The Office of Law Enforcement, Security, and Emergency Management (OLESEM)
is part of the Office of the Secretary of the Interior. Special Agents are
employed in OLESEM to accomplish its broad mission of protecting the visiting
public, the employees, the lands, the resources, and the facilities of the
Department of the Interior.
- Where do Special Agents Work?
- What do Special Agents do?
- How do I become a Special Agent?
- Are there any special requirements?
- What opportunities exist for training and career advancement?
- What benefits do Special Agents earn?
1. Where do Special Agents Work?
Most OLESEM Special Agents work in the Office of the Secretary of the Interior
at the Main Interior Building in Washington, District of Columbia. One Special
Agent is assigned border coordination duties with U.S. Customs and Border
Protection and works at their headquarters in the Ronald Reagan Building.
A Special Agent assigned to southern border coordination duties is stationed
in Tucson, Arizona and a Special Agent assigned to northern border coordination
duties is stationed in Spokane, Washington. A Special Agent is assigned
as the Department of the Interior’s National Training Coordinator
at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center in Glynco, Georgia.
2. What do Special Agents do?
OLESEM Special Agents serve at the senior management level providing leadership,
policy guidance, and oversight to Department of the Interior law enforcement
and security programs. These include law enforcement operations and policy,
border and drug enforcement coordination, training, internal affairs program
oversight, policy compliance, critical infrastructure protection, and information
sharing.
Special Agents work closely with their counterparts in seven law enforcement
programs within five Bureaus of the Department of the Interior. They also
work with other Federal, State, Tribal, and local law enforcement agencies
to coordinate law enforcement and security programs and operations.
3. How do I become a Special Agent?
Special Agent positions in OLESEM are filled periodically. These positions
are highly sought after and are extremely competitive among applicants. Consequently,
only the most qualified applicants are selected. Vacancies are announced
by the Office of Personnel Management on their USAJOBS website.
4. Are there any special requirements?
- Must be a US Citizen.
- Must be at least 21 years of age when hired.
- Cannot be over 37 years of age when hired (or if older, have prior
experience in a qualifying Federal law enforcement position).
- Pass a pre-employee medical examination, with periodic re-examination
after hiring.
- Pass a pre-employment fitness test, with annual testing after hiring.
- Pass a pre-employment drug screening, with random screening after
hiring.
- Complete a single scope background investigation with a successful
adjudication for a top secret (TS) or secure compartmented information
(SCI) clearance.
- May not have been convicted of a misdemeanor or felony crime of domestic
violence which would preclude the carrying, possession, and use of firearms
and other weapons as required by the position.
- Have a valid state driver’s license and the ability to operate
a motor vehicle.
- Have minimum of a high school diploma. Academically, a bachelor’s
or master’s degree is preferred but not required.
5. What opportunities exist for training and career advancement?
OLESEM Special Agents are trained and experienced senior level law enforcement
officers. These are not entry level positions.
Like every law enforcement officer in the Department of the Interior,
Special Agents are required to receive a minimum of 40 hours of law enforcement
training annually and to qualify with their firearm at least semi-annually.
Beyond that, Special Agents may attend conferences, seminars, workshops,
and specialized training related to their area of job responsibility
and expertise.
Special Agents may also have opportunities to participate in career
enhancing leadership and management development programs including the
Senior Executive Service Career Development Program.
OLESEM Special Agents are usually hired at the target GS-14 or GS-15
level. Some positions may be advertised and filled as upward mobility
positions at the GS-13/14 or GS-14/15 levels.
OLESEM Special Agents are assigned progressively responsible work managing
law enforcement and security programs at the Departmental level. They
work with Bureaus and Offices of the Department of the Interior, and
with other Federal, State, Tribal, and local law enforcement agencies.
The scope and quality of work experience received by Special Agents working
at OLESEM is career enhancing and facilitates career advancement.
6. What benefits do Special Agents earn?
- Enhanced annuity law enforcement retirement under the provisions
of 5 USC 8336(c). Special Agents can retire at age 50 years with
20 years of covered service, or any age with 25 years of covered
service. Retirement is mandatory at age 57.
- Prior Federal civilian or military service is credible.
- Law enforcement availability pay earned at the rate of 25 percent
of base pay.
- Night differential, Sunday premium, and holiday pay.
- Applicable geographic pay adjustment (locality pay) according to
assigned duty station.
- Health insurance may be obtained through Federal employee programs.
Insurance plans are available to immediate family members.
- Life insurance may be obtained through federal employee programs.
- Financial protection is provided, without cost, in the event of
job-related injury or death.
- Annual leave earned at the rate of 13 to 26 days per year, based
on length of Government service, with 240 hours of maximum carryover
annually.
- Sick leave earned at the rate of 13 days annually with no limit
to the amount of sick leave that can be accumulated.
- 10 paid Federal holidays annually.
