Criminal Investigator- Special Agent

THIS IS NOT AN OPEN JOB ANNOUNCEMENT. This is a public notice for Drug Enforcement Administration Criminal Investigator GL-1811-7/9/11 positions open to U.S. Citizens. A job announcement will be posted on USAJobs every first Monday of each quarter (January, April, July and October). For more information about Special Agent positions, please visit Talk to a Recruiter.

Duties

At the DEA, our people are agents for change. A unique mission requires special talent. As a DEA Special Agent, you will work as part of an elite criminal investigative team that transforms the power of your talent into action. That action makes a difference for the security and well-being of our nation and the world every day.

• Conducts complex criminal investigations targeting narcotics and drug related activities;
• Prepares comprehensive and succinct criminal investigative reports and prepares and delivers briefings for senior personnel and other Federal, state, and local agencies;
• Identifies and apprehends drug traffickers and arresting individuals engaged in criminal drug activities;
• Gathers and analyzes evidence through investigative leads, seizures, arrests, execution of search warrants, and a variety of other means;
• Testifies on behalf of the Federal government in court or before grand juries.

Salary

• $47,562 - $80,737/year

Conditions of Employment

• U. S. Citizenship Required.
• Must be able to obtain and maintain a Top-Secret security clearance.
• Must sign a mobility agreement that confirms your understanding and agreement to accept relocation to any location depending on the needs of the DEA.
• This position requires the completion of a pre-employment medical clearance and annual medical examination.
• You must pass a pre-employment polygraph examination. If you do not pass the pre-employment polygraph examination, you will not be eligible for hire in a DEA Special Agent position.
• Selective Service: Males born after 12/31/59 must be registered or exempt from Selective Service (see http://www.sss.gov/).
• Applicant must be at least 21 years of age and not older than 36 at the time of appointment, unless you are a preference eligible veteran or a current, or previously served in a Federal civilian law enforcement retirement covered position.
• Successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, visit: http://www.dhs.gov/E-Verify/.
• Successful completion of a trial period is required.
• This position requires that the incumbent must possess and maintain a valid state driver's license.
• Incumbent is subject to random drug testing.
• Basic Agent Training Requirement: If selected, individuals are required to successfully complete a 16 to 20-week basic agent training (BAT) course held at the DEA Training Academy in Quantico, Virginia.

Qualifications Applicants must meet all of the required qualification requirements described below by the closing of this announcement. If you are qualifying based on education, you MUST submit a copy of your transcript with your application that clearly displays conferred degrees and/or relevant credit hours. All applicants must meet one of the basic qualification requirements described below for this position.

For the GL-07 Level:
Must have one (1) year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GL/GS-05 level or pay band in the Federal service that includes performing the following duties:

• Assisting in investigations of alleged or suspected violations of law;
• Writing reports of findings, results, or accomplishments for information or action relating to law enforcement activities and/or court cases;
• Researching, collecting and analyzing data from a variety of sources relating to investigations; -OR-

• Class Standing: Applicants must be in the upper third of the graduating class, based on completed courses;
• Grade Point Average: Applicants must have a grade point average of:
  • 3.0 or higher: Based on 4 years of education or as computed based on courses completed during the final 2 years of the curriculum; OR;
  • 3.5 or higher: Based on the average of the required courses completed in the major field or the required courses in the major field completed during the final 2 years of the curriculum; OR;
• Election to membership in a national scholastic honor society: Applicants can be considered eligible based on membership in one of the national scholastic honor societies recognized by the Association of College Honor Societies OR;

Education If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements: Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education (http://www.ed.gov/admins/finaid/accred/). PASS/FAIL COURSES: If more than 10 percent of your undergraduate course work (credit hours) were taken on a pass/fail basis, your claim of superior academic achievement must be based upon class standing or membership in an honor society. GRADUATE EDUCATION: One year of graduate education in considered to be the number of credit hours your graduate school has determined to represent one academic year of full-time study. Such study may have been performed on a full-time or part-time basis. If you cannot obtain your graduate school's definition of one year of graduate study, 18 semester hours (or 27 quarter hours) should be considered as satisfying the requirement for one year of full-time graduate study. FOREIGN EDUCATION: If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show the education credentials have been evaluated by a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign education programs and such education has been deemed equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program; or full credit has been given for the courses at a U.S. accredited college or university. For further information, click here. Other Information

Physical Task Assessment : THE PTA IS THE 1st ASSESSMENT YOU WILL BE REQUIRED TO COMPLETE to evaluate your present ability to successfully participate in the strenuous physical activities required during basic agent training. You are highly encouraged to view the following PTA video to ensure you fully understand the protocols that are required to pass the PTA.

Law Enforcement Availability: Special Agents may be required to work substantial overtime and occasional irregular work schedules, to include weekends and holidays. Special Agents must be readily accessible to perform unscheduled work. Law Enforcement Availability Pay (LEAP) is provided to Special Agents to ensure their availability and are compensated based upon 25 percent of the respective grade's base salary.

Pay: Positions filled at the 07 and 09 levels, pay will be set using the Law Enforcement Officer locality pay tables. This link reflects the base rates and final salary will be based on duty station. For positions filled at the 11 level, pay will be set using the GS pay rates and the final salary will be based on the duty station assigned.

Applicant Availability: Applicants must be available to complete all phases of the Special Agent applicant process. Failure to successfully complete/pass any of the screening processes will result in the applicant being disqualified and removed from consideration.

Medical Requirements: The duties of this position require moderate to arduous physical exertion involving walking and standing, use of firearms, and exposure to inclement weather. If selected, you will be required to pass a pre-employment medical examination. Any physical condition that would cause the applicant to be a hazard to himself/herself, or others is disqualifying.

Firearms Requirement: This position requires individuals to be authorized to carry a firearm and maintain firearm proficiency. Special Agent positions are subject to the Lautenberg Amendment, 18 U.S.C. Section 922(g)(9). Individuals are required to verify that they have not been convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence.

Employment Drug Policy: All DEA applicants are required to disclose their current and past drug usage and activity. The DEA recognizes some otherwise qualified applicants may have used illegal drugs or abused legal drugs or substances in their past. These circumstances will be assessed on a case-by-case basis.

Appointments: If selected, appointments will be made in accordance with 5 CFR 213.3210 (Schedule B), Excepted Service Appointments. Individuals appointed via the Schedule B authority may be converted to permanent Career appointments at the third or fourth year from the initial appointment.

Mobility Agreement: This position is subject to reassignment to any domestic DEA facility, depending on the needs of the DEA. Individuals selected for this position are required to sign a mobility agreement as a condition of employment. Applicants must ensure that family members are prepared for and support any assignment location.

Relocation Expenses: Full relocation expenses will be paid for individuals transferring from another Federal position. New Federal government employees are subject to limited relocation expenses and are responsible for moving expenses not covered by DEA policies.

Additional information on Special Agent employment eligibilities, medical and physical requirements, and the hiring process are available on the DEA Special Agent careers site.

Required Documents

All required documents listed below, that are applicable to you, must be submitted to our automated system by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) on the closing date of the announcement.

1. Resume: showing relevant work/volunteer experience, education and training. Include the start and end dates (from month/year to month/year) and the number of hours per week worked/volunteered. Your resume serves as the basis for qualification determinations and must support your answers to the completed online assessment questions.

2. Transcripts, if applicable and you are qualifying based on education: See the Qualification and Education sections of this announcement for more information. If selected, an official/sealed college transcript(s) will be required to verify education prior to employment.

3. Veterans' Preference Documentation, if applicable:

• To claim 5-point preference, submit a copy of your DD-214 Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty.
• To claim 10-point preference, submit all required documentation outlined on the SF-15 (Application for 10-Point Veteran Preference) to support your claim (e.g., DD-214, official statement from the Department of Veterans Affairs, etc.). If we cannot verify your 10-point preference claim, your application will be reviewed for 5-point preference.
• To claim 10-point derived preference (i.e., spouses, widows, widowers or mothers of veterans), submit a completed SF-15 and all required documentation listed on the SF-15 to support your claim.
• To claim 0-point Sole Survivorship preference, submit a copy of your DD-214 or another form of official documentation showing that your discharge or release from active duty occurred on or after August 29, 2008 and was based on a sole survivorship discharge.
• For all preference claims:
  • DD-214 Member 4 copies are preferred and must show the dates of service, type of discharge, and any qualifying service campaign medals.
• For more veterans' preference information, visit the USAJOBS Help Center.

4. DEA Drug Questionnaire: All applicants must fully disclose any drug use during the application process. Download the drug questionnaire here.

How to Apply

THIS IS NOT AN OPEN JOB ANNOUNCEMENT. This is a public notice for Drug Enforcement Administration Criminal Investigator GL-1811-7/9/11 positions open to U.S. Citizens.

A job announcement will be posted on USAJobs every first Monday of each quarter (January, April, July and October).

For more information about Special Agent positions, please visit Talk to a Recruiter.

Benefits

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. Learn more about federal benefits.

Review our benefits