About This Position
This position is located in the Washington Field Office, Office Field Management, Domestic Operations Directorate, Bureau of Diplomatic Security, (DS/FLD/WFO), Washington, DC. The Office of Field Office Management is responsible for managing and coordinating processes and policies related to the overall management of the domestic field and resident offices throughout the U.S. For more information about the Bureau, visit: DS
Qualifications
Applicants must meet all the required qualification requirements described below by the closing date of this announcement.
NOTE: Applicants must meet time-in-grade and time after competitive appointment requirements, by the closing date of this announcement. Time-In-Grade Requirements: Federal applicants must have served 52 weeks at the next lower grade to satisfy time-in-grade restrictions, per 5CFR 300, Subpart F.
Applicants must have 1 year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-14 level in the Federal service which provided the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities to perform the duties of the position. Qualifying specialized experience must demonstrate the following: Experience leading or overseeing criminal investigations involving passport fraud, visa fraud, threats to diplomatic personnel, or counterintelligence matters, including case initiation, resource allocation, evidence review, and coordination with prosecutorial authorities.; AND Experience developing long-range plans, operational strategies, or policy guidance for criminal investigative programs or field office operations, including budget preparation, resource allocation, and program evaluation.; AND Experience providing advice and guidance to senior management officials on criminal investigative operations, protective security programs, or law enforcement policy matters of national or international significance. There is no substitute of education for specialized experience for the GS-15 position.
In addition, applicant's experience must also demonstrate that the candidate possesses the following qualities: Ability to assign, review, and supervise the work of others; Objectivity and fairness in judging people on their ability, and situations on the facts and circumstances; Ability to adjust to change, work pressures, or difficult situations without undue stress; Willingness to consider new ideas or divergent points of view; and Capacity to "see the job through." AGE REQUIREMENT: All applicants must be no more than 37 years of age upon entry into this position, unless one of the following exceptions are met: You are a preference eligible veteran (You must submit a copy of your DD-214 verifying your preference eligibility.); OR You have prior Federal civilian law enforcement experience covered by Title 5 U.S.C. section 8336 such that, when the years of service is subtracted from your current age, you will be under 37 years of age. (You will need to provide proof of service prior to selection.) 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.
This position requires all incumbents to meet physical fitness standards to ensure they are prepared to carry out all of their official responsibilities. All applicants tentatively selected for this position must complete and submit a Physical Readiness Test (PRT) Self-Evaluation. Prior to receiving a final offer, applicants must pass a Diplomatic Security Service administered PRT.
For information on the PRT standards, please visit https://careers.state.gov/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/DS-PRT-Guide-Revised-161019.pdf and https://careers.state.gov/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/DS-PRT-Standards-Revised-161019.pdf. Incumbents of this position will be required to maintain the physical fitness standards set by the agency and participate in triannual fitness testing. TRAINING: Must successfully complete OR have successfully completed the Criminal Investigations Training Program (CITP) at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center, Glenco, GA, AND the Basic Special Agent Course (BSAC) at the Diplomatic Security Training Center.
Candidates will be required to sign a Training Agreement attesting to their understanding that failure to successfully complete the training will result in removal. Additionally, within one year of BSAC graduation, newly hired Criminal Investigators will be required to enroll in the “Advanced Tactics, Leadership, and Skills" (ATLaS) course offered through the Diplomatic Security Training Center. The ATLaS course is 11 weeks long and focuses on enhanced tactics, training and leadership skills.
All Criminal Investigators are required to take this course and complete a refresher course every five years.
Major Duties
Interact extensively with senior executives at other federal agencies within the law enforcement and intelligence community, and senior executives in the private sector.
Oversee the conduct of criminal investigations including case initiation, progress monitoring, resource allocation for undercover operations or arrests (when required), and preparation for prosecution or administrative actions.
Manage the development of programs and operational requirements, to include preparation of annual and supplemental budgets for the Field Office.
Provide expert advice and guidance to senior management regarding DSS's plans, strategies, and policy development for their field office's operations and programs.
Develop and implement policy directives, rules, and regulations for the field office.
Education
Education requirements do not apply to this vacancy announcement.
How You Will Be Evaluated
The evaluation process consists of the Monster Competency Based Assessments for which applicants will be assigned a score between 70 and 100. A resume review by subject matter experts will be conducted for the top qualified candidates based on total score. Resumes longer than two pages will be deemed ineligible and will not be considered further.
You will be assessed on the following job-related competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics): Supervisory: Oral Communication, Interpersonal Skills, Problem Solving, Decision Making, Customer Service, Leadership, Planning & Evaluating, Influencing/Negotiating, Strategic Thinking, Human Capital Management.] Your score from the external Supervisory assessment will remain on file for 180 days, allowing you to apply for multiple DOS-announced positions without needing to retake the assessments. Top applicants may be referred to the hiring manager for further consideration. The assessment is used to measure the degree in which your background matches the competencies and KSAs required for this position.
Your qualifications will be evaluated on the following competencies: Knowledge of federal criminal investigative principles, practices, and techniques. Skill in directing and coordinating complex criminal investigations. Ability to manage and integrate multiple complex programs.
Knowledge of supervisory and managerial principles and practices. Skill in exercising supervisory and managerial authority. Ability to exercise sound judgment and make critical decisions. Resume review: Subject matter experts (SMEs) will review your resume to determine your qualifications for this position based on the required specialized experience.
Your resume should demonstrate how you meet all aspects of the specialized experience statement. SMEs will not review additional information beyond your resume (e.g., links embedded in your resume will not be opened.). If meeting basic qualifications through education only or a combination of education and experience, applicants will not be referred to the SME panel but will be reviewed by the HR Specialist for referral.
Applicants found to be among the top qualified candidates will be referred to the hiring official for further consideration and possible interview. Qualified non-competitive candidates must be deemed best qualified based on the applicant assessment in order to be referred to the hiring official for further consideration and possible interview. In describing your experience, please be clear and specific.
We do not make assumptions regarding your experience. Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application may result in your removal from consideration.
You may preview questions for this vacancy.
Additional Information
For reasonable accommodation at the U.S. Department of State, please contact the Office of Accessibility and Accommodations at [email protected]. OAA is responsible for reviewing and adjudicating reasonable accommodation (RA) requests for the Assessment Battery being used for this announcement. RA requests cover additional time on timed sections only.
Applicants MUST submit their application before the vacancy closes, even if pending an adjudication decision.
Applicants will have 48 hours after their RA request is adjudicated to complete the assessment battery. Scores generated after the allotted timeframe will not be admissible and the applicant will not be considered further for the vacancy. If a different type of RA is needed, please contact OAA directly at [email protected].
If eligible, situational telework agreements may be permitted with supervisory approval. Multiple positions may be filled from this announcement. If eligible, applicants to this announcement may be referred to other similar positions in other Bureaus/Offices in the Department for up to 240 days and may require a higher or lower security clearance.
Telework eligibility and security clearance requirements may vary for such similar positions. Agency & Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP & ICTAP): View OPM's CTAP & ICTAP eligibility website for more information.
You must be rated in the Well-Qualified category and submit supporting documents under the required documents section of this announcement to receive selection priority consideration. To be considered Well-Qualified applicants must: score an 85 or above, meet Minimum Qualifications, and demonstrate proficiency in some, but not all major aspects of the position.
How to Apply
Prepare your application in USAJOBS To start your application, click Apply and we'll walk you through the process to attach a resume and any required documents. During the application process you can review, edit, delete, and update your information. We'll automatically save your progress as you go, so you won't lose any changes.
You have until 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) on the closing date of this announcement to complete the application process. STEP 1: Select the "Apply" button and follow the instructions to register or sign into USAJOBS.
STEP 2: Submit your resume. Please see the Required Documents section for specific information that should be outlined in your resume. STEP 3: Complete the online assessment questions. STEP 4: Submit all required documentation applicable to you, as listed in the Required Documents section.
To learn how to view the status of your submitted supporting documentation and application, visit the Application Instructions section of our agency's Civil Service selection process site. Technical assistance with your on-line application is available through the Help Desk at [email protected] or by calling (866) 656-6830 between the hours of 7:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. ET Alternate Application Procedures If applying online poses an extreme hardship, you may request alternate application procedures to submit your application package.
Contact the Human Resources office listed on the announcement between the business hours of 8:15 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. ET at least 2 working days prior to the closing date of this announcement. The application package for alternate application procedures must be submitted and received in the Human Resources office no later than 11:59 p.m.
ET on the closing date of this announcement. Paper applications and information sent by mail will not be accepted.
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 this announcement.
- Resume limited to two pages 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. Resumes longer than two pages will be deemed ineligible and will not be considered further.
- Most recent SF-50s (Notification of Personnel Actions), if you are a current eligible DOS employee (per 3 FAM 2313.4(a)(5)), including current employees applying under a non-competitive hiring authority. The SF-50s must show: effective date, position title, series, grade, salary, tenure, position occupied, full promotion potential, and name of agency. Multiple SF-50s may be needed to show all required information (e.g., promotion, within-grade increase, and separation SF-50s). Award SF-50s often do not show the required information.
- Performance appraisal, strongly encouraged for current eligible DOS employees. Submit a copy of your most recent (i.e., usually within the last 18 months) final (i.e., not a mid-year review) official (i.e., signed by the rating official and in original format) annual performance appraisal for the hiring manager's consideration. If a performance appraisal is not available, you may provide a statement and/or a statement from your supervisor explaining the reason one is not available and your servicing HR Office contact information (name, email address, phone number).
Note: You may be requested to provide an appraisal to the hiring official if one was not provided with your application. To receive a promotion, the employee's most recent performance rating must be “fully successful” or an equivalent level or higher. Employees who are tentatively selected to receive a promotion will be required to provide performance documentation within two business days of request. Servicing HR Offices may be contacted to verify performance ratings.
- Non-competitive hiring authority eligibility documentation, if applicable. If you are a current eligible DOS employee applying under a non-competitive hiring authority (e.g, FS tenured employees, USUN reinstatement eligibles, Schedule A), you must submit proof of non-competitive eligibility with your application. For information related to Schedule A hiring authority for individuals with disabilities visit OPM's hiring information site.
- CTAP documentation, if applicable (e.g., reduction-in-force (RIF) separation notice, certification of expected separation, etc.). In addition submit a copy of your current (or last) performance rating of record which must be at least fully successful or equivalent and submit all required documents listed above that apply to you (e.g., resume, transcripts, SF-50, etc.).