Department: Department of Justice
Location(s): Washington, District of Columbia
Salary Range: $84601 - $156755 Per Year
Job Summary: ATF is a law enforcement agency in the U.S. Department of Justice that protects our communities from violent criminals/criminal organizations, illegal use/trafficking of firearms, illegal use/storage of explosives, acts of arson/bombings, acts of terrorism, and illegal diversion of alcohol/tobacco products. We partner with communities, industries, law enforcement, and public safety agencies to safeguard the public through information sharing, training, research, & technology. Visit www.atf.gov.
Major Duties:
Qualifications: GS-11 - You qualify if you possess one year of specialized experience, equivalent to the GL-9 grade level in the Federal, State, or Local government or equivalent public or private sector experience, performing all of the following duties: Conducting the full range of criminal investigations using accepted methodology and problem solving techniques; AND Obtaining investigative leads and factual data; participating in operational planning, searches, seizures, and arrests; reviewing evidence; and preparing case reports at the conclusion of a criminal investigation. OR You have one of the following: A Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral 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; or 3 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree; or LL.M., if related. OR You have the specialized experience as described above but less than one year; and have some graduate education as described above, but less than the required one-year. The percentage of the requirements MUST total least 100%. GS-12 - You qualify if you possess one year of specialized experience, equivalent to the GS-11 grade level in the Federal, State, or Local government or equivalent public or private sector experience, performing all of the following duties: Conducting the full range of criminal investigations of greater than average complexity and importance using accepted methodology and problem-solving techniques; AND Serving as a lead agent in planning and conducting investigations, operations, searches, seizures, or arrests; AND Reviewing evidence; and preparing case reports at the conclusion of a criminal investigation. GS-13 - You qualify if you possess one year of specialized experience, equivalent to the GS-12 grade level in the Federal, State, or Local government or equivalent public or private sector experience, performing all of the following duties: Applying a wide range of criminal investigative, enforcement, laws, regulations, guidelines, and precedent decisions; AND Identifying significant sources of information to detect illegal activity and document issues or probable cause and conduct investigations to determine if violations have occurred; AND Communicating orally and in writing to prepare and present reports, briefings, and/or exchange information. Substitution of education in lieu of specialized experience may not be used for this grade level. The Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provides eligible surplus and displaced competitive service employees in the Department of Justice with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. If your Department of Justice component has notified you in writing that you are a surplus or displaced employee eligible for CTAP consideration, you may receive selection priority if: 1) this vacancy is within your CTAP eligibility, 2) you apply under the instructions in this announcement, and 3) you are found well-qualified for this vacancy. To be well qualified, you must satisfy all qualification requirements for the vacant position and score 85 or better on established ranking criteria. You must provide a copy of your written notification of CTAP eligibility with your application. Additional information about CTAP eligibility is at: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/working-in-government/unique-hiring-paths/federal-employees/career-transition/. Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) provides eligible displaced Federal competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. If your agency has notified you in writing that you are a displaced employee eligible for ICTAP consideration, you may receive selection priority if: 1) this vacancy is within your ICTAP eligibility; 2) you apply under the instructions in this announcement; and 3) you are found well-qualified for this vacancy. To be well qualified, you must satisfy all qualification requirements for the vacant position and score 85 or better on established ranking criteria. You must provide proof of eligibility with your application to receive selection priority. Such proof may include a copy of your written notification of ICTAP eligibility or a copy of your separation personnel action form. Additional information about ICTAP eligibility is at: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/working-in-government/unique-hiring-paths/federal-employees/career-transition/ Veterans Employment Opportunity Act (VEOA) allows eligible veterans to apply and compete for positions announced under merit promotion procedures when the hiring agency is recruiting from outside its own workforce. To be eligible for a Veteran Employment Opportunities Act (VEOA) appointment, a veteran must be honorably separated and either a preference eligible or have substantially completed three (3) or more years of continuous active military service. If you are applying for a Merit Promotion announcement and wish to be considered under the VEOA, you must submit a copy of the Member Copy 4 of your DD-214, in addition to any other required documents listed on this announcement. Experience must be in the normal line of progression or must be related to the work of the position advertised and must be reflected in resume.
How to Apply: Please read the entire announcement and all instructions before you begin an application. To apply for this position, you must complete the initial online application, to include the initial online assessment and submission of the required documentation specified in the Required Documents section. You must submit a complete application package by 11:59 PM (ET) on 10/31/2026 to be considered. The application process is as follows: To begin the application process, click the Apply Online button. Answer the questions presented in the application and attach all necessary supporting documentation. Click the Submit Application button prior to 11:59 PM (ET) on the announcement closing date. To update your application, including supporting documentation, at any time during the announcement open period return to your USAJOBS account. There you will find a record of your application, the application status, and an option to Edit My Application. This option will no longer be available once the announcement is closed. Please note: The eligibility section of the application process is designed to allow you to choose how you wish to be considered for this vacancy announcement. You will ONLY be considered for the appointment eligibilities that you select. You must provide the supporting documentation to support your claim. Please review the list of documentation provided in the eligibilities language to ensure you provide the appropriate information. You may choose more than one eligibility. Need Help? If you need help with USAJOBS or the application process, please see the USAJOBS Help or Application Manager Online Help websites which includes information on managing your account, creating an application, uploading documents, etc. Reasonable Accommodation: To request reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process, please contact ATF Reasonable Accomodations at ReasonableAccommodationSAIOI@atf.gov for assistance.
Application Deadline: 2026-10-31