Contract Opportunity: ATF Recruiting for Background Investigators
By: Renee Reid
Chief, Personnel Security Branch
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives
October 2016
For over 17 years, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) has been successfully contracting with retired federal investigators, retired police officers, and other experienced investigators to conduct ATF pre-employment background investigations and periodic reinvestigations. Throughout this time period, ATF’s program goals have remained the same — to ensure each candidate’s background is thoroughly investigated in the most effective and efficient manner possible and to reduce costs associated with conducting background investigations by contracting directly with ATF field special investigators.
In recent years, ATF has vigorously recruited and hired Special Agents, Industry Operations Investigators, and other personnel (i.e., other series employees, contractors, task force officers, and volunteers) in direct support of its mission. Filling these positions with suitable candidates and verifying their continued eligibility to access unclassified sensitive information, information technology systems, and facilities are critical to ATF’s success. During FY 2017, ATF expects to initiate approximately 2,900 personnel security investigations.
A key factor to ATF’s success in hiring and retaining ATF personnel is the availability of ATF field special investigators to conduct all or portions of the required background investigations within their assigned geographical areas. To keep pace with recruitment and hiring initiatives, ATF is currently soliciting for additional field special investigators in many geographical areas located throughout the U.S. including:
| State | City(ies) |
| Alabama | Huntsvillle, Montgomery |
| Alaska | Anchorage, Fairbanks, Juneau |
| Arizona | Tucson, Yuma |
| California | Bakersfield, Redding, Sacramento, Stockton, San Francisco, San Jose |
| Colorado | Denver |
| Connecticut | Hartford, New Haven |
| Delaware | Any location |
| District of ColumbiaFlorida | Any locationMerritt Island, Orlando |
| Georgia | Albany, Atlanta, Brunswick |
| Guam | Any location |
| Illinois | Chicago |
| Idaho | Northern Idaho |
| Iowa | Des Moines |
| Kentucky | Lexington, Louisville |
| Louisiana | Baton Rouge, Lafayette, New Orleans |
| Maryland | District of Columbia metropolitan area |
| Massachusetts | Amherst, North Attleboro, Springfield |
| Michigan | Detroit, Grand Rapids, Lansing |
| Missouri | St. Louis |
| Nebraska | Omaha |
| Nevada | Las Vegas |
| New Jersey | Atlantic City, Newark, New Brunswick, Scranton, Trenton |
| New Hampshire | Manchester |
| New York | New York, Syracuse |
| North Carolina | Wilmington |
| North Dakota | Any location |
| Ohio | Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus, Toledo |
| Oregon | Eugene |
| Pennsylvania | Harrisburg, Philadelphia, State College, Williamsport |
| Rhode Island | Any location |
| South Carolina | Charleston, Columbia |
| South Dakota | Any location |
| Tennessee | Knoxville, Memphis, Nashville |
| Texas | Corpus Christi, Eagle Pass, Laredo |
| Virginia | Norfolk, Richmond, Roanoke, District of Columbia metropolitan area |
| Washington | Spokane, Yakima |
| Wisconsin | Milwaukee |
If you live in close proximity to one of the above-listed geographical areas, would like to continue to hone your investigative skills, and have an interest in contributing to the continued success of a Federal law enforcement agency; consider submitting a proposal to the solicitation for an ATF field special investigator contract position. Interested parties must satisfy the requirements of the solicitation published on FedBizOpps.gov.
An active solicitation is currently posted on FedBizOpps.gov. Prospective candidates can submit a proposal by searching for DJA-13-AHDQ-R-0703 on this website and following the instructions. More information regarding the ATF field special investigator contract program may be obtained by contacting PSB at SIAdministration@atf.gov or at (202) 648-9260.