Duties
This position is located under the Office of Enforcement Programs and Services, National Firearms Act Division (NFA Division), Industry Processing Branch located in Martinsburg, WV.
The major duties of the Firearms & Explosives Program Specialist position include, but are not limited to, the following:
GS-07
- Explains procedures and policies prescribed under pertinent laws, regulations, and directives.
- Performs basic assignments which demonstrate a basic understanding of the functions and operation of EPS and Bureau policies and regulations.
- Briefs visitors and participates in the training of lower graded specialists.
- Compiles information, enter and retrieve data, generate reports, and depict data in various spreadsheet and report formats.
GS-09
- Reviews, evaluates, processes, restricts, or recommends approval or denial of applications and supporting documents.
- Utilizes office equipment and the capabilities and limitations of numerous databases and computer systems.
- Responds to complex inquiries from applicants,
- Provides technical advice and assistance to Field Operations personnel, law enforcement agencies, applicants, and industry members.
GS-11
- Responds to complex inquiries from applicants, resolves applicant and industry concerns, and participates in criminal and regulatory investigations.
- Conducts background checks, investigates criminal histories, and analyzes court and other legal documents to resolve original and delayed background checks.
- Performs complex assignments which demonstrate an in-depth understanding of the functions and operation of EPS and Bureau policies and regulations.
- Acts on and processes applications to include refunds.
Responsibilities will increase and assignments will become more complex as your training and experience progresses.
Requirements
Conditions of employment
The requirements listed below must be met by the closing date of the announcement.
Key Requirements:
- Must be U.S. Citizen or National
- Selective Service registration is required for males born on, or after, December 31st 1959. Those not registered should have an approved exemption on file.
- May be required to serve a one-year probationary period.
- You must be a current permanent Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives employee with competitive status or a CTAP/RPL eligible candidate.
- Pass drug screening and subject to random drug test.
- Suitable for Federal employment determined by background investigation.
- You must meet all applicable time-in-grade requirements by the closing of this 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. This is a non-bargaining unit position.
Qualifications
To qualify for this position at the GS-07 grade level, candidates must also have at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower grade level GS-05 by the closing date of this announcement.
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 must include all of:
- Using databases to complete reviews and searches of data and/or reports; AND
- Applying knowledge of firearms, explosives, and ammunition in order to process requests; AND
- Communicating with others orally and in writing.
OR
Completed (1) one full year of progressively higher-level graduate education; or (2) a bachelor's degree with superior academic achievement (SAA.). S.A.A. is based on class standing--upper third of the graduating class, grade-point average--3.0 or higher on a 4.0 scale or election to membership in a national scholastic honor society.
OR
Have a combination of specialized experience (less than 1 year) and graduate education (less than 1 year) as described above, that when combined equals 100% of the qualification requirement.
To qualify for this position at the GS-09 grade level, candidates must also have at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower grade level GS-07 by the closing date of this announcement.
Specialized experience must include all of:
- Carrying out recurring assignments independently that are covered by established procedures; AND
- Utilizing multiple databases and/or computer systems; AND
- Applying knowledge of firearms, explosives, and ammunition in order to process requests; AND
- Communicating with others orally and in writing.
OR
Have a master's or equivalent graduate degree or 2 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree or LL.B
or J.D., if related.
OR
Have a combination of specialized experience (less than 1 year) and graduate education (beyond 1 year), that when combined equals 100% of the qualification requirement (NOTE: only graduate education in excess of one year (generally 18 semester hours) may be used in this calculation.
To qualify for this position at the GS-11 grade level, candidates must also have at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower grade level GS-09 by the closing date of this announcement.
Specialized experience must include all of:
- Reviews, approves and/or denies applications and supporting documents; AND
- Utilizes multiple databases and/or computer systems; AND
- Provides technical advice on policies relating to firearms and explosives; AND
- Communicates with others orally and in writing.
OR
Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree
OR
3 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree.
Your resume must support your responses to the application questionnaire and the qualification requirements. Failure to do so may result in an ineligible rating.
See the Required Documents section for important notes about what must be included in your resume.
After you submit this application, you will receive an e-mail informing you that a USA Hire assessment is required of you. You will have 48 hours from the closing date of this announcement (06/23/2026) to complete the assessment as this assessment is part of your application.
Education
If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements, please see the statements below.
Education must be reviewed and certified by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education, in order for it to be creditable towards your qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from accredited institution.
FOREIGN EDUCATION: Education completed in foreign colleges or universities may be used to meet the requirements. You must show proof the education credentials have been deemed to be at least equivalent to that gained in a conventional U.S. education program. It is your responsibility to provide such evidence when applying. For special instructions pertaining to foreign education and a list of organizations that can evaluate foreign education, see the Department of Education website. If you are qualifying on foreign education, you MUST submit proof of creditability of education as evaluated by a credentialing agency. All documentation must be in English or include an English translation.
Additional information
Additional selections may be made from this announcement.
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. Candidates will not be hired based on their race, sex, color, religion, or national origin.
Notice to Prospective Employees of Ethical Obligations from ATF's Human Resources Operations Division. Please click on the following link to read important information. DOJ Notice to Prospective Employees of Ethical Obligations
Career Transition Programs (CTAP or ICTAP): These programs apply to Federal and/or DOJ employees who meet the definition of surplus or displaced from a position in the competitive service. To receive selection priority for this position, you must:
- Meet CTAP or ICTAP eligibility criteria;
- Be rated well-qualified for the position with a score of 85 or above based on the competencies listed above; and
- Submit the appropriate documentation to support your CTAP or ICTAP eligibility.
EEO Statement/Policy: The United States government does not discriminate in employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, pregnancy, national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, membership in an employee organization, retaliation, parental status, military service or other non-merit factor.
Reasonable Accommodation: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.
Selective Service: If you were born male, on or 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. Additional information is found at: www.sss.gov.
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.
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.
In order to be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. Once the announcement closes, a review of your resume and supporting documentation will be conducted by the HR Specialist. This information will be compared against your responses to the application questionnaire to determine your eligibility for Federal employment, and then whether you are qualified for this particular position. If a determination is made that you have inflated your responses when compared to your background information, you may be deemed ineligible. In addition to the application and application questionnaire, this position requires an online assessment.
USA Hire: You will be asked to take the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments where you will be evaluated on critical competencies relevant to this position. You must meet all qualifications, including meeting or exceeding the cut score on the required assessments. Be sure to review all instructions prior to beginning your USA Hire Assessments. Your assessment results will be kept on record for one year and used toward future positions for which you might apply that require the same assessments.
You will be evaluated based on how well you meet the qualifications listed in this vacancy announcement. You will be assessed on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics):
- Attention to Detail
- Customer Service
- Flexibility
- Integrity/Honesty
- Interpersonal Skills
- Learning
- Reading Comprehension
- Reasoning
- Self-Management
- Stress Tolerance
- Teamwork
- Decision Making
- Attention to Detail
- Technical Competence
- Oral Communication
- Reasoning
Required Documents
It is your responsibility to carefully review the list of required documents below and submit the necessary documentation based on your eligibility.
Resume - All Applicants: You must submit a resume (a two page or less resume is required) containing the following pieces of information for each job entry listed in your employment history. Showing relative permanent and volunteer work experience, education, and training, your resume serves as the basis for qualification determinations.
- Official position title,
- Employer name and contact information,
- Start and end dates (including month and year),
- Indicate full-time or number of hours worked per week if part-time,
- Your Pay Plan/Series/Grade for all federal positions, and
- A list of duties performed and accomplishments.
Resumes must be limited to two pages in length. Applicants with resumes longer than two pages will not be considered. You can only submit one resume; Only the most recent resume submitted under the "Resume" "Document Type" will be used to determine your qualifications and for rating purposes.
Showing relative permanent and volunteer work experience, education, and training. Your resume serves as the basis for qualification determinations.
SF-50: You must submit your most recent
SF-50 (Notification of Personnel Action). Do not submit an award SF-50, these do not contain sufficient information about your appointment. Your SF-50 should list the full position title, series, grade and step, organization, duty location, service computation date, effective date, and your service type and tenure status.
CTAP eligibility documentation:
- A copy of your RIF separation notice; notice of proposed removal for declining a directed geographic relocation outside of the local commuting area; a Certificate of Expected Separation ; or certification that you are in a surplus organization or occupation (this could be a position abolishment letter, or a notice of eligibility for discontinued service retirement).
- A copy of your most recent performance appraisal and SF-50 "Notification of Personnel Action" noting current position, grade/band level, promotion potential, and duty location.
College Transcripts: If you are using education to qualify for this position, or education is required, you must submit a transcript, which may be unofficial, as long as it contains a full listing of courses, credit earned, grade and grade-point-average, subject area, degree(s) earned, and dates of award. Note: If you are selected for this position, official transcripts will be required prior to your first day.
- Your transcript must come from a nationally accredited educational institution recognized by the Department of Education.
- If submitting a foreign transcript, you must have the transcript reviewed by an approved foreign education review organization recognized by the Department of Education.
- Please do not submit electronic transcripts with documentation security protection, these may prevent our application system from accepting and processing the document.
Failure to provide the required documentation by the closing date of this announcement will result in elimination of further consideration for this position.