Entry Level Technical Operations Officer - TSOFO Job

Vacancy No. 2025-16-12614491-DR Department Office of the Inspector General, USPS
Salary $41,966.00 to $66,731.00 Grade 7 to 7
Perm/Temp Permanent FT/PT Full-time
Open Date 11/20/2024 Close Date 12/4/2024
Job Link Apply Online Who may apply Public
Locations:
Chicago, ILSaint Louis, MO


Summary

The USPS OIG is seeking highly qualified applicants to fill our Entry Level Technical Operations Officer position in the Office of Investigations, Technical and Sensitive Operations Field Office/Technical Operations West, one in Chicago (Aurora), IL and St. Louis, MO. The successful candidate will demonstrate knowledge of the theories, principles, practices, and techniques required to install and operate various types of electronic surveillance equipment. Bring your skills and voice to our team!

This job is open to

Clarification from the agency

Status Candidates (Merit Promotion), Excepted Service and Public. Current career United States Postal Service Office of Inspector General, United States Postal Service, United States Postal Inspection Service and Postal Regulatory Commission Employees will not be considered or selected from this vacancy announcement.

Duties

In-Office Requirement:
The U.S. Postal Service, Office of Inspector General values collaboration, teamwork, and effective communication to foster our dynamic working and learning environment. The position adheres to our agency's telework policy to facilitate this and requires an in-office presence of at least two days per pay period. Remote work is not available for this role.

Candidates will be evaluated on the skills that they possess that are directly related to the duties of the position and the experience, education and training that indicate the applicant's ability to acquire the particular knowledge and skills needed to perform the duties of the position. Only those candidates who meet all qualification and eligibility requirements and who submit the required information by 11:59 PM EST on Wednesday, December 4, 2024, will be considered.

The USPS OIG uses a Pay Banding system, which is equivalent to the Federal GS scale. Grade and salary determinations will be made based upon a candidate's education and professional experience.

This position is being advertised at the Journey Band level, equivalent to a GS-7 or 9 grade level. The base salary range for this position is $41,966 - $66,731. Locality pay authorized. Career ladder potential to GS-13 is at the manager's discretion and based on successful performance in the position.

Please note that the duties and responsibilities associated with this position may vary based upon the agency's needs at the time of hire. The following description of major duties and responsibilities is only intended to give applicants a general overview of the expectations.

At the GS-7 equivalent level:

  • Plans, coordinates, and conducts installations of electronic equipment for the purpose of collecting evidence.
  • Assists in development and fabrication of specialized electronic equipment for the purpose of collecting electronic evidence
  • Assists with the preparation of investigative reports relating to the installation of electronic surveillance equipment.
  • Maintains electronic surveillance equipment through scheduled maintenance and repair.
  • Participates in other projects or tasks as required.
At the GS-9 equivalent level:
  • Plans, coordinates, and conducts installations of electronic equipment for the purpose of collecting evidence.
  • Provides guidance to agents in the field in relation to the applicability and feasibility of electronic surveillance.
  • Assists in development and fabrication of specialized electronic equipment for the purpose of collecting electronic evidence.
  • As requested, prepare investigative reports relating to the installation of electronic surveillance equipment.
  • Prepares and presents electronic surveillance training to agents in the field.
  • Maintains electronic surveillance equipment through scheduled maintenance and repair.
  • Reviews media to allow for a clear and organized product to field agents
  • Other projects or tasks as required
Travel Required

50% or less
You will be expected to travel for this position.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

  • Must be a U.S. citizen
  • Must be able to pass a drug screening and medical assessment questionnaire. Note: a physical is required for 1811 criminal investigator positions.
  • Must be able to pass a background investigation
  • Must be able to obtain and maintain Top Secret security clearance
  • Must be able to obtain and maintain a government-issued credit card
  • May be required to successfully complete a 12-month probationary period

Qualifications

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

You must meet ALL of the minimum qualifications listed below.
  • Have prior or current work experience in technical surveillance in a Law Enforcement Agency within the last 2 years and/or Do you have 2 years' experience working with electrical and mechanical devices
  • Have basic knowledge of electricity or electrical circuity
  • Have basic knowledge of electronic or electronic circuity
  • Ability to have no fear working near powered electrical circuits
  • Ability to have no fear of working aloft (in the air at high heights)
  • Must be willing to administer CPR and First Aid
  • Must have received a met expectations rating on your previous two performance appraisals (Fiscal Years 2023 and 2024). If a performance appraisal in not available, you must submit a written statement stating the reason (You must submit a copy of your latest two performance appraisals).
PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:
Work can be sedentary to demanding. Periodically required to perform work that requires regular and recurring periods of prolonged standing, bending, and stretching. Requires climbing ladders, lifting up to 50 pounds, crawling, working in cramped and dimly lit spaces, and running.

WORKING CONDITIONS:
Work may subject the employee to harsh environments such as extreme heat and cold. Also the employee may be exposed to dirt, dust or other debris.

EVALUATION FACTORS

You must have the experience, knowledge and skills as listed in EACH of the evaluation factors. Failure to demonstrate that you meet all of the evaluation factor requirements as listed below will result in a score of zero (0); an ineligible status, and you will not be referred for further consideration.
Include your major accomplishments relevant to the position requirements in your resume.
  1. Knowledge of electric and/or mechanical systems.
  2. The ability to learn federal rules of evidence and relevant constitutional and statutory laws as they relate to electronic surveillance.
  3. Ability to learn how to conduct site surveys and coordinate logistics to affect the best possible operational plan in respect to electronic surveillance installs.
  4. Be able to learn how to complete a complex electronic surveillance install.
  5. Ability to learn how to explain troubleshooting techniques on a variety of electronic surveillance systems.
  6. Ability to brief personnel and management both orally and in writing.
Please include in your resume how you meet each evaluation factor. You will no longer be considered for this position if you: fail to respond to all of the questions in the self-assessment questionnaire; or receive a zero (0) rating on any evaluation factor.

Failure to demonstrate that you meet all evaluation factor requirements will result in a score of zero (0). Upon receipt of a zero score, you will be deemed "not minimally qualified," and you will not be referred for further consider.

Education

Education must be accredited by an institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Applicants can verify accreditation here: www.ed.gov/admins/finaid/accred. Special Instructions for Candidates with Foreign Education: Education completed outside the United States must be deemed equivalent to that gained in U.S. education programs. You must submit all necessary documents to a private U.S. credential evaluation service to interpret equivalency of your education against courses given in U.S. accredited colleges and universities. For further information visit:
http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html

Additional information

Pay is only part of the compensation you will earn working for the USPS OIG. We offer a broad array of benefits programs:

Health, Dental, Vision, Life and Long Term Care Insurances with Flexible Spending options.
For more information about these programs visit www.opm.gov/insure .

Retirement and Thrift Savings. For more information about these programs see https://www.opm.gov/retire and http://www.tsp.gov/.

Flexible Work Schedules. USPS OIG offers a range of family friendly flexibilities including flexible work schedules, telework and employee assistance programs.

Leave and Holidays. In addition to 11 paid holidays each year, you will earn 13 days of paid sick leave and 13 to 26 paid vacation days each year depending on your years of service.

For further information, please refer to our website at:
https://www.uspsoig.gov/frequently-asked-questions

Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) Status: Non-Exempt (Nonexempt employees are entitled to overtime pay; Exempt employees are not).

This agency provides Reasonable Accommodations to applicants with disabilities. If you require accommodations for any part of the application and/or hiring process, please send an email to jobs@uspsoig.gov. The decision on granting an accommodation request will be made on a case by case basis.

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.

The Human Resources Office will review your resume and supporting documentation to ensure that you meet the minimum qualifications required for this position. You will no longer be considered for this position if you: receive a zero (0) rating on any evaluation factor; fail to attach all required documentation; if your application materials indicate that you are not minimally-qualified for this position; or if you fail to qualify on the interview. Only the top-rated candidates will be referred to a review official or the selecting official for further consideration. Top-rated applicants may be required to participate in an interview. Your rating may be further adjusted or rated as ineligible by the review official or the selecting official based on your interview performance. Once all applicant scores are finalized, the selecting official will make a final decision. NOTE: If you receive a zero (0) rating on any evaluation factor or on the interview, you will be considered NOT MINIMALLY QUALIFIED for the position and rated ineligible.

Required Documents

You must submit all required documents by 11:59 PM EST on the closing date of this announcement, Vacancy Announcement 2025-16-12614491-DR, by closing date Wednesday, December 4, 20254.

1. RESUME - Required, when completing your online application or uploading your resume, you must categorize it as a "Resume" document). IMPORTANT: You will be asked questions in the self-assessment questionnaire. It is essential that your resume and supporting documentation provide sufficient information to substantiate your responses to the self-assessment questionnaire.

2. COMPLETE OCCUPATIONAL QUESTIONNAIRE. Click the "Apply Online" button and follow the prompts to complete the Occupational Questionnaire. (Required: You must click on "Submit My Answers" button at the end of the Questionnaire to complete this process)

3. PERFORMANCE APPRAISAL (FY 2023 and 2024) - Required, dated within the last 15 months. This is required from all applicants including Federal, USPS, OIG, and private sector employees. If a PERFORMANCE APPRAISAL is not available, you must submit a separate statement with the reason a performance appraisal is not available. (Required: Upload and save as "Performance Appraisal" document.) NOTE: An SF50 IS NOT acceptable as a performance appraisal.

4. SF-50 - if you are or have been a Federal employee to demonstrate tenure and competitive/excepted service for eligibility purposes. (If applicable to you, you are Required to upload each applicable SF-50 and categorize as a "SF-50" document.)

5. UPLOAD SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS which may include:

  • Certificates or Licenses, if applicable. Upload and save as "Other" document.
  • Veterans Preference Documentation. If you are claiming veterans preference you must submit the Member 4 copy of your DD-214 Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty, and/or other proof of veterans preference eligibility including your VA letter, form SF-15 (www.opm.gov/forms) and all required documents related to your SF-15 claim. Veterans can request the Member 4 copy of their DD-214 at http://www.archives.gov/veterans/military-service-records, and can download a copy of their VA letter from https://www.ebenefits.va.gov/ebenefits-portal/ebenefits.portal. (If applicable to you, you are required to upload each veterans' preference document and categorize as "DD-214" or "SF-15" or "Other Veterans Document")
  • Reasonable Accommodation Documentation. If you are requesting a reasonable accommodation to the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, submit documentation to support your request, including the Reasonable Accommodation Request Form found at http://help.usastaffing.gov/Apply/index.php?title=Reasonable_Accommodations_for_USA_Hire .

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

To apply for this position, you must complete the online application and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section below. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on the closing date, Wednesday, December 4, 2024, to receive consideration.

  • To begin, click Apply Online to access an online application. Follow the prompts to select your USAJOBS resume and/or other supporting documents.
  • You will need to be logged into your USAJOBS account or you may need to create a new account. You will be taken to an online application. Complete the online application, verify the required documentation, and submit the application.
  • You will receive an email notification when your application has been received for the announcement.
  • To verify the status of your application, log into your USAJOBS account, https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login, select the Application Status link and then select the More Information link for this position. The Application Status page will display the status of your application, the documentation received and processed, and your responses submitted to the online application. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process.
  • You are strongly urged to read and print the entire vacancy announcement.

Agency contact information

Vacancy Inquiries
Address
OI - DAIGI 2 - Technical and Sensitive Operations Field Office
1735 North Lynn Street
Arlington, VA 22209
US
Learn more about this agency

Next steps

Once the Occupational Questionnaire has been received you will receive an acknowledgement e-mail that your submission was successful. After a review of your application package has been completed, you will be notified of your rating and/or referral to the Selecting Official.


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


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