Criminal Investigator (Program Manager) Job in Huntsville, AL

Vacancy No. 25-FO-IMP-12752420-ADB Department Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives
Salary $129,690.00 to $168,597.00 Grade 14 to 14
Perm/Temp Permanent FT/PT Full-time
Open Date 8/11/2025 Close Date 8/28/2025
Job Link Apply Online Who may apply Status Candidates
Locations:
Huntsville, AL


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

This job is open to

Clarification from the agency

Applications will be accepted from internal employees only of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives serving under a career or career conditional appointment in the competitive service Applications will also be accepted from CTAP eligibles. Travel and relocation expenses are authorized and will be paid.

Duties

This position is located under the Office of Field Operations, Region 2 NCETR Explosives Enforcement Branch, located in Huntsville, Alabama.

  • Serves as an advisor to top level Bureau management such as the Assistant Director (Field Operations), Division Chiefs, field Special Agents in Charge (SAC's), on all policy issues and technical matters within his/her area of responsibility.
  • Performs complex, in-depth studies and/or directs and coordinates task forces or working groups on significant law enforcement issues which impact on functions and programs of national significance.
  • Provides technical assistance to Bureau managers and supervisors on major national investigations involving violations of Federal laws under ATF jurisdiction.
  • Provides leadership and guidance to Headquarters and field managers on the impact and implementation of new developments, trends, technology, and other matters affecting the assigned functional area, project, or program.
  • Prepares and presents briefings and papers to members of Congress and their staffs; Department and Bureau management officials; law enforcement representatives of various federal, state, and local agencies; other law enforcement-related organizations; and the public.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

The time-in-grade requirement must be met by the closing date of this announcement. The qualification requirements listed below must be met by the closing date of the announcement.

MOBILITY PLAN: New employees hired pursuant to this vacancy announcement must sign a mobility agreement. The purpose of ATF's mobility policy is to enhance career development and progression, and achieve mission and business effectiveness. To accomplish these objectives, the mobility plan will facilitate the movement of employees through special short-term assignments or permanent reassignments throughout the Bureau. Applicants who decline to sign a mobility agreement, as required, will be removed from the hiring process.

Key Requirements:
  1. Pass drug screening and subject to random drug test.
  2. Requires proficiency with a firearm per ATF's Standard.
  3. May be required to serve a 1-year probationary period.
  4. This is a non-bargaining unit position.

Qualifications

To qualify for GS-14, candidates must also have at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower grade level GS-13.

Specialized experience is demonstrated experience, which has equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities to perform successfully the duties of this position. 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. Specialized experience includes:

  • Familiar with Federal laws, pending legislation, and precedent court decision, as well as corresponding state and local laws in order to formulate concepts, design projects, and implement procedures and initiatives; AND
  • Communicating orally and in writing (i.e. reports and briefings); AND
  • Negotiating and collaborating with others (i.e. interacting with other law enforcement agency (state, local or federal).
*CES experience is preferred but not required.

Please do not cut and paste the position description, specialized experience, or occupational assessment questionnaire from this announcement into your resume, as this will not be considered a demonstration of your qualifications for this position.

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 (for scored examining) 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/

Additional information

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 www.sss.gov.

EEO Statement: The United States Government does not discriminate in employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status, status as a parent, genetic information, disability, age, membership or non-membership in an employee organization, or on the basis of personal favoritism. If you believe you have been subjected to discrimination, you must contact the ATF EEO office within 45 calendar days of when the alleged harm occurred at 202-648-8760 or eeointakemailbox@atf.gov. Please see DOJ Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Policy.

Reasonable Accommodation Statement: ATF provides reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the job application and hiring process, and you meet the eligibility requirements listed above, please notify the human resources specialist listed on the vacancy announcement, or contact the ATF's Office of Equal Employment Opportunity at (202) 648-8760 or send an email to reasonableaccommodations@atf.gov. The decision on granting a reasonable accommodation is handled on a case-by-case basis.

"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."

Additional vacancies may be filled from this vacancy announcement.

A one year probationary period is required for new supervisors and managers.

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.

Benefits

A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.

Review our benefits

Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.

How You Will Be Evaluated

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

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

Your resume and supporting documentation will be used to determine whether you meet the job qualifications listed on this announcement.

This position falls under the Merit Promotion Board (MPB) which may include an interview of the competitive candidates by the Board.

This position is designed to measure your ability in the following competencies:

  • Compliance
  • Oral Communication
  • Organizational Awareness
  • Technical Knowledge

Required Documents

  • ALL APPLICANTS: You must submit a detailed resume containing the following pieces of information for each job entry listed in your employment history:
  1. Official position title;
  2. Employer name and contact information;
  3. Start and end dates (including month and year);
  4. Your Pay Plan/series/grade and step and a detailed list of duties & accomplishments
Showing relative permanent and volunteer work experience, education, and training. Your resume serves as the basis for qualification determinations and must support your answers to the completed online assessment questions.
  • SF-50, Notification of Personnel Action (if applicable for Time in Grade and/or Eligibility):
    • Most recent SF-50 if you are a current or former Federal employee
    • An SF-50 showing your time-in-grade eligibility must be submitted with your application materials. If the most recent SF-50 has an effective date within the past year, it may not clearly demonstrate you possess one-year time-in-grade, as required by the announcement. In this instance, you must provide an additional SF-50 that clearly demonstrates one-year time-in-grade
    • Award 50's do not provide sufficient information and will not be accepted for the purpose of verifying time-in-grade.
    • Examples of appropriate SF-50's include:
      • Within grade increases at the highest grade held; or
      • Promotions with an effective date more than one year old; or
      • SF-50's at the highest grade held with an effective date more than one year old.
  • Veterans' preference documentation (Member Copy 4 of DD-214, Revised October 2013 SF-15 https://www.opm.gov/forms/pdf_fill/sf15.pdf and VA letter, if applicable. NOTE: The revised October 2013 SF-15 is the latest copy and all others are not usable.
  • CTAP/ICTAP documentation, if applicable.

All required materials must be uploaded using the supporting documentation instructions described in the announcement. Prior to selection, the candidate may be required to provide an original copy of any supporting/validating documentation as well as other documentation to verify eligibility.

If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:

Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.

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 08/28/2025 to be considered. The application process is as follows:

  1. To begin the application process, click the Apply Online button.
  2. Answer the questions presented in the application and attach all necessary supporting documentation.
  3. 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.

To verify the status of your application both during and after the announcement open period, log into your USAJOBS account. Your applications will appear on the Welcome page. Navigate to the job application and click Track this application to view your application status. The link will take you to the hiring agency application system, which has the most up-to-date status of your application. There you can review any notifications sent to you related to this application, including the invitation to take the USA Hire assessment. The Application Status will appear along with the date your application was last updated. For information on what each Application Status means click here.

Agency contact information

Ann Blagmon
Address
Office of Field Operation
99 New York, NE
Washington, DC 20226
US

Next steps

After the vacancy closes, the Human Resources Office will use the application package to automatically rate, rank and certify candidates. You can check the status of your application anytime by accessing the USAJOBS online application system at http://www.usajobs.gov. You will need to provide your USAJOBS User ID and Password to access the Track your Online Job Application feature. You may also click on the link provided to access additional information on USAJobs.

All applicants will be notified at four (4) stages in the hiring process.

  • Upon receipt of your application
  • After your qualifications have been assessed
  • Whether or not you've been referred to the Selecting official
  • Whether or not you've been selected for the position.
This position will require an interview before the Merit Promotion Board (MPB), the MPB will consider each BQL candidate and make a selection based upon the following:

1) Resumes.
2) Structured interviews.

If you are contacted for an interview you will be provided specific instructions on that process.


Note: We cannot accept applications on behalf of Federal Agencies. Application instructions are listed within the Job Description.


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