Duties
WHAT IS THE SMALL BUSINESS / SELF EMPLOYED (SB/SE) DIVISION?
A description of the business units can be found at:
Vacancies will be filled in the following specialty areas: SB/SE Deputy Commissioner Exam, Specialty Examination, Estate & Gift / Excise Tax Exam
The following are the duties of this position at the full working level.
- Collects representative samples of taxable fuel from terminals, fuel storage facilities (wholesalers), retail fuel facilities, vehicle fuel supply tanks, fuel transport compartments, and end-users; and for bio-product at producers, blenders, wholesale and retail locations. Determines proper inspection sites for fuel screening; and prepares fuel samples for shipment.
- Proposes appropriate penalties for all misuse of fuel; recommends penalty assessments for infractions; calculates penalties, and makes initial request for payment of penalties; initiates installment agreements; and processes payments received; and applies for and serves administrative Writs of Entry as necessary.
- Screens for bio-product at wholesale/retail locations; uses hand-held testing kit to determine whether to send samples to the lab for analysis of bio-component; recommends appropriate penalties for unregistered bio-blenders.
- Verifies proper registration of bio-blenders and display of pipeline vessel operator registration in accordance with regulations; and screens for proper fuel notices on documents accompanying sale or disbursal of fuel from terminals.
This position has career progression. If you are selected at a grade level lower than the full working level, you may be non-competitively promoted as your career progresses. For example, you may be hired as a GS-05, but if the position has career progression to GS-11, then you may move from a GS-05 to a GS-11 in as little as three years.
Requirements Conditions of Employment
- Must be a U.S. Citizen or National and provide proof of U.S. Citizenship. (Birth certificate showing birth in the U.S; Unexpired U.S. Passport; Certificate of Citizenship or Naturalization; or Report of Birth Abroad of a U.S. Citizen (Form FS-240))
- Obtain a Government-issued charge card.
Qualifications
Federal experience is not required. The experience may have been gained in the public sector, private sector or One year of experience refers to full-time work; part-timework is considered on a prorated basis. To ensure full credit for your work experience, please indicate dates of employment by month/year, and indicate number of hours worked per week, on your resume.
You must meet the following requirements by the closing date of this announcement:
SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: GS-7
You must have one year of specialized experience at a level of difficulty and responsibility equivalent to the GS-05 grade level in the Federal service. Examples of specialized experience for this position includes: Experience with investigative techniques to conduct interviews, recognizing and exploring and pursuing leads, detecting discrepancies in information and distinguishing between relevant and irrelevant data. Experience in fuel sampling procedures. Experience of basic business practices and methods, such as record keeping, to review business operations.
OR
One year of graduate level education at an accredited college or university in any field of study.
OR
Superior Academic Achievement (SAA) may be met by having a Bachelor’s degree, with one of the following: A GPA of 3.0 or higher on a 4.0 scale for all completed undergraduate courses or those completed in the last two years of study, or a GPA of 3.5 or higher on a 4.0 scale for all courses in the major field of study or those courses in the major completed in the last two years of study, or rank in the upper one third of the class in the college, university, or major subdivision, or membership in a national honor society recognized by the Association of College Honor Societies. OR At least 1 year of combined graduate education and experience as defined above.
SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: GS-9
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. Examples of specialized experience for this position includes: Experience in conducting interviews, recognizing and exploring and pursuing leads, detecting discrepancies in information and distinguishing between relevant and irrelevant data. Experience in conducting investigations, analyzing basic business operations, verifying compliance with specific laws or activities in the petroleum industry. Experience in securing fuel samples Experience researching technical issues, handling a varied a workload and completing closing actions.
OR
A master’s or equivalent graduate degree in a related field of study such as: Sociology, Business Management, Business Administration, Public Administration, Social Science, Environmental Science, Geosciences. Political Science, Law Enforcement, or other fields related to the petroleum industry.
OR
Two (2) full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a Master’s or equivalent degree in a related field of study such as: Sociology, Business Management, Business Administration, Public Administration, Social Science, Environmental Science, Geosciences. Political Science, Law Enforcement, or other fields related to the petroleum industry. ORLL.B. or JD if related
OR
At least 1 year of combined graduate education and experience as defined above.
SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: 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. Examples of specialized experience for this position includes: Experience in conducting interviews, recognizing, and exploring and pursuing leads, detecting discrepancies in information and distinguishing between relevant and irrelevant data. Experience in conducting investigations, securing, or testing fuel samples and participation in legal or administrative proceedings. Experience analyzing complex business operations, verifying compliance with fuel tax laws or activities in the petroleum industry. Experience researching complex technical issues, handling an extensive workload, and completing closing actions.
OR
A Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree in a related field of study such as: Sociology, Business Management, Business Administration, Public Administration, Social Science, Environmental Science, Geosciences, Political Science, Law Enforcement, or other fields related to the petroleum industry.
OR
Three (3) full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree in a related field of study such as: Sociology, Business Management, Business Administration, Public Administration, Social Science, Environmental Science, Geosciences, Political Science, Law Enforcement or other fields related to the petroleum industry.
OR
LL.M., if related.
OR
At least 1 year of combined graduate education and experience as defined above.
AND
You must meet the following special requirements:
The physical duties of this position require moderate physical exertion involving walking, bending and stooping for two-hour periods during inspections. You must be able to regularly lift 10 -15 pounds and on occasion lift up to approximately 30 pounds while climbing stairs and/or ladders. Work involves exposure to outdoor weather, dirt, grime, grease, dust, high noise levels, toxic fuel additives, spilled or leaking materials/fumes. You must be able to distinguish basic colors and have peripheral vision sufficient to conduct inspections, be aware of surroundings, prevent and avoid potentially dangerous situations. You must have manual dexterity with free motion of fingers, wrist, elbows, shoulders, hips, and knee joints. Arms, hands, and feet must function sufficiently to perform the duties satisfactorily. Prior to appointment you will be required to pass a physical examination verifying your ability to exhibit these physical duties.
For more information on qualifications please refer to .
Education
For positions with an education requirement, or if you are qualifying for this position by substituting education or training for experience, submit a copy of your transcripts or equivalent. An official transcript will be required if you are selected.
A college or university degree generally must be from an accredited (or pre-accredited) college or university recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. For a list of schools which meet these criteria, please refer to .
FOREIGN EDUCATION: Education completed in foreign colleges or universities may be used to meet the requirements. You must show proof the education credentials have been deemed to be at least equivalent to that gained in conventional U.S. education program. It is your responsibility to provide such evidence when applying. Click (Section 3, Explanation of Terms) or for Foreign Education Credentialing instructions.
Additional information
- Subject to a 1-year probationary period (unless already completed). Note: Current Federal employees may be required to serve a new probationary period (5 CFR 315.802(b)).
- Have your salary sent to a financial institution of your choice by Direct Deposit/Electronic Funds Transfer.
- We may select from this announcement or any other source to fill one or more vacancies. Additional jobs may be filled.
- This is a bargaining unit position.
- Tour of Duty: Day Shift; Monday – Friday 6:00 am to 6:00 pm
- Alternative work schedule, staggered work hours or telework may be available.
- In the event that a building is closed due to rent management, new hires may be placed in a local commuting location.
- Telework Eligible Positions: Telework eligible positions do not guarantee telework. Employees must meet and sustain IRS telework eligibility requirements (e.g., reporting at least twice a pay period to your assigned Post of Duty (POD)) and supervisor’s approval to participate in the IRS Telework Program. Employees must also be within a 200-mile radius of their official assigned post-of-duty (POD) while in a telework status. As a reminder – If you are selected for a position, you are responsible for reporting to your designated POD (location) on the negotiated start date or as directed by management.
- The employment of any candidate selected for this position, including a current employee or a new hire, selected for this position may be conditional upon classification and/or audit of federal tax returns. This audit may include up to 2 years of returns.
- File a Confidential Financial Disclosure Report within 30 days of appointment and annually from then on.
- Relocation expenses – No
- If this position is designated as hard to fill and you were referred by an IRS employee, the employee may be eligible to receive a bonus for referring you under The Employee Referral Bonus Program (ERBP), recruiting strategy.
Please consider each location carefully when applying. If you are selected for a position at one of your location selections, that location will become your official post of duty.
If the position(s) are no longer needed prior to the closing date, this announcement may be closed early.
This is an open continuous announcement which will be used to fill vacancies in the locations listed as they become available for the next 12 months contingent upon funding and space requirements. Applicants must apply and/or update their applications by 11:59 pm ET at the close of the following cutoff dates to be considered: Cutoff date(s): 11/04/2024. This announcement may be amended to include additional cut-off dates within the 12month period if needed, not later than 5 days prior to the additional cut-off date(s). Eligible applicants in the highest category who apply by the initial cut-off date will be considered first. If additional vacancies exist, applicants who applied after the initial cutoff date who place in the highest category will be considered next. Selections from this announcement may be made no later than (NLT) 11/24/2025.
A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. .
Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.
Required Documents
The following documents are required and must be provided with your application. All application materials, including transcripts, must be in English.
- Online Application – Questionnaire
- Education – See Education Section above
- Registration/License (if applicable) – active, current registration/license
- High School Diploma (or equivalent) – If you are 16 or 17 years of age, you MUST submit documentation of graduation from high school (or equivalent); OR completion of a formal vocational training program; OR statement from school authorities agreeing with your decision to pursue employment rather than continuing your education.
Please note that if you do not provide all required information, as specified in this announcement, your application will be determined incomplete, and you will not be considered for this position (or may not receive the special consideration for which you may be eligible).
How to Apply
The following instructions outline our application process. You must complete this application process and submit any required documents by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) on 08/25/2025 and/or cut-off dates in this announcement. We are available to assist you during business hours (normally 8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. ET, Monday – Friday). If applying online poses a hardship, please contact us by noon ET on 08/25/2025.
To preview the Application Questionnaire, please click the following link:
- To begin the application process, click the “Apply Online” button.
- You will be re-directed to USA STAFFING to complete your application process; answer the online questions and submit all required documents. (To submit supporting documents, import documents from USAJOBS to the appropriate document types. If the document you need was not imported from USAJOBS, you may upload it directly into this application. To protect your privacy, we suggest you first remove your SSN).
- To complete, you must click the “Submit Application” button prior to 11:59 PM (ET) on 08/25/2025.
To update your application, including supporting documentation, at any time during the announcement open period, return to your USAJOBS account (). There you will find a record of your application, the application status, and an option to Update Application. This option will no longer be available once the announcement has closed.
To verify the status of your application both during and after the announcement open period, log into your USAJOBS account: . All of your applications will appear on the Welcome page. The application record in your USAJOBS account provides an Additional Application Information page that provides information regarding the documentation you submitted and any correspondence we have sent related to this application. The Application Status will appear along with the date your application was last updated. For information on what each Application Status means, visit: .
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, to go to our Career Information Sessions webpage.
Agency contact information
IRS Philadelphia External
Address
SBSE EXAM – Examination Deputy Operations
1111 Constitution Ave NW
Washington, DC 20224
US
Next steps
Treasury believes in a working environment that supports inclusion; to review reasonable accommodation policies and procedures please visit . We provide reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities on a case-by-case basis; contact us if you require this for any part of the application and hiring process.
Once your application package and online questionnaire is received you will receive an acknowledgement email. You are responsible for checking status updates and notifications in USAJOBS. Hard copy notifications will not be sent to you. You may check the status of your application for this position at any time by logging onto the USAJOBS “My Account” tab and clicking on “Application Status.” For a more detailed update of your application status, you may click on “more information.” Please notify us if your contact information changes after the closing date of the announcement. If your email mailbox is full or blocked (SPAM) you may not receive important communication that could affect your consideration for this position.
Fair & Transparent
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
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