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Computer Scientist - Field Ops

Department of Justice
Federal Bureau of Investigation

Summary

At the FBI our computer scientists work alongside technology professionals within a dynamic, state-of-the-art environment to prevent cyberattacks through counterterrorism, counterintelligence, fraud, identity theft, and other crimes. These programming experts regularly support special agents and intelligence analysts in their investigations by designing, developing, and testing tools and systems to protect the American people and our national security.

Overview

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Accepting applications
Open & closing dates
12/04/2025 to 12/18/2025
Salary
$42,679 to - $117,034 per year

Salaries listed above are the base rate of pay GS pay scale. A complete list of pay tables factoring in locality pay can be found on OPM.gov

Pay scale & grade
GS 7 - 13
Locations
Many vacancies in the following locations:
Atlanta, GA
Baltimore, MD
New York, NY
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
No
Travel Required
Occasional travel - You may be expected to travel for this position.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Excepted
Promotion potential
13
Job family (Series)
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Sensitive Compartmented Information
Drug test
Yes
Financial disclosure
Yes
Bargaining unit status
No
Announcement number
DESTIMP-12845879-26-VL
Control number
851632200

This job is open to

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The public

U.S. Citizens, Nationals or those who owe allegiance to the U.S.

Federal employees - Competitive service

Current federal employees whose agencies follow the U.S. Office of Personnel Management's hiring rules and pay scales.

Federal employees - Excepted service

Current federal employees whose agencies have their own hiring rules, pay scales and evaluation criteria.

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.

Veterans

Veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces or a spouse, widow, widower or parent of a veteran, who may be eligible for derived preference

Military spouses

Military spouses of active duty service members or whose spouse is 100 percent disabled or died on active duty.

Individuals with disabilities

Individuals who are eligible under Schedule A.

Clarification from the agency

All U.S. Citizens.

Duties

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  • Performs system and network procurement, installation, administration, and security; develops and uses basic computing environments for analysis.
  • Develops and implements custom tools and methods, and uses, troubleshoots and modifies existing tools and methods to identify, isolate, preserve, and analyze digital data.
  • Identifies, vets, and implements new tools and methods.
  • Provides technical assistance in conducting interviews, searches, and other investigative and operational activity; performs liaison and outreach.
  • Drafts documents on technical and other professional matters in varying degrees of difficulty and at the appropriate technical level.
  • Stays current with major new advances in relevant technology-related topics; provides guidance on tools and methods related to these advances.
  • Testifies in court.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • Must be a U.S. Citizen
  • Must be able to obtain a Top Secret-SCI clearance
  • Some travel may be required
  • Required Training: Selectees must successfully complete a 10-week mandatory Computer Scientist Field Operations Training at Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, AL within the first year of employment.

Qualifications

GS-7: Applicant must possess at least one (1) year of SE equivalent to the GS-5 grade level. SE is defined as follows:

  • Used existing tools and methods to identify, preserve, and analyze digital evidence.
  • Assisted with implementation of custom tools, techniques, and procedures used to address unique investigative situations.
  • Provided basic technical and other professional assistance in conducting interviews, searches and other investigative, operational, liaison, and/or outreach activity.
  • Assisted in drafting documents on basic technical and other professional matters.
GS-9: Applicant must possess at least one (1) year of SE equivalent to the GS-7 grade level. SE is defined as follows:
  • Troubleshot and modified as needed existing tools and methods to identify, preserve, and analyze digital evidence.
  • Assisted with the development of custom tools and methods to identify, analyze, and preserve digital evidence.
  • Assisted in drafting documents on more advanced technical matters.
GS-11: Applicant must possess at least one (1) year of SE equivalent to the GS-9 grade level. SE is defined as follows:
  • Assisted others with basic system and network procurement, installation, administration, and security.
  • Used, troubleshot, and modified existing cyber tools and methods to identify, preserve, and analyze digital evidence.
  • Assisted with the development and implementation of custom tools and methods.
  • Provided basic technical and other professional assistance in conducting interviews, searches, and other investigative and operation activity.
  • Drafted documents on basic technical and other professional matters, and assisted in drafting documents on advanced matters.
  • Assisted in coordinating with the private sector and other divisions.
GS-12: Applicant must possess at least one (1) year of SE equivalent to the GS-11 grade level. SE is defined as follows:
  • Performed basic computer system and network procurement, installation, administration and security and assisted others on more complex matters.
  • Used, troubleshot, and modified existing cyber tools and methods to identify, preserve, and analyze digital evidence.
  • Developed and implemented basic custom tools.
  • Provided technical and other professional assistance in conducting interviews, searches, and other investigative activity.
  • Drafted documents on technical and other professional matters, and assisted in drafting documents on advanced matters.
  • Performed liaison and outreach.
GS-13: Applicant must possess at least one (1) year of SE equivalent to the GS-12 grade level. SE is defined as follows:
  • Performed advanced computer system and network procurement, installation, administration and security, and assisted others on more complex matters.
  • Used, troubleshot, and modified existing cyber tools and methods to identify, preserve, and analyze digital evidence.
  • Identified, developed, vetted, and implemented new tools and methods.
  • Provided advanced technical and other professional assistance in conducting interviews, searches and other investigative activity.
  • Coordinated with the private sector and other divisions to lead in the resolution of technical and other relevant issues.
  • Acted as a subject matter expert, and testified as such in court.
  • Remained current with major new advances in cyber and technology topics and provided guidance, tools, and methods on addressing these advances at the national level.

Education

Positive Education Requirement

This position has a specific education requirement; all applicants must verify completion of this basic educational requirement by submitting a copy of their college transcripts at the time of application submission. Education completed in foreign colleges or universities may be used to meet the above requirements provided you can show foreign education is comparable to that received in an accredited educational institution in the United States.

BASIC REQUIREMENTS: All applicants must have a bachelor's degree in Computer Science or bachelor's degree with 30 semester hours in combination of mathematics, statistics, AND computer science (15 of the 30 semester hours MUST have been in any combination of statistics and mathematics that included differential and integral calculus). Courses designed to provide an introduction to computer science techniques and methodologies are acceptable; courses in teaching elementary, business or shop mathematics are NOT acceptable.

All degrees must be from an accredited college or university. Education may be substituted for specialized experience as follows:

GS-7: Applicant must have a bachelor's degree with superior academic achievement or one (1) full year of graduate level education. Superior academic achievement is the completion of all the requirements of a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university, which is based on (1) class standing, (2) grade-point average of 3.0 or higher as recorded on an official transcript, or as based on courses completed during the final two years of the curriculum, or (3) honor society membership.

GS-9: Applicant must 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.

GS-11: Applicant must have 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., if related.

GS-12 and GS-13: Education may not be substituted for SE at these grade levels.

Education completed in foreign colleges or universities may be used to meet the above requirements provided you can show foreign education is comparable to that received in an accredited educational institution in the United States.

Additional information

To attract and retain highly qualified candidates, selectees may be eligible for a recruitment incentive of up to 20% or, for eligible current federal employees, a relocation incentive of up to 10%.

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.

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 using the FBI's Candidate Rating Procedures. Your resume and supporting documents will be reviewed to verify that you meet the job qualifications listed in this announcement and will be compared against your responses to the online assessment questionnaire. If your self-assessment in the vacancy questions is not supported by details in your resume or supporting documents, you may be disqualified from the Most Competitive category. Veterans' preference will be applied. Applicants must meet the qualification requirements by the closing date of this announcement.

If you are deemed Most Competitive, you will be referred to the selecting official for further consideration.

All applicants will be rated on the following Competencies:

  • Analytic Thinking
  • Communication
  • Interpersonal Ability
  • Problem Solving/Judgment
  • Technology Awareness

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