apply to this vacancy announcement.

How you will be evaluated

You will be evaluated based on how well you meet the qualifications listed in this vacancy announcement. Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g., resume, supporting documents) and assessment questionnaire.

Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or application questionnaire may result in your removal from consideration.

The assessment questionnaire includes four short, free-response essay questions which provides an opportunity for you to highlight your dedication to public service for the hiring manager and agency leadership (or designee(s)). While your responses are not required and will not be scored, we encourage you to thoughtfully address each question in 200-words or less.?

You will be asked to certify that you are using your own words and have not used a consultant or artificial intelligence (AI) such as a large language model (LLM) like ChatGPT or Copilot. Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP) candidates must be well qualified for the position to receive consideration for selection priority.

Candidates are considered well qualified if their knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) exceed the minimum qualifications described in the announcement. ASSESSMENT QUESTIONNAIRE: You may preview the ***

Documents you must provide

• All required documents listed below, that are applicable to you, must be submitted to our automated system by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) on the closing date of this announcement.
• Resume - must be no more than two pages in length; resumes exceeding two pages will be removed from consideration.
• Resume should include applicants' name, email address, phone number, relevant work/volunteer experience, education and training.
• Include the start and end dates (from month/year to month/year), work schedule (e.g. part or full-time), the number of hours per week worked/volunteered, job title and description of duties performed.
• Education/Certification/Licensure when relevant or required for position.
• See Guidance for Applicants on 2-Page Resume and visit the USAJOBS Help Center for more information.
• Transcripts, if applicable and you are qualifying based on education.
• See the Qualification and Education sections of this announcement for more information.
• If selected, an official/sealed college transcript(s) will be required to verify education prior to employment.
• SF-50 (Notification of Personnel Action): SF-50(s) must show the effective date, position title, series, grade, salary, tenure, competitive status, position occupied, full promotion potential, and name of agency.
• Multiple SF-50s may be needed to show all required information.
• Award SF-50s often do not show the required information.
• To verify the time in grade requirement, applicants must submit a SF-50 verifying the highest grade held for at least 52 weeks.
• Examples include, promotions with an effective date greater than one year, within grade increases demonstrating the highest grade held for at least 52 weeks or appointments/conversion of appointments with an effective date greater than one year.
• Career Transition Assistance Program documentation, if applicable.
• (e.g., reduction-in-force (RIF) separation notice, RIF separation SF-50 personnel action, certification of expected separation, etc.), most recent Performance Rating and more recent Notification of Personnel Action (SF-50) noting current position, grade level, and duty location.
• Other Qualification documents (e.g. certificates, certifications, etc.), if applicable.
• See the Qualification section of this announcement for more information.

What to expect next

Once the online application package is received, you will be notified through USAJOBS of your qualification status and referral or non-referral to the hiring official for further consideration. If further evaluation or interviews are required, you will be contacted. We will notify you by email the outcome after each of these steps has been completed.

Your application status will be updated up to four times during the following hiring phases: After applications are received. After applications are assessed to determine qualifications. After candidates are referred to the hiring manager.

If selected, candidates may receive additional notifications regarding the next steps in the hiring process. Your status will also be updated on your USAJOBS account throughout the process.

Additional information

For reasonable accommodation at the Drug Enforcement Administration, please contact the Human Resources office listed in this announcement. Current or Former Political Appointees: The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) must authorize employment offers made to current or former political appointees.

If an applicant is currently, or has been within the last 5 years, a political Schedule A, Schedule C, Non-career SES or Presidential Appointee employee in the Executive Branch, applicants must disclose this information to the Human Resources Office listed in this announcement. Multiple positions may be filled from this announcement.

If eligible, applicants to this announcement may be referred to similar positions in any Division/Office listed in this announcement. Telework eligibility and security clearance requirements may vary for such similar positions.

Relocation Incentives may be considered and approved if the DEA has determined that the position is likely to be difficult to fill in the absence of an incentive and funding for such an incentive is available. If eligible, telework agreements may be permitted with supervisory approval.