Grades 5, 7, and 9

For updates on ATF Special Agent recruitment efforts, please visit our website at www.atf.gov or contact the ATF Recruitment & Hiring Center at 202-648-9100.

POSITION INFORMATION

1. Position Title and Grade Levels: Criminal Investigator (Special Agent), GS-1811, grades 5, 7, and 9.
2. Major Duties:
3. - Investigates criminal violations of Federal laws within the enforcement jurisdiction of the U.S. Department of Justice.
4. - Conducts investigations of violations relating to explosives, firearms, arson, and alcohol and tobacco diversion.
5. - Gathers and analyzes evidence through investigative leads, seizures and arrests, execution of search warrants, and a variety of other means.
6. - Prepares concise criminal investigative case reports.
7. - Testifies for the government in court or before grand juries.
8. Work Schedule:
9. ATFs business hours are generally 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. Due to receipt of Law Enforcement Availability Pay (LEAP), special agents usually work an average of 2 additional hours per day. Depending upon the type of assignments, agents frequently work other than normal business hours and more than 2 additional LEAP hours per day. In short, a special agents work schedule and the number of hours worked per day or week will vary according to assignments.
10. Travel: travel may be considerable, depending upon assignments.

SALARY AND BENEFITS

1. Base Annual Salary Range For Year 2006
2. $31,075 (Grade 5) to $39,448 (Grade 9)
3. (Salary range excludes locality pay and the 25% Law Enforcement Availability Pay)
4. Base salary will depend upon grade qualifications. Application materials will be reviewed by the recruitment and hiring center to determine the grade for which an applicant may qualify. All applicants must meet basic qualifications at the grade 5 to be eligible to take the Treasury Enforcement Agent (TEA) examination (see the basic grade qualifications section of this vacancy).
5. Locality Pay: All ATF duty stations qualify for locality pay. Special agents receive an additional percentage of their base salary, depending upon their locations. The current range of locality pay is 12.52% to 28.68%.
6. Law Enforcement Availability Pay: Because of the type of work and additional work hours, generally all special agents receive the 25% Law Enforcement Availability Pay, which is added to locality pay.
7. Foreign Language Award Program: The Foreign Language Award Program authorizes cash awards for ATF employees who possess and make substantial use of one or more foreign language(s) in the performance of their official duties. The cash award is based upon proficiency and substantial usage.
8. Promotion Potential: The full performance level for this position is grade 13. Note: Promotions are based upon performance and must receive supervisory approval.
9. Benefits:
10. - Annual leave (vacation time) is earned at the rate of 13-26 days per year, with a maximum accumulation of 240 hours per year.
11. - Sick leave is earned at the rate of 13 days per year and may be accumulated without limit.
12. - 10 paid holidays.
13. - Low cost health insurance with the option to choose from a variety of plans.
14. - Low cost life insurance.
15. - Federal Employee Retirement System (FERS) benefits. Special agents may retire at 50 with 20 years of service. Age 57 is the mandatory retirement age, with 20 years of service.
16. - Tax-deferred Thrift Savings Plan (TSP).
17. - Health improvement (physical fitness) program.

BASIC REQUIREMENTS

1. Be a U.S. citizen
2. If male applicant born after December 31, 1959, be registered with the selective service system, or be exempt from having to do so under selective service law.
3. Be between the ages of 21 and 37, at the time of appointment, unless you have had previous service in a Federal civilian law enforcement position covered by special civil service retirement provisions, including early or mandatory retirement. Maximum age limitations may not be waived for any applicant, including those entitled to veterans preference.
4. Possess a current and valid automobile operators license.
5. Complete ATF special agent applicant questionnaire.
6. Take and pass the Treasury Enforcement Agent Examination.
7. Take and pass the ATF special agent applicant assessment test.
8. Appear for and successfully complete a field panel interview a writing sample will be required.
9. Take and pass a polygraph examination and successfully complete a background investigation for a top secret clearance.
10. Be in compliance with ATFs drug policy for special agent applicants.
11. Take and pass a medical examination by an authorized government physician and meet medical requirements. Applicants must be able to perform physically strenuous duties safely.
12. - At a minimum, ATF special agents must meet uncorrected distant vision of at least 20/100 in each eye, and corrected distant vision must test 20/20 in one eye and 20/30 in the other. Normal depth perception and peripheral vision are required as is the ability to distinguish shades of color by plate tests.
13. - Applicants that have undergone Automated Larnellar Keratoplasty (ALK); Laser in Situ Keratomileusis (LASIK); Photorefractive Keratecotomy (PRK); and Radial Keratotomy (RK) must provide proof that they have passed the specific protocol. The test must be administered by a board-certified opthalmologist who will document the results of the protocol test and that the test was performed no sooner than the prescribed time after the date of surgery. (3 months or one year, depending on the type of surgery).
14. - Hearing loss, as measured by an audiometer, must not exceed 30 decibels at 500, 1000, and 2000 HZ levels.
15. Weight must be in proportion to height.
16. Take and pass a drug test.

CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT

1. This position requires the incumbent to carry a firearm and ammunition. (Persons who have been convicted of felonies and certain misdemeanors, including a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence (Title 18, U.S.C. section 922 (g) (9)) are not eligible to possess a firearm or ammunition.)
2. Applicants will be required to sign a geographic mobility agreement acknowledging that if selected, they may be assigned to any office in the United States and will be subject to relocation at any time.
3. Payment of relocation expenses to the first appointment with ATF will not be authorized for applicants that are not now ATF employees.
4. Selected applicants shall be appointed in the excepted service and must satisfactorily complete a three year trial period which includes but is not limited to successful completion of the criminal investigator training program, special agent basic training and qualifying and maintaining firearms proficiency.

FOR GRADE 5

1. A bachelors degree from an accredited college or university

1. Three years of general experience, one of which was equivalent to at least the grade 4. General experience is defined as progressively responsible work in criminal investigative or law enforcement fields that requires knowledge and application of laws relating to criminal violations;

1. A combination of education and experience. Education is credited on the basis of 30 semester hours or 45 quarter hours of undergraduate work which is equivalent to 9 months of work experience.
2. Note: see non-qualifying general experience section.

FOR GRADE 9

1. Two full years of progressively higher level graduate education;

1. A masters degree or other graduate degree such as: an LL.B, J.D. etc.,

1. One full year of specialized experience. Experience must have been equivalent to at least the GS-7 level. The applicant must have specific knowledge, skills and abilities using criminal investigative techniques to successfully perform the duties of the position.

FOR GRADE 7

1. A bachelors degree with Superior Academic Achievement (SAA). Superior Academic Achievement is based on one of the following:
2. Class standing applicants must be in the upper third of the graduating class.
3. Grade point average applicants must have a minimum average of 2.95 out of a possible 4.0, based on 4 years of education or based on courses completed during the final 2 years of the curriculum.
4. Three point five (3.5) or higher out of a possible 4.0 based on the average of the required courses completed in the major field of study or the required courses in the major field completed during the final 2 years of the curriculum.
5. Membership in a national honor society as listed in the Association of College Honor Societies: Booklet of Information (1992-95) and/or Bairds Manual of American College Fraternities (1991).

Applicants are required to provide proof of SAA; or

1. GS-7 requirements may also be met by completion of 1 year of full-time graduate education or
2. One full year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-5 grade level. Specialized experience is experience in or related to investigations of criminal violations that provided the specific knowledge, skills, and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position. Examples of qualifying specialized experience include:
   1. - Leadership or membership on a military intelligence or criminal investigative team or component in which the principal duties consisted of security investigations, intelligence gathering or criminal prosecution.
   2. - Analyzing raw investigative data and preparing comprehensive written investigative reports.
   3. - Investigating complex claims involving suspected crimes or alleged fraud.
   4. - Investigating criminal cases requiring the use of recognized investigative methods that may have included presenting evidence in court.
   5. - Supervising or conducting interrogations that involved eliciting evidence, data or surveillance information.
   6. - Law enforcement work in which 50 percent or more of the time involved criminal investigations requiring the use of surveillance, undercover or other criminal detection methods.
   7. - Investigating computerized businesses and/or accounting systems and forming sound conclusions as to related criminal business practices and compliance with federal laws and regulations.
   8. - Investigative work that required rapid, accurate judgments and sound decision-making in applying regulations, instructions and procedures.
   9. Successful completion of formalized programs of in-service training for any of the above.