Supervisory Law Enforcement Officer

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. Physical Efficiency Battery (PEB): Applicants are required to pass the Physical Efficiency Battery (PEB) prior to entering law enforcement positions. The duties of this position require arduous physical exertion involving walking, running, lifting, standing, use of firearms, and exposure to inclement weather. The Physical Efficiency Battery (PEB) is a fitness test consisting of 1) bench press – measures the upper body strength for one repetition; 2) Illinois agility run – measures the ability to get up from the ground and sprint while changing directions; and 3) 1.5-mile run – measures cardio/respiratory fitness. Prior to appointment, applicants will be tested in the above components, the agility run, bench press and 1.5-mile run will be measured for a passing score in the 25th percentile (age and gender adjusted) of these components. These procedures will ensure that law enforcement officers are capable of performing strenuous physical training and law enforcement duties. Applicants shall be disqualified for appointment if they fail to meet any physical requirements. 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. Work Environment: The work environment regularly involves high risks with exposure to potentially dangerous situations or unusual environmental stress which require a range of safety and other precautions, e.g., possible physical attack or mob conditions, operation of automobiles in high-speed chases, or similar situations where conditions cannot be controlled. Physical Demands: The work requires, on a regular and recurring basis, considerable and strenuous physical exertion, including periods of standing, walking, and running over rough, uneven, or rocky surfaces; frequent climbing of multiple flights of stairs; lifting heavy objects over 50 pounds; crouching or crawling in restrictive areas during search or pursuit activities; and/or physically subduing uncooperative individuals. The work involves the risk of attack without warning, requires quick decisions to protect the lives of other law enforcement personnel and the public, with deadly force used only as a last resort. Due to the requirements of this position, applicants must have prior law enforcement experience that included the following activities: enforcement of criminal laws of the United States through investigation, apprehension, or detection of individuals suspected or convicted of offenses against these criminal laws. This experience must be reflected in the resume. NOTE: To be eligible for Secondary Law Enforcement Coverage, you must 1) move directly from a federal Primary/Rigorous position; 2) complete 3 years of service in a primary/rigorous position, and; 3) must be continuously employed in a secondary position(s) since moving from a primary/rigorous position. Selective Placement Factor: Must have at least three years of service in positions that have been approved for Rigorous or Primary Law Enforcement retirement coverage. Specialized Experience Requirement: GS-11: Applicants must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-09 grade level. Specialized experience is defined as the majority of the following: performing law enforcement activities such as detection, investigation, apprehension, detention, prosecution, and/or experience conducting full investigations of misdemeanors; assisting in felony investigations; serving as a law enforcement technical specialist for natural resource and protection activities to identify and resolve law enforcement problems. OR a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree or 3 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree or LL.M., in a field that provided the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of the position such as Law Enforcement Land Management or Natural Resource Protection; OR an appropriate combination of specialized experience and graduate level education (beyond what is required for a master’s degree, i.e., more than 36 semester hours leading to a Ph.D.). The education must have been obtained in an accredited college or university and demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work. GS-12 Level: One year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-11 grade level. Specialized experience is defined as the majority of the following: developing, analyzing, and evaluating new or revised law enforcement policies, techniques, methods, and operational approaches to address specific law enforcement and public safety functions; conducting difficult investigations involving the establishment of interrelationships between facts or evidence, unusual circumstances, variations in approach and incomplete or conflicting data; formulating, planning and coordinating patrol and investigation activities involving multi-jurisdictional or multi-agency law enforcement and investigative operations. 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. 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.
These positions are located in region 1, region 4, region 5, region 6, region 8 and, region 9 with the Forest Service in Law Enforcement and Investigations and are responsible for performing supervision and direction of subordinate Law Enforcement Officers whose duties include detection, investigation, apprehension, detention, and prosecution activities associated with enforcement of laws and regulations. For additional information regarding the positions, please contact SM.FS.usfslei@usda.gov.