Summary Become part of the team that safeguards the financial system from the abuses of financial crime. At the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN), we are at the forefront in preventing and detecting terrorist financing, money laundering, and other financial crime. Serve at the nation's financial intelligence unit and protect the United States financial system from criminals and terrorist financiers.
Duties This position is located in our Research and Analysis Division, Office of Cyber and Emerging Technologies. The official classification is Intelligence Research Specialist (Cyber Threat Analyst). In this role, you will be researching and analyzing illicit financial activities (such as online child exploitation and human trafficking, etc.).
The following are the duties of this position at the GS-13. If you are selected at a lower grade level, you will have the opportunity to learn to perform all these duties, and will receive training to help you grow in this position.
- Analyze issues and prepare responses to queries or situations using creative thinking, problem solving, and decision-making practices based on past practices, comprehensive knowledge of the subject matter (cybercrimes, illicit financial activities, money laundering networks, etc.).
- Serve as a subject matter expert involving cyber threats, cybercrimes, and cryptocurrency systems during interactions with other agencies, including other Treasury offices, financial regulators, law enforcement agencies, intelligence communities, etc.
- Identify and evaluate topics for potential analysis and investigation involving illicit use of emerging payment technologies, cybercrime, or cyber-enabled crime (such as computer intrusion methods, blockchain analysis and network defense, exploitation of cryptocurrency systems, etc.), to provide material for tactical and strategic support to FinCEN and stakeholder initiatives and activities.
- Advise or interact with FinCEN and other Treasury employees in order to ensure appropriate regulatory enforcement actions (such as assessments of civil money penalties and recommendations of special measures for jurisdictions, financial institutions, international transactions, or types of accounts of primary money laundering concern) are applied appropriately in accordance with the Bank Secrecy Act and U.S. Patriot Act, including 31 USC § 5318A and § 5321-5322.
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.
Qualifications
You must meet the following requirements by the closing date of this announcement. The experience may have been gained in either the public, private sector or volunteer service. One year of experience refers to full-time work; part-time work 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 résumé.
Specialized Experience for the GS13, you must have one full year (52 weeks) of specialized experience at a level of difficulty and responsibility equivalent to the GS12 grade level in the Federal service. Specialized experience for this position is defined as:
- Identifying and evaluating topics for potential analysis and investigation involving illicit use of emerging payment technologies, cyber-enabled financial crimes (including cyber-enabled financial fraud); AND
- Analyzing cyber threat intelligence, indicators of compromise, malware forensics, blockchain transactions, malicious use of emerging technologies (such as artificial intelligence), law enforcement information, or other financial data in development of written threat intelligence products;
AND ONE OF THE FOLLOWING
- Assessing developments and threats related to cyber-enabled financial crimes or emerging payment systems; OR
- Analyzing large datasets of Bank Secrecy Act information to develop written actionable findings.
For the GS-12, you must have one year of specialized experience at a level of difficulty and responsibility equivalent to the GS-11 grade level in the Federal service. Specialized Experience for this position includes:
- Composing and briefing analytical assessments on emerging payment technologies or cyber threat topics, in particular, cyber-enabled financial crimes (including cyber-enabled financial fraud);
AND ONE OF THE FOLLOWING
- Conducting intelligence research related to malicious cyber actors' financial networks, tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs); OR
- Utilizing financial and cybersecurity threat tools and data sources to conduct research.
For the GS-11, you must have one year of specialized experience at a level of difficulty and responsibility equivalent to the GS-09 grade level in the Federal service. Specialized Experience for this position includes:
- Analyzing segments of financial or cyber threat information for inclusion in tactical or strategic studies, to include countering cyber-enabled fraud, such as: cyber threat intelligence, indicators of compromise, malware forensics, blockchain transactions, malicious use of emerging technologies, law enforcement information, classified intelligence, or other financial, cyber threat, or technical data for the production of intelligence reports, investigative memoranda, evidentiary packages, and other written materials; AND
- Experience with anti-money laundering/countering financing of terrorism, fraud, or big data analytics investigations or policies.
OR You may substitute education for general or specialized experience as follows:
- 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;
OR You may qualify by a combination of experience and education. Options for qualifying based on a combination will be identified in the online questions.
To combine education and experience, the total percentage of experience at the required grade level compared to the requirement, as well as the percentage of completed education compared to the requirement must equal at least 100 percent. Only graduate level education in excess of the first 36 semester hours (54 quarter hours) may be combined to be considered for qualifying education.
For the GS-09, you must have one year of specialized experience at a level of difficulty and responsibility equivalent to the GS-07 grade level in the Federal service. Specialized Experience for this position includes:
- Analyzing segments of financial or cyber threat information for inclusion in tactical or strategic studies, to include countering cyber-enabled fraud, such as: cyber threat intelligence, indicators of compromise, malware forensics, blockchain transactions, malicious use of emerging technologies, law enforcement information, classified intelligence, or other financial, cyber threat, or technical data, for the production of intelligence reports, investigative memoranda, evidentiary packages, and other written materials.
OR You may substitute education for general or specialized experience as follows:
You may substitute education for experience as follows: master's or equivalent graduate degree OR 2 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree that demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work OR an LL.B. or J.D., in a field related to this position.
OR You may qualify by a combination of experience and education. Options for qualifying based on a combination will be identified in the online questions.
To combine education and experience, the total percentage of experience at the required grade level compared to the requirement, as well as the percentage of completed education compared to the requirement must equal at least 100 percent. Only graduate level education in excess of the first 18 semester hours (27 quarter hours) may be combined to be considered for qualifying education. Education Education Requirements: The education generally must be from an accredited (or pre-accredited) college or university recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. If you are qualifying based on foreign education, you must submit proof of creditability of education as evaluated by a credentialing agency. Refer to the OPM instructions.Requirements Security Clearance: This position has been designated National Security Level IV, Special Sensitive and requires the incumbent to obtain and maintain eligibility for a Top Secret (TS) clearance with Sensitive Compartmented Information (SCI) access. Applicant must meet and continue to adhere to the requirements of a Tier 5 level background investigation. Failure to successfully meet these requirements will be grounds for termination. Continued employment with FinCEN is contingent upon satisfactory completion of the Tier 5 level background investigation, the results of which fully meet the FinCEN's special employment criteria. All employees are subject to satisfactory completion of periodic reinvestigation and a continuing life style in conformity with applicable national and FinCEN directives. Any unfavorable information developed during an investigation or other official inquiry may result in termination of employment in accordance with established security policies and procedures.
This position requires that the successful candidate undergo personnel vetting, which includes a background investigation and enrollment upon onboarding into "Continuous Vetting." Enrollment in Continuous Vetting will result in automated record checks being conducted throughout one's employment with Treasury. The successful candidate will also be enrolled into FBI's Rap Back service, which will allow Treasury to receive notification from the FBI of criminal matters (e.g., arrests, charges, convictions) involving enrolled individuals in near real-time. How you will be evaluated This announcement is issued under "Direct-Hire" authority. Consistent with 5 U.S.C 3304 and OPM regulations (5 CFR 337 Subpart B) on direct-hire. Competitive examining rules providing for rating and ranking and veterans' preference do not apply. All candidates who meet qualification and other eligibility requirements may be referred for consideration.
Your application includes your résumé, responses to the online questions, and required supporting documents. Please be sure that your résumé includes detailed information to support your qualifications for this position; failure to provide sufficient evidence in your résumé may result in a "not qualified" determination.
To be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. In addition to the application and questionnaire, this position requires an online assessment (USA Hire) that measures critical general competencies needed to perform the job. Cheating on this assessment may result in your removal from consideration.
If you are a displaced or surplus Federal employee eligible for the Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP)/Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP), achieve a well-qualified score of 85 or higher to receive priority consideration.
You will be assessed on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics):
Attention to Detail, Customer Service, Decision Making, Flexibility, Influencing/Negotiating, Integrity/Honesty, Interpersonal Skills, Learning, Reading Comprehension, Reasoning, Self-Management, Stress Tolerance, and Teamwork.
Referral: All candidates who meet all the qualifications and other eligibility requirements may be referred for consideration.
When FinCEN completes its hiring, the remaining list of qualified candidates may be shared with additional Treasury bureaus. You will have an opportunity to opt-in if you would like your name, application material, and assessment results shared to be considered for employment with additional Treasury bureaus. There is no guarantee of further consideration, and you can continue to explore other job opportunity announcements.
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)Benefits FinCEN offers flexible work schedules, 11 paid holidays, financial subsidies to employees who use public transportation to commute, in-house training, fitness center reimbursement, alternate work schedules (AWS) and telework opportunities, and eligibility for performance awards. FinCEN also offers attractive health, life, and long-term care insurance programs, and the employees' health insurance contributions are out of pre-tax dollars. Newer employees are covered by a three-tier retirement plan that includes a pre-tax retirement contribution program with matching funds or, as applicable, continuance in the Civil Service Retirement System.
Learn more about Federal benefits programs at: USAJOBS Help Center - Benefits How to apply FinCEN has partnered with Treasury's Common Services Center (TCSC) to provide certain personnel services to its organization. TCSC's responsibilities include advertising vacancies, accepting and handling applications, and extending job offers.
Are you unsure how to write your federal resume? We are here to help. The Treasury Recruitment Service regularly offers Writing Your Federal Resume training sessions, and other career-related information sessions, to assist you in your career search journey. To register for a session, click here to go to our Career Information Sessions webpage. TCSC provides reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities on a case-by-case basis. Please contact us if you require this for any part of the application and hiring process.
Please read the entire announcement and all the instructions before you begin an application. To apply and be considered for this position, you must complete all required questionnaires, assessments, and 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. The application process is as follows:
- Click the Apply Online button.
- Answer the questions presented in the application and attach all necessary supporting documentation.
- Click the Submit Application button prior to 11:59 PM (ET) on the announcement closing date.
- 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 covered under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended.
- Set aside about two (2) 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.
To verify the status of your application:
- Log into your USAJOBS account (USAJOBS Login). A list of announcements to which you have applied is on the Welcome screen.
- Under "application status," click "Track this application" and you will be taken to the agency website where you can check your application status.
For more information regarding the job and applicant status, please refer to USAJOBS Help Center - How to see your application and job status
If you wish to make changes/updates to your application and the vacancy is still open, you can click on the job announcement and "Update Application" to be taken back to your application. No updates can be made once the announcement has closed.
Please notify us if your contact information changes after the closing date of the announcement. Also, note that if you provide an email address that is inaccurate or if your mailbox is full or blocked (e.g., spam-blocker), you may not receive important communication that could affect your consideration for this position.
For additional information on how to apply, please visit the Partnership for Public Service's Go Government website.
The Fair Chance to Compete for Jobs Act prohibits the Department of Treasury and its bureaus from requesting an applicant's criminal history record before that individual receives a conditional offer of employment. In accordance with 5 U.S. Code § 9202(c) and 5 C.F.R § 920.201 certain positions are exempt from the provisions of the Fair Chance to Compete Act. Applicants who believe they have been subjected to a violation of the Fair Chance to Compete for Jobs Act, may submit a written complaint to the Department of Treasury by email at, FairChanceAct@treasury.gov.
To learn more, please visit our page at: Treasury.gov/fairchanceact.
To preview the questionnaire: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/13106628Other information
OTHER INFORMATION:
- We may select from this announcement or any other source to fill one or more vacancies.
- This is a non-bargaining unit position.
- We offer opportunities for telework.
- We offer opportunities for flexible work schedules.
CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT:
- 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.
- A one year probationary period may be required.
- Must successfully complete a background investigation.
- Complete a Declaration for Federal Employment to determine your suitability for Federal employment, at the time requested by the agency.
- Have your salary sent to a financial institution of your choice by Direct Deposit/Electronic Funds Transfer.
- If you are a male applicant born after December 31, 1959, certify that you have registered with the Selective Service System or are exempt from having to do so.
- Go through a Personal Identity Verification (PIV) process that requires two 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.
- Obtain and use a Government-issued charge card for business-related travel.
- File a Confidential Financial Disclosure Report within 30 days of appointment and annually from then on. All new hires will be required to comply with federal ethics laws. A review of financial or other interests may be conducted to determine if they create any real or apparent conflict of interests with official Treasury duties.
- Undergo an income tax verification
- Submit to a drug test prior to your appointment and random drug testing while you occupy the position.
- Applicants may be required to provide a writing sample at a later stage in the evaluation process.
