Do your career "Justice" by working with the Department of Justice (DOJ), which has been ranked in the Top 10 Best Places to Work in the Federal Government.  Join the nation's law enforcement agency, where our most important resource is our people. The Department leads the nation in ensuring the protection of all Americans while preserving their constitutional freedoms. Become a member of a team where you can achieve your career goals and apply your skills and talents to our important mission. All applicants for employment with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) must possess and maintain the highest levels of character and conduct. DEA will evaluate applicants' qualifications based on these qualities and will conduct a continuous evaluation of information, as it is obtained, to ensure that prospective employees with DEA meet the agency-specific qualifications in the areas of character and conduct. To this end, an unfavorable decision in any of the areas of the hiring process will be deemed as disqualifying.

TRAVEL REQUIRED

• 25% or Greater

• The work hours are long and irregular. DEA Special Agents must be available at all times, to include holidays. DEA Special Agents are often sent on extended temporary duty assignments away from their assigned office.

RELOCATION AUTHORIZED

• Yes - Limited moving expenses are authorized.

CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT

• You must be a U.S. Citizen.

• Males born after 12/31/1959 must be registered for Selective Service.

• You must possess and maintain a valid state driver's license.

• You must pass a pre-employment polygraph examination. If you do not pass the pre-employment polygraph examination, you will not be eligible for hire in a DEA Special Agent position.

• This position is designated as "critical sensitive". Completion of a full-field investigation is required before appointment. Applicants must be able to obtain a Top Secret Security clearance.

• All non-DEA applicants are required to take a drug test.

• You must successfully complete the 16 - 20 week Basic Agent Training Program at the Drug Enforcement Administration Training Center in Quantico, Virginia.

• You will be required to sign the Mobility Agreement as a condition of employment.

• You must be at least 21 years of age and not older than 36 at the time of appointment.  Maximum entry age exemption requests will not be granted for any non-veteran preference eligible applicants that apply after their 35th birthday.  Therefore, unless you are veteran preference eligible, if you apply after your 35th birthday and are not given a final offer of employment prior to your 37th birthday, your file will be closed.   Furthermore, you will be asked to certify your understanding of this policy.

At the DEA, our people are agents for change. A unique mission requires special talent. As a DEA Special Agent, you will work as part of an elite criminal investigative team that transforms the power of your talent into action. That action makes a difference for the security and well-being of our nation and the world every day. Typical work assignments include:  

• Conducting complex narcotics/drug related criminal investigations.

• Carrying out surveillance of criminals engaged in drug related activities.

• Infiltrating illicit drug trafficking organizations.

• Identifying and apprehending drug traffickers.

• Arresting law violators engaged in criminal drug related activities.

• Preparing evidence for prosecution officials.

Responsibilities will increase and assignments will become more complex as your training and experience progresses.

Additional duties may be performed by individuals who possess unique skills and/or highly desirable specialized experience described under the minimum qualifications of this job announcement.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS REQUIRED:

Applicants must meet the minimum qualifications established by the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Qualification Standards for the 1811 series OR as an exception to the OPM Qualifications Standards, possess one or more of the unique skills and/or highly desirable specialized experience and education.  Eligibility based on such unique skills/experience is an authorized exception to the OPM Qualifications Standard. 
 

OPM QUALIFICATIONS FOR 1811 SERIES

GRADE 07: To qualify at the Grade 07 level, you must have one year of experience assisting in investigations of alleged or suspected violations of the law. This includes monitoring and/or participating in surveillance of persons suspected of criminal violations; participating in multi-agency/organization venues, briefings, meetings, and/or conferences; researching, collecting and analyzing data from a variety of sources relating to investigations; writing reports and conducting briefings of findings, results, or accomplishments for information or action relating to law enforcement activities and/or court cases; assisting court officials and law enforcement personnel with case-related materials; and testifying or presenting evidence for court, legislative, or administrative proceedings;  OR you may substitute education for specialized experience if you have completed one full academic year of graduate level education or law school OR successfully meet the requirements of the Superior Academic Achievement provisions. Superior Academic Achievement is based on (1) class standing, (2) a grade-point average (GPA) of 2.95 or higher (based on 4 years of education or in the final two years of curriculum); or a grade-point average of 3.5 or higher (based on required courses completed in the major field or the required courses in the major field completed in the final two years of curriculum), or (3) election to membership in a national scholastic society. Equivalent combinations of successfully completed education and experience listed above may be used to meet the experience requirements. 

GRADE 09: To qualify at the Grade 09 level, you must have one year experience assisting in investigations of alleged or suspected violations of the law. This includes monitoring and/or participating in surveillance of persons suspected of criminal violations;  participating in multi-agency/organization venues, briefings, meetings, conferences, panels, and/or committees; serving as a liaison with various law enforcement and/or government counterparts to facilitate the communication of information; researching, collecting and analyzing data from a variety of sources relating to investigations; writing reports and conducting briefings of findings, results, or accomplishments for information or action relating to law enforcement activities and/or court cases; meeting or corresponding with court officials and law enforcement personnel to discuss case-related materials; assisting prosecuting attorneys in preparation of technical aspects of cases; and testifying or presenting evidence for court, legislative, or administrative proceedings; OR you  may substitute education for specialized experience if you have completed two (2) full academic years of graduate level education or completed all requirements for a master's or equivalent graduate degree, or completion of all requirements for an LL.B. or J.D. degree.  Such education must demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work.  Equivalent combinations of successfully completed education and experience may be used to meet the experience requirements.  Only graduate education in excess of the amount required for the GL-07 level may be used to qualify applicants at the grade GL-09 level.

GRADE 11: To qualify at the Grade 11 level, you must have one year of specialized experience which includes working on long term/complex Federal investigations, developing operational plans and determining investigative priorities of cases, developing and eliciting information from confidential sources (CS’s), conducting surveillance, undercover operations, and raids and/or seizures, apprehending, arresting, interviewing, and interrogating persons suspected of violations of the law, and organizing evidence for presentation to prosecution officials and testifying in court OR you  may substitute education for specialized experience if you have a Ph. D or equivalent doctoral degree. 

UNIQUE SKILLS/EXPERIENCE (AUTHORIZED EXCEPTION TO OPM QUALIFICATIONS STANDARD)

You MUST possess a BACHELOR’s DEGREE or higher (no minimum GPA is required) in any field in order to qualify based on one of the following unique skills and/or experience.** 
 

PILOT

• GRADE 07: To qualify at the Grade 07 level, you must have a FAA-issued private pilot certificate (airplane or helicopter).

• GRADE 09: To qualify at the Grade 09 level, you must have a FAA-issued commercial pilot certificate with instrument rating (airplane or helicopter) OR a US military pilot aeronautical rating.

• GRADE 11: To qualify at the Grade 11 level, you must have a FAA-issued airline transport pilot (ATP) certificate (multiengine airplane or helicopter) OR a US military pilot aeronautical rating AND at least 1,500 flight hours experience.
   

TECHNICAL (CYBER)

• GRADE 07: To qualify at the Grade 07, you must have two or more years of substantial on the job training and "hands on" experience with a moderate understanding in architecture, administration, and management of operating systems (various Linux distros, Windows, etc.), networking and virtualization software (such as firewalls, network load balancers, etc.). ADDITIONALLY, you must have a working knowledge of the more common programming languages, including Java, C/C++, disassemblers, assembly language, and scripting languages (Python, PHP, Perl, or shell).

• GRADE 09: To qualify at the Grade 09, you must have three or more years of substantial on the job training and "hands on" experience in architecture, administration, and management of operating systems (various Linux distros, Windows, etc.), networking and virtualization software (such as firewalls, network load balancers, etc.). ADDITIONALLY, you must have a working knowledge of the more common programming languages, including Java, C/C++, disassemblers, assembly language, and scripting languages (Python, PHP, Perl, or shell) AND a certification in any of the following areas is required: CEH (Certified Ethical Hacker), OSCP (Offensive Security Certified Professional), or Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP).  

FOREIGN LANGUAGE FLUENCY

• GRADE 07: To qualify at the Grade 07, you must be fluent in a foreign language (note: you will be required to score a 2 rating on a language test).

• GRADE 09: To qualify at the Grade 09, you must be fluent in a foreign language (note: you will be required to score a 3 rating on a language test).

MARITIME

• GRADE 07: To qualify at the Grade 07, you must have three or more years of experience as a first mate or navigational officer in the shipping industry utilizing state of the art equipment and planning for extensive domestic and international travel, including logistical support, loading characteristics, climatic analysis, and equipment operation limitations.

• GRADE 09: To qualify at the Grade 09, you must have three or more years of experience as Maritime Academy graduate and/or ships' captain in the shipping industry utilizing state of the art equipment and planning for extensive domestic and international travel, including logistical support, loading characteristics, climatic analysis, and equipment operation limitations.

ACCOUNTING/AUDITING

• GRADE 07: To qualify at the Grade 07, you must have three or more years of experience as an accountant, internal auditor, bank examiner or similar profession with accounting or auditing experience (public or private) that includes the audit of company or governmental books and records (manual or automated).

• GRADE 09: To qualify at the Grade 09, you must have three or more years of experience as corporate auditor, CPA, Revenue Agent, corporate financial consultant, international banker, or similar profession with accounting or auditing experience (public or private) that includes the audit of company or governmental books and records (manual or automated).

MILITARY

• GRADE 07: To qualify at the Grade 07, you must have three or more years of military experience in leadership, travel, diverse geographical assignments, and familiarity with the control mechanisms necessary to operate in a dangerous environment.

• GRADE 09: To qualify at the Grade 09, you must have achieved the rank of Captain (or equivalent) and have three or more years of military experience that includes leadership, travel, diverse geographical assignments, familiarity with the control mechanisms necessary to operate in a dangerous environment, planning operations, and evaluating results. Your experience may include training and participating in court-martials, conducting investigations on their behalf and administering corresponding disciplinary actions.

Any experience and/or education that you wish to be considered when determining your qualifying grade level must be listed on your resume and must be acquired/completed by December 31, 2022. 

ACADEMIC ACCREDITATION: Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. For information regarding accreditation criteria, please go to https://www2.ed.gov/admins/finaid/accred/index.html 

FOREIGN EDUCATION: For education completed in foreign colleges or universities to be used to meet qualification requirements, you must show that the education credentials have been evaluated by a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign education programs and such education has been deemed equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program; or full credit has been given for the courses at a U.S. accredited college or university. For further information, visit:
http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html 

HONOR SOCIETY: Applicants may be considered eligible based on membership in one of the national scholastic honor societies. For a list of Honor Societies, please refer to the OPM Website (Classification & Qualifications, General Schedule Qualification Policies, Application of Qualification Standards, Section 4, f, 3).  Eligibility based on any society must meet the minimum requirements of the Association of College Honor Societies. Membership in a freshman honor society cannot be used to meet the requirements of this provision.

MEDICAL QUALIFICATIONS:  The duties of this position require moderate to arduous physical exertion involving walking and standing, use of firearms, and exposure to inclement weather. Therefore, if selected, you will be required to pass a pre-employment medical examination. 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 this position 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. 

The information provided in your resume and supporting documentation will be used to determine whether you meet the basic qualifications listed on this announcement.  If you are basically qualified for this job, you will be required to pass a Physical Task Assessment (PTA). The PTA provides the DEA with an indication of the candidate’s present ability to successfully participate in strenuous physical activity required during Basic Agent Training (BAT). You will have two opportunities to take and pass the PTA.

If you pass your PTA, you will be invited to complete an in-person multi-part written test battery. Only those candidates who successfully pass the written test battery will be referred to complete an in-person structured interview. The written test battery and structured interview are designed to collect relevant information on your eligibility, training and experience related to this position as well as your knowledge, skills, and abilities/competencies in Attention to Detail, Memory, Flexibility, Teamwork, Problem Solving, Decision Making/Judgment, Interpersonal Skills, Self-Management, Written Communication, and Oral Communication.

You must successfully complete and pass the PTA, multi-part written test battery, and structured interview in order to be referred for further employment consideration and be eligible to receive a conditional offer of employment.  Veterans Preference Eligibles will be listed/referred above Non-Preference Eligibles.

Candidates who receive a conditional offer of employment will be required to complete a polygraph examination, medical evaluation, urinalysis drug screening, psychological assessment, background investigation, and final hiring panel review.  Candidates must successfully complete and pass all of the aforementioned screening processes to be considered for employment.  Failure to successfully complete/pass any of the screening processes will result in the candidate being disqualified and removed from consideration.  

In addition, candidates who receive a conditional offer of employment for this position, will be required to complete an Optional Form 306, Declaration for Federal Employment, and to sign and certify the accuracy of all information in their application, prior to entry on duty.  False statements on any part of the application may result in withdrawal of offer of employment, dismissal after beginning work, fine, or imprisonment.

Any offers of employment made pursuant to this announcement will be consistent with all applicable authorities, including Presidential Memoranda, Executive Orders, interpretive U.S. Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) guidance, and Office of Management and Budget plans and policies concerning hiring. These authorities are subject to change.

If selected, you may be required to complete a Confidential Financial Disclosure Report, OGE Form 450 to determine if a conflict or an appearance of a conflict exists between your financial interest and your prospective position with the agency. This information is required annually. For information, visit the DEA Ethics website: DEA Ethics and Standards of Conduct.

SINGLE CERTIFICATION: Candidates will only be referred at the highest grade in which they qualify.  Candidates who qualify at the same highest grade under Schedule B and Schedule A will be referred under Schedule B.  See the “OTHER INFORMATION / APPOINTING AUTHORITY” of this job announcement for information pertaining to the qualifications under Schedule B and Schedule A appointments.