Industry Operations Investigator

Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF); Salt Lake City (UT); On-site; USD 50,000 - 70,000; Full time

Job summary

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) seeks an Industry Operations Investigator to conduct investigations and inspections tied to regulated industries. The selectee will evaluate records and documents, ensuring compliance with applicable laws and regulations, and will prepare detailed reports on findings.

Qualifications include GS-5 or GS-7 pathways, with education or experience requirements and a focus on data gathering, communication, and record analysis.

Qualifications

• Three years of progressively responsible experience, 1 year at or above GS-4 level.
• Bachelor's degree in ANY FIELD leading to a bachelor’s degree (transcripts must show confer date).
• One year of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower grade level for GS-7 (analyses records, applies laws, verifies inventories).

Responsibilities

• Conduct investigations and inspections requiring knowledge of industry operations and records.
• Apply laws and regulations to analyze records and documents.
• Prepare reports detailing facts found from inspections.

Skills

Data gathering

Oral and written communication

Education

Bachelor's degree in any field

Superior Academic Achievement (SAA)

One year of graduate education

Job description

The selectee serves as an Industry Operations Investigator (IOI). Work involves conducting investigations and inspections that require knowledge of industry operations and records, as well as the laws and regulations covering the regulated industries. Note that total salary range indicated in this announcement will be adjusted to include locality payment for selected duty location. General schedule pay tables may be found under https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/salaries-wages/

All qualification requirements must be met by the closing date of the announcement.

GS-5: You qualify for the GS-5 grade level if you havethree years of progressively responsible experience, 1 year of which was equivalent to at least the GS-4 performing duties such as:

• Gathering pertinent data
• Communicating effectively orally and in writing.

OR

A bachelor's degree or successful completion of a full 4-year course of study in ANY FIELD leading to a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university. Conferred date must be listed on your unofficial or official transcripts.

GS-7: You qualify for the GS-7 grade level if you possess: 1 year of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower grade level, performing all of the following duties:

• Analyzing records, documents, or reports and applying the applicable laws and regulations;
• Examining records, documents, inventories and reports for evidence of falsification and documents discrepancies;
• Verifying inventories, utilizing intelligence data to analyze records, and examining business operations;
• Preparing reports detailing the facts found from inspections in accordance with the laws and regulations.

OR

A bachelor's degree in any field with Superior Academic Achievement (SAA). To qualify for SAA, you must meet one of the following:

1. A grade point average of \"B\" (a GPA of 3.0 or higher out of a possible 4.0) for all completed undergraduate courses, or those completed in the last two years of undergraduate study.
2. A grade point average of \"B+\" (a GPA of 3.5 or higher out of a possible 4.0) for all courses in the applicant's major field of study, or those courses in the applicant's major completed in the last two years of undergraduate study.
3. Rank in the upper one-third of the applicant's class in the college, university, or major subdivision.
4. Membership in a national honor society (other than freshman honor societies) recognized by the Association of College Honor Societies.

OR

Successful completion of one year of full-time graduate education from an accredited college or university in any field. Check with your school to determine how many credit hours comprise a year of graduate education. If that information is not available, use 18 semester or 27 quarter hours.

NOTE: Your resume must indicate how you meet the qualifications above, otherwise, you will be found ineligible. Please see the \"Required Documents\" section below for additional resume requirements.

Combining Experience and Education: To combine your education and experience, you must convert each to a percentage and then add the percentages. The combined total of your percentage of education and experience must equal at least 100% in order to qualify. If your education is currently described in quarter hours, convert the quarter hours into semester hours by multiplying the quarter hours by the fraction 2/3. To calculate your percentage of graduate education, divide the number of graduate semester hours by 18. To determine your percentage of qualifying experience, you must divide your total number of months of qualifying experience by the required number of months of experience. Add your percentages of education and experience. The two percentages must total at least 100%. 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). You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

After you submit this application, you will receive an e‑mail informing you that a USA Hire assessment is required of you. You will have 48 hours from the closing date of this announcement (11/16/2026) to complete the assessment as this assessment is part of your application.

Background Investigation: You will be required to undergo a background investigation prior to employment. During the screening and/or background investigation process, you will be asked questions regarding any felony criminal convictions, the use of illegal drugs and the use of non‑prescribed controlled substances including any experimentation, possession, sale, receipt, manufacture, cultivation, production, transfer, shipping, trafficking, or distribution of controlled substances. If you are a current or former Federal employee:

1. You must submit your most recent SF-50 (Notification of Personnel Action) or equivalent agency form. Do not submit an award SF‑50, these do not contain sufficient information about your appointment. Your SF‑50 should list the full position title, series, grade and step,organization, duty location, service computation date, effective date, and your service type and tenure status.
2. An SF‑50 showing your time‑in‑grade eligibility must be submitted with your application materials. If the most recent SF‑50 has an effective date within the past year, it may not clearly demonstrate you possess one‑year time‑in‑grade, as required by the announcement. In this instance, you must provide an additional SF‑50 that clearly demonstrates one‑year time‑in‑grade. Examples of appropriate SF‑50's include:
   • Within grade increases at the highest grade held; or
   • Promotions with an effective date more than one year old; or
   • SF‑50's at the highest grade held with an effective date more than one year old

Drug Testing: You must satisfactorily complete a drug test prior to being hired. More information on the ATF Drug Policy can be found here.