Deputy Assistant Director (Forensics)

Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives•Beltsville, MD

6d•Onsite

About The Position

The position of Deputy Assistant Director, Office of Science and Technology directs the activities of ATF Laboratory Services and Financial Investigative Services. Laboratory Services consists of the Quality Programs Office, the (3) Forensic Science Laboratories, and the Fire Research Laboratory. Financial Investigative Services provides forensic auditing support to ATFs mission. The position is located in Beltsville, MD.

Requirements

You must be a United States Citizen or National.
Selective Service registration is required for males born on, or after, December 31st, 1959. Those not registered should have an approved exemption on file.
You will be required to complete a pre-employment security investigation and background check for the security level designated for this position.
You may also be subject to post-employment conflict of interest restrictions under 18 USC 207 (c).
You will be required to undergo a drug screening and obtain favorable results prior to being appointed.
You may be subject to a one-year probationary period effective from the date in which you are appointed.
This position requires you to submit a Public Financial Disclosure Report (OGE 278) upon entry, and annually thereafter in accordance with DOJ and Federal ethics guidelines.
You must meet all minimum qualifications to be deemed eligible.
Only experience obtained by closing date of this announcement will be considered.
As a basic requirement for entry into the SES, applicants must provide evidence of progressively responsible leadership experience that is indicative of senior executive level management capability and directly related to the skills and abilities outlined under the Mandatory Technical Qualifications and Executive Core Qualifications.
Applicants must show clear evidence of their demonstrated leadership ability by addressing the the Executive Core Qualifications(ECQs) and Mandatory Technical Qualifications (MTQs) embedded within their resume.
The resume-based application must not exceed 2 pages (1-sheet double-sided or 2 sheets one-sided)
Candidates must still satisfy the MTQs of the position.
Resumes over the 2-page limit will be deemed ineligible and will not receive further consideration.
Separate narratives will not be accepted or reviewed.
Your resume should include examples of experience, education, and accomplishments applicable to the qualification(s).
If your resume does not reflect demonstrated evidence of these qualifications, you may not receive consideration for the position.
We recommend that your resume emphasize your level of responsibilities, the scope and complexity of the programs managed, and your program accomplishments, including the results of your actions.
You will be evaluated to determine if you meet the minimum qualifications required of the position and on the extent your application demonstrates that you possess the knowledge, skills, and abilities required of the Deputy Assistant Director (Forensics).
Please be sure to give concrete examples of your experience and demonstrate the complexity of the knowledge you possess.
All new entrants into the Senior Executive Service (SES) under a career appointment will be assessed for executive competency against the following five mandatory ECQs.
If your 2-page resume does not reflect demonstrated evidence of the ECQs and TQs, you may not receive further consideration for the position.
ECQ1- Commitment to the Rule of Law and the Principles of the American Founding: Involves demonstrating knowledge of the American system of government, commitment to uphold the constitution and the rule of law, and commitment to serve the American people.
ECQ2- Driving Efficiency: Involves demonstrating the ability to strategically and efficiently manage resources, budget effectively, cut wasteful spending, and pursue efficiency through process and technological upgrades.
ECQ3- Merit and Competence: Involves demonstrating knowledge, ability, and technical competence to effectively and reliably produce work that is of exceptional quality.
ECQ4- Leading People: Involves demonstrating the ability to lead and inspire a group toward meeting the organization's vision, mission, and goals, and to drive a high-performance, high accountability culture. This includes, when necessary, the ability to lead people through change and to hold individuals accountable.
ECQ5- Achieving Results: Involves demonstrating the ability to achieve both individual and organizational results, and to align results to stated goals from superiors.
For this position, the following Mandatory Technical Qualifications (MTQs) have been established and should be addressed within the resume application.
MTQ1: Demonstrated success leading multi-site forensic laboratory systems, national scientific programs, or large-scale technical enterprises operating under rigorous international quality/accreditation frameworks (e.g., ISO/IEC 17025)
MTQ2: Proven experience directing advanced scientific research, technology assessment, method validation, or digital infrastructure overhauls (e.g., AI integration, advanced telemetry, data analytics) within a forensic or law enforcement environment.
MTQ3: Extensive leadership experience managing complex investigative support programs, such as forensic financial auditing, forensic intelligence systems, or engineering/scientific support to criminal investigations.
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.
Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

Nice To Haves

Applicants who have completed the SES Candidate Development Program (CDP) and have had their ECQs certified by OPM must provide a copy of their certificate as part of their application.

Responsibilities

Directs the operations of the field to provide the maximum service while maintain appropriate professional, technical, and quality standards and carrying out a program of research into new methods that will improve the services to the operating programs.
Determines kind and type of forensic equipment and external services purchased and used by the laboratory staff, and by Special Agents.
Manages all administrative and program matters, including budget formulation, allocation of human and material resources, implementation of technological solutions, timely and accurate submission of reports, and related matters.
Plans and directs the exchange of scientific data between laboratory elements and counterparts in government, industry and academic institutions.
Serves as liaison officer between the Bureau and the scientific and financial communities, including laboratories and technical officials of other agencies, colleges and universities, national and international scientific and technical societies and technical groups from industry.