Federal Bureau of Investigation

Who May Apply

The position advertised has been exempted from the federal civilian hiring freeze.

Job Opening: 59466

Open to current, permanent FBI employees in all locations

Opening Date: May 2, 2025

Closing Date: May 16, 2025 at 11:59 p.m. (EST)

As an Investigative Specialist (IS) you will provide investigative support by conducting physical surveillance related to the Foreign Counterintelligence and Counterterrorism functions of the FBI.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is looking for Investigative Specialists for positions nationwide. All applicants interested in this position, must preference Quantico-Critical Incident Response Group (CIRG) as their preferred location in order to be considered. All Investigative Specialist positions are managed by CIRG.

This posting will be used to fill multiple vacancies throughout the 55 field offices.

Questions regarding this posting should be addressed to HR Specialists at SSG_Staffing@fbi.gov.

Job Summary

Position: Investigative Specialist, GS-7/9

Division: All 55 FBI Field Offices

Working Hours: Will vary depending on Field Office needs

Travel: Will vary depending on Field Office needs

Location: To Be Determined

Base Salary

GS-7: $41,966.00 - $54,557.00

GS-9: $51,332.00 - $66,731.00

NOTE: The salaries listed above are the base rate of pay for federal employees on the General Schedule (GS) pay scale. A complete list of pay tables factoring in locality pay (based on the geographical area) can be found on OPM.gov.

Full Performance Level: GS-11

Duration: Full Time/Permanent

In order to recruit and retain highly qualified candidates, selectees reporting to Anchorage, Boston, Honolulu, Los Angeles, Miami, Newark, New York City, San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle and Washington D.C. may be eligible for a 5% relocation incentive in addition to the Full Cost Transfer. To be eligible for a relocation incentive, the candidate must move 50 miles or more to one of the respective locations. Proof of change in residency will be required. Prior to receiving a relocation incentive, an employee must sign a written agreement to complete one year of service with the FBI at the new duty station.

Additional selections may be made from this announcement to fill positions within the same division when the position includes substantially the same duties, responsibilities, and qualifications.

Key Requirements

• Must be a current, permanent FBI employee.
• All Investigative Specialist must satisfactorily complete a two-year probationary period, which begins the effective date of the reassignment to the Investigative Specialist position.
• Must be available for assignments to any of the FBI's 55 Field Offices.
• All investigative Specialist must sign a two-year service agreement agreeing to stay in the SSG Program and their office of assignment location for a period two years. This agreement is effective from the date of the Investigative Specialist's graduation from the Basic Surveillance Course.
• Must be willing and able to sign a Mobility Agreement to accept a relocation to other geographical areas based on the needs of the Bureau.
• Must have a valid driver's license.
• Some travel may be required.
• Must be able to obtain an SCI clearance.
• Selectee will be required to complete form FD-887, Request for Access to Sensitive Compartmented Information (SCI).
• Selectees must successfully complete a NINE WEEK training class. This includes successful completion of a Tactical Emergency Vehicle Operations Center (TEVOC) driving course. Failure to successfully complete this course may result in a dismissal, demotion and/or placement into another professional staff support position within ANY field office contingent upon the availability of vacancies.

The following travel, working conditions and physical demands are MANDATORY REQUIREMENTS for this position:

• Must be willing to work inside a vehicle for long periods of time and drive in different environments to include urban, rural, suburban, etc.
• Must be willing and able to accept assignments indoors, outdoors, and in all types of weather conditions and situations.
• Must be available and willing to work weekends, nights, holidays, odd hours, and extended shifts as necessary.
• Must be able to travel for up to 15 days consecutive days with short notice.

Physical Effort

• Work requires prolonged periods of standing, sitting in small/confined areas, walking, crawling, climbing, and running over rough or uneven surfaces, as well as operating vehicles under demanding road and traffic conditions.
• Work is performed under all types of weather conditions.

Work Environment

• Work is performed with moderate personal risk and occasional physical discomfort.
• Work may be conducted in areas that involve personal risk.
• Work can cause discomfort from being in a vehicle for long periods of time.
• Work includes physical exposure to all types of weather.
• Work includes special shift requirements.

Major Duties

As an Investigative Specialist you will:

• Conducts specialized field operations in support of the FBI's highest priority and most sensitive national security investigations nationwide.
• Researches available intelligence sources to ensure factual relevance and accuracy of targeted subject(s), location(s), and environment(s).
• Maintain visual contact with subjects of investigative interest without detection while actively communicating, documenting, and reacting to the surrounding environment.
• Collects physical, photographic, and forensic evidence in accordance with the FBI policies.
• Compile and analyzes all raw intelligence gathered by an FBI surveillance team into a physical surveillance log.

Qualifications and Evaluations

Please make sure your specialized experience/requirement(s) can be identified in your resume. Applicants must meet the qualification requirements by the closing date of this announcement.

Your application will be evaluated and rated under the FBI's Candidate Rating Procedures. Your resume and supporting documentation will be used to determine whether you meet the job qualifications listed in this announcement and will be compared to your responses to the online assessment questionnaire. High self-assessment in the vacancy questions that is not supported by information in your resume, and/or supporting documents may eliminate you from Most Competitive status.

If you are deemed Most Competitive, you will be referred to the selecting official for further consideration.

All applicants will be rated on the following Competencies:

• Analytic Thinking
• Collaboration
• Communication
• Flexibility/Adaptability
• Initiative
• Interpersonal Ability
• Problem Solving/Judgment

Please make sure your specialized experience/requirement(s) can be identified in your resume.

Specialized Experience (SE):

GS-7: Applicant must possess at least one (1) year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-5 grade level. SE is defined as follows:

• Performed analytical research directly related to the collection and evaluation of information
• Communicated with individuals to obtain necessary information to determine the best course of action
• Gathered, researched, analyzed, and evaluated information to prepare written reports

GS-9: Applicant must possess at least one (1) year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-7 grade level. SE is defined as follows:

• Performed investigative, surveillance, technical and/or analytical duties directly related to the collection and evaluation of intelligence information
• Communicated with individuals to obtain necessary information to determine the best course of action
• Gathered, researched, analyzed, and evaluated information to prepare written reports
• Provided advice and trained personnel regarding policy and/or procedures regarding program operations

Preference will be given to applicants who possess one year of driving experience.

Education

All degrees must be from an accredited college or university. Education may be substituted for specialized experience as follows:

GS-7: Applicant must have a bachelor's degree with superior academic achievement or one (1) full year of graduate level education. Superior academic achievement is the completion of all the requirements of a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university, which is based on (1) class standing, (2) grade-point average of 3.0 or higher as recorded on an official transcript, or as based on courses completed during the final two years of the curriculum, or (3) honor society membership.

GS-9: Applicant must have a master's or equivalent graduate degree or 2 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree or LL.B. or J.D., if related.

Education completed in foreign colleges or universities may be used to meet the above requirements provided you can show foreign education is comparable to that received in an accredited educational institution in the United States.

How to Apply

For detailed instructions related to applying, uploading documents, withdrawing an application or updating your application, please review instructions on How to Apply. If applying online is a hardship, please use the contact information listed in the vacancy announcement prior to the closing date for assistance.

Required Documents

To apply to this position, interested applicants must provide a complete application package by the closing date which includes:

1. Your resume, specifically noting relevant work experience and associated start and end dates
2. A complete assessment questionnaire
3. Other supporting documents (if applicable):
   • College transcripts, if qualifying based on education or if there is a positive education requirement
   • Memorandum for Record (MFR), Please see Additional Information

Documents that were uploaded one or more years ago will need to be uploaded again. Although an applicant may see these documents within their current profile, the HR Specialists may not have access to view them. All applicants are being asked to upload another copy (if applicable) to ensure the staffing units can review the complete application.

You must complete this application process and submit any required documents by 11:59 p.m. (EST) on the closing date of this announcement. If applying online is a hardship, please contact the HR Specialist listed in the vacancy announcement prior to the closing date for assistance.

What to Expect Next

Once your complete application is received we will conduct an evaluation of your qualifications and determine your ranking. The Most Competitive candidates will be referred to the hiring manager for further consideration and possible interview. You will be notified of your status throughout the process.

Additional Information

• Failure to provide necessary and relevant information required by this vacancy announcement may disqualify you from consideration. Additional information will not be requested if your application is incomplete. Your application will be evaluated solely on the basis of information you have submitted.
• Federal agencies may request information regarding the vaccination status of selected applicants for the purposes of implementing the other workplace safety protocols. Positions with fitness for duty requirements or those that require international travel may require proof of certain vaccinations.
• Management may select at any grade for which this position has been announced.
• Identification of promotion potential in this announcement does not constitute a commitment or an obligation on the part of management to promote the employee selected at some future date. Promotion will depend upon administrative approval and the continuing need for an actual assignment and performance of higher-level duties.
• Limited Movement: Policy has been implemented wherein support employees entering a position through a competitive OR non-competitive action may be precluded from moving to another position within the Bureau by means of reassignment or change to lower grade for a minimum of 12 months. HRD will waive this limited movement policy for qualified employees, who have received an official notification letter that their current position is being relocated to Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, Alabama by 2025, so those employees can compete for a position elsewhere.
• Probationary employees are precluded from being considered for all job opportunities until 12-months of their 24-month probationary period has concluded. Probationary employees may be considered for competitive vacancies that are advertised within their respective division or field office after serving 90 days within the FBI.
• Candidates will not be considered if currently on a Performance Improvement Plan (PIP); a Letter of Requirement (LOR); or have failed a PIP or LOR and are currently awaiting the final action by HRD.

a. A Performance Improvement Plan (PIP) is a 90-day written developmental plan for an employee whose performance on one or more critical elements is rated "Inconsistent."

b. A Letter of Requirement (LOR) is issued when a supervisor identifies leave abuse and/or when frequent absences negatively impact operations of an office.

• Relocation expenses MAY be borne by the FBI. Candidates receiving a transfer of physical location, whether at the expense of the FBI or not, will be required to complete a one-year commitment to the assignment, prior to moving to a new position at the FBI. The 12-month waiting period begins the day an employee reports for duty at the new location.
• Current tax law impacts your transfer by making your moving expense reimbursements taxable. Please contact Transfer_Issues for information regarding taxable expenses. For additional insight on the personal impact of the IRS tax rules, you may wish to contact the IRS or a tax professional. Federal Travel Regulation provides that the Withholding Tax Allowance (WTA) plus the Relocation Income Tax Allowance (RITA) are designed to "substantially reimburse" an employee for the additional Federal, State, and Local taxes associated with a change of duty station and the FBI has the authority to compensate employees through the WTA and RITA.
• Candidates receiving a transfer of physical location, whether at the expense of the FBI or not, will be required to complete a one year commitment to the assignment, prior to moving to a new position at the FBI. The 12-month waiting period begins the day an employee reports for duty at the new location.
• Employees selected for promotions at the GS-12 level or higher, as well as employees selected for positions where a transfer of location is required, will be processed through the name check program prior to being notified of their selection.
• Memorandum for Record: Work performed outside assigned duties (that would not normally be documented on a SF-50, i. e., back-up duties), has to be documented in detail by an immediate supervisor in order to receive full credit for amount of time worked in that position. If no documentation is furnished no credit will be given for time worked in that position. The following notations must be specified in the documentation (Memorandum for Record):

a. Percent of time worked in the particular position (cannot conflict with main duties)

b. The month/year work began

c. Frequency worked (i.e., daily, monthly, etc.)

d. Specific duties performed

Attach the Memorandum for Record to your application in the "Cover Letters and Attachments" section of My Career Tools on the Careers Home page. Please upload the attachment as type "Other."

Nepotism

Nepotism is the act of favoring relatives in the hiring process, and is prohibited by law. Public officials are prohibited from hiring or promoting relatives or relatives of officials in their chain of command, as well as actively or indirectly endorse a relative's appointment or promotion.

During the hiring process, all selected candidates and FBI hiring managers will be required to certify they are not related to anyone involved in the hiring process.

Reasonable Accommodation Request

The FBI provides reasonable accommodations to qualified applicants with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation pursuant to a sincerely held religious belief or medical disability for any part of the application and/or hiring process, please notify the Office of Equal Employment Opportunity Affairs (OEEOA) Reasonable Accommodation (RA) Program by either e-mail at REASONABLE_ACCOMMODA@fbi.gov, telephone at 202-324-2158, or FAX at 202-324-3976. Your request will receive an individualized assessment.

This e-mail address is only for reasonable accommodation requests. Please do not submit your application and/or any questions unrelated to reasonable accommodations. Should any applications be received, they will not be forwarded for consideration during the hiring process.

Equal Employment Opportunity

The FBI is an Equal Opportunity Employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for this vacancy. Unless explicitly authorized by law, selection will be made without regard to, and there will be no discrimination because of, color, race, religion, national origin, marital status, parental status, physical or mental disability, genetic information, age (40 or over), sex, pregnancy and related conditions, or on the basis of personal favoritism, or any other non-merit factors.

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