Investigations Specialist (Digital Forensics) Job in Washington, DC

Vacancy No. ACT-ASH-25-AXI240-93230 Department Federal Aviation Administration
Salary $83,430.00 to $155,530.00 Grade H to I
Perm/Temp Permanent FT/PT Full-time
Open Date 12/17/2024 Close Date 12/23/2024
Job Link Apply Online Who may apply Public
Locations:
Washington, DC


Summary

This position is located within the Office of Security and Hazardous Materials Safety (ASH) and may be assigned to a geographical location under the purview of the Office of Investigations. The mission of ASH is to ensure aviation safety, support national security, and promote an efficient airspace system through the development and administration of policies and programs.

Duties

Primary responsibility is to serve as a Investigations Specialist (Digital Forensics) for AXI in the Investigative Services Division, Digital Forensics Branch, performing a mixture of routine, multiple, and varying assignments related to cyber investigations under the limited direction of a manager or more experienced technical specialist. He/she applies experience and detailed technical knowledge of digital forensics and cyber investigations to accomplish routine tasks and assignments, and regularly conducts digital media analysis providing assistance to Federal, state, local, tribal, and territorial law enforcement agencies.

Typical duties include but are not limited to:

Supports internal investigations within the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) by planning and performing digital forensic examinations of digital, electronic, and mobile device data from a variety of sources with the goal of developing forensically sound evidence.

Coordinates with managers and other investigators on digital forensics issues to identify methods and procedures for recovery, preservation, and presentation of digital evidence; provide consultation throughout investigations on matters relating to digital evidence or digital investigative analysis.

Conducts digital forensics examinations, creates and reviews digital/computer forensics analysis reports, and documents procedures and policies in support of ASH, the Office of Investigations, FAA Cyber, Insider Threat Detection Mitigation Program (ITDMP), Defensive Counterintelligence Program (DCIP), and other LOB/SO.

Applies sound digital forensic solutions to assignments and investigative tasks related to cyber investigations to include host based forensics, network based forensics, mobile forensics, and other investigative analysis.

Incorporates various forensics techniques to analyze memory, network, mobile, and host based artifacts.

Researches and applies additional data sources and techniques to augment the effectiveness of the cyber investigations program.

Demonstrates some independence in planning time and using assigned resources to accomplish assignments and small projects. Established policies/procedures provide guidance for most assignments, but allows some discretion to select the most appropriate approach.

Work is reviewed periodically during assignments and at completion to ensure timeliness and technical compliance with the requirements of the project or other work activity. Frequently refers difficult problems and work issues to a manager or more experienced technical specialist when guidelines are not available or applicable.

Responsibilities at the I-band

The incumbent will perform multiple, varying, and complex assignments as an Investigations Specialist (Digital Forensics) for AXI within the Technical Investigations Division. Applies experience and advanced technical knowledge of Information Technology (IT) from enterprise resources while independently performs tasks and assignments related to Cyber investigations to include host based forensics, network based forensics, mobile forensics, memory forensics, and other investigative analysis.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

  • US Citizenship is required.
  • Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959.
  • Designated or Random Drug Testing required.

Qualifications

To view the complete OPM qualification standard for the Group Coverage Qualification Standard for General Inspection, Investigation, Enforcement, and Compliance Series, 1801, please refer to:

https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/1800/general-inspection-investigation-enforcement-and-compliance-series-1801/

To qualify for this position at the H-band: you must demonstrate in your application that you possess at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to FV-G / FG/GS-5/7/9. Specialized experience is experience that has equipped you with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position.

Specialized experience includes: Experience using investigative procedures, concepts, principles and practices in order to review, analyze, prioritize, and effectively conduct investigations, preparing reports, and providing briefings to all levels of stakeholders. Experience conducting digital forensic collections, processing, analysis, and reporting.

OR

3 years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. degree or Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree directly related.

To qualify for this position at the I-band: you must demonstrate in your application that you possess at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to FV-H / FG/GS-10/11/12. Specialized experience is experience that has equipped you with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position.

Specialized experience includes: Experience using enterprise digital forensics and Information Technology resources to conduct digital forensics investigations, create examination reports, and peer review reports.

Applicants should include examples of specialized experience in their work history.

Qualifications must be met by the closing date of this vacancy announcement.

Eligible applicants meeting the minimum qualification requirements and selective factor(s), if applicable, may be further evaluated on the Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSA) listed in the announcement. Based on this evaluation, applicants will be placed in one of the following categories: score order, category grouping, or priority grouping and referred to the selecting official for consideration.

All, some, or none may be interviewed.

Preview Job Questionnaire

Make sure your resume includes detailed information to support your qualifications and answers to the job questionnaire.

Additional information

We may use this vacancy to fill other similar vacant positions.
Position may be subject to a background investigation.
A one-year probationary period may be required.

The U.S. Department of Transportation strives to ensure that equity, transparency, accountability, collaboration, and communication permeate all that we do for the betterment of the Department, the traveling public, and our nation. As such, DOT values a highly diverse workforce of persons who promote a culture of belonging by respecting the personal dignity and worth of each individual and fostering a positive environment where all feel safe and welcome. If these commitments coincide with your personal ideals and professional aspirations, please consider joining the DOT family.

Leave Enhancement: FAA organizations may offer enhanced annual leave accrual to newly appointed or reappointed employees. In order to receive consideration for such a benefit, applicants' prior non-Federal service or active duty uniformed service must directly relate to the duties of the position to which appointed. Granting enhanced annual leave is at the sole discretion of the hiring organization, and granting such benefit is not an entitlement nor guaranteed to any newly hired employee.

This position is covered by the Department of Transportation's Drug and Alcohol Testing Program. Any applicant tentatively selected for this position will be subject to pre-employment or pre-appointment drug screening. Persons occupying a "testing designated position (TDP)" will be subject to random drug and/or alcohol testing.

As a part of the Federal-Wide Hiring Reform Initiative (streamlining the hiring process), the FAA is committed to eliminating the use of the Knowledge, Skills and Ability (KSA) narratives from the initial application in the hiring process for all announcements. Therefore, as an applicant for this announcement, you are NOT required to provide a narrative response in the text box listed below each KSA.

In lieu of providing a KSA narrative response in the text box listed below each Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSA), in your work history, please include information that provides specific examples of how you meet the response level or answer you chose for each KSA. Your work history examples should be specific and clearly reflect the highest level of ability. Your KSA answers will be evaluated further to validate whether the level that you selected is appropriate based on the work history and experience you provided. Your answers may be adjusted by a Human Resource Specialist as appropriate.

Current/Former Federal employees must submit an SF-50.

Selection may be at the H-band or I-band.

This is not a bargaining unit position.

Links to Important Information: Locality Pay, COLA

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.



IMPORTANT: Applicants may be rated on the extent and quality of experience, education, and training relevant to the duties of the position(s). All answers provided in the on-line process must be substantiated. Ensure that your application package/resume supports your responses.

Required Documents

You will be required to provide proof of U.S. Citizenship. To qualify based on education, you must upload or fax a copy of your high school or college transcripts or certificates at time of application. If selected, official transcripts will be required prior to employment. All supplemental documents such as SF-50, DD-214 etc. must be received by the closing date of this announcement to be considered. These documents must be uploaded or emailed to monique.heriegel@faa.gov.



All Veterans: If you are claiming veterans' preference, you must submit either a DD Form 214 Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty (Member 4 Copy or equivalent), or a document from the armed forces certifying that within 120 days you are expected to be discharged or released from active duty service under honorable conditions. If you are claiming 10 point preference, you must also submit a completed SF-15, Application for 10-Point Veteran's Preference, and supporting documents outlined on the SF-15. Documents must be uploaded or faxed to the Servicing Human Resource Management Office listed in this announcement and all documents must be received by the closing date of the announcement. If you fail to submit documentation, you will be assessed as a non-veteran.

If you are claiming 10 point preference but fail to submit the supporting documents outlined on the SF-15, you will be tentatively assessed as a 5 point preference eligible provided your DD Form 214 reflects that you have the service required to qualify for preference. Documents must be uploaded or faxed to the Servicing Human Resource Management Office listed in this announcement and all documents must be received by the closing date of the announcement. If you fail to submit documentation, you will be assessed as a non-veteran.

Veterans currently on active duty claiming veterans' preference: You will be granted tentative preference if you submit a document from the armed forces certifying that within 120 days you are expected to be discharged or released from active duty service under honorable conditions and your application shows that you have the required service. Prior to being appointed, you must provide to the Servicing Human Resource Management Office a DD Form 214 documenting discharge/release and showing that the service was honorable or general. If you are on terminal leave, you must provide documentation certifying authorized terminal leave.

If you want consideration for one or more of the Special Hiring Authorities, documentation that must be submitted at time of application can be found at Direct Hiring Authorities | Federal Aviation Administration (faa.gov).

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

You must apply online to receive consideration. Your application must be submitted by 11:59 PM Eastern Time on the Close Date for it to be accepted. If you are applying for positions associated with FAA registers, your application must be submitted at the time a referral list is created in order to receive consideration for positions associated with a register.

IN DESCRIBING YOUR WORK EXPERIENCE AND/OR EDUCATION, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE OR EDUCATION.

We strongly encourage applicants to utilize the USAJOBS resume builder in the creation of resumes.

Please ensure EACH work history includes ALL of the following information:

  • Job Title (include series and grade if Federal Job)

  • Duties (be specific in describing your duties)

  • Employer's name and address

  • Supervisor name and phone number

  • Start and end dates including month and year (e.g. June 2007 to April 2008)

  • Full-time or part-time status (include hours worked per week)

  • Salary (optional)


Determining length of General or Specialized Experience is dependent on the above information and failure to provide ALL of this information may result in a finding of ineligible.

You may upload completed documents to your USAJOBS Account. This will provide you the opportunity to utilize the uploaded information again when applying for future vacancies. Please see this guide, Document Upload Guide, for more information on uploading and re-using the documents in your applications.

Agency contact information

Monique Heriegel
Phone
1 (609) 485-6754
Fax
1 (609) 485-8995
Email
monique.heriegel@faa.gov
Address
Federal Aviation Administration
ACT Regional HR Services Branch
Atlantic City International Airport, Bldg. 300
AHF-N710
Atlantic City, NJ 08405
US
Learn more about this agency

Next steps

Once we receive your complete application, the Human Resources Office will conduct an evaluation of your qualifications. Eligible and qualified candidates will be referred to the hiring manager for consideration. You will be contacted directly if selected for an interview.

For instructions on how to check the status of your application, please go to: USAJOBS Help Guide.

Important - If you make any changes to your application, you must resubmit it. If you make changes to your application and do not resubmit it, your changes will not be considered part of your application package, and only your previously submitted application will be evaluated.

All qualified applicants will be considered regardless of political affiliation, race, color, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, marital status, age, disability, or other non-merit factors. DOT provides reasonable accommodations to applicants with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process, please notify the agency contact listed in the Agency Contact Information section of this announcement or the hiring manager. An employee with a disability must notify the decision-maker of the accommodation request. Job applicants and employees are required to follow up oral requests in writing. Decisions on granting reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis. Additional information on reasonable accommodations procedures or on EEO Programs is available on Office of Civil Rights (ACR) or by contacting the local FAA Civil Rights Office.


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