Clarification from the agency

Applications will be accepted only from current permanent Forest Service (FS) employees with competitive status; Land Management eligibles whose last appointment was with the FS; and CTAP/RPL eligible candidates.

• Duties listed are at the full performance level GS-13.
• Develops, analyzes, and evaluates new or revised law enforcement policy statements and guidelines which often affect other National Forest System resource programs or activities.
• Serves as a full member of Forest Supervisors' Management/Leadership Team as a technical advisor on the more complex short-range and long-range problems/issues associated with public safety and law enforcement actions.
• Identifies budget needs and develop project work plans for a forest or zone public safety and patrol law enforcement program.
• Coordinates and participates in efforts of Federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies in planning and conducting law enforcement operations on National Forest System lands.
• Develops and administers cooperative law enforcement agreements with other Federal, state, county, and local government entities.
• Serves as the primary liaison between uniformed law enforcement personnel and the Region's special agent cadre for investigative case work occurring on the unit(s).
• Plans work to be accomplished by subordinates, set and adjusts short-term priorities, and prepares schedules for completion of work.
• May assist with preliminary investigations or conduct full investigations of misdemeanor crimes and offenses of regulatory and Federal criminal laws affecting National Forest System lands.
• Conducts investigations and assists special agents with other complex cases, including working in an undercover capacity and developing informants.

Conditions of employment

• Must be a U.S. Citizen or National.
• Males born after 12/31/1959 must be Selective Service registered or exempt.
• Subject to satisfactory adjudication of background investigation and/or fingerprint check.
• Successful completion of one-year probationary period, unless previously served. Refer to the Next Steps section for more information.
• Per Public Law 104-134 all Federal employees are required to have federal payments made by direct deposit to their financial institution.
• Successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, visit e-verify.gov
• Subject to one year supervisory/managerial probationary period unless prior service is creditable. New Forest Service supervisors must successfully complete all components of the required training program before the end of their probationary period.
• This position requires initial and continuing qualifications in the use of firearms as outlined in the Gun Control Act of 1968, amended by the Lautenberg Amendment of 1996.
• This is a Test Designated Position. You will be tested for illegal drugs prior to appointment and randomly thereafter. Appointment and continued employment is conditional on negative results.
• This position requires the incumbent to operate a motor vehicle and must have or be able to obtain a valid driver's license.
• There may be additional Conditions of Employment not listed here; however applicants will be notified of any specific requirements at the time a tentative job offer is made.
• Physical Requirement- This position is subject to successful completion of multiple pre-employment physical efficiency battery (PEB) assessments.
• Medical requirement- This position is subject to successful completion of pre-employment medical examination.
• Conditional Offer Suitability Assessment- This authorization for release of information is part of the Executive Order 14074
• Selectee is subject to financial disclosure requirements and must submit form OGE-450, Confidential Financial Disclosure Report, within 30 days of appointment and annually thereafter.
• Selectee must successfully complete, or have completed, the Basic Law Enforcement for Land Management Agencies Program at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center, Glynco, GA.
• You must have three years of service in positions that have been approved for Rigorous or Primary Law Enforcement retirement coverage.
• Federal grooming standards typically require employee in law enforcement, uniformed services, and public-facing roles to maintain a neat, clean and professional appearance.

Qualifications

In order to qualify, you must meet the eligibility and qualifications requirements as defined below by the closing date of the announcement. For more information on the qualifications for this position, visit the Office of Personnel Management's General Schedule Qualification Standards.

Your application and resume must clearly show that you possess the experience requirements. Transcripts must be provided for qualifications based on education. Provide course descriptions as necessary.

NOTE: To be eligible for Secondary Law Enforcement Coverage, you must 1) move directly from a federal Primary/Rigorous position; 2) complete 3 years of service in a primary/rigorous position, and 3) must be continuously employed in a secondary position(s) since moving from a primary/rigorous position.

Selective Placement Factor: Must have at least three years of service in positions that have been approved for Rigorous or Primary Law Enforcement retirement coverage.

Specialized Experience Requirement:

GS-11:Applicants must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-09 grade level. Specialized experience is defined as 3 or more of the following:

1. Assisting senior officers by gathering data, reviewing draft law enforcement policies, and summarizing impacts on National Forest System operations to support program planning and decision-making.
2. Supporting multi-jurisdictional enforcement efforts by sharing intelligence, coordinating logistics, and participating in joint patrols with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement partners.
3. Conducting preliminary investigations of public-use incidents and resource violations, secured and documented crime scenes, collected evidence, interviewed witnesses, and prepared investigative reports, assisted agents with complex cases under guidance.
4. Maintaining investigative records, entered data into tracking systems, monitored trends, and ensured accountability of assigned law enforcement equipment; supported budgeting by tracking routine operational costs.
5. Assisting with public-safety planning for recreation events and high-use areas; identified law-enforcement concerns in field operations, recommended preventive measures, and helped prepare materials for cooperative agreements and search-and-rescue coordination.

OR a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree or 3 full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree or LL.M., in a field that provided the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of the position such as Law Enforcement Land Management or Natural Resource Protection.

OR an appropriate combination of specialized experience and graduate level education (beyond what is required for a master's degree, i.e., more than 36 semester hours leading to a Ph.D.). The education must have been obtained in an accredited college or university and demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work.

GS-12:Applicants must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-11 grade level. Specialized experience is defined as 3 or more of the following:

1. Assisting in developing, reviewing, and recommending updates to law-enforcement policies, guidelines, and operational procedures that supported public-safety and land-management objectives while ensuring consistency with agency directives, regulatory requirements, and program goals.
2. Participating in the evaluation of law-enforcement and public-safety techniques, operational methods, and program needs, providing input for project work plans, identifying resource requirements, and assisting with monitoring program costs to maintain operations within approved budget levels.
3. Coordinating with Federal, state, local, and tribal agencies to support planning and execution of enforcement and compliance activities on public lands, contributing to multi-jurisdictional operations, special events planning, and interagency communication to ensure effective public-safety outcomes.
4. Supporting the development and administration of cooperative agreements and interagency partnerships, including gathering operational needs, preparing documentation, serving as a point of contact for district-level coordination, and assisting with recommendations for cooperative funding allocations.
5. Maintaining and monitoring law-enforcement program equipment, case-tracking data, and operational records, ensuring accurate documentation, analyzing data for trends or emerging compliance issues, and using the information to recommend adjustments to patrol or enforcement priorities.

GS-13:Applicants must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-12 grade level. Specialized experience is defined as 3 or more of the following:

1. Assisting in developing and evaluating law enforcement policies, operational procedures, and program guidelines by reviewing field data, identifying gaps or emerging issues, and offering technical recommendations to improve public safety operations and support resource-protection programs across a forest or zone.
2. Independently conducted criminal and regulatory investigations involving violations of Federal laws on public lands, including crime-scene processing, evidence collection, witness and suspect interviews, case documentation, and preparation of investigative reports used in U.S. Magistrate Court or by senior special agents. Assisted in portions of felony investigations under the technical supervision of a senior criminal investigator.
3. Coordinating patrol operations and investigative activities with Federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement agencies, supporting the planning and execution of multi-jurisdictional operations, special events, and search-and-rescue missions. Contributed to interagency briefings, shared intelligence, and ensured cohesive enforcement efforts across organizational boundaries.
4. Supporting law-enforcement program administration by assisting in identifying budget needs, managing program equipment inventories, reviewing enforcement data, and analyzing case trends to recommend patrol priorities, preventive strategies, and resource allocations. Ensured accurate and timely entry of investigative and enforcement data into required reporting systems.
5. Providing technical advice, training support, and operational guidance to officers and forest staff, helping interpret policies, apply legal authorities, and address public-safety issues arising from recreation management, timber operations, and other resource activities. Contributed to developing corrective or preventive measures to reduce law-enforcement risks in project planning and field operations.

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.

TIME IN GRADE REQUIREMENT: If you are a current federal employee in the General Schedule (GS) pay plan and applying for a promotion opportunity, you must meet time-in-grade (TIG) requirements of 52 weeks of service at the next lower grade level in the normal line of progression for the position being filled. This requirement must be met by the closing date of this announcement.

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 your qualifications for this position as evidenced by the experience, education, and training you described in your application package, as well as the responses to the Assessment Questionnaire to determine the degree to which you possess the competencies listed below:

Your application, including the online Assessment Questionnaire, will be reviewed to determine if you meet (a) minimum qualification requirements and (b) the resume supports the answers provided to the job-specific questions. Your resume must clearly support your responses to all the questions addressing experience and education relevant to this position.

If you meet the qualification requirements and are determined to be among the best qualified, you will be referred to the hiring manager for consideration. Noncompetitive candidates and applicants under some special hiring authorities must meet minimum qualifications to be referred.

Note: If, after reviewing your resume and/or supporting documentation, a determination is made that you inflated your qualifications and or experience, your rating may be lowered to more accurately reflect the submitted documentation. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your rating. Providing inaccurate information on Federal documents could be grounds for non-selection or disciplinary action.

To view the application form, visit: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12954089

The following documents are required for your applicant package to be complete. Encrypted documents will not be accepted. Failure to submit required, legible documents may result in loss of consideration.

Resume that includes: Personal Information: name, address, contact information; Education; Work Experience related to this position as described in the major duties including work schedule, hours worked per week, dates of employment; title, series, grade (if applicable); other qualifications. Resume cannot exceed 2 pages.

If education is required or being used to qualify, you must submit a copy of your college transcripts. An unofficial copy is sufficient with the application if it includes your name and the necessary course information; however, if you are selected, official transcripts will be required prior to entering on duty. Education must have been successfully obtained from an accredited school, college or university. If any education was completed at a foreign institute, you must submit with your application evidence that the institute was appropriately accredited by an accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education as equivalent to U.S. education standards. There are private organizations that specialize in this evaluation and a fee is normally associated with this service. For a list of private organizations that evaluate education, visit the NACES website. All transcripts must be in English or include an English translation.

Current Forest Service employees:

• Most recent non-award Notification of Personnel Action (SF-50) showing you are/were in the competitive service, highest grade held (or promotion potential) on a permanent basis, position title, series and grade AND
• Most recent performance appraisal (dated within 18 months) showing the official rating of record, signed by a supervisor, or statement why the performance appraisal is unavailable. A performance plan is not an acceptable substitute.

Surplus or displaced employees eligible for CTAP, RPL, or ICTAP priority must provide: proof of eligibility (RIF separation notice, notice of proposed removal for declining a transfer of function or directed reassignment to another commuting area, notice of disability annuity termination), SF-50 documenting separation (as applicable), current performance appraisal with rating of at least "Fully Successful" or equivalent, and your most recent SF-50 noting position, grade level, and duty location with your application per 5 CFR 330.

Land Management Workforce Flexibility Act: Copies of Notification of Personnel Action(s) (SF-50) showing the employee served in eligible appointment(s) for a period(s) of more than 24 mos w/o a break between appointments of two+ years. Include initial hire actions, extensions, conversions and separation Sf-50s for each period. Submit performance rating(s) showing acceptable performance for each period counted towards eligibility signed by supervisor(s). If documentation does not exist for one or more periods, submit a statement from supervisor(s) indicating acceptable performance. Applicants who do not have performance documentation for any period shall provide a reason why the documentation is not available and statement that performance for all periods was at an acceptable level.

Next steps