Summary

This position is located in the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Office of Forensic Sciences, Digital Evidence Laboratory.

The primary purpose of this position is to perform as an intermediate level trainee, analyzing seized digital evidence, performing on-site acquisition/duplication of digital evidence, testifying in Federal and state courts as an expert witness, and providing subject matter expertise and advice to both DEA investigators and junior examiners in the laboratory.

Duties

Help

As an IT Cybersecurity Specialist (Digital Evidence), your typical work assignments may include:

• Serving as a Digital Forensic Examiner trainee within DEA's Digital Evidence Laboratory conducting forensic analysis of digital technologies.
• Providing technical guidance related to forensic deployments, best practices for preservation of evidence, and forensic analysis support.
• Performing technical evaluations of equipment, software, and procedures, and documents the results.
• Supporting the advancement of DEA's Digital Evidence analysis and review capabilities by implementing enhancements to technical training.

Qualifications

For more information on eligibility requirements see: DEA Employment Eligibility

Applicants must meet all of the required qualification requirements described below by the closing of this announcement. If you are qualifying based on education or if there are mandatory education requirements listed below, you MUST submit a copy of your college transcript with your application.

Basic Qualification Requirements:

1. Attention to Detail - Is thorough when performing work and conscientious about attending to detail.
2. Customer Service - Works with clients and customers (that is, any individuals who use or receive the services or products that your work unit produces, including the general public, individuals who work in the agency, other agencies, or organizations outside the Government) to assess their needs, provide information or assistance, resolve their problems, or satisfy their expectations; knows about available products and services; is committed to providing quality products and services.
3. Oral Communication - Expresses information (for example, ideas or facts) to individuals or groups effectively, taking into account the audience and nature of the information (for example, technical, sensitive, controversial); makes clear and convincing oral presentations; listens to others, attends to nonverbal cues, and responds appropriately.
4. Problem Solving - Identifies problems; determines accuracy and relevance of information; uses sound judgment to generate and evaluate alternatives, and to make recommendations

Applicants applying for the GS-9 must meet one of the following requirements:

A. Have at least one full year of qualifying specialized experience that is at least equivalent in difficulty and complexity to work performed at the GS-7 grade level. Specialized 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.

Qualifying experience must demonstrate the following: 1) preserving and analyzing electronic data using established methods; 2) conducting digital forensic examinations, documenting actions, and providing written results; 3) troubleshooting routine hardware and software problems and documenting issues and the resolution; 4) using knowledge in an area of information technology to make correct inferences or draws accurate conclusions about the content or structure of data.

B. Education: 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. NOTE: Graduate education must provide the applicant with the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of the position. OR

C. Combination of Experience and Education: A combination of education and experience may be used to qualify for this position as long as the computed percentage of the requirements is at least 100%. To compute the percentage of the requirements, divide your total months of experience by 12. Then divide the total number of completed graduate semester hours (or equivalent) beyond the first year (total graduate semester hours minus 18) by 18. Add the two percentages.

Additional information on the position qualification requirements are located in the Office of Personnel Management's (OPM) Qualifications Standards Handbook.

Time-In-Grade Requirement: Applicants must meet time-in-grade and time after competitive appointment requirements by the closing date of this announcement.

Education

See the qualification section of this vacancy announcement for education requirements.

Education completed in foreign colleges or universities may be used to meet the education requirements if you can show that the foreign education is comparable to that received in an accredited educational institution in the United States. It is your responsibility to provide such evidence when applying. For a list of accredited organizations recognized as specializing in interpretation of foreign education credentials, visit: www.naces.org/members.php.

If you are claiming education as any part of your qualifications for this position, you must submit an official transcript, unofficial transcript, or a list including courses, grades earned, completion dates, and quarter and semester hours earned.

Additional information

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.

Benefits

Help

A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.

Review our benefits

Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.