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Program Specialist

Department of Justice
Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys and the Office of the U.S. Attorneys
District of Columbia-Criminal Division-Violent Crimes and Narcotics Trafficking (VCNT)

Summary

The United States Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia mission is to enforce the criminal laws of the United States and the District of Columbia, represent the interests of the United States in civil litigation, and respond to the public safety needs of the community by leading an effective, well-coordinated law enforcement effort that contributes to the overall goal of improving the quality of life in the District of Columbia.

Overview

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Accepting applications
Open & closing dates
03/23/2026 to 03/27/2026
Salary
$102,415 - $133,142 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 12
Location
1 vacancy in the following location:
Washington, DC
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Travel Required
Not required
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
12 - The full performance level of this position is GS-12.
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Not Required
Drug test
Yes
Position sensitivity and risk
High Risk (HR)
Trust determination process
Financial disclosure
No
Bargaining unit status
No
Announcement number
26-DC-12908334-IMP
Control number
861397300

This job is open to

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Clarification from the agency

Current Federal employees in permanent competitive service positions (status candidates) in the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia, plus well-qualified surplus and displaced DOJ employees (CTAP) in the local commuting area.

Duties

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This Program Specialist provides program and administrative support to the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) and the Chief of the Violent Crimes and Narcotics Trafficking (VCNT).

If selected for this position, you will join a well-respected team that is responsible for providing Program Specialist support in the U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Columbia, located in Washington, District of Columbia, focusing in the areas of Violent Crimes and Narcotics Trafficking.

Typical work assignments will include:

  • Reviews and interprets literature and legislation on legislative intent regarding program asset seizures and forfeiture issues.
  • Plans, coordinates, produces, and compiles material for, and participates in, criminal litigation training conferences.
  • Attends conferences with external law enforcement agencies and working groups.
  • Conducts administrative and legal research of criminal litigation work.
  • Performs paralegal and criminal intake analysis duties.
  • Enters investigative case updates, charging instruments and final reports into the appropriate tracking and management information systems.
  • Reviews and processes new proposals for the Lead Task Force AUSA and coordinates monthly District meetings and coordinates annual district-wide case reviews.
  • Monitors input and output of asset seizures and forfeiture cases from case tracking systems.

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

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • You must be a United States Citizen or National to apply for this position.
  • You must successfully pass a background investigation. This may include a credit check, a review of financial issues, as well as certain criminal offenses and illegal use or possession of drugs.
  • Selective Service: Males born after 12/31/59 must be registered or exempt from Selective Service (see http://www.sss.gov/).
  • A probationary period may be required.
  • All Federal employees are required to have Federal salary payments made by direct deposit to a financial institution of their choosing.
  • A pre-employment drug test will be required.
  • Bargaining Unit Position: No.
  • Relocation expenses will not be paid.
  • As needed, additional positions may be filled using this announcement.
  • If you receive a conditional offer of employment for this position, you will be required to complete an Optional Form 306, Declaration for Federal Employment, and to sign and certify the accuracy of all information in your application.
  • Must provide resume and supporting documents (See required documents).
  • Time-in-Grade: Current or former Federal employees applying under merit promotion considerations must meet applicable time-in-grade requirements for consideration within 30 days after the closing date of this announcement.
  • You must meet all qualification requirements within 30 days after the closing date of this announcement and before placement in the position.

Qualifications

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS: To be considered minimally qualified for this position, you must demonstrate that you have the required specialized experience for the respective grade level in which you are applying:

To qualify at the GS-12 level, you must possess:

Specialized Experience: At least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-11 level in the Federal service performing (obtained in either the public or private sectors) (4) of the (5) duties listed below:

  1. Conducting complex studies and analysis of operations, organizational workflow and allocation of funds/resources for the task force related program;
  2. Preparing and maintaining district-wide investigative files for cases monitoring program activities;
  3. Entering investigative case updates, charging instruments and final reports into the appropriate tracking and management information systems;
  4. Drafting complaints and associated legal documents;
  5. Coordinating and compiling materials to produce standard work measurement reports and forms.

IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE MAY NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE.

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. If your resume does not support your questionnaire answers, we will not allow credit for your response(s). For more information on the qualifications for this position, click here.

TIME-IN-GRADE REQUIREMENTS: Merit promotion applicants must meet applicable time-in-grade requirements to be considered eligible. One year at the GS-11is required to meet the time-in-grade requirements for the GS-12 level.
  • You must submit your SF-50 that shows Time-in-Grade eligibility and reflects your title, series, and grade. No award SF-50 will be accepted; recommended SF-50s include promotions and step increases (within grade increases).
All applicants will be reviewed to ensure they meet minimum qualification and eligibility requirements before carrying out the rating and ranking process. Applicants will not be further considered who will not meet within 30 days after the closing date of the vacancy announcement all qualification and eligibility requirements.

NOTE(s):
  • Experience: 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 Occupational 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.

Education

This job does not have an education qualification requirement.

Additional information

Payment of relocation expenses will not be authorized.

Background Investigation: To ensure the accomplishment of its mission, the Department of Justice requires each and every employee to be reliable and trustworthy. To meet those standards, all selected applicants must undergo and successfully complete a background investigation for a clearance as a condition of placement in this High-Risk position. This review includes financial issues such as delinquency in the payment of debts, child support and/or tax obligations, as well as certain criminal offenses and illegal use or possession of drugs.

Current or Former Political Appointees: The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) must authorize employment offers made to current or former political appointees. If you are currently, or have been within the last 5 years, a political Schedule A, Schedule C, Non-career SES or Presidential Appointee employee in the Executive Branch, you must disclose this information to the Human Resources Office.

The Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provides eligible surplus and displaced 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 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 Highly Qualified or better category using established category rating criteria. Additional information about CTAP eligibility, click here.

Reasonable Accommodation (RA) Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a RA in your online application. Requests for RA for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for RA must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for RA are made on a case-by-case basis. If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, based on your adjudication decision. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, if you received the link after the close of the announcement. To determine if you need a RA, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments: Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments.

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.


You will be evaluated based on how well you meet the qualifications listed in this vacancy announcement. Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g., resume, supporting documents), your responses on the application questionnaire, and your responses to all assessments required for this position. You will be assessed on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics):

  • Attention to Detail
  • Customer Service
  • Decision Making
  • Flexibility
  • Integrity/Honesty
  • Interpersonal Skills
  • Learning
  • Reading Comprehension
  • Reasoning
  • Self-Management
  • Stress Tolerance
  • Teamwork



The USA Hire Assessment includes a cut score based on the minimum level of required proficiency in these critical general competencies. You must meet or exceed the cut score to be considered. You will not be considered for the position if you score below the cut score or fail to complete the assessment.

Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or application questionnaire may result in your removal from consideration. Cheating on an assessment may also result in your removal from consideration.

To preview the application questionnaire, click the following link: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12908334

Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys and the Office of the U.S. Attorneys

If you are looking for an exciting and challenging career, this is the position for you! With a diverse and talented workforce of over 100,000 men and women, The Department of Justice leads the Nation in ensuring the protection of all Americans while preserving their constitutional freedoms. You will be part of a dedicated team helping to enforce Federal criminal and civil laws that protect life, liberty and the property of citizens.

For more information on the Department of Justice and the United States Attorneys' Offices, visit www.justice.gov/usao/.

Agency contact information

Staff Acquisition
Email
SAG-E-Appeals@opm.gov
Address
US Attorney's Office District of Columbia
601 D Street, NW
Washington, DC 20579
US

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Learn more about what it's like to work at Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys and the Office of the U.S. Attorneys, what the agency does, and about the types of careers this agency offers.

https://www.justice.gov/usao-dc

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