2018 U.S Fish and Wildlife Special Agent Announcement

[canyon_ranger]

This week the USFWS Office of Law Enforcement will advertise 24 special agent positions. Slated to open Tuesday, October 2nd, give or take a day.

The positions will be hired at the GS-9 level only. There will be no exceptions.
The full performance level of the positions is GS-13, however the promotion to FPL is not automatic. After reaching the proper time-in-grade at the GS-12 level, agents must follow agency protocol in order to be promoted to the 13 level.
The announcement will be open for 3 days but will close once 1,000 applications are received - which probably won't take long.
The announcement will be flown both as a merit promotion (gov wide) and as a DEU (all sources).
Duty stations will be determined at a later date, but it is anticipated that many new hires will go to larger metro areas.
It is anticipated that new hires would report to FLETC in September 2019.

The announcement should hopefully address all of this in greater detail.

Before Ratatatat or others blow up the post, I'll beat them to the punch. The agency is far from perfect. Do your homework. There are pros and cons to every agency. Please also do your homework on what the job actually is. If hired you'll spend far more time typing and chained to a desk than you ever will traipsing through the woods or boating through the marsh. Having said all of that - many agents love the job despite the realities of it. A positive attitude is highly recommended.

We need good people - plain and simple. And we need more people. So it's great to see a new class is in the works. Good luck to all that apply.

[ericville]

Thanks for the information. Do you know if agents will start before the academy as they individually process or will they all EOD right before the academy?

[canyon_ranger]

Traditionally new hires EOD and report straight to fletc. I have no idea how they are doing it this time around.

[m.p.c]

Damn, so if you lateral over you go back down to a 9?

[warrior1978]

Posting is now live on USAJOBS

[denver_bound]

Damn, so if you lateral over you go back down to a 9?

Yup. You better hope they have pay matching, otherwise you'll lose half of your pay check if you're currently an 1811.

[airisfine]

Pay matching up to GL-9 step 10. This one is geared for game wardens it seems or uniformed. I will echo what Canyon said. You may be able to fit in a dove field and some waterfowl work if it’s commercial but most work will be combing through business subpoenas, warrants etc. especially if you hope to get 13. Great gig. Paying for relocation as well it looks like. Rumor has it there will be another one next year like this one if this works out.

[2ndDTFN54]

Any idea of how long it will take to be notified about the status of applications?

[Ratatatat]

many agents love the job despite the realities of it.

And many are shaking their heads looking at the ground, wondering what the heck happened....


Let's take a poll of the rank and file and get opinions from people currently there. Start with Colorado.

[Ratatatat]

A positive attitude is highly recommended.

Which will evaporate like a rain puddle on a desert playa when it becomes apparent that while the mission is protecting wildlife, the priority is protecting the power structure, at all cost.

We need good people - plain and simple.

But God forbid if you ever question management, or fail to kiss the boots of the boss who kicks you....

[m.p.c]

lol, Ratatatat, tell us how you really feel

[battlewagon]

Damn, so if you lateral over you go back down to a 9?

Yup. US Marshals will do laterals for current 1811s, but everyone else is 7s, no LEAP, nothing, even if you're currently a 12-15. We had a GS 15 in my class bust down to a 7. But I guess you can do that when they say they're one of the most desirable LE jobs in the country, or at least that's what they say.

[Ratatatat]

lol, Ratatatat, tell us how you really feel

Not how I feel. How it is.

Camraderie is practically zero. Grossly unfit managers are coddled and protected and upper managers are amused by their actions and think it's adorable when first liners think they care (which is partly why turnover is high for such a small agency.) The shift has been from traditional game warden field work to combating international wildlife trafficking, but there is minimal infrastructure. People are expected to make silk purses out of cow's ears and frustration is ubiquitous. Like that old Tom Brokaw segment about waste of taxpayer resources, it's become another example of the fleecing of America.

My advice to anyone who gets hired? Have an employment attorney on retainer by your EOD. This outfit used to take care of their own; now it eats them...

[aspiring_fed]

Sounds like the government.

[m.p.c]

Yup. US Marshals will do laterals for current 1811s, but everyone else is 7s, no LEAP, nothing, even if you're currently a 12-15. We had a GS 15 in my class bust down to a 7. But I guess you can do that when they say they're one of the most desirable LE jobs in the country, or at least that's what they say.

Depends on where you go. I heard about a guy in a recent class who was a 14 I believe with his agency busting down to a 12. Screw that.

[battlewagon]

Yeah I believe they offer a 11/12 lateral, otherwise 7s for all. And when you bust from your 12 or 15 or whatever to a 7, no LEAP/AUO/etc for two years until you get your 11 and convert to an 1811. But they still take tens of thousands of apps in a 24 hour period every opening. There were quite a few locals in my class that got in through their vet status that the flat 7 was still a raise from their local SO or PD pay though, so I guess the grass is greener for some.

[m.p.c]

Not how I feel. How it is.

Camraderie is practically zero. Grossly unfit managers are coddled and protected and upper managers are amused by their actions and think it's adorable when first liners think they care (which is partly why turnover is high for such a small agency.) The shift has been from traditional game warden field work to combating international wildlife trafficking, but there is minimal infrastructure. People are expected to make silk purses out of cow's ears and frustration is ubiquitous. Like that old Tom Brokaw segment about waste of taxpayer resources, it's become another example of the fleecing of America.

My advice to anyone who gets hired? Have an employment attorney on retainer by your EOD. This outfit used to take care of their own; now it eats them...

Strikingly similar qualities to a lot of other fed agencies. A shame because it could be a real fun job