Deputy Assistant Director (Forensics)

US Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; Beltsville (MD); On-site; USD 180,000 - 210,000; Full time

Job summary

The Deputy Assistant Director, Office of Science and Technology at the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives directs ATF Laboratory Services and Financial Investigative Services from Beltsville, MD.

The role oversees the Forensic Science Laboratories and Quality Programs while driving modernization of technology, analytics, and investigative support across national programs. ECQs and MTQs define senior leadership expectations for this position.

Qualifications

• ECQ1- Commitment to the Rule of Law and the Principles of the American Founding.
• ECQ2- Driving Efficiency: strategic resource and budget management.
• ECQ3- Merit and Competence: high quality work under strict standards.
• ECQ4- Leading People: leadership and accountability.
• ECQ5- Achieving Results: aligning results to goals.

Responsibilities

• Lead and direct Office of Science and Technology within ATF labs and forensic services.
• Oversee multi-site laboratory systems and national programs.
• Ensure compliance with quality frameworks and provide forensic analytical support.

Job description

The position of Deputy Assistant Director, Office of Science and Technology directs the activities of ATF Laboratory Services and Financial Investigative Services. Laboratory Services consists of the Quality Programs Office, the (3) Forensic Science Laboratories, and the Fire Research Laboratory. Financial Investigative Services provides forensic auditing support to ATFs mission. The position is located in Beltsville, MD.

Executive Core Qualifications (ECQs):

All new entrants into the Senior Executive Service (SES) under a career appointment will be assessed for executive competency against the following five mandatory ECQs. If your 2-page resume does not reflect demonstrated evidence of the ECQs and TQs, you may not receive further consideration for the position.

• ECQ1- Commitment to the Rule of Law and the Principles of the American Founding: Involves demonstrating knowledge of the American system of government, commitment to uphold the constitution and the rule of law, and commitment to serve the American people.
• ECQ2- Driving Efficiency: Involves demonstrating the ability to strategically and efficiently manage resources, budget effectively, cut wasteful spending, and pursue efficiency through process and technological upgrades.
• ECQ3- Merit and Competence: Involves demonstrating knowledge, ability, and technical competence to effectively and reliably produce work that is of exceptional quality.
• ECQ4- Leading People: Involves demonstrating the ability to lead and inspire a group toward meeting the organization's vision, mission, and goals, and to drive a high-performance, high accountability culture. This includes, when necessary, the ability to lead people through change and to hold individuals accountable.
• ECQ5- Achieving Results: Involves demonstrating the ability to achieve both individual and organization results, and to align results to stated goals from superiors.

Mandatory Technical Qualifications (MTQs)

For this position, the following Mandatory Technical Qualifications (MTQs) have been established and should be addressed within the resume application.

• MTQ1: Demonstrated success leading multi-site forensic laboratory systems, national scientific programs, or large-scale technical enterprises operating under rigorous international quality/accreditation frameworks (e.g., ISO/IEC 17025)
• MTQ2: Proven experience directing advanced scientific research, technology assessment, method validation, or digital infrastructure overhauls (e.g., AI integration, advanced telemetry, data analytics) within a forensic or law enforcement environment.
• MTQ3: Extensive leadership experience managing complex investigative support programs, such as forensic financial auditing, forensic intelligence systems, or engineering/scientific support to criminal investigations.