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Digital Forensic Examiner

Federal Bureau of Investigation
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**NOTE: The salaries listed are the base rate of pay for federal employees on the General Schedule (GS) pay scale.

 Current locality pay tables are available on OPM.gov. Please be advised that in some locations the IT Specialist - Digital Forensic Examiner position may fall under a Special Rate Table. Special Rate Tables 999B, 999C, 999D, 999E, 999F, 99AA, 99AH, and 99AP may be used based on location and/or grade.

Please ensure your top three (3) location preferences are updated under the "Federal Preferences" tab in your application prior to submission. If there is only one (1) Office/Division you are interested in then you should mark that location for all three (3) of your choices.

You will only be considered for those location preferences you've selected. This job announcement will be used to select candidates for current and/or future vacancies; therefore you are encouraged to select any of the 56 locations in your top three (3) location preferences. Your application will only be reviewed if vacancies exist among your three (3) choices. Due to the fluidity of vacancies, there is no guarantee which Field Office/Division will have vacancies within the time frame of this job opening.

Please Note: The Memphis Field Office and the Knoxville Field Office are in the process of consolidating to create one Field Office in Nashville, TN. Memphis and Knoxville will become Resident Agencies of Nashville. During this consolidation, some positions may be permanently relocated. Please consider this when applying to this position.

Available Incentives:

In order to recruit and retain highly qualified candidates, selectees may be eligible for relocation or recruitment incentives. To be eligible for a relocation incentive, proof of change in residency will be required. Prior to receiving a relocation or recruitment incentive, an employee must sign a written agreement to complete a specific period of employment with the FBI at the new duty station.

Key Requirements

  • Must be a U.S. citizen
  • Must have (or be able to obtain) a valid driver’s license
  • May be required to obtain a Top Secret-SCI clearance
  • Some travel may be required
  • ALL applicants must verify completion of the basic education requirement by submitting a copy of college transcripts by the closing date of the vacancy announcement.

Working Conditions:

The work may involve regular, recurring exposure to hazardous materials, toxic substances, and bloodborne pathogens. Incumbents are expected to follow safe laboratory practices and wear protective clothing, including facial masks, safety glasses, gloves, and other protective equipment as necessary. The position of Digital Forensic Examiner may require incumbents to view pictures, video, or review graphic text which is Child Exploitative in nature.

Physical Demands:

The work requires manual dexterity, flexibility and some assignments which require considerable, strenuous physical exertion, which may require lifting of objects of up-to fifty (50) pounds or more.

Major Duties:

  • Plans, coordinates, and directs forensic science activates to include expert examinations, reporting of results, training, and research that involve all aspects of digital evidence.
  • Inventories, examines, retrieves, and performs comprehensive technical analyses of digital evidence without altering original.
  • Prepares evidence for examination from crime scene.
  • Serves as technical consultant by providing up-to-date training in computer examinations detailing the latest technology, supporting information, and reviews of new products to agents, federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies.
  • May be required to testify in court as to the procedures and methods used to obtain data.
  • Prepares and furnishes authoritative oral and written reports on opinions and findings to stakeholders within the law enforcement community.

Qualifications and Evaluations

Please make sure your specialized experience/requirement(s) can be identified in your resume. Applicants must meet the qualification requirements by the closing date of this announcement.

Your application will be evaluated and rated under the FBI’s Candidate Rating Procedures. Your resume and supporting documentation will be used to determine whether you meet the job qualifications listed in this announcement and will be compared to your responses to the online assessment questionnaire. High self-assessment in the vacancy questions that is not supported by information in your resume, and/or supporting documents may eliminate you from Most Competitive status.

Your application will then be placed in one of three categories: Most Competitive, Competitive, or Least Competitive. Names of candidates in the Most Competitive category will be sent to the hiring official for employment consideration. Veterans’ preference will be applied.

All applicants will be rated on the following Competencies:

  • Analytic Thinking
  • Collaboration
  • Communication
  • Customer Service
  • Problem Solving/Judgment
  • Technology Awareness

Positive Education Requirement

This position has a specific education requirement; all applicants must verify completion of this basic educational requirement by submitting a copy of their college transcripts by the closing date of the vacancy announcement.

Education completed in foreign colleges or universities may be used to meet the above requirements provided you can show foreign education is comparable to that received in an accredited educational institution in the United States.

BASIC REQUIREMENTS:

All personnel must have at least 24 college level semester hours from an accredited college or university in one or more of the following disciplines:

  • Computer Science
  • Engineering
  • Information Science
  • Information Systems Management
  • Mathematics
  • Operations Research
  • Statistics
  • Technology Management
  • Information Systems Analysis
  • Computer/Digital/Electronic Forensics
  • Science/Technology (other than physical sciences)
    • Acceptable:
      • Physics/Astrophysics
      • Chemistry/Organic Chemistry
    • Unacceptable:
      • Astronomy
      • Geology
      • Biology
  • Management Information Systems
  • Information Technology Systems
  • Data Structure and Design

AND

A Baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university;

OR

Technical Experience:

Four (4) years of full-time experience working as either a technician or forensic examiner (consistent with FBI digital evidence program definitions) within a digital evidence facility that supports criminal investigations, and has an external accreditation or internal quality assurance framework.

Hybrid:

Consideration for admission under the Hybrid path is a combination of education and work experience equal or greater than four (4) years. The Digital Evidence Staffing Education & Development Unit (DESED) will combine the full-time work experience, time given for Work Time Experience (WTE) based on certificates/certifications, and time given for academic credit hours to calculate the required four (4) years:

  • Full time experience working as either a technician or forensic examiner (consistent with FBI digital evidence program definitions) within a digital evidence facility that supports criminal investigations, and has an external accreditation or internal quality assurance framework.
  • Technical and computer forensic industry accepted professional certificates/certifications will be reviewed and assign equivalent WTE based on difficulty of the certificate/certification received, DESED will document and maintain a list of accepted and denied certificates/certifications and their assigned WTE.
  • Two (2) weeks per credit hour will be given for any course over 200 level or equivalent in the following disciplines:
    • Computer Science
    • Engineering
    • Information Science
    • Information Systems Management
    • Mathematics
    • Operations Research
    • Statistics
    • Technology Management
    • Information Systems Analysis
    • Computer/Digital/Electronic Forensics
    • Science/Technology (other than physical sciences)
    • Management Information Systems
    • Information Technology Systems
    • Data Structure and Design

Current Certification:

Personnel who hold a current FBI Digital Forensic Examiner certification, and are up-to-date with all requirements for a current FBI Digital Forensic Examiner, and have been continuously certified as an FBI Digital Forensic Examiner for more than one (1) year.

In addition to meeting the above Basic Requirements, the applicant's grade determination will be based on one of two options described in the Specialized Experience Requirements OR Education sections below.

Please Note:

  • Applicants qualifying on specialized experience must address the bulleted points in their resume. A review of the resume and the responses to the competency questionnaire will determine the grade level(s) for which the applicant qualifies.
  • Applicants qualifying through education must ensure a copy of their transcripts are submitted with their application.

Please make sure your specialized experience/requirement(s) can be identified in your resume.

Specialized Experience (SE):

GS-7: Applicant must possess at least one (1) year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-5 grade level. SE is defined as follows:

  • Performed routine data searches to retrieve data and/or digital evidence.
  • Provided oral and written communications to exchange and/or present IT related information.

GS-9: Applicant must possess at least one (1) year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-7 grade level. SE is defined as follows:

  • Planned and completed assignments while adhering to established instructions, policies, practices and procedures.
  • Established and maintained working relationships with internal and external stakeholders to exchange information; assisting in research while providing recommendations to methods and techniques to evaluate data, digital evidence, a variety of technologies and/or analytical support.
  • Utilized computer related hardware and software to preserve, extract and analyze data and/or digital evidence.

GS-11: Applicant must possess at least one (1) year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-9 grade level. SE is defined as follows:

  • Conducted routine examinations of data and/or digital evidence, using established policies, procedures and precedent techniques.
  • Utilized computer related hardware and software to identify, collect, examine, preserve, and duplicate data and/or digital evidence.
  • Communicated orally and in writing to prepare and present reports, briefings, of information and findings obtained during investigations.
  • Provided guidance to a variety of internal and external stakeholders in the examination and retrieval of data and/or digital evidence, ensuring proper established practices and protocols are followed.

GS-12: Applicant must possess at least one (1) year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-11 grade level. SE is defined as follows:

  • Planned, coordinated and directed activities related to the examination, analysis, & reporting of data and/or digital evidence.
  • Served as a Subject Matter Expert, providing onsite technical guidance and collaborating with stakeholders to examine data and/or digital evidence to identify, diagnose, and resolve error and problem conditions.
  • Served as a mentor to others, providing guidance and training on technical matters related to the collection and analysis of data and/or digital evidence.
  • Communicates findings and/or opinions to stakeholders of IT related examinations conducted.

Education

All degrees must be from an accredited college or university. Education may be substituted for specialized experience as follows:

GS-7: Applicant must have a bachelor’s degree with superior academic achievement or one (1) full year of graduate level education. Superior academic achievement is the completion of all the requirements of a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university, which is based on (1) class standing, (2) grade-point average of 3.0 or higher as recorded on an official transcript, or as based on courses completed during the final two years of the curriculum, or (3) honor society membership.

GS-9: Applicant must have a 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.

GS-11: Applicant must have 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., if related.

GS-12: Education may not be substituted for SE at this grade level.