Clarification from the agency

Applications will be accepted from all U.S. citizens.

• Conduct investigations of firearms licensees and explosives licensees/permittees.  Investigations/inspections involve analyzing records, verifying inventory, examination of business operations, utilization of intelligence databases, and interviewing licensees and permittees to determine compliance with Federal laws and regulations.
• Document and report discrepancies revealed from examining records and inventories; including evidence of falsification of records and inventories, suspicious purchases or potential trafficking uncovered in firearm transaction records reviewed.
• Prepare reports detailing the facts found to document the level of firearms licensee or explosives licensee/permittee compliance with Federal laws and regulations, make recommendations for further necessary action, and testify to actions taken when necessary.

Responsibilities will increase and assignments will become more complex as training and experience progresses.  

PLEASE NOTE:

*If 500 applications are received prior to the closing date, this announcement will close at 11:59 p.m. ET on the date 500 applications are received.

**All Location assignments will be made after selections are identified.  Location assignments are at management's discretion and based on the needs of the Bureau.                                                          

Conditions of employment

• Must be a U.S. Citizen or National.
• Suitable for Federal employment determined by background investigation.
• Pass drug screening and subject to random drug test
• Must successfully complete a background security investigation
• May require a 1 year probationary period.
• Must possess current/valid automobile operator's license.
• Must sign a Mobility Statement.

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

TRAINING REQUIREMENT: If hired, successful completion of the "IOI" Basic Training Program is a condition of continued employment.

Qualifications

To qualify for GS-7,  you must meet one of the following: 

Specialized experience:  Applicant must have at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower grade level GS-5. 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 is defined as experience in analyzing records, documents, or reports and applying the applicable laws and regulations; examining records, documents, inventories and reports for evidence of falsification and documents discrepancies; verifying inventories, utilizes intelligence data to analyze records, and examines business operations; Preparing reports detailing the facts found from inspection in accordance with the laws and regulations.

OR Education: one full year of graduate level education in a field of study related to the position such as business administration, business law, public administration, public policy, criminal justice, communications, physical or social sciences, political science, or other fields of study that provided you with the knowledge, skills and abilities to successfully perform the duties of this position. (Must include official or unofficial transcripts to verify eligibility).

All academic degrees and coursework must be completed at a college or university that has obtained accreditation or pre-accreditation status from an accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. For a list of schools that meet this criteria, see www.ed.gov.

OR Combination of Education and Experience: Education can be combined to meet the minimum qualification requirements. Experience and education should be computed as percentages of the overall requirements and must equal 100% when combined. (Must include official or unofficial transcripts to verify eligibility).

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

The GS-7 salary range starts at ($49,157).   If you are a new federal (civil service) employee, your starting salary will be set at the Step 1 for this position and the grade level for which you are selected.

The Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP). The ICTAP provides eligible displaced Federal competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. If your agency has notified you in writing that you are a displaced employee eligible for ICTAP consideration, you may receive selection priority if: (1) this vacancy is within your ICTAP eligibility; (2) you apply under the instructions in this announcement; and (3) you are found well-qualified for this vacancy. To be well qualified, you must satisfy all qualification requirements for the vacant position and rate equivalent to the silver or better category using established category rating criteria. You must provide proof of eligibility with your application to receive selection priority. Such proof may include a copy of your written notification of ICTAP eligibility or a copy of your separation personnel action form. Additional information about ICTAP eligibility is at: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/workforce-restructuring/employee-guide-to-career-transition/

The Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provides eligible surplus and displaced competitive service employees in the Department of Justice with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. If your Department of Justice component has notified you in writing that you are a surplus or displaced employee eligible for CTAP consideration, you may receive selection priority if: (1) this vacancy is within your CTAP eligibility, (2) you apply under the instructions in this announcement, and (3) you are found well-qualified for this vacancy. To be well qualified, you must satisfy all qualification requirements for the vacant position and rate equivalent to the silver or better category using established category rating criteria. You must provide a copy of your written notification of CTAP eligibility with your application. Additional information about CTAP eligibility is at: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/workforce-restructuring/employee-guide-to-career-transition.

Veterans' Preference: If you are entitled to veteran preference, you should indicate the type of veteran preference you are claiming on your résumé.
https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/workforce-restructuring/employee-guide-to-career-transition - In order to verify your veteran preference entitlement, please submit a copy of the Member Copy 4 of your DD-214 (Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty); official statement of service from your command if you are currently on active duty; or other official documentation (e.g., documentation of receipt of a campaign badge or expeditionary medal) that shows your military service was performed under honorable conditions.

In addition, if you are a disabled veteran, a Purple Heart recipient, or widow/widower of a veteran, the spouse of a disabled veteran or the natural mother of a disabled or deceased veteran, you must submit a Standard Form (SF) 15, "Application for 10-Point Veteran Preference," and the other required documentation identified on the reverse side of the SF-15 to support your preference claim. If the SF-15 is not submitted, the documentation required by the form verifying the service connected disability (e.g. letter from the VA confirming the disability) must be submitted in order to receive 10-point preference consideration.

Although veteran preference points are not assigned under the category rating procedures described under "How You Will Be Evaluated," veteran preference eligibles are listed ahead of non-veterans within each category for which they are qualified. In addition, qualified veterans with a compensable service-connected disability of 10% or more are placed at the top of the highest quality category (i.e. Gold Category).

How you will be evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

Your application will be evaluated and rated under ATF's Category Rating and Selection Procedures. Your resume and supporting documentation will be used to determine whether you meet the job qualifications listed on this announcement. If you are basically qualified for this job, your resume and supporting documentation will be compared to your responses on the online assessment questionnaire. If you rate yourself higher than is supported by your application materials, your responses may be adjusted and/or you may be excluded from consideration for this job.  Your application will then be placed in one of three categories:

Gold - applicants possessing a background that demonstrates a superior level of possession of all evaluation criteria, Silver - applicants possessing a background that demonstrates a satisfactory level of possession of the evaluation criteria or Bronze - applicants possessing the specialized experience. Names of all candidates in the best qualified category will be sent to the hiring official for employment consideration. Candidates within the Gold category who are eligible for veterans preference will receive selection priority over non-veterans preference eligibles.

The assessment questionnaire is designed to measure your ability in the following competencies: 

~Attention to Detail
~Interpersonal Skills
~Planning and Evaluating
~Writing
~Oral Communication 

A writing sample will be required during the interview process.