This position is located under the Office of Science and Technology, Forensic Sciences Division, Laboratory Services Branch, Forensic Crime Gun Intelligence Laboratory in Wichita, Kansas. Laboratory work encompasses a broad range of responsibilities critical to ATF's mission of combatting violent crime.
This is an open continuous announcement, open until July 10, 2026. Qualified applicants will be considered and referred as vacancies become available.
Summary
This position is located under the Office of Science and Technology, Forensic Sciences Division, Laboratory Services Branch, Forensic Crime Gun Intelligence Laboratory in Wichita, Kansas. Laboratory work encompasses a broad range of responsibilities critical to ATF's mission of combatting violent crime.
This is an open continuous announcement, open until July 10, 2026. Qualified applicants will be considered and referred as vacancies become available.
This position is being filled using OPM Direct-Hire Authority (5 CFR 337.204 (Subpart B). Direct-Hire Authority (DHA) is a hiring authority granted by the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) to address critical hiring needs or severe candidate shortages.
The incumbent serves as a Physical Scientist (Fingerprint Specialist) in a Forensic Science Laboratory within the Office of Science and Technology (OST) and is responsible providing forensic support of the Bureau's primary law enforcement missions and technical guidance to laboratory personnel. ATF Laboratory Services conducts scientific, technical, and physical analyses on evidentiary material and analyzes data connected with criminal investigations. Typical work assignments include:
Performs forensic fingerprint examinations with minimal technical guidance.
Uses appropriate laboratory techniques to develop and compare latent prints in order to determine if they share a common origin.
Draws conclusions based on fully documented physical examination of the evidence and interpretation of scientific results and prepares laboratory reports.
Works with senior examiners to evaluate new technology and scientific equipment for adoption or acquisition by Laboratory Services.
Provides expert witness testimony on the basis of laboratory examinations.
May be required to serve a one-year probationary period.
Pass drug screening and subject to random drug test.
Suitable for Federal employment determined by background investigation.
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. This is a non-bargaining unit position.
Qualifications
To qualify for the position of Physical Scientist (Fingerprint Specialist), at GS-1301-12, you must meet the basic qualification requirements listed below by the closing date of the announcement.
Basic Requirements
A. Degree: physical science, engineering, or mathematics that included 24 semester hours in physical science and/or related engineering science such as mechanics, dynamics, properties of materials, and electronics.
OR
B. Combination of education and experience -- education equivalent to one of the majors shown in A above that included at least 24 semester hours in physical science and/or related engineering science, plus appropriate experience or additional education.
AND
To qualify for this position at the GS-12 grade level, candidates must also have at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-11) by the closing date of this announcement.
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 must include all of:
Physically examining a wide range of evidence from criminal investigations requiring the development and comparison of latent prints; AND
Performing comparative testing of finger/palm print evidence, both visible and latent, to determine if they share a common origin; AND
Preparing laboratory reports detailing the conclusions of examinations and comparisons of finger/palm print evidence performed; AND
Formal training or experience providing court testimony as an expert witness based on laboratory examinations of finger/palm print evidence.
Experience as a qualified forensic fingerprint specialist in an accredited crime laboratory is preferred.
Your resume must support your responses to the application questionnaire and the qualification requirements. Failure to do so may result in an ineligible rating.See the Required Documents section for important notes about what must be included in your resume.
Education
Education must be reviewed and certified by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education, in order for it to be creditable towards your qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from accredited institutions.
FOREIGN EDUCATION: Education completed in foreign colleges or universities may be used to meet the requirements. You must show proof the education credentials have been deemed to be at least equivalent to that gained in a conventional U.S. education program. It is your responsibility to provide such evidence when applying. For special instructions pertaining to foreign education and a list of organizations that can evaluate foreign education, see the Department of Education website. If you are qualifying on foreign education, you MUST submit proof of creditability of education as evaluated by a credentialing agency. Transcripts must be uploaded with your application to verify education. All documentation must be in English or include an English translation.
Additional information
Additional selections may be made from this announcement.
This announcement is being advertised under a government-wide Direct-Hire Authority approved by OPM for filling vacancies when a severe shortage or critical hiring need exists. Veterans Preference and other Category Rating procedures do not apply to this announcement. Applicants must meet all qualification requirements of the position. The hiring office may interview and select any qualified candidate of their choosing from the qualified pool. See OPM, Direct Hire Authority for more information.
Career Transition Programs (CTAP or ICTAP): These programs apply to Federal and/or DOJ employees who meet the definition of surplus or displaced from a position in the competitive service. To receive selection priority for this position, you must:
Be rated well-qualified for the position based on the competencies listed above; and submit the appropriate documentation to support your CTAP or ICTAP eligibility. Well-qualified is defined as having knowledge, skills, abilities, and/or competencies clearly exceeding the minimum qualification requirements for the vacancy and score 85 or better on established ranking criteria.
EEO Statement/Policy: The United States government does not discriminate in employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, pregnancy, national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, membership in an employee organization, retaliation, parental status, military service or other non-merit factor.
Probationary Period: As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you may be required to serve a 1-year probationary period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest.
Reasonable Accommodation: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.
Selective Service: If you were born male, on or 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. Additional information is found at: www.sss.gov.
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. Candidates will not be hired based on their race, sex, color, religion, or national origin.
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.
A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.
Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.
How you will be evaluated
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
This is an open continuous announcement to fill a specialized or hard-to-fill position.
This is an open-continuous announcement with an initial cut-off date of 5/1/2026 and then the 15th and 1st of every month, as needed, until the closing date. Once an applicant list is pulled, a review of your resume and supporting documentation will be conducted by the HR Specialist. This information will be compared against your responses to the application questionnaire to determine your eligibility for Federal employment, and then whether you are qualified for this particular position. All credentials must be received at the time of application submission. If a determination is made that you have inflated your responses when compared to your background information, you may be deemed ineligible.
Structured Resume Review: Subject matter experts (SMEs) will review your resume to determine your technical qualifications for this position based on the required specialized experience. SMEs will review ONLY two pages of your resume, starting at your work experience. SMEs will not review any additional information beyond your resume (e.g., cover letter). Applicants who pass the structured resume review will be added to the list of qualified candidates.
Per Direct-Hire Authority requirements, all qualified candidates will be referred to the hiring office for consideration. You will be notified if referred to a hiring official and if selected for an interview. The hiring office may select any qualified candidate without regard to special eligibility considerations. Veterans' preference is not applicable.
Your qualifications will be evaluated on the following competencies:
Forensics
Research
Written Communication
Oral Communication
The position is open until filled, but no later than July 10, 2026. You may only apply to this vacancy once. No updates will be permitted. If you incur changes to your credentials or eligibilities, please continue to review USAJOBS for additional similar vacancies throughout the year.
A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.
Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.
It is your responsibility to carefully review the list of required documents below and submit the necessary documentation based on your eligibility.
Resume - All Applicants: You must submit a resume (a two page or less resume is required) containing the following pieces of information for each job entry listed in your employment history:
Official position title,
Employer name and contact information,
Start and end dates (including month and year),
Indicate full-time or number of hours worked per week if part-time,
A list of duties performed and accomplishments.
College Transcripts - All Applicants: You must submit a transcript, which may be unofficial, as long as it contains a full listing of courses, credit earned, grade and grade-point-average, subject area, degree(s) earned, and dates of award. Note: If you are selected for this position, official transcripts will be required prior to your first day.
Your transcript must come from a nationally accredited educational institution recognized by the Department of Education.
Please do not submit electronic transcripts with documentation security protection, these may prevent our application system from accepting and processing the document.
CTAP/ICTAP eligibility documentation - If you are a displaced Federal employee claiming eligibility under CTAP or ICTAP, you must submit:
A copy of the agency notice (i.e., letter of intent to separate, separation notice, or agency RIF letter),
Your most recent performance appraisal, and
Most recent SF-50 showing current/former position, grade, promotion potential, and duty location.
Prior to selection, the candidate may be required to provide an original copy of any supporting/ validating documentation as well as other documentation to verify eligibility. All required materials must be uploaded using the supporting documentation instructions described in the announcement.
Failure to provide the required documentation by the closing date of this announcement will result in elimination of further consideration for this position.
To apply for this position, you must complete the online application questionnaire and submit your supporting documentation. Your complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on 07/10/2026 to receive consideration.
The application process is as follows:
Click Apply to access the online application. You will need to be logged into your USAJOBS account to apply. If you do not have a USAJOBS account, you will need to create one before beginning the application.
Follow the prompts to select your resume and/or other supporting documents to be included with your application package. You will have the opportunity to upload additional documents to include in your application before it is submitted. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process.
After acknowledging you have reviewed your application package, complete the Include Personal Information section as you deem appropriate and click to continue with the application process.
You will be taken to the online application which you must complete in order to apply for the position. Complete the online application, verify the required documentation is included with your application package, and submit the application.
Essay Questions: The following four narrative questions provide an opportunity for you to highlight your dedication to public service for the hiring manager and agency leadership (or designee(s)). While your responses are not required and will not be scored, we encourage you to thoughtfully address each question. Please provide a response of 200 words or less to each question (see the application questionnaire). You will be asked to certify that you are using your own words and did not use a consultant or artificial intelligence (AI) such as a large language model (LLM) like ChatGPT or Copilot.
How has your commitment to the Constitution and the founding principles of the United States inspired you to pursue this role within the Federal government? Provide a concrete example from professional, academic, or personal experience.
In this role, how would you use your skills and experience to improve government efficiency and effectiveness? Provide specific examples where you improved processes, reduced costs, or improved outcomes.
How would you help advance the President's Executive Orders and policy priorities in this role? Identify one or two relevant Executive Orders or policy initiatives that are significant to you, and explain how you would help implement them if hired.
How has a strong work ethic contributed to your professional, academic or personal achievements? Provide one or two specific examples, and explain how those qualities would enable you to serve effectively in this position.
NEED HELP?
If you need help with USAJOBs or the application process, please see the USAJOBS Help or Application Manager Online Help websites which includes information on managing your account, creating an application, uploading documents, etc.
Office of Science and Technology
99 New York Ave., N.E.
Washington, DC 20226
US
Next steps
Next Steps:
You can check the status of your application anytime by accessing the USAJOBS online application system at http://www.usajobs.gov. You will need to provide your USAJOBS User ID and Password to access the Track your Online Job Application feature. You may also click on the link provided to access additional information on USAJobs.
All applicants will be notified at four (4) stages in the hiring process:
(1) upon receipt of your application;
(2) after your qualifications have been assessed;
(3) whether or not you've been referred to the Selecting Official;
(4) whether or not you've been selected for the position.
If your name is sent to the hiring manager, you may be invited for an interview.
We strive to extend a final offer of employment within 90 days from the close of this announcement.
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
It is your responsibility to carefully review the list of required documents below and submit the necessary documentation based on your eligibility.
Resume - All Applicants: You must submit a resume (a two page or less resume is required) containing the following pieces of information for each job entry listed in your employment history:
Official position title,
Employer name and contact information,
Start and end dates (including month and year),
Indicate full-time or number of hours worked per week if part-time,
A list of duties performed and accomplishments.
College Transcripts - All Applicants: You must submit a transcript, which may be unofficial, as long as it contains a full listing of courses, credit earned, grade and grade-point-average, subject area, degree(s) earned, and dates of award. Note: If you are selected for this position, official transcripts will be required prior to your first day.
Your transcript must come from a nationally accredited educational institution recognized by the Department of Education.
Please do not submit electronic transcripts with documentation security protection, these may prevent our application system from accepting and processing the document.
CTAP/ICTAP eligibility documentation - If you are a displaced Federal employee claiming eligibility under CTAP or ICTAP, you must submit:
A copy of the agency notice (i.e., letter of intent to separate, separation notice, or agency RIF letter),
Your most recent performance appraisal, and
Most recent SF-50 showing current/former position, grade, promotion potential, and duty location.
Prior to selection, the candidate may be required to provide an original copy of any supporting/ validating documentation as well as other documentation to verify eligibility. All required materials must be uploaded using the supporting documentation instructions described in the announcement.
Failure to provide the required documentation by the closing date of this announcement will result in elimination of further consideration for this position.
To apply for this position, you must complete the online application questionnaire and submit your supporting documentation. Your complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on 07/10/2026 to receive consideration.
The application process is as follows:
Click Apply to access the online application. You will need to be logged into your USAJOBS account to apply. If you do not have a USAJOBS account, you will need to create one before beginning the application.
Follow the prompts to select your resume and/or other supporting documents to be included with your application package. You will have the opportunity to upload additional documents to include in your application before it is submitted. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process.
After acknowledging you have reviewed your application package, complete the Include Personal Information section as you deem appropriate and click to continue with the application process.
You will be taken to the online application which you must complete in order to apply for the position. Complete the online application, verify the required documentation is included with your application package, and submit the application.
Essay Questions: The following four narrative questions provide an opportunity for you to highlight your dedication to public service for the hiring manager and agency leadership (or designee(s)). While your responses are not required and will not be scored, we encourage you to thoughtfully address each question. Please provide a response of 200 words or less to each question (see the application questionnaire). You will be asked to certify that you are using your own words and did not use a consultant or artificial intelligence (AI) such as a large language model (LLM) like ChatGPT or Copilot.
How has your commitment to the Constitution and the founding principles of the United States inspired you to pursue this role within the Federal government? Provide a concrete example from professional, academic, or personal experience.
In this role, how would you use your skills and experience to improve government efficiency and effectiveness? Provide specific examples where you improved processes, reduced costs, or improved outcomes.
How would you help advance the President's Executive Orders and policy priorities in this role? Identify one or two relevant Executive Orders or policy initiatives that are significant to you, and explain how you would help implement them if hired.
How has a strong work ethic contributed to your professional, academic or personal achievements? Provide one or two specific examples, and explain how those qualities would enable you to serve effectively in this position.
NEED HELP?
If you need help with USAJOBs or the application process, please see the USAJOBS Help or Application Manager Online Help websites which includes information on managing your account, creating an application, uploading documents, etc.
Office of Science and Technology
99 New York Ave., N.E.
Washington, DC 20226
US
Next steps
Next Steps:
You can check the status of your application anytime by accessing the USAJOBS online application system at http://www.usajobs.gov. You will need to provide your USAJOBS User ID and Password to access the Track your Online Job Application feature. You may also click on the link provided to access additional information on USAJobs.
All applicants will be notified at four (4) stages in the hiring process:
(1) upon receipt of your application;
(2) after your qualifications have been assessed;
(3) whether or not you've been referred to the Selecting Official;
(4) whether or not you've been selected for the position.
If your name is sent to the hiring manager, you may be invited for an interview.
We strive to extend a final offer of employment within 90 days from the close of this announcement.
Fair and transparent
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
