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Firearms and Explosives Program Specialist

Department of Justice
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives
Office of Enforcement Programs and Services
This job announcement has closed

Summary

ATF is a law enforcement agency in the U.S. Department of Justice that protects our communities from violent criminals/criminal organizations, illegal use/trafficking of firearms, illegal use/storage of explosives, acts of arson/bombings, acts of terrorism, and illegal diversion of alcohol/tobacco products. We partner with communities, industries, law enforcement, and public safety agencies to safeguard the public through information sharing, training, research, & technology. Visit www.atf.gov

Overview

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Reviewing applications
Posted 11/01/24
Location
Work site options
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Remote job
No
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Salary
$45,146 - $107,590 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 5 - 11
Pay scale and grade determines the salary of the job.
Work schedule
Full-time
Travel Required
Occasional travel - You may be expected to travel for this position.
Appointment type
Permanent
Supervisory status
No
Federal service type
This job is in the Competitive Service
Represented by a union
No
Drug test
Yes
Security clearance
Top Secret
Position sensitivity and risk
Critical-Sensitive (CS)/High Risk
Jobs require a background check and some require a security clearance. The type depends on the job.
Background check type
Financial disclosure required
No
Some jobs require financial disclosure to identify conflicts of interests.
Announcement number
25-EPS-IMP-12597521-SA
Control number
817114900

This job is open to

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Clarification from the agency

Applications will be accepted from internal employees only of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives serving under a career or career conditional appointment in the competitive service and from CTAP eligibles.

Duties

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This position is located under the Office of Enforcement Programs and Services, Firearms and Explosives Services Division (FESD) and the National Firearms Act Division (NFA Division), located in Martinsburg, West Virginia.

The primary purpose of this position is to plan, develop, coordinate, administer and evaluate policies, programs, systems and procedures to provide for the regulation of the firearms and explosives industries, as required by the Gun Control Act of 1968, as amended; the Arms Export Control Act of 1976; Title XI of the Organized Crime Control Act of 1970, as amended.

Typical duties will include:

GS-05

  • Analyzes legal documents, tax records and returns.
  • Researches legal contracts pertaining to purchases of firearms, explosives, and ammunition.
  • Utilizes various information technology (IT) software and hardware to research the Internet and various databases.
  • Answers inquiries from law enforcement, industry representatives, business firms, and the public.


GS-07

  • Explains procedures and policies prescribed under pertinent laws, regulations, and directives.
  • Performs basic assignments which demonstrate a basic understanding of the functions and operation of EPS and Bureau policies and regulations.
  • Briefs visitors and participates in the training of lower graded specialists,
  • Compiles information, enter and retrieve data, generate reports, and depict data in various spreadsheet and report formats.


GS-09

  • Reviews, evaluates, processes, restricts, or recommends approval or denial of applications and supporting documents.
  • Utilizes office equipment and the capabilities and limitations of numerous databases and computer systems.
  • Responds to complex inquiries from applicants,
  • Provides technical advice and assistance to Field Operations personnel, law enforcement agencies, applicants, and industry members.


GS-11

  • Responds to complex inquiries from applicants, resolves applicant and industry concerns, and participates in criminal and regulatory investigations.
  • Conducts background checks, investigates criminal histories, and analyzes court and other legal documents to resolve original and delayed background checks.
  • Performs complex assignments which demonstrate an in-depth understanding of the functions and operation of EPS and Bureau policies and regulations.
  • Acts on and processes applications to include refunds.


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

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

The time-in-grade requirement must be met by the closing date of this announcement. The qualification requirements listed below must be met by the closing date of the announcement.

This is a non-bargaining unit position.

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.

Key Requirements:
  1. Must be a U.S. Citizen or National.
  2. Suitable for Federal employment determined by background investigation.
  3. Must be registered or exempt from the Selective Service. See www.sss.gov
  4. Must sign a mobility agreement as condition of employment

Qualifications

To qualify for a GS-05, candidates must also have at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower grade level GS-04.

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 is:

  • Compiling data from computer generated reports; AND
  • Communicating, both orally and in writing.

OR

Completed a 4-year course of study leading to a bachelor's degree.

OR

Have a combination of education and experience as described above, that when combined equals 100% of the qualification requirement.

To qualify for a GS-07, candidates must also have at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower grade level GS-05.

Specialized experience is:
  • Using databases to complete reviews and searches of data and/or reports; AND
  • Applying knowledge of firearms, explosives, and ammunition in order to process requests; AND
  • Communicating with others orally and in writing.
OR

Completed (1) one full year of progressively higher-level graduate education; or (2) a bachelor's degree with superior academic achievement (SAA.). S.A.A. is based on class standing--upper third of the graduating class, grade-point average--3.0 or higher on a 4.0 scale or election to membership in a national scholastic honor society.

OR

Have a combination of specialized experience (less than 1 year) and graduate education (less than 1 year) as described above, that when combined equals 100% of the qualification requirement.


To qualify for a GS-09, candidates must also have at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower grade level GS-07.

Specialized experience is:
  • Carrying out recurring assignments independently that are covered by established procedures; AND
  • Utilizing multiple databases and/or computer systems; AND
  • Applying knowledge of firearms, explosives, and ammunition in order to process requests; AND
  • Communicating with others orally and in writing.
OR

Have a master's or equivalent graduate degree or 2 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree or LL.B or J.D., if related.

OR

Have a combination of specialized experience (less than 1 year) and graduate education (beyond 1 year), that when combined equals 100% of the qualification requirement (NOTE: only graduate education in excess of one year (generally 18 semester hours) may be used in this calculation.

To qualify for a GS-11, candidates must also have at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower grade level GS-09.

Specialized experience is:
  • Reviews, approves and/or denies applications and supporting documents; AND
  • Utilizes multiple databases and/or computer systems; AND
  • Provides technical advice on policies relating to firearms and explosives; AND
  • Communicates with others orally and in writing.
OR

Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree

OR

3 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree

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 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 score 85 or better on established ranking 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.usajobs.gov/Help/working-in-government/unique-hiring-paths/federal-employees/career-transition/

Education

All academic degrees and course work 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.

Additional information

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

Selective Service: If you are a male applicant born 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. See www.sss.gov.

EEO Statement: The United States Government does not discriminate in employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status, status as a parent, genetic information, disability, age, membership or non-membership in an employee organization, or on the basis of personal favoritism. If you believe you have been subjected to discrimination, you must contact the ATF EEO office within 45 calendar days of when the alleged harm occurred at 202-648-8760 or eeointakemailbox@atf.gov. Please see DOJ Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Policy.

DIVERSITY Statement: "As the federal agency whose mission is to ensure the fair and impartial administration of justice for all Americans, the Department of Justice is committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive work environment. To build and retain a workforce that reflects the diverse experiences and perspectives of the American people, we welcome applicants from the many communities, identities, races, ethnicities, backgrounds, abilities, religions, and cultures of the United States who share our commitment to public service."

Reasonable Accommodation Statement: 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."Federal Regulations state no ATF employee, his/her spouse, or his/her minor child shall have, directly or indirectly, any financial interest, including compensated employment, stock, or proprietary interest in the alcohol, tobacco, firearms or explosives industries. You should be aware that you may be asked to relinquish any ownership of or interests in the alcohol, tobacco, firearms or explosives industries before a determination can be made whether access to ATF information, information technology systems, and/or facilities can be authorized."

Additional vacancies may be filled from this vacancy announcement.

How you will be evaluated

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

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. If you are found to be among the top candidates, you will be referred to the selecting official for employment consideration.

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

Decision Making
Attention to Detail
Technical Competence
Oral Communication
Learning
Reasoning

To preview the Assessment Questionnaire, click https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12597521

Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) is looking for energetic, innovative, solution-oriented professionals to help the ATF team succeed in our responsibilities to reduce violent crime and protect the public.

Agency contact information

Sara Arizaga
Phone
202-648-9089
Email
sara.arizaga@atf.gov
Address
Office of Enforcement Programs and Services
99 New York Ave., N.E.
Washington, DC 20226
US

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