Supervisory Criminal Investigator (Assistant Special Agent in Charge)

Department of Justice

Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives

Office of Field Operations

Summary

This position serves as the Assistant Special Agent in Charge of a Field Division over several subordinate field offices and/or groups. The incumbent functions as a key management official within the field division and is responsible for assisting and advising the Division Director/Special Agent in Charge in the overall management and coordination of the enforcement programs and operations of the division.

This job is open to

Internal to an agency

Current federal employees of the hiring agency that posted the job announcement.

Career transition (CTAP, ICTAP, RPL)

Federal employees whose job, agency or department was eliminated and are eligible for priority over other applicants.

Clarification from the agency

Applications will be accepted only from current permanent Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives employees with competitive status and CTAP/RPL eligible candidates.

Duties

The major duties of the Assistant Special Agent in Charge (ASAC) position include, but are not limited to, the following:

Serves as the Assistant Special Agent in Charge of a Field Division over several subordinate field offices and/or groups.
Functions as a key management official within the field division.
Responsible for assisting and advising the Division Director/Special Agent in Charge in the overall management and coordination of the enforcement programs and operations of the division. Through several subordinate Resident Agents in Charge and/or Group Supervisors, manages and directs a large staff of criminal investigators and clerical support, overseeing their work for effectiveness in conducting division law enforcement operations and activities.
Performs a full range of supervisory functions including: making decisions on work problems presented by subordinate RAC's/Group Supervisors; collaborating with division managers and supervisors to negotiate, decide on and/or coordinate work-related changes affecting their organizations; advising the SAC and other Bureau management officials on problems impacting ATF's overall enforcement mission; etc.

Requirements

Conditions of employment

The requirements listed below must be met by the closing date of the announcement.

Must be U.S. Citizen or National
Selective Service registration is required for males born on, or after, December 31, 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 ATF 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.
Financial Disclosure: If selected, you may be required to disclose financial information in accordance with DOJ and Federal ethics guidelines.

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 Supervisory Criminal Investigator at the GS-15 grade level, candidates must also have at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-14) 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

Applying ATF law enforcement investigative techniques in order to direct a major field component of the Bureau; AND
Executing and coordinating criminal enforcement programs to make operational decisions regarding investigations of a criminal nature.

Please do not cut and paste the position description or specialized experience from this announcement into your resume, as this will not be considered a demonstration of your qualifications for this position.

Your resume and experience 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.

Education

Some federal jobs allow you to substitute your education for the required experience in order to qualify. For this job, you must meet the qualification requirement using experience alone. No substitution of education for experience is permitted.

Additional information

Additional selections may be made from this announcement.
A one-year probationary period is required for new supervisors and managers.

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 Obligation s

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 to determine basic eligibility. In addition, Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) will review your resume to determine if you possess the required specialized experience. This position falls under the Merit Promotion (MPB) which may include an interview of the competitive candidates.

Competitive (current GS-14) Applicants - Structured Writing Assessment: Upon verification of applicants meeting the basic qualifications, applicants will be forwarded a writing assessment. Subject matter experts (SMEs) will review your writing assessment to determine your technical qualifications for this position based on the required specialized experience. SMEs will not review any additional information beyond your writing assessment. Applicants who pass the structured writing assessment will be forwarded to the Merit Promotion Board (MPB) which may include an interview of the competitive candidates.

All Applicants - Structured Resume Review: Subject matter experts (SMEs) will review your resume to determine your technical qualifications for this position based on the required specialized experience. SMEs will review ONLY two pages of your resume, starting at your work experience. SMEs will not review any additional information beyond your resume (e.g., cover letter). Applicants who pass the structured resume review will be added to the list of qualified candidates.

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):

Leadership
Technical Competence
Compliance
Criminal Investigations

When the JOA closes, you will receive an assessment narrative via email that will further allow us to evaluate your written and leadership competencies.

Required Documents

It is your responsibility to carefully review the list of required documents below and submit the necessary documentation to prove you possess the required specialized experience for this position. IF YOU OMIT ANY OF THE REQUIRED INFORMATION, YOU RUN THE RISK OF BEING FOUND INELIGIBLE FOR THE POSITION.

Resume - All Applicants: You must submit a resume (strictly two pages or less) that serves as the primary evidence of your qualifications. To demonstrate that you meet the specialized experience requirements, your resume must comprehensively and explicitly link your career history to the specialized experience competencies of this role.

To reduce possible disqualification due to a lack of verifiable information, you should include all six of the following elements for every job entry listed in your employment history.

If any element is omitted, the HR Specialist may be unable to determine your eligibility, resulting in your removal from consideration with an ineligible rating:

Official Position Title: State your exact federal or corporate title to establish the professional level of your experience. For example, Division Chief, Group Supervisor, etc.
Employer Name and Contact Information: Provide the company/agency name and a valid phone number or email address for verification purposes.
Start and End Dates: List the exact month and year for both the start and end of each employment period to verify you meet the time-in-grade and minimum duration requirements for specialized experience.
Hours Worked Per Week: Explicitly indicate if the position was full-time or state the exact number of hours worked per week if part-time. (Specialized experience is credited based on a 40-hour work week; failure to provide hours means your experience cannot be quantified or credited.)
Pay Plan/Series/Grade: For all federal positions held, you should explicitly state your Pay Plan (i.e., GS, GL, etc.), Series (i.e., 1811, 1801, 2210, etc.) and Grade (e.g., GS 01-15). It should be expressed as following example GS-1811-14). If a position was in the private sector or was volunteer work, explicitly state "N/A - Private Sector" or "N/A - Volunteer" so the HR Specialist can accurately assess your equivalent level of experience.
Duties Performed and Accomplishments: Provide a targeted list of responsibilities and measurable achievements. This section must directly mirror and provide evidence of the specialized experience outlined in the qualifications section of this announcement. Use action-oriented, quantifiable bullets to demonstrate your mastery of the required skills.

Important Compliance Rules:

Two-Page Absolute Limit: Resumes must be limited to two pages or less. USAJobs will only allow candidates to upload 2-page resumes. However, any resumes in excess of 2-pages will result in immediate disqualification.
Most Recent Submission Counts: Only the most recent resume submitted under the "Resume" document type will be evaluated for rating and qualification determinations.

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.

An SF-50 showing your time-in-grade eligibility must be submitted with your application materials. If the most recent SF-50 has an effective date within the past year, it may not clearly demonstrate you possess one-year time-in-grade, as required by the announcement. In this instance, you must provide an additional SF-50 that clearly demonstrates one-year time-in-grade.
Examples of appropriate SF-50's include:
- Within grade increases at the highest grade held; or
- Promotions with an effective date more than one year old; or
- SF-50's at the highest grade held with an effective date more than one year old.

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.

Failure to provide the required documentation by the closing date of this announcement will result in elimination of further consideration for this position.

How to Apply

To apply for this position, you must complete the online application questionnaire and submit your supporting documentation. Your complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on 10/21/2026 to receive consideration.

The application process is as follows:

Click Apply to access the online application. You will need to be logged into your USAJOBS account to apply. If you do not have a USAJOBS account, you will need to create one before beginning the application.
Follow the prompts to select your resume and/or other supporting documents to be included with your application package. You will have the opportunity to upload additional documents to include in your application before it is submitted. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process.
After acknowledging you have reviewed your application package, complete the Include Personal Information section as you deem appropriate and click to continue with the application process.
You will be taken to the online application which you must complete in order to apply for the position. Complete the online application, verify the required documentation is included with your application package, and submit the application.

To update your application, including supporting documentation, at any time during the announcement open period return to your USAJOBS account. There you will find a record of your application, the application status, and an option to Edit My Application. This option will no longer be available once the announcement is closed.

To verify the status of your application both during and after the announcement open period, log into your USAJOBS account. Your applications will appear on the Welcome page. Navigate to the job application and click Track this application to view your application status. The link will take you to the hiring agency application system, which has the most up-to-date status of your application. The Application Status will appear along with the date your application was last updated. For information on what each Application Status means click here.

It is your responsibility to ensure all documents are received on time and the materials are legible. If applying online poses a hardship to any applicant, please contact us at the telephone number listed on this announcement. Applicants MUST CONTACT US PRIOR TO THE CLOSING DATE to speak to someone who can provide assistance for on-line submission. Requests for extensions will not be granted.

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.

NEED HELP? If you need help with USAJOBs or the application process, please see the USAJOBS Help website which includes information on managing your account, creating an application, uploading documents, etc.

Agency contact information

Diane Collins

Phone: 0000000000
Email: Diane.Collins@atf.gov

Address: Office of Field Operation
99 New York, NE
Washington, DC 20226
US

Next steps

You can check the status of your application anytime by accessing the USAJOBS online application system at http://www.usajobs.gov. You will need to provide your USAJOBS User ID and Password to access the Track your Online Job Application feature. You may also click on the link provided to access additional information on USAJobs.

All applicants will be notified at four (4) stages in the hiring process:
(1) upon receipt of your application;
(2) after your qualifications have been assessed;
(3) whether or not you've been referred to the Selecting Official;
(4) whether or not you've been selected for the position.

This position will require an interview before the Merit Promotion Board (MPB), the MPB will consider each best qualified candidate and make a selection based upon the following:

Resume
Structured writing assessment
Structured interview

IMPORTANT INFORMATION: If your contact information changes after the closing date of this vacancy announcement, update your profile information in MYUSAJOBS as well as contact the Human Resources Specialist listed on this vacancy announcement to ensure you can be contacted throughout the selection process.

Supervisory Criminal Investigator (Assistant Special Agent in Charge) Job