Internal Revenue Service
Computer Investigative Forensic Specialist (CIFA)
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Summary
Federal experience is not required. Experience may have been gained in the public sector, private sector or through Volunteer Service. One year of experience refers to full-time work; part-timework is considered on a prorated basis. To ensure full credit for your work experience, please indicate dates of employment by month/day/year, and indicate number of hours worked per week, on your resume. You must meet the following requirements by the closing date of this announcement. SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE FOR GS-13: You must have 1 year of specialized experience at a level of difficulty and responsibility equivalent to the GS-12 grade level in the Federal service. Specialized experience for this position includes: Conducting digital forensic support and analysis of electronic devices and digital media in accordance with established forensic procedures and standards, and legal requirements. Utilizing forensic software, analytical tools and investigative techniques to collect and interpret digital evidence and prepare forensic reports documenting findings and conclusions. Managing, configuring, maintaining, and troubleshooting forensic software, used in support of digital forensic investigations. Evaluating, designing and developing or administrating digital of forensic systems process or evidence management solutions to support operational needs. Providing technical guidance and recommendations related to digital forensic matters and communicating forensic findings and technical information through written reports, presentations, briefings or discussions with technical and non-technical stakeholders, management, law enforcement or legal personnel. Supporting investigative or legal proceedings by explaining forensic processes or findings and assisting with the preparation and evaluation of digital evidence for administrative, civil or criminal proceedings. AND You must also meet the following requirement(s): PERFORMANCE RATING: Current federal employees must have at least a fully successful or equivalent performance rating to receive consideration. TIME AFTER COMPETITIVE APPOINTMENT (TACA): By the closing date (or if this is an open continuous announcement, by the cut-off date) specified in this job announcement, current civilian employees must have completed at least 90 days of federal civilian service since their latest non-temporary appointment from a competitive referral certificate, known as time after competitive appointment. For this requirement, a competitive appointment is one where you applied to and were appointed from an announcement open to "All US Citizens" TIME IN GRADE (TIG): Federal employees must meet time-in-grade requirements. For positions above the GS-05, applicants must meet applicable time-in-grade requirements to be considered eligible. One year (52 weeks) at the next lower grade level is required to meet the time-in-grade requirements for the grade you are applying for. For positions at the GS-05, you cannot advance to the GS-05 if you have held a GS-02 in the past 52 weeks. There is no TIG restriction for GS-02, 03, or 04 positions. MINIMUM AGE REQUIREMENT: Minimum age for federal employment is 18 years old, or at least 16 years old and have: Graduated from high school or been awarded a certificate equivalent to graduating from high school; or Completed a formal vocational training program; or Received a statement from school authorities agreeing with your preference for employment rather than continuing your education. For more information on qualifications please refer to OPM's Qualifications Standards.
Major Duties
The following are the duties of this position at the full working level. If this vacancy includes more than one grade and you are selected at a lower grade level, you will have the opportunity to learn to perform these duties and receive training to help you grow in this position. The nature of the position is the support of criminal investigations. Performs work directly related to the internal management of the agency and typically would be expected to provide recommendations of great significance based on the analysis of investigative findings. It will be necessary for the incumbent to review Top Secret classified information, personal, private, SBU, and proprietary information during an investigation that impacts national security. Provides expert digital forensic support through the scientific analysis of electronic evidence by recovering and analyzing electronic evidence associated with investigations of potential breaches of US tax law. Conducts computer and mobile forensic examinations that are consistent with those standards established by IRS-CI, as well as reflective of current trends and techniques within the law enforcement and professional communities. This may include the testing of forensic software and other appropriate automated analytical tools to meet diverse investigative requirements. This can have a material adverse effect on national security. As an expert in the field of computer forensics, the incumbent is counted on to develop agency wide policies, procedures, and strategies involving the recovery and forensic analysis of electronic evidence. Provides expert technical advice, guidance, and recommendations to agency management and other senior agents, officers, or inspectors on critical investigations of electronic evidence. Prepares interim and comprehensive final forensic reports for case agents, prosecutors, investigators, and/or management officials in accordance with IRS-CI policies and procedures. In addition, the incumbent is also responsible for containing classified data spills on any of the CI networks, thereby protecting the Nation from threat of economic internal subversion.Conducts internal and/or external investigations, inquiries, or audits related to cases that might have an impact on national security.
Requirements
Probationary Period - All newly appointed employees to the competitive (or excepted) service are subject to a probationary (or trial) period. During this time, your performance, conduct, and suitability for continued employment will be evaluated. You will not automatically convert to permanent status at the end of the probationary (or trial) period. Your supervisor must affirmatively determine that continued employment is in the best interest of the Federal service. If no certification is made before the probationary (or trial) period ends, your appointment will be terminated. You are encouraged to actively engage with your supervisor, seek feedback, and understand role expectations. Additional guidance and support will be provided during onboarding. Probationary Period - A person who is required to go through a probationary period and then is transferred, promoted, demoted, or reassigned before he or she completes such period is required to complete the remainder of the probationary period in the new position. Government Credit Card - Obtain and use a Government-issued charge card for business-related travel. Security Clearance - Obtain and maintain a Top Secret Security Clearance Drug Test - Submit to a drug test prior to your appointment and random drug testing while you occupy the position. A negative result is required. Key Eligibility Requirements: U.S Citizenship - Must be a U.S. Citizen or National and provide proof of U.S. Citizenship. Selective Service Registration - Males born after December 31, 1959 are required to be registered with the Selective Service System or prove they are exempt from having to do so. Personal Identity Verification (PIV) - Must provide 2 forms of identification from the Form I-9. Federal law requires verification of the identity and employment eligibility of all new hires in the U.S. These documents must be unexpired original or certified copies. ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS SHOWN IN QUALIFICATIONS OR ADDTIONAL INFORMATION SECTIONS
Required Documents
The following documents are required and must be provided with your application. All application materials, including transcripts, must be in English. Incomplete or insufficient information may result in not being considered for the position, or not receiving special consideration for which you may be eligible. Please view Application Preparation or How to write a resume for federal job. 1. Resume Requirements (Failure to provide the following information, may result in not being considered): Limited to two (2) pages. Recommend a standard 8.5x11-inch document size, a sans-serif font such as Arial or Calibri with a font size no smaller than 10-point, page margins of 0.5 inches. Applicants that attempt to circumvent the 2-page limit page limit, for example by materially reducing readability, will be deemed ineligible. Includes your name and contact information. Include relevant work experience - Employer Name, Job Title, Employment dates (start to end date or present), number of hours worked per week, and a brief description of duties that clearly demonstrate your qualifications. To receive full credit for work experience, you must include specific MM/DD/YYYY start and end dates for every position. Pay plan, series, and grade (e.g., GS-0301-09) for all federal service jobs. Don't Include on Resume: Photographs, classified or sensitive information, SSN, encrypted/digitally signed documents, or other inappropriate content. Resumes containing prohibited information will be deemed ineligible. Embedded links as they will not be opened or considered when determining qualifications. Personal information such as age, sex, religion, race, or disability. Specialized experience copied from the announcement or position description, as this is not a demonstration of your experience. NOTE: If you update and resubmit your application, only the most recent resume received will be considered to determine qualifications. 2. Education (if applicable) - Refer to Qualification and Education sections above for requirements Submit a copy of your transcript(s) or equivalent for positions with an education requirement, or if you are qualifying for this position based on education or training. An official transcript(s) will be required if you are selected. 3. Registration/License (if applicable) - Current, active registration/license 4. Performance Appraisal/Awards (required for current federal employees)? Submit the most recent completed annual performance appraisal. Submit copies of any incentive/performance awards received that may have an impact on the qualifications for the position to be filled. 5. Veteran or qualifying family members MUST submit a DD-214 (Member 4 copy), that shows dates and character of service (honorable, general, etc.). If you are serving on active duty and expect to be released or discharged within 120 days you must submit documentation related to your service which includes your rank, dates of service, character of service, and dates of impending separation. 10-point preference eligible - Submit an Application for 10-point Veteran Preference, SF-15, along with the required documentation listed on the back of the form if you are a 10-point preference eligible. For more information on claiming veterans' preference view here. Military Spouses - In addition to the documentation above you must also submit: Verification of the marriage to the service member (i.e., a marriage license) AND A copy of your spouse's active military orders OR Documentation of Service Connected Disability OR Death while on active duty (DD-1300/Death Certificate) 6. Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) or Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) (if applicable) Submit the required documentation as outlined under CTAP/ICTAP 7. Current and Former Federal Employees Documentation (if applicable) You MUST submit a copy of your most recent SF-50 (Notification of Personnel Action) (or equivalent) which shows your current grade and competitive service status, and Tenure. Provide an SF-50(s) (or equivalent) which demonstrates you meet the 52-week time-in-grade requirement (e.g., Promotion with an effective date more than one (1) year old, Within-Grade-Increase at the highest grade held). 9. Schedule A Appointing Authority for People with Certain Disabilities Submit a Disabilty Letter from your doctor or a licensed medical professional that proves your eligibility for Schedule A appointing authority.
How to Apply
Please read the entire announcement and all the instructions before you begin an application. To apply for and be considered for this position, you must complete all required questionnaires, assessments and submit all required documentation as specified in the How to Apply and Required Documents section. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on the closing date of the announcement to receive consideration. We are available to assist you during business hours (normally 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. ET, Monday - Friday). If applying online poses a hardship, please contact us by noon ET on 10/22/2026. To begin the application process, click the "Apply Online" button. You will be re-directed to USA STAFFING to continue your application process; answer the online questions. To preview the Application Questionnaire, please click the following link:https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/13069046. Upload all required documents. (To submit supporting documents, import documents from USAJOBS to the appropriate document types. If the document you need is not imported from USAJOBS, you may upload it directly into this application.) Click the Submit Application button. If you are required to complete any USA Hire Assessments, you will be notified after submitting your application. The notification will be provided in your application submission screen and via email. The notification will include your unique assessment access link to the USA Hire system and the completion deadline. Additionally, in USAJOBS you can click "Track this application" to return to your assessment completion notice. Access USA Hire using your unique assessment link. Access is granted through your USAJOBS login credentials. Review all instructions prior to beginning your assessments. You will have the opportunity to request a testing accommodation before beginning the assessments should you have a disability. Set aside up to 3 hours to take the USA Hire Assessments; however, most applicants complete the assessments in less time. If you need to stop the assessments and continue later, you can re-use your unique assessment link. Your responses to the USA Hire Assessments will be reused for one year (in most cases) from the date you complete an assessment. If future applications you submit require completion of the same assessments, your responses will be automatically reused. Visit the USA Hire Applicant Resource Center for practice assessments and assessment preparation resources. Visit USA Hire Online Help for online assessment information, system requirements, reasonable accommodations, and what to expect next. Reasonable Accommodations (RA): We provide reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities on a case-by-case basis; contact us if you require this for any part of the application and hiring process. To review reasonable accommodation policies and procedures please visit https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/disability-employment/reasonable-accommodations/. USA Hire Assessment Reasonable Accommodation (RA) Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a RA in your online application. Requests for RA for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for RA must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for RA are made on a case-by-case basis. If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, based on your adjudication decision. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments if you received the link after the close of the announcement. To determine if you need a RA, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments. (https://appsupport-usastaffing.opm.gov/hc/en-us/sections/45063131363475-Reasonable-Accommodation-Information) To update your application, including supporting documentation: Visit USAJOBS - How to Update Application during the announcement open period, make updates or add supporting documentation, then continue through the entire application process and click Submit Application to send updates to the hiring agency. This option will no longer be available once the announcement has closed.