Criminal Investigator - Special Agent

Summary

The Office of the Inspector General is one of the best places to work in the Department of Justice and is one of the premier inspector general offices in federal government. The Investigations Division (INV) investigates alleged criminal violations and misconduct that govern DOJ employees, operations, grantees, and contractors. Annually INV receives more than 13,000 complaints, opens approximately 250 investigations, and makes an average of over 90 arrests.

Duties

This position falls under the direction of the Investigations Division. If you are selected as a Criminal Investigator, your responsibilities would include, but would not be limited to assisting and/or individually performing the following duties: Organize, plan, and conduct the investigation of major and/or sensitive criminal activity, which can be complex and sensitive in nature. Apprehend, arrest, detain and interview all subjects suspected of violations of Federal, State, and local laws. Testifies at hearings and trials and secures search warrants through processing of affidavit. Gather information at a crime scene and, document interrelationships of facts, relevance of evidence and validity of allegations involving criminal activity. Prepare and/or review reports of investigations to ensure they are prepared in a clear, concise, logical and impartial manner for submission to the appropriate law enforcement, attorneys or prosecutors office. Perform surveillance of sites and suspects and/or perform sensitive undercover assignments to obtain evidence, establish probable cause or link multiple suspects and events to criminal activity. Qualifications

** PROBATIONARY INFORMATION: As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you may be required to serve a 1-year probationary or 2-year trial period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider: - Your performance and conduct; - The needs and interests of the agency; - Whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and - Whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service. Upon completion of your probationary or trial period your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest. To qualify for this position at the GS-09 grade level, you must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-07 grade level obtained in the Federal or private sector. (Specialized experience is paid or unpaid experience which has equipped you with the specific knowledge, skills, and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position.) Examples of specialized experience include experience such as applying law enforcement, protective, or investigative techniques in the performance of job duties; identifying problem areas and proposing and implementing solutions; taking responsibility for own actions and those of team members to ensure the goals and deadlines for the team area met; and leading meetings or seminars on behalf of professional or academic group; setting work priorities and allocating resources; partnering with other individuals from within and outside the organization. OR Education: 2 years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a master's degree or master's or equivalent graduate degree or a LL.B or J.D., in a related field of study OR a combination of specialized experience and education that totals 100% of the experience requirement. OR A combination of experience and education that totals 100% of the requirement above. Time in Grade Requirement: Applicants who have held a General Schedule (GS) position within the last 52 weeks must have 52 weeks of Federal service at the next lower grade level (or equivalent). Firearms: Criminal investigators are required to carry a firearm while performing duties of this position. Maintaining firearm proficiency is mandatory. Motor Vehicle Operation: You must possess a valid automobile driver's license at the time of appointment. Age: Applicants must be at least 21 years of age. The day immediately preceding an individual's 37th birthday will be the last day to be referred for selection consideration. However, the age restriction may not apply if you are a preference-eligible veteran or if you are currently serving or have previously served in a federal civilian law enforcement position covered by 5 U.S.C. § 8336(c) or 5 U.S.C. § 8412(d). Medical Examination: Individuals must meet the established medical standards and/or physical requirement for the position, proving they are medically and physically capable of performing the essential job functions and duties of the position safely and efficiently. A medical examination will be conducted. Any disease or condition that may potentially interfere with the safe and efficient performance of the job's duties or training may constitute grounds for medical disqualification. Medical qualification determinations will be made on a case-by-case basis. If additional medical information is recommended beyond that provided at the pre-employment examination, it is provided at the expense of the tentative selectee. Drug Testing: This job has been identified as "testing designated" under our Drug-Free Workplace Program. Therefore, you must satisfactorily complete a drug test prior to being hired. The agency will schedule, provide and pay for the drug test. Once on board, you will be subject to random drug testing. Law Enforcement Availability Pay (LEAP): As a law enforcement officer you will be required to work on an unscheduled basis in excess of the 40-hour work week. These positions require substantial overtime to include holidays, weekends and nights. You must be readily accessible to perform this unscheduled work. To ensure your availability, you will receive extra compensation in the form of Law Enforcement Availability Pay, which is calculated at a flat rate of 25 percent of base salary. ADDITIONAL IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR YOUR AWARENESS: 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 and Americans with Disabilities Act 1990 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. 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 here: https://help.usastaffing.gov/Apply/index.php?title=Reasonable_Accommodations_for_USA_Hire

Education

2 years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a master's degree or master's or equivalent graduate degree or a LL.B or J.D., in a related field of study OR a combination of specialized experience and education that totals 100% of the experience requirement. OR A combination of experience and education that totals 100% of the requirement above. Your resume and supporting documentation will be used to determine whether you meet the job qualifications listed on this announcement. If you are basically qualified for this job, your resume and supporting documentation will be compared to your responses on the online assessment questionnaire. If you rate yourself higher than is supported by your application materials, your responses may be adjusted and/or you may be excluded from consideration for this job. If you are found to be among the top candidates, you will be referred to the selecting official for employment consideration. Some federal jobs allow you to substitute your education for the required experience in order to qualify. For this job, you must meet the qualification requirement using experience alone--no substitution of education for experience is permitted. All academic degrees and coursework must be completed at a college or university that has obtained accreditation or pre-accreditation status from an accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. For a list of schools that meet this criteria, see www.ed.gov. For foreign education, see: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html. How You Will Be Evaluated

You will be evaluated based on how well you meet the qualifications listed in this vacancy announcement. Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g., resume, supporting documents), the responses you provide on the application questionnaire, and the result of the online assessments required for this position and a review of your application by a panel of subject matter experts. You will be assessed on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics): Ability to assist with criminal investigations Ability to communicate investigative findings orally and in writing Ability to assist with executing search warrants, arrests, handling informants, and working/organizing undercover operations and ability to conduct physical and electronic surveillance. USA Hire Assessment: Applicants will be required to complete a USA Hire Assessment. This assessment is online and measures competencies required to perform in the position. You will not be considered for the position if you score below the cut score of 70 or fail to complete the USA Hire assessment. Additional information can be found under "How to Apply". Subject Matter Expert (SME) Resume Review: In order to be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. A subject matter expert, or SME, is a person with bona fide expert knowledge about what it takes to successfully perform in a particular job. The SME(s) will measure potential applicants for the critical competencies. Your resume will be reviewed to determine your technical qualifications, as well as any required certification(s) applicable to the position. Applicants found to meet the requirements will be eligible to move forward for additional hiring consideration. Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or application questionnaire may result in your removal from consideration. To preview the application questionnaire, click the following link: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/13112369 If you are found to be among the top candidates, you will be referred to the selecting official for further employment consideration. Other Information

The Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP)/Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP). The CTAP/ICTAP provides eligible displaced Federal competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. If your agency has notified you in writing that you are a displaced employee eligible for CTAP/ICTAP consideration, you may receive selection priority if: 1) this vacancy is within your CTAP/ICTAP eligibility; 2) you apply under the instructions in this announcement; and 3) you are found well-qualified for this vacancy. To be well qualified, you must satisfy all qualification requirements for the vacant position and (for scored examining) score 85 or better on established ranking criteria OR (for category rating criteria) rate equivalent to the Highly Qualified or better category using established category rating criteria. You must provide proof of eligibility with your application to receive selection priority. Such proof may include a copy of your written notification of CTAP/ICTAP eligibility or a copy of your separation personnel action form. Additional information about CTAP/ICTAP eligibility is at: www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/workforce-restructuring/employee-guide-to-career-transition/. DOJ EEO Statement/Policy: http://www.justice.gov/jmd/eeos/08-eeo-policy.pdf As the federal agency whose mission is to ensure the fair and impartial administration of justice for all Americans, the Department of Justice is committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive work environment. To build and retain a workforce that reflects the diverse experiences and perspectives of the American people, we welcome applicants from the many communities, identities, races, ethnicities, backgrounds, abilities, religions, and cultures of the United States who share our commitment to public service. Veterans Employment Opportunity Act (VEOA): VEOA allows eligible veterans to apply and compete for positions announced under merit promotion procedures when the hiring agency is recruiting from outside its own workforce. To be eligible for a VEOA appointment, a veteran must be honorably separated and either a preference eligible or have substantially completed three (3) or more years of continuous active military service. If you are applying for a Merit Promotion announcement and wish to be considered under the VEOA, you must submit a copy of the Member Copy 4 of your DD-214, in addition to any other required documents listed on this announcement. Selective Service: If you are a male applicant born after December 31, 1959, you must certify that you have registered with the Selective Service System, or are exempt from having to do so under the Selective Service Law. Additional information is found at: www.sss.gov.