Clarification from the agency

Current permanent federal employees with competitive status, Land Management Workforce Flexibility Act eligibles, Farm Service Agency permanent county employees, CTAP/RPL/ICTAP, Military Spouses and VEOA eligibles,.

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• Duties listed are at the full performance level GS-12.
• Develops, analyzes, and evaluates new or revised law enforcement policy statements and guidelines which often effect National Forest System resource program or activities.
• Evaluates new techniques, methods, and operational approaches for handling law enforcement and public safety functions.
• Coordinates and participates in efforts of Federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies in planning and conducting law enforcement operations on National Forest System lands.
• Develops and administers cooperative law enforcement agreements with other Federal, state, county, and local government entities.
• Incumbent is responsible for the procurement, maintenance, issuance, and inventory of all law enforcement equipment assigned to Supervisory Law Enforcement Officers, Law Enforcement Officers, and Reserve Law Enforcement Officers.
• Monitors forest resource and protection activities including timber sales and recreation areas to identify potential law enforcement problems.
• Assigns work to subordinates based on priorities, selective consideration of the difficulty and requirements of assignments, and the capabilities of employees.
• Provides leadership, allocates resources, and implements activities to accomplish Forest Service multicultural organization direction and Equal Opportunity and Civil Rights requirements, goals, policies, and objectives.
• Conducts investigations and assists special agents with other complex cases, including working in an undercover capacity and developing informants.

Conditions of employment

• Must be a U.S. Citizen or National.
• Males born after 12/31/1959 must be Selective Service registered or exempt.
• Subject to satisfactory adjudication of background investigation and/or fingerprint check.
• Successful completion of one year probationary period, unless previously served.
• Per Public Law 104-134 all Federal employees are required to have federal payments made by direct deposit to their financial institution.
• Successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, visit e-verify.gov
• Subject to one year supervisory/managerial probationary period unless prior service is creditable. New Forest Service supervisors must successfully complete all components of the required training program before the end of their probationary period.
• Must be at least 21 years of age.
• Selectee is subject to financial disclosure requirements and must submit form OGE-450, Confidential Financial Disclosure Report, within 30 days of appointment and annually thereafter.
• Must meet job-related medical, fitness, and/or physical standards as determined by an examination or test.
• Must possess or be able to obtain a Secret security clearance.
• Subject to one year supervisory/managerial probationary period unless prior service is creditable. New USDA supervisors must successfully complete all components of the required training program before the end of their probationary period.
• Must possess and maintain a valid driver's license.
• The incumbent must successfully complete, or have completed, the Basic Law Enforcement for Land Management Agencies Program at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center, Glynco, GA.

Qualifications

In order to qualify, you must meet the eligibility and qualifications requirements as defined below by the closing date of the announcement. For more information on the qualifications for this position, visit the Office of Personnel Management's General Schedule Qualification Standards.

Your application and resume must clearly show that you possess the experience requirements. Transcripts must be provided for qualifications based on education. Provide course descriptions as necessary.

Medical Requirements - The duties of positions in this series require moderate to arduous physical exertion involving walking and standing, use of firearms, and exposure to inclement weather. Manual dexterity with comparatively free motion of finger, wrist, elbow, shoulder, hip, and knee joints is required. Arms, hands, legs, and feet must be sufficiently intact and functioning in order that applicants may perform the duties satisfactorily. Sufficiently good vision in each eye, with or without correction, is required to perform the duties satisfactorily. Near vision, corrective lenses permitted, must be sufficient to read printed material the size of typewritten characters. Hearing loss, as measured by an audiometer, must not exceed 35 decibels at 1000, 2000, and 3000 Hz levels. Since the duties of these positions are exacting and responsible, and involve activities under trying conditions, applicants must possess emotional and mental stability. Any physical condition that would cause the applicant to be a hazard to himself/herself, or others is disqualifying.

Work Environment: The work environment regularly involves high risks with exposure to potentially dangerous situations or unusual environmental stress which require a range of safety and other precautions, e.g., possible physical attack or mob conditions, operation of automobiles in high-speed chases, or similar situations where conditions cannot be controlled.

Physical Demands: The work requires, on a regular and recurring basis, considerable and strenuous physical exertion, including periods of standing, walking, and running over rough, uneven, or rocky surfaces; frequent climbing of multiple flights of stairs; lifting heavy objects over 50 pounds; crouching or crawling in restrictive areas during search or pursuit activities; and/or physically subduing uncooperative individuals. The work involves the risk of attack without warning, requires quick decisions to protect the lives of other law enforcement personnel and the public, with deadly force used only as a last resort. Due to the requirements of this position, applicants must have prior law enforcement experience that included the following activities: enforcement of criminal laws of the United States through investigation, apprehension, or detection of individuals suspected or convicted of offenses against these criminal laws. This experience must be reflected in the resume.

NOTE: To be eligible for Secondary Law Enforcement Coverage, you must 1) move directly from a federal Primary/Rigorous position; 2) complete 3 years of service in a primary/rigorous position, and; 3) must be continuously employed in a secondary position(s) since moving from a primary/rigorous position.

Selective Placement Factor: Must have at least three years of service in positions that have been approved for Rigorous or Primary Law Enforcement retirement coverage.

Specialized Experience Requirement:

GS-11: Applicants must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-09 grade level. Specialized experience is defined as one or more of the following: performing law enforcement activities such as detection, investigation, apprehension, detention, prosecution, and/or experience conducting full investigations of misdemeanors; assisting in felony investigations; serving as a law enforcement technical specialist for natural resource and protection activities to identify and resolve law enforcement problems.

OR 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., in a field that provided the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of the position such as Law Enforcement Land Management or Natural Resource Protection;

OR an appropriate combination of specialized experience and graduate level education (beyond what is required for a master's degree, i.e., more than 36 semester hours leading to a Ph.D.). The education must have been obtained in an accredited college or university and demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work.

GS-12 Level: One year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-11 grade level. Specialized experience is defined as one or more of the following: developing, analyzing, and evaluating new or revised law enforcement policies, techniques, methods, and operational approaches to address specific law enforcement and public safety functions; conducting difficult investigations involving the establishment of interrelationships between facts or evidence, unusual circumstances, variations in approach and incomplete or conflicting data; formulating, planning and coordinating patrol and investigation activities involving multi-jurisdictional or multi-agency law enforcement and investigative operations.

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.

TIME IN GRADE REQUIREMENT: If you are a current federal employee in the General Schedule (GS) pay plan and applying for a promotion opportunity, you must meet time-in-grade (TIG) requirements of 52 weeks of service at the next lower grade level in the normal line of progression for the position being filled. This requirement must be met by the closing date of this announcement.

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 your qualifications for this position as evidenced by the experience, education, and training you described in your application package, as well as the responses to the Assessment Questionnaire to determine the degree to which you possess the competencies listed below:

• Criminal Investigation
• Partnering
• Planning and Evaluating
• Problem Solving
• Supervision
• Workforce Environment

Your application, including the online Assessment Questionnaire, will be reviewed to determine if you meet (a) minimum qualification requirements and (b) the resume supports the answers provided to the job-specific questions. Your resume must clearly support your responses to all the questions addressing experience and education relevant to this position.

If you meet the qualification requirements and are determined to be among the best qualified, you will be referred to the hiring manager for consideration. Noncompetitive candidates and applicants under some special hiring authorities must meet minimum qualifications to be referred.

Note: If, after reviewing your resume and/or supporting documentation, a determination is made that you inflated your qualifications and or experience, your rating may be lowered to more accurately reflect the submitted documentation. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your rating. Providing inaccurate information on Federal documents could be grounds for non-selection or disciplinary action.

To view the application form, visit: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12789604