Clarification from the agency

This is a Merit Promotion announcement for Department of the Interior (DOI) employees who are eligible under the hiring paths listed. For further clarification please click here: https://www.bsee.gov/what-we-do/administrative-services/human-resources/eligibility

This position is located within the Department of the Interior (DOI), Office of the Secretary (OS), Office of the Assistant Secretary - Policy, Management, and Budget (AS-PMB), Office of Law Enforcement and Security (OLES), Law Enforcement Division in WASHINGTON, DC.

This is Federal Law Enforcement position covered by the special retirement provisions for Federal Law Enforcement Officer (FLEO). Candidates without previous FLEO service must be under age 37. Employees subject to special retirement coverage for law enforcement officers must retire at 57 upon completing 20 years of law enforcement service under the special retirement provisions for law enforcement officers. If these 20 years of service are not attained at age 57, mandatory retirement is required upon completion of 20 years of covered service.

Secondary Law Enforcement Coverage: This position is approved for Secondary Law Enforcement coverage under 5 U.S.C. 8331(20) and 5 U.S.C. 8401(17). Previous experience in a primary (rigorous) law enforcement position, or equivalent outside the Federal Government is a prerequisite. Special retirement coverage is extended only if this position immediately follows service in a law enforcement position. The conditions for coverage of a secondary position in the CSRS are contained in 5 C.F.R. 831.904. FERS applicants must have completed three (3) years of service in a primary (rigorous) law enforcement position in order to continue coverage upon selection (5 C.F.R. 842.803).

At the full performance level (GS-14) the major duties of this position include, but are not limited to the following:
1. Leads and coordinates Department-wide law enforcement, security, and drug enforcement operations, including emergency response and critical incident management. Provides oversight of internal affairs programs and deadly force reviews, ensures operational readiness, and may serve in enterprise roles such as Southwest Border Coordinator, Emergency Management Coordinator, or other operational leadership assignments.
2. Develops and implements Department-level law enforcement, security, intelligence, and training policies to ensure compliance with statutory, regulatory, and executive requirements. Conducts program reviews, audits, and compliance assessments to evaluate effectiveness, reduce enterprise risk, and strengthen governance across bureaus.
3. Maintains senior-level relationships with bureau leadership, the Office of the Solicitor, Office of Inspector General, FEMA, DOJ, DHS, Tribal governments, and other federal, state, and local partners. Represents the Department on interagency committees and task forces and serves as a principal planner for Emergency Support Function #13 under the National Response Framework.
4. Serves as a recognized technical authority on Department-wide law enforcement and security matters. May perform in enterprise functional roles including Southwest Border Coordinator, National Training Coordinator (FLETC/FLETA liaison), Internal Affairs Coordinator, Emergency Management Coordinator, or Policy Compliance Lead. Exercises independent judgment in complex, high-visibility, and sensitive matters affecting Department-wide operations.

Incumbent is a commissioned law enforcement officer and will be required to carry and use firearms in the performance of their law enforcement duties. Incumbent will be required to participate in firearms training and qualifications, as well as physical standards and training consistent with Departmental law enforcement requirements.

This position is Special-Sensitive. The incumbent must be eligible for a Top-Secret security clearance and approval for access to Sensitive Compartmented Information (SCI). This position is a drug testing designated position and requires a pre-employment drug test and is subject to random drug testing.

The incumbent is designated as an Emergency Employee and is subject to recall around the clock for emergency management operations or may be required to remain at work during dismissal or closure situations. Emergency employees are expected to remain in contact with their agencies at all times during emergency situations.

A valid driver's license is required.

OS has determined that the duties of this position are suitable for situational/ad-hoc telework only.

Salary Range Information (Per Annum): This position is covered under the GS Special Rate. First time hires to the federal government typically start at the beginning salary in the range for their respective grade level.

GS13: $125,158 to $162,708*
GS14: $147,899 to $192,275*
*Salary is subject to an additional 25% LEAP and subject to statutory limitation (maximum GS pay limitation rate of the Level IV rate of the Executive Schedule or $197,200 in 2026).

This vacancy may be used to fill additional positions as vacancies become available.

Conditions of employment

1. You must be a U.S. Citizen.
2. You will be subject to a background/suitability investigation/determination.
3. You will be required to have federal payments made by Direct Deposit.
4. You must submit ALL required documents and a completed questionnaire.
5. Selective Service: If you are a male applicant born 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. See http://www.sss.gov/.

Qualifications

Selective Placement Factor: A Law Enforcement Commission is required, and the incumbent must meet physical standards to maintain commission. Prior law enforcement experience, as gained by substantial service in a primary law enforcement officer or equivalent experience outside the Federal government is a MANDATORY PREREQUISITE for the incumbent of this position.

Minimum Qualification Requirements: To qualify for this position, you must meet the (1) Medical Requirements AND (2) Specialized Experience for the series/grade to which you are applying.

(1) Medical Requirements: The duties of positions in this series require moderate to arduous physical exertion involving walking and standing, use of firearms, and exposure to inclement weather. Manual dexterity with comparatively free motion of finger, wrist, elbow, shoulder, hip, and knee joints is required. Arms, hands, legs, and feet must be sufficiently intact and functioning in order that applicants may perform the duties satisfactorily. Sufficiently good vision in each eye, with or without correction, is required to perform the duties satisfactorily. Near vision, corrective lenses permitted, must be sufficient to read printed material the size of typewritten characters. Hearing loss, as measured by an audiometer, must not exceed 35 decibels at 1000, 2000, and 3000 Hz levels. Since the duties of these positions are exacting and responsible, and involve activities under trying conditions, applicants must possess emotional and mental stability. Any physical condition that would cause the applicant to be a hazard to himself/herself, or others is disqualifying.

-AND-

(2) Specialized ExperienceGS-14: To qualify for the GS-14, you must possess at least one full year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-13 level in the Federal service, or comparable experience not gained through Federal service. Specialized experience is experience that equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position, and that is in or related to the work of the position to be filled. Specialized experience is defined as demonstrated experience:
1. Applying the Incident Command System (ICS) and the National Response Framework to coordinate Federal responses to security incidents, natural disasters, or national emergencies, including managing internal and external response initiatives on behalf of an agency or organization;
2. Managing, coordinating, auditing, overseeing, or conducting internal affairs investigations, administrative personnel proceedings, and/or criminal investigations involving sensitive, multijurisdictional, or high-visibility matters; AND
3. Developing, revising, or implementing national-level policies, standards, guidelines, or procedures pertaining to law enforcement and security programs to ensure compliance with statutory, regulatory, or executive requirements.
-Must Meet All-

-OR-

GS-13: To qualify for the GS-13, you must possess at least one full year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-12 level in the Federal service, or comparable experience not gained through Federal service. Specialized experience is experience that equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position, and that is in or related to the work of the position to be filled. Specialized experience is defined as demonstrated experience:
1. Applying the Incident Command System (ICS) and the National Response Framework to coordinate Federal responses to security incidents, natural disasters, or national emergencies, including managing internal and external response initiatives on behalf of an agency or organization;
2. Coordinating, auditing, or conducting internal affairs investigations, administrative personnel proceedings, and/or criminal investigations involving sensitive, multijurisdictional, or high-visibility matters; AND
3. Implementing national-level policies, standards, guidelines, or procedures pertaining to law enforcement and security programs to ensure compliance with statutory, regulatory, or executive requirements.
-Must Meet All-

Quality Ranking Factor: Management has requested a quality ranking factor to help determine which of the basically qualified applicants are likely to be better qualified for a position. Quality ranking factors are knowledge, skills, abilities, and/or competencies that could be expected to significantly enhance performance in a position, but, unlike selective factors, are not essential for satisfactory performance. Therefore, applicants who possess the quality ranking factor can be ranked above those who do not, but no candidate can be rated ineligible solely for failure to possess a quality ranking factor. Certificate of completion or other proof of course completion MUST be submitted with your application.

The Quality Ranking Factor is: Possession of FLETC's CITP (Criminal Investigator Training Program) and/or DOI_ITP (Department of the Interior Investigator Training Program) certification.

Condition of Employment: CITP and DOI_ITP equip law enforcement practitioners with basic criminal investigative training. Incumbents who have not completed either training program will be required to complete either training program within the first 12 months in the position. The Director, Office of Law Enforcement and Security (DOI-OS-OLES), may grant training waivers on a case-by-case basis when appropriate and consistent with program integrity and Department standards. Failure to complete either CITP or DOI_ITP training program or obtain a training waiver within the first 12 months of employment may subject the incumbents to adverse action up to and including removal.

Additional information on the qualification requirements is outlined in the OPM Qualification Standards Handbook of General Schedule Positions and is available at OPM's website: https://www.opm.gov/qualifications/standards/indexes/num-ndx.asp

All qualification requirements must be met by the closing date of this announcement.

Merit Promotion candidates must also meet time-in-grade requirements by the closing date of the vacancy announcement.

Identification of promotion potential in this announcement does not constitute a commitment or an obligation on the part of management to promote the employee selected at some future date. Promotion will depend upon administrative approval and the continuing need for and performance of higher-level duties.

How you will be evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

Please limit your resume to no more than 2 pages. If more than 2 pages are submitted, only the first 2 pages will be reviewed to determine your eligibility/qualifications.

Once the application process is complete, we will review your application to ensure you meet the job requirements. To determine if you are qualified for this job, a review of your resume, supporting documentation and responses to the online questionnaire will be made. Your responses to the online assessment will be used to measure the degree to which your background matches the requirements for this position. However, your resume must support your responses to the scored occupational questionnaire, or your score may be lowered. The best qualified candidates will be identified for referral to the hiring manager and may be invited for an interview.

A Structured Resume Review will be used to evaluate your competencies in the following areas:
Criminal Investigation, Decision Making, and Technical Competence

DUE WEIGHT
Due Weight Consideration is a review process used to provide consideration to performance appraisals and awards submitted with each application on a used merit promotion certificate and factoring the results into the merit promotion selection process.

Please submit 1) a copy of your most recent performance appraisal/evaluation and 2) a list of any awards (e.g. superior performance awards, special act or achievement awards, quality step increase, etc.) you received in the last 5 years. Any performance appraisal/evaluation and award documentation you provide will be forwarded to the selecting official. The selecting official will review this documentation and give it due weight consideration during the overall selection process.

If you do not have your most recent performance appraisal/evaluation, please submit a statement as to why it is not available. Please indicate if any prior performance appraisals/evaluations were at an acceptable level.

It is your responsibility to obtain and upload your performance appraisal/evaluation and/or list of awards prior to the closing of the vacancy announcement.

To preview the assessment questionnaire click: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12923511

Do not upload Adobe portfolio documents. Adobe portfolio documents are not viewable by our agency's staffing offices.

Your resume must contain information sufficient to make a valid determination that you fully meet the specialized experience requirements as stated in this vacancy announcement and OPM qualification standards for each grade level(s) for which you are applying. It is strongly recommended that you use the USAJobs Resume Builder as it was designed to ensure that your resume includes the standard information needed. The Resume Builder is available at
https://help.usajobs.gov/index.php/How_to_create_your_resume

Your application package must include: (1) Resume showing relevant experience as written in your own words; (2) Completed online Assessment Questionnaire; (3) SF-50's showing (1) your highest FPL, and (2) most current SF-50 noting position, grade level, tenure, and duty station. Please note that all SF-50's submitted must show that you are a status candidate or eligible under this announcement. Please refer to the eligibility in the online questionnaire for more information; (4) Form BIA-4432, Verification of Indian Preference for Employment, if claiming Indian preference for an Indian Preference position. No other form will be accepted; (5) Certificates, license, etc. (if applicable); (6) Form DD-214 OR VA letter and Standard Form 15, if eligible under VEOA or VRA; (7) Proof of eligibility if applying under a special appointing authority; (8) College transcript (if applicable) for verification of qualifying education. Unofficial transcripts are acceptable; (9) Current or former Government employees are strongly encouraged to submit a recent performance appraisal; (10) If completed, FLETC's CITP (Criminal Investigator Training Program) and/or DOI_ITP (Department of the Interior Investigator Training Program) certification or proof of course completion.

NOTE: Applicants eligible under PL-114-47, Land Management Workforce Flexibility Act (LMWFA) must submit documentation verifying (a) initial selection under competitive examining procedures to a land management agency under a time-limited appointment in the competitive service , (b) service under this initial appointment, or in conjunction with subsequent competitive service time-limited appointments, to a land management agency was for a period of 24 months without a break in service of two or more years, and (c) performance was evaluated as being at an acceptable level for the entire applicable period(s). "Required documentation" includes first and last SF-50 (Notification of Personnel Action) for each appointment verifying the Position Occupied code (Block 34) is 1-Competitive Service, AND documentation of successful performance for each appointment. Applicants are encouraged to combine all required documents into one or more files and scan for uploading into the application. Each file must not exceed 3MB. Grouping documents into files will simplify the application process. Failure to submit required documentation will result in loss of consideration.

You will find additional information on the following topics: (1) e-Verify; (2) Selective Service; (3) CTAP/ICTAP; (4) Education - accreditation; (5) Foreign education; (6) Veterans preference; (7) Special appointing authority documentation; and more can be found on our web site: https://www.bsee.gov/careers/usajobs-assistance OR http://www.boem.gov/USAJobs-Assistance/.

If you are claiming CTAP/ICTAP eligibility, you must submit proof by the closing date of the announcement that you meet the requirements of 5 CFR 330.605(a) for CTAP and 5 CFR 330.704 for ICTAP or you will not receive priority consideration. The proof includes a copy of the agency notice, your most recent Performance Rating, and your most recent SF-50 noting current position, grade level, and duty station. To be considered well-qualified and exercise selection priority for this vacancy, you must earn a minimum score of 85 or above (prior to the assignment of veteran's preference) on the rating criteria for this position.

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