INVESTIGATIVE ANALYST (POLYGRAPH EXAMINER/QUALITY REVIEWER) Job

Vacancy No. H-DEA-25-12807274-MP-CR Department Drug Enforcement Administration
Salary $90,025.00 to $117,034.00 Grade 13 to 13
Perm/Temp Temporary FT/PT Full-time
Open Date 9/30/2025 Close Date 10/9/2025
Job Link Apply Online Who may apply Status Candidates
Locations:
Location Negotiable After SelectionArlington, VA


Summary

TOUGH WORK. VITAL MISSION. Challenge yourself! You have the power to help combat drug trafficking. Be a part of DEA! It's tough work, but a vital mission. Whatever your background or expertise, your work at DEA will be tremendously rewarding because it will have a daily impact on national security and the quality of life of all Americans.

This job is open to

Clarification from the agency

Retirees under Federal Employee Retirement System (FERS) or Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) who are eligible for re-employment as a Federal Annuitant for any Federal Government Agency and Federal, Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP), Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP), and Reemployment Priority List (RPL) eligibles. Retired applicants must be retired on or before the opening date of this announcement.

Duties

As a INVESTIGATIVE ANALYST (POLYGRAPH EXAMINER/QUALITY REVIEWER), your typical work assignments may include:

  • Developing and conducting polygraph examinations of investigative subjects identified in support of agency field offices.
  • Identifying information and report polygraph conclusions for potentially pre-disqualifying misconduct described by an applicant assisting agency in determining an applicants' eligibility.
  • Verifying applicant statements using polygraph disciplines to support adjudicative decisions by agency for the eligibility of applicants requiring public trust and access to national security.
  • Advising various Staff Coordinators, Polygraph Program Manager, and Section Chief regarding polygraph operations and operations policy.
  • Performing polygraph quality control (QC) review of DEA polygraph examinations and/or perform polygraph examinations.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

  • U.S. Citizenship is required.
  • Selective Service: Males born after 12/31/59 must be registered or exempt from Selective Service (see http://www.sss.gov/).
  • Successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, visit: http://www.dhs.gov/E-Verify/.
  • Incumbent is subject to random drug testing.
  • Selectee may be required to serve a 1-year probationary period (OR 1-year OR 2-year trial period, as appropriate) during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest
  • Employment is subject to the successful completion of a background investigation. Must be able to obtain and maintain a security clearance.
  • Applicant must possess and maintain a valid motor vehicle operator's license while employed in the position and will be required to operate the motor vehicle in accordance with applicable OPM regulations and related requirements of DOJ/DEA.
  • Federal agency certified federal polygraph examiner in good standing having successfully completed the National Center for Credibility Assessment (NCCA) Basic Examiner Psychophysiological Detection of Deception (PDD) course.

Qualifications

Dual Compensation Off-Set Waivers: This announcement is being used to recruit CSRS and FERS annuitants on a limited basis. A dual compensation waiver may be approved in accordance with applicable regulations under certain specified circumstances, not to exceed three years. Annuitants who are reemployed with a salary offset (dual compensation) waiver are eligible for:

  • Full annuity and full Federal salary;
  • Annual and sick leave (not applicable for an intermittent work schedule);
  • Full-time work schedules;
  • Receive overtime (on a full schedule). Overtime hours are counted towards maximum hour limitations; and
  • New hires under this authority will be offered a non-status, term appointment in the competitive service not-to-exceed 3 years.
Annuitants reemployed with full salary and annuity under an exception granted in accordance with 5 CFR 533:
  • Are not considered employees for purposes of subchapter III of chapter 83 or chapter 84 of title 5, United States Code.
  • May not elect to have retirement contributions withheld from their pay;
  • May not use any employment for which an exception is granted as a basis for a supplemental or recomputed annuity; and
  • May not participate in the Thrift Savings Plan.

Reemployed annuitants may only receive one appointment per job series.

For more information on eligibility requirements see: DEA Employment Eligibility

Applicants must meet all of the required qualification requirements described below by the closing of this announcement.

Selective Placement Factor: Applicants must be a federal agency certified federal polygraph examiner in good standing, having successfully completed the National Center for Credibility Assessment (NCCA) or Predecessor Basic PDD course. (Must submit a copy of your certificate).

AND


Applicants applying for the GS-13 must meet the following requirements:


A. Have at least one full year of qualifying specialized experience that is at least equivalent in difficulty and complexity to work performed at the GS-12 grade level. Specialized experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community, student, social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

Qualifying experience must demonstrate the following: 1) Conducting the Empirical Scoring System when reviewing polygraph software; 2) Using practical experience in techniques relating to polygraph pre and post examination interviews to elicit information in support of adjudicative decisions regarding persons in access or requesting access to classified information and/or positions of public trust; 3) Explaining relevant topics in a manner that differentiates disqualifying conduct from non-pertinent transgressions by a law enforcement applicant; and, 4) Testifying in litigation as a sworn federal agent to any criminal confessions and/or admissions collected during the conduct of a polygraph examination; and, 5) Providing technical review of examination files while following ethical, professional and technical standards.

Additional information on the position qualification requirements are located in the Office of Personnel Management's (OPM) Qualifications Standards Handbook.

Time-In-Grade Requirement: Applicants must meet time-in-grade and time after competitive appointment requirements by the closing date of this announcement.

Education

Education requirements do not apply to this vacancy announcement.

Additional information

For reasonable accommodation at the Drug Enforcement Administration, please contact the Human Resources office listed in this announcement.

Veterans Employment Opportunity Act (VEOA): To be eligible for a VEOA appointment under Merit Promotion procedures, the veteran must be a preference eligible or a veteran separated after 3 years or more of continuous active service performed under honorable conditions.

Current or Former Political Appointees: The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) must authorize employment offers made to current or former political appointees. If you are currently, or have been within the last 5 years, a political Schedule A, Schedule C, Non-career SES or Presidential Appointee employee in the Executive Branch, you must disclose this information to the Human Resources Office.

Multiple positions may be filled from this announcement. If eligible, applicants to this announcement may be referred to similar positions in any Division/Office listed in this announcement. Telework eligibility and security clearance requirements may vary for such similar positions.

Recruitment and/or Relocation Incentives may be considered and approved under conditions specified provided the agency has determined that the position is likely to be difficult to fill in the absence of an incentive and funding for such an incentive is available.

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you may be required to serve a 1-year probationary period, or 1-year or 2-year trial period, during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider:

  • your performance and conduct;
  • the needs and interests of the agency;
  • whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and
  • whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service.
Upon completion of your probationary period or trial period your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

If eligible, telework agreements may be permitted with supervisory approval. Please note that any approved remote work arrangement is subject to the locality pay area of the alternative telework worksite.

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 based on how well you meet the qualifications listed in this vacancy announcement. Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g., resume, supporting documents) and your responses on the application questionnaire. You will not be considered for the position if you score below the cut score or fail to complete the assessment.

Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or application questionnaire may result in your removal from consideration.

Your qualifications will be evaluated on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities and other characteristics):

  • Decision Making
  • Oral Communication
  • Quality Assurance
  • Technical Competence
  • Technical Problem Solving

The assessment questionnaire includes four short, free-response essay questions which provides an opportunity for you to highlight your dedication to public service for the hiring manager and agency leadership (or designee(s)). While your responses are not required and will not be scored, we encourage you to thoughtfully address each question in 200-words or less.? You will be asked to certify that you are using your own words and have not used a consultant or artificial intelligence (AI) such as a large language model (LLM) like ChatGPT or Copilot.

Applicants will only be considered for the Eligibilities for which they claim in the job questionnaire AND must provide the supporting documentation. Applicants will not be considered for Eligibilities for which they did not claim, regardless of the documentation submitted with the application.

All qualified Non-Competitive applicants and the best qualified Merit Promotion applicants will be referred to the hiring manager for consideration.

Agency and Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP and ICTAP) candidates must be well qualified for the position to receive consideration for selection priority. Candidates are considered well qualified if their knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) exceed the minimum qualifications described in the announcement.

ASSESSMENT QUESTIONNAIRE: You may preview the https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12807274.

Required Documents

All required documents listed below, that are applicable to you, must be submitted to our automated system by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) on the closing date of this announcement.

  1. Resume - must be no more than two pages in length; resumes exceeding two pages will be removed from consideration. Resume should include applicants' name, email address, phone number, relevant work/volunteer experience, education and training. Include the start and end dates (from month/year to month/year), work schedule (e.g. part or full-time), the number of hours per week worked/volunteered, job title and description of duties performed. Education/Certification/Licensure when relevant or required for position. See Guidance for Applicants on 2-Page Resume and visit the USAJOBS Help Center for more information.
  2. Transcripts, if applicable and you are qualifying based on education. See the Qualification and Education sections of this announcement for more information. If selected, an official/sealed college transcript(s) will be required to verify education prior to employment.
  3. SF-50 (Notification of Personnel Action), if applicable: SF-50(s) must show the effective date, position title, series, grade, salary, tenure, competitive status, position occupied, full promotion potential, and name of agency. Multiple SF-50s may be needed to show all required information. Award SF-50s often do not show the required information. To verify the time in grade requirement, applicants must submit a SF-50 verifying the highest grade held for at least 52 weeks. Examples include, promotions with an effective date greater than one year, within grade increases demonstrating the highest grade held for at least 52 weeks or appointments/conversion of appointments with an effective date greater than one year.
  4. ICTAP/CTAP - Career Transition Assistance Program documentation, if applicable. This includes copies of your agency notice (e.g. Certification of Expected Separation, Reduction-In-Force Separation Notice, or Notice of Proposed Removal), most recent performance rating and more recent Notification of Personnel Action (SF-50) noting current position, grade level and duty location.
  5. Veteran Documentation, if applicable.
  • Veterans who are preference eligible OR who have been separated from the Armed Forces under honorable conditions (honorable or general discharge) after 3 or more years of continuous active service may apply under the Veterans Employment Opportunities Act (VEOA). You must submit a DD-214 Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty (Member Copy 4 preferred) showing the dates you served as well as your type of discharge and qualifying service campaign medals OR if you are still on active duty, you MUST submit a certification on letterhead from your military branch which contains your military service dates, expected date of discharge or release, and the character of service to show that your military service was performed under honorable conditions. The expected date of discharge or release must be no later than 120 days after the certification is submitted for consideration for this job announcement. Current Federal employees applying under the VEOA must submit a qualifying SF-50 to show time-in-grade requirements.
  • If you are applying as a preference eligible with a compensable service-connected disability of 30% or more, you must submit the documentation required by the SF-15 (Application for 10-Point Veteran Preference) to support your claim (e.g., DD-214, official statement from the Department of Veterans Affairs). For applicants claiming 10-point derived veterans' preference (i.e., spouses, widows/widowers or mothers of veterans), a completed SF-15 must be submitted with the application with all required supporting documents listed on the form.
  • For more veterans' preference information, visit the USAJOBS Help Center.
  1. Non-competitive or special hiring authority eligibility documentation, if applicable. Examples of such authorities include: Schedule A individuals with disabilities, returning Peace Corps or AmeriCorp VISTA volunteer, Fulbright/Gilman/CLS alumni, etc.
  2. ICTAP/CTAP documentation, if applicable. This includes copies of your agency notice, most recent Performance Rating and more recent Notification of Personnel Action (SF-50) noting current position, grade level, and duty location.
  3. Current or Former Land Management Employee documentation, if applicable. Visit the Forest Service's site for required documentation.
  4. Other Qualification Documentation (e.g. certificates, certifications, etc.), if applicable. See the Qualification section of this announcement for more information.

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

Prepare your application in USAJOBS

During the application process you can review, edit, delete, and update your information. We'll automatically save your progress as you go, so you won't lose any changes. You have until 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) on the closing date of this announcement to complete the application process.

STEP 1: Select the "Apply" button and follow the instructions to register or sign into USAJOBS.
STEP 2: Submit your resume. Resume must not exceed two pages. Please see the Required Documents section for specific information that should be outlined in your resume.
STEP 3: Complete the online assessment questions.
STEP 4: Submit all required documentation applicable to you, as listed in the Required Documents section.

Alternate Application Procedures: If applying online poses an extreme hardship, you may request alternate application procedures to submit your application package. Contact the Human Resources office listed on the announcement between the business hours of 8:15 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. ET at least 2 working days prior to the closing date of this announcement. The application package for alternate application procedures must be submitted and received in the Human Resources office no later than 11:59 p.m. ET on the closing date of this announcement. Paper applications and information sent by mail will not be accepted.

Agency contact information

Ashlei Swann
Address
Drug Enforcement Administration
Do Not Send Postal Mail
Springfield, VA 21310
US

Next steps

Once your online application is submitted you will receive a confirmation notification by email. Your application will be evaluated. You will receive another notification about the status of your application.

We will notify you by email the outcome after each of these steps has been completed. Your application status will be updated up to four times during the following hiring phases:

  1. After applications are received.
  2. After applications are assessed to determine qualifications.
  3. After candidates are referred to the hiring manager.
  4. If selected, candidates may receive additional notifications regarding the next steps in the hiring process.
Your status will also be updated on your USAJOBS account throughout the process.


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


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