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.
- 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 the Personnel Security Specialist (Investigator) position at the GS-9/11/12, you must meet the following requirements by the closing date of this announcement.
Minimum Qualifications
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 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:
- Assists in determining if reciprocity criteria were properly applied to the investigation based on previous background investigations conducted and in determining that the type of investigation requested is appropriate for the identified position; AND
- Assists with conducting pre-employment screening and/or making interim clearance or temporary eligibility recommendations; AND
- Reviews all information obtained in the Security Package for accuracy and completeness; AND
- Conducts investigative inquiries.
OR
Completion of a master's or equivalent graduate degree or at least 2 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree or LL.B. or J.D., if related to the requirements of the position.
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:
- Determines if reciprocity criteria were properly applied to the investigation based on previous background investigations conducted and ensures that the type of investigation requested is appropriate for the identified position; AND
- Conducts pre-employment screening and makes interim clearance or temporary eligibility recommendations; AND
- Reviews all information obtained in the Security Package for accuracy and completeness; AND
- Identifies all components needed to be performed for the background investigation based on the requirements applicable to the investigation type.
OR
Completion of a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree or at least 3 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree or LL.M., if related to the requirements of the position.
To qualify for this position at the GS-12 grade level, candidates must also have at least one year of
specialized experience equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-11) by the closing date of this announcement.
Specialized experience must include all of:
- Determines if reciprocity criteria were properly applied to the investigation based on previous background investigations conducted and ensures that the type of investigation requested is appropriate for the identified position; AND
- Conducts pre-employment screening and makes interim clearance or temporary eligibility recommendations; AND
- Reviews all information obtained in the Security Package for accuracy and completeness; AND
- Conducts background investigations ensuring all components needed are obtained based on the requirements applicable to the investigation type.
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 (03/30/2026) 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.
"The assessment includes a cut score based on the minimum level of required proficiency in these critical general competencies. You must meet or exceed the cut score to be considered. You will not be considered for the position if you score below the cut score or fail to complete the assessment."
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):
- Accountability
- Attention to Detail
- Customer Service
- Decision Making
- Flexibility
- Influencing/Negotiating
- Integrity/Honesty
- Interpersonal Skills
- Learning
- Reading Comprehension
- Reasoning
- Self-Management
- Stress Tolerance
- Teamwork
- Decisiveness
- Problem Solving
- Writing
- Technical Competence
Required Documents
It is your responsibility to carefully review the list of required documents below & 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, & 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.
If you are a current or former Federal employee: You must submit your most recent
SF-50 (Notification of Personnel Action) or equivalent agency form. 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. Multiple SF-50's may need to be uploaded to show 1 year at the next lower grade level.
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.
If you are a displaced Federal employee claiming eligibility under CTAP or ICTAP:
- You must submit your separation notice or agency RIF letter from your agency OR if you have not yet been separated, you can provide the letter of intent to separate you from the agency because of reduction-in-force.
- Submit a copy of your most recent performance appraisal and SF-50 showing current/former position, grade, promotion potential, and duty location OR Certification of Expected Separation, Reduction-In-Force Separation Notice, or Notice of Proposed Removal; SF-50 that documents the RIF separation action; and most recent performance appraisal.
- 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.
- Schedule A documentation, if applicable. Note:DOJ welcomes and encourages applications from persons with disabilities. Qualified applicants with disabilities may be eligible for special hire, non-competitive appointment under Schedule A eligibility. Please visit http://www.usajobs.gov/Help/working-in-government/unique-hiring-paths/individuals-with-disabilities or contact the Selective Placement Program Coordinator at 202-648-7454.
- Military Spouses (if applicable) - You MUST submit verification of the marriage to the service member (i.e., a marriage license or other legal documentation verifying marriage) AND: (1) a copy of your spouse's active military orders; OR (2) verification of your spouse's 100% service-connected disability (VA Letter and/or DD-214); OR (3) verification of the service member's death while on active duty (DD-1300/Death Certificate). You are not eligible if you were not married to the veteran at the time of death or have since remarried.
- Interchange Agreement with Other Merit Systems Eligible: Documentation of eligibility as listed in each individual interchange agreement.
- Other noncompetitive or special appointing authorities (e.g., Peace Corps, VISTA, Public Land Corp, Military Spouse, VRA, 30% Disabled Veterans, Certain Former Overseas Employees, Foreign Service, etc.) must provide substantiating documentation as required.
- Any other supporting documentation required for verification as 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. All required materials must be uploaded using the supporting documentation instructions described in the announcement. Failure to provide the required documentation by the closing of this announcement will result in elimination of further consideration for this position.