Technical Surveillance Specialist
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives See More Job Openings by This Employer
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
Duties
This position is located in the Office of Field Operations, Washington, DC Field Division, in Washington, District of Columbia.
This position serves as a Technical Surveillance Specialist (electronics specialist) in the Washington Field Division office, in the Office of Field Operations (FO), Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF). Responsible for coordinating all technical activities relating to law enforcement clandestine technologies and operations in the field division and often throughout the United States.
As a Technical Surveillance Specialist, at the GS-1801-12, your typical work assignments may include:
- Coordinates with ATF management officials on projected covert electronics systems, current and planned capabilities, cost benefit questions, etc., and furnishes technical leadership, review, and problem-solving assistance to surveillance system users, the special agent in charge, tactical operations officers, and counterparts and representative of other Federal, State, local, and foreign law enforcement agencies.
- Directly participates with special agents in utilizing technical surveillance techniques to gather evidence in support of criminal investigations and other enforcement operations.
- Attends and receives briefings concerning the objectives of specific investigations, available intelligence on identified suspects, and the evidence collection requirements for the activity, all of which must be documented.
- Consults with field SACS, assistant special agents in charge, and Headquarters program managers, and conducts surveys to review usage rates, determine cost benfits, and operational considerations such as ease of usage, adaptability to varying situations, ease of midfication, environmental conditions, etc.
As a Technical Surveillance Specialist, at the GS-1801-13, your typical work assignments may include:
- Serves as an expert source of technical electronics program knowledge and support for an assigned field division. Interprets and adapts broad FO-wide policies for the division, taking into account knowledge of the local conditions and specific enforcement operations.
- Designs, acquires, assembles, modifies, tests, and prepares technical surveillance equipment for installation. Conducts covert installations in a variety of undercover locations (e.g. vehicles, apartments, warehouses, etc.).
- Develops operating guidance and maintenance procedures for field offices throughout the field division and at times throughout FO.
- Interprets the effect of broad ATF law enforcement policies, applicable Federal statutes, and Department and ATF directives and legal concerns on technical surveillance activities, systems, and functions.
Responsibilities will increase and assignments will become more complex as your training and experience progresses.
Salary- $99,200 - $153,354/year
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:- Must be a U.S. Citizen or National.
- Suitable for Federal employment determined by background investigation.
- Must be registered or exempt from the Selective Service. See www.sss.gov
- Must sign a mobility agreement as condition of employment
- Must operate a Government-owned vehicle
- May be required to obtain a commercial driver's license to operate mobile command vehicles or National Response Team (NRT) vehicles.
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.
To qualify for GS-12, candidates must also have at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower grade level GS-11.
GS-12 - You qualify if you possess one year of specialized experience, equivalent to the GS-11 grade level in the Federal, State, or Local government or equivalent public or private sector experience, performing the following duties Specialized Experience:
- Utilizing a wide variety of state-of-the-art surveillance equipment and devices in planning and implementing law enforcement clandestine methods and procedures to support investigative activities); and
- Designing and analyzing circuits, determining design feasibility, evaluating equipment performance under varying environmental conditions, and collecting performance data; and
- Evaluating the adequacy of equipment for such purposes as repair, calibration, and testing.
To qualify for GS-13, candidates must also have at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower grade level GS-12.
GS-13 - You qualify if you possess one year of specialized experience, equivalent to the GS-12 grade level in the Federal, State, or Local government or equivalent public or private sector experience, performing the following duties Specialized Experience:
- Operations of electronic technical surveillance equipment across multiple disciplines (e.g. IP technology and applications, video management system, global positioning system (GPS), microwave technologies, cellular technologies, tactical mesh technologies); and
- Analyzing and diagnosing faults in the operational configuration of electronic systems and equipment ability to interpret circuit wiring, logic cable diagrams, drawings, specifications and schematics of complete systems and equipment to understand the function and interconnections of the various assemblies and be able to troubleshoot the system; and
- Evaluating and recommending potential uses of state-of-the art technical surveillance equipment to management.
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:
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.
Required Documents
- ALL APPLICANTS: You must submit a detailed resume 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);
- The number of hours worked per week (or indicate full-time). Permanent and Volunteered
- Your Pay Plan/series/grade and step and a detailed list of duties & accomplishments
- SF-50, Notification of Personnel Action (if applicable for Time in Grade and/or Eligibility):
- Most recent SF-50 if you are a current or former Federal employee
- An SF-50 showing your time-in-grade eligibility must be submitted with your application materials. If the most recent SF-50 has an effective date within the past year, it may not clearly demonstrate you possess one-year time-in-grade, as required by the announcement. In this instance, you must provide an additional SF-50 that clearly demonstrates one-year time-in-grade.
- Award 50's do not provide sufficient information and will not be accepted for the purpose of verifying time-in-grade.
- Examples of appropriate SF-50's include:
- Within grade increases at the highest grade held; or
- Promotions with an effective date more than one year old; or
- SF-50's at the highest grade held with an effective date more than one year old.
- CTAP/ICTAP documentation, if applicable.
It is your responsibility to ensure all documents are received on time and the materials are legible. If applying on-line poses a hardship to any applicant, please contact us at the telephone number listed on this announcement. Applicants MUST CONTACT US PRIOR TO THE CLOSING DATE to speak to someone who can provide assistance for on-line submission. Requests for extensions will not be granted. Paper applications submitted without prior approval from the agency point of contact may be handled as incomplete. IMPORTANT INFORMATION: If your contact information changes after the closing date of this vacancy announcement, update your profile information in MYUSAJOBS as well as contact the Human Resources Specialist listed on this vacancy announcement to ensure you can be contacted throughout the selection process.
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.
A complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on the closing date of the announcement to receive consideration.
This job is filled through a 3-step on-line application process.
STEP ONE - (Online Resume- USAJOBS) You must create a user account and at least one federal resume at USAJOBS. Information you provide in USAJOBS is general information completed by all applicants. The information you provide and your federal resume will become part of your application and will automatically be transferred to USA Staffing System when you apply online. If you have an existing USAJOBS account, simply login and select the resume you wish to include with your application package for this announcement.
STEP TWO - (Vacancy Specific Questions USAJobs) In USAJobs, you will answer vacancy specific questions necessary to evaluate your qualifications for the job to which you are applying. When completed, the information you provided at USAJOBS and the answers to the USAJob questions will become your application package.
STEP THREE - (Supporting Documentation) You may upload supporting documentation in one of two ways:
(l) Once you finish answering the questions in the job announcement, you will be prompted to upload your document(s) to your application package. You will be given the choice to either upload the document as part of the application process, or you can select a document that you've already loaded on USAJOBS, or simply fax supporting documentation, which will provide you the necessary cover sheets for each of your documents so that they will be correctly submitted to the appropriate vacancy announcement. The fax number will be available on the cover sheet.
(2) You can upload a document to an existing application by logging into your USAJOBS account profile. Click on "My Applications" and search for the vacancy. Once you have located the vacancy, click on the vacancy and select "Apply Online". Move through your existing application to the Documents page and select "Upload" in order to add a document to your application. Be certain to review your complete application for confirmation that the document uploaded and click on "Finished" to be returned to USAJOBS. Your complete online application and any required supplemental documentation (e.g. SF-50, CTAP) must be received by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) on the closing date of this announcement.
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.
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.
