Law Enforcement Officer

Job Description

Summary

This position is being concurrently announced under Pathways Recent Graduate program as announcement number 26-NPT-LEI-1801-57-RG. Current federal employees may apply to both announcements for consideration. The incumbent serves as a basic Law Enforcement Officer trainee and performs tasks related to law enforcement and investigate activities within the Forest Service programs. For additional information about the duties, please contact SM.FS.usfslei@usda.gov.

Duties

Duties listed are at the GL-07 performance level.

Patrol public lands, to include recreation areas, timber sale actives, and other resource use activities, to enforce and prevent violations.

Detect and enforce criminal law offenses including, but not limited to: timber theft, wildland arson, livestock trespass, archeological resource protection, and drug control laws that affect law enforcement operations.

Assists in conducting preliminary investigations of illegal or suspicious activities, including interviewing and interrogating witnesses and suspects to obtain information.

Prepares investigative reports, coordinates findings with law enforcement supervisors, and testifies in hearings and trials.

Provide support in identifying, arresting, and transporting suspects and perpetrators of criminal acts.

Conditions of Employment

Must be at least 21 years of age. Must be a U.S. Citizen or National. Males born after 12-31-59 must be registered for Selective Service. Subject to satisfactory adjudication of background investigation and/or fingerprint check. Per Public Law 104-134 all Federal employees are required to have federal payments made by direct deposit to a financial institution of your choosing. Successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, visit E-Verify.gov. Must possess and maintain a valid driver's license. This is a drug testing designated position. You will be subject to pre-employment and random drug testing. Appointment is based on a negative result. This announcement constitutes 30 days advance notice. This position requires initial and continuing qualifications in the use of firearms as outlined in the Gun Control Act of 1968, amended by the Lautenberg Amendment of 1996. Obtain and use a government-issued charge card for business- related travel. As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will 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. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider: your performance and conduct; the needs and interests of the agency; whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service. Upon completion of your probationary period your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest. Willing to live/work in remote locations (volatile/unpredictable) and are required to work nights, weekends, and holidays. Physical Requirement- Position is subject to successful completion of multiple pre-employment physical efficiency battery assessments. Medical requirement- Position is subject to successful completion of pre-employment medical examination. Conditional Offer Suitability Assessment- This authorization for release of information is part of the E.O. 14074. There may be additional Conditions of Employment not listed here; however applicants will be notified of any specific requirements at the time a tentative job offer is made.

How You Will Be Evaluated

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: Attention to Detail Flexibility Interpersonal Skills Self Management 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 have inflated your qualifications and or experience, your score may be adjusted to more accurately reflect your abilities, or you may be found ineligible. 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 up to including removal from the Federal service. To view the application form, visit: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/13052657

Education

See above for education that may be qualifying for the specific grade level.

Additional Information

Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP), Reemployment Priority List (RPL) or Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP): To exercise selection priority for this vacancy, CTAP/RPL/ICTAP candidates must meet the basic eligibility requirements and all selective factors. CTAP/ICTAP candidates must be rated and determined to be well qualified (or above) based on an evaluation of the competencies listed in the How You Will Be Evaluated section. When assessed through a score-based category rating method, CTAP/ICTAP applicants must receive a rating of at least 85 out of a possible 100. Land Management Workforce Flexibility Act (LMWFA) provides current or former temporary or term employees of federal land management agencies opportunity to compete for permanent competitive service positions. Individuals must have more than 24 months of service without a break between appointments of two or more years. Service must be in the competitive service and have been at a successful level of performance or better. Part-time and intermittent service will be credited only for time actually worked. Non-pay status such as leave without pay is credited for up to six months in a calendar year; anything beyond six months is not credited. Applicants are responsible for providing sufficient information/documentation to determine if the 24 month criteria is met. This is a bargaining unit position and is represented by either NFFE, AFGE, or NAGE. Position(s) will be located at Forest Office within local commuting area of Yreka, California or Challis, Idaho. Final determination of the duty station will be made by the selecting official at the time of the job offer. Salary wage as shown is for Rest of the U.S. For more information, refer to the Office of Personnel Management, Salary and Wages web page. Grooming/Attire/Appearance Standards Federal grooming standards typically require employees in law enforcement, uniformed services, and public-facing roles to maintain a neat, clean and professional appearance. Hair: Neat, clean, well-groomed; no extreme styles/colors. Facial Hair: Trimmed; many require clean-shaven unless exempt. Tattoos: Offensive/inappropriate banned; visible neck/face/hand tattoos must be covered. Jewelry: Limited to watch, wedding ring, conservative earrings; facial piercings usually prohibited. Hygiene: Maintain high standards; no offensive odor. Uniform: Clean, pressed, in good repair. PROMOTION POTENTIAL: If you are selected for a position with further promotion potential, you will be placed under a career development plan, and may be non-competitively promoted if you successfully complete the requirements and if recommended by management. However, promotion is not guaranteed. RECRUITMENT/RELOCATION INCENTIVE: The Forest Service may use certain incentives and hiring flexibilities, currently offered by the Federal government, to attract highly qualified candidates. Additional information is available at https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/recruitment-relocation-retention-incentives/#url=Fact-Sheets

How to Apply

Please view Tips for Applicants - a guide to the Forest Service application process. Please read the entire announcement and all instructions before you begin. You must complete this application process and submit all required documents electronically by 11:59p.m. Eastern Time (ET) on the closing date of this announcement. Applying online is highly encouraged. We are available to assist you during business hours (7:00 a.m. - 3:30 p.m., Mountain Time Zone, Monday - Friday). If applying online poses a hardship, contact the Agency Contact listed below well before the closing date for an alternate method. All hardship application packages must be complete and submitted no later than noon ET on the closing date of the announcement to be entered into the system prior to its closing. Resumes must not exceed two pages. This agency provides reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities on a case-by-case basis; contact the Agency Contact to request this. To begin, click "Apply" and follow the instructions to complete the Assessment Questionnaire and attach your resume and all required documents. Please verify that documents you are uploading from USAJOBs transfer into the Agency's staffing system as there is a limitation to the number of documents that can be transferred. However, once in the Agency's staffing system, you will have the opportunity to upload additional documents. Uploaded documents must be less than 5MB and in one of the following document formats: GIF, JPG, JPEG, PNG, RTF, PDF, TXT or Word (DOC or DOCX). Do not upload Adobe Portfolio documents because they are not viewable. Encrypted documents will not be accepted. Failure to submit required, legible documents may result in loss of consideration. Please ensure your resume does not exceed two pages. Applicants who submit a resume that exceeds two pages will be removed from consideration. Our office cannot be responsible for incompatible software, your system failure, etc.

Required Documents

The following documents are required for your applicant package to be complete. Encrypted documents will not be accepted. Failure to submit required, legible documents may result in loss of consideration. Resume that includes: Personal Information: name, address, contact information; Education; Work Experience related to this position as described in the major duties including work schedule, hours worked per week, dates of employment; title, series, grade (if applicable); other qualifications. Resume cannot exceed 2 pages. If education is required or you are using education to qualify, you must submit a copy of your college transcripts. An unofficial copy is sufficient with the application if it includes your name and the necessary course information; however, if you are selected, you will be required to submit official transcripts prior to entering on duty. Education must have been successfully obtained from an accredited school, college or university. If any education was completed at a foreign institute, you must submit with your application evidence that the institute was appropriately accredited by an accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education as equivalent to U.S. education standards. There are private organizations that specialize in this evaluation and a fee is normally associated with this service. For a list of private organizations that evaluate education, visit the NACES website. All transcripts must be in English or include an English translation. Current and former Federal employees: Most recent non-award Notification of Personnel Action (SF-50) showing you are/were in the competitive service, highest grade held (or promotion potential) on a permanent basis, position title, series and grade AND Most recent performance appraisal (dated within 18 months) showing the official rating of record, signed by a supervisor, or statement why the performance appraisal is unavailable. A performance plan is not an acceptable substitute. Land Management Workforce Flexibility Act: Copies of Notification of Personnel Action(s) (SF-50) showing the employee served in eligible appointment(s) for a period(s) of more than 24 mos w/o a break between appointments of two+ years. Include initial hire actions, extensions, conversions and separation Sf-50s for each period. Submit performance rating(s) showing acceptable performance for each period counted towards eligibility signed by supervisor(s). If documentation does not exist for one or more periods, submit a statement from supervisor(s) indicating acceptable performance. Applicants who do not have performance documentation for any period shall provide a reason why the documentation is not available and statement that performance for all periods was at an acceptable level. Surplus or displaced employees eligible for CTAP, RPL, or ICTAP priority must provide: proof of eligibility (RIF separation notice, notice of proposed removal for declining a transfer of function or directed reassignment to another commuting area, notice of disability annuity termination), SF-50 documenting separation (as applicable), current performance appraisal with rating of at least "Fully Successful" or equivalent, and your most recent SF-50 noting position, grade level, and duty location with your application per 5 CFR 330.

What to Expect Next

Your application will be reviewed to verify that you meet the eligibility and qualification requirements for the position prior to issuing referral lists to the selecting official. If further evaluation or interviews are required, you will be contacted. Log in to your USAJOBS account to check your application status. You may receive an email asking if you are still interested in the position and requesting information by a given deadline. Failure to timely respond to this email may result in non-selection. You must choose to turn on email notifications in your USAJOBS profile if you want to receive important email notifications that may impact your applicant experience (e.g. If you start an application and do not submit it prior to the closing date, USAJOBS will send an email reminder that the closing date is approaching and your application is in an incomplete status).We may select from this announcement or any other source to fill one or more vacancies. Under the Fair Chance Act, agencies are not allowed to request information about an applicant's criminal history until a conditional offer of employment has been made, except as allowed for access to classified information; assignment to national security duties or positions; acceptance or retention in the armed forces; or recruitment of a Federal law enforcement officer. An applicant may submit a complaint, or any other information related to an organization's alleged noncompliance with the Fair Chance Act. The complaint must be submitted within 30 calendar days of the date of the alleged noncompliance. To make a Fair Chance Act inquiry or complaint, send an email with the appropriate information to sm.fs.hrm_elr@usda.gov, subject line: Fair Chance Act.

About the Agency

A career with the Forest Service will challenge you to manage and care for more than 193 million acres of our nation's most magnificent lands, conduct research through a network of forest and range experiment stations and the Forest Products Laboratory, and provide assistance to State and private forestry agencies. It's an awesome responsibility - but the rewards are as limitless as the views.

Requirements

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. SPECIAL POSITION REQUIREMENTS: Physical Demands: Due to the physical and vigorous requirements of this position, the incumbent must meet the established medical and physical standards/requirements set forth by USDA as it's considered essential to perform the duties of this position, The work requires a person with good physical health and stamina to work under pressure, along with the ability to lift and carry heavy objects and have the physical agility and dexterity. Ability to operate specialized motorized equipment such as motorcycles, all-terrain vehicles, boats and snowmobiles may be required. Maximum Entry Age: This is a primary law enforcement position under the provisions of 5 USC 8336(c) (CSRS) and 8412(d) (FERS). Applicants must be 37 years of age or under prior to their appointment date for entry into this position. Applicants who are age 37 or over may subtract any of their prior federal service that is in approved primary/rigorous positions and that is creditable for retirement from their current age to meet this age requirement. Applicants must provide proof of this creditable service prior to appointment. Applicants who are entitled to veteran's preference or who are applying under the Land Management Workforce Flexibility Act are eligible to request a waiver to the maximum age requirement. In instances where the maximum entry-age is waived, the corresponding mandatory retirement age for these individuals will also be higher because it will be reached after 20 years of coverage under special retirement provisions for the entitlement to an immediate enhanced annuity. Lautenberg Amendment: This position is covered by the 1996 Lautenberg Amendment to the Gun Control Act of 1968. A person convicted of a misdemeanor or felony crime of domestic violence are not eligible for the position. False or fraudulent information provided by candidates is criminally punishable by fine or imprisonment (Title 18 USC Section 1001). Firearms Requirement: The incumbent is required to carry a firearm while performing duties of this position so they must meet initial and continuing qualifications in the use of firearms as outlines in the Gun Control Act of 1968, amended by the Lautenberg Amendment of 1996. The incumbent must qualify semiannually with all weapons issued by the USDA and maintain proficiency. SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENT: 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. For the GL-05: You must have must have three years of progressively responsible experience, one year of which was equivalent to at least the GS-4 grade level. General experience is defined as 3 or more of the following: 1. Performing routine administrative and field support tasks that required following established procedures, such as reviewing basic regulations and policies to understand work requirements and assisting with simple assignments under close supervision. 2. Assisting higher-graded staff with basic investigative support duties including observing scenes, helping gather straightforward facts, and preparing draft notes or portions of reports while learning proper documentation practices. 3. Conducting basic research on regulations and directives to resolve routine questions and preparing draft notes or portions of reports, seeking supervisory assistance when instructions were incomplete or situations were unfamiliar. 4. Engaging with the public to explain procedures and regulations, gathered preliminary information from witnesses or complainants, and coordinated with supervisors and partner agencies as directed to support mission objectives. 5. Participating in required training and applying learned procedures to assigned tasks and recognizing when guidance was needed and requested assistance appropriately when encountering unfamiliar work situations. OR Bachelor's degree or 4 years of successfully completed education above high school leading to a Bachelor's degree; OR appropriate combinations of successfully completed post-high school education and experience. The education must have been obtained in an accredited college or university and demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work. For the GL-07: You must have one year specialized experience equivalent to the GS-05 in the Federal service. Specialized experience is defined as 3 or more of the following: 1. Assisting in conducting misdemeanor investigations by helping secure crime scenes, collecting basic physical and documentary evidence, interviewing witnesses under guidance, and drafting portions of investigative reports using established investigative methods. 2. Performing entry level patrol duties to prevent, detect, and report violations of Federal laws and regulations related to natural resources, property, employees, and public use; issued warnings as directed and referred non routine or complex violations to higher graded officers. 3. Supporting enforcement operations-including search warrant execution, arrests, and prisoner transport-by completing assigned tasks such as custody documentation, evidence handling support, and maintaining scene control in compliance with Forest Service law enforcement policies. 4. Researching regulations, directives, and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) to resolve routine questions and applied guidance to developmental assignments; sought supervisory input when encountering unfamiliar conditions or potentially sensitive resource protection issues. 5. Interacting with forest users, witnesses, and partner agencies by explaining rules and procedures, collecting preliminary information, and assisting with coordination during multi-agency operations and public safety activities. OR One full year of graduate level education; OR an appropriate combination of graduate level education and specialized experience; OR Superior Academic Achievement (go to this site to determine if you are eligible: General Schedule Qualification Policies). The education must have been obtained in an accredited college or university and demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work. Please note that Superior Academic Achievement can only be applied if you have graduated or completed all the requirements for a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university and demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work. 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.