Summary
The Office of Inspector General is an independent office within the EPA that helps the agency protect the environment in a more efficient & cost effective manner. We perform audits, evaluations, & investigations of the EPA to promote economy, efficiency, and to prevent and detect fraud, waste and abuse. We strive to provide solutions to problems that ultimately result in making America a cleaner and healthier place.
This job is open to
Clarification from the agency
UNITED STATES CITIZENS MAY APPLY (no prior federal experience is required).
Duties
This position is located in the EPA Office of Inspector General’s Office of Special Review and Evaluation, Administrative Investigations Directorate.
AID conducts administrative investigations of allegations of misconduct by senior agency employees, including, but not limited to, complaints of ethical violations and financial conflicts of interest; travel card fraud and misuses of Government property; abuse of authority; gross mismanagement; gross waste of funds; violations of harassment and scientific integrity policies, and more. We also investigate whistleblower reprisal by agency employees, or employees of agency contractors, subcontractors, grantees, subgrantees or personal services contractors. The office performs special reviews of significant events and emergent issues of concern that involve a suspected or alleged violation of law, regulation, or policy, or allegations of serious mismanagement.
As an Investigative Attorney, you will be responsible for:
- Conducting sensitive and complex administrative investigations related to allegations of misconduct against senior officials;
- Conducting administrative investigations into allegations of misconduct, gross mismanagement, gross waste of funds, and abuses of authority by senior agency officials, as well as allegations of whistleblower reprisal against agency employees, contractors and grantees. This includes developing investigative plans, conducting interviews of witnesses and subjects, searching for and analyzing documentary evidence;
- Preparing and reviewing legal documents and other materials in connection with ongoing investigations;
- Preparing investigative reports and memoranda in adherence to Office of Inspector General policies, directives and standard operating procedures, and coordinating with management, investigators, quality assurance and editorial staff, Congressional liaisons, OIG counsel, and other stakeholders on investigative work product;
- Conducting legal research on substantive legal matters encountered during investigations, including determining applicable legal precedent, applying civil, and administrative laws to specific fact patterns, and assessing sufficiency of evidence following investigative activities;
- Engaging with a wide range of sources, including whistleblowers, regarding potential or ongoing administrative investigations; and
- Engaging with law enforcement officials and prosecutors, including but not limited to, the Office of Inspector General’s Office of Investigations and the U.S. Department of Justice, on potential criminal referrals.
Requirements
Conditions of Employment
- You must be a U.S. citizen.
- Background Investigation Required.
- Position has education requirements--see Qualifications/Education section.
- Position has education requirements--see Qualifications/Education section.
- EPA and non-EPA applicants must submit transcripts/course listings.
- Pre-employment drug testing is required and random testing thereafter.
- You must submit a resume and required documents--see How to Apply section.
- Submit a current resume and a writing sample (5-10 pages in length).
This is a Public Trust Position. Employment in this position requires a background investigation. If you are selected and cannot obtain a favorable security determination within a reasonable period of time due to disclosed or undisclosed background issues, the tentative employment offer may be withdrawn.
If you are a male 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.
Selectees will be required to complete a "Declaration of Federal Employment", (OF-306), prior to appointment and the appropriate background investigation forms to determine suitability for Federal employment. False statements or responses on these forms can jeopardize your employment opportunity and subject you to disciplinary action, including removal from Federal service.
The selectee will be required to complete a Personal Identity Verification (PIV) process that requires two forms of identification from the I-9 Form. We will compare information provided on the I-9 Form to records available from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. The system confirms employee’s identity and eligibility to work in the United States. Learn more about e-verify, including your rights and responsibilities.
Upon appointment, you may be required to complete a Confidential Financial Disclosure Report, OGE-450. You will need to provide the information annually.
Depending on your status, this position may require serving a 1-year trial period.
Selectee must submit to a drug test and receive negative test results before being appointed. After appointment, you will be subject to random testing for illegal drug use.
Qualifications
In addition to the mandatory education requirement, all applicants must have 1 year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level in the Federal Service. Specialized experience is experience that has equipped the candidate with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position.
Qualifying specialized experience must demonstrate the following:
To qualify at the GS-13 level, applicants must have two or more years of post-J.D. legal experience, one of which was specialized experience at, or equivalent to, the GS-13 grade level, and an active bar status in good standing.
To qualify at the GS-14 level, applicants must have three or more years of post-J.D. legal experience, one of which was specialized experience at, or equivalent to, the GS-13 grade level, and an active bar status in good standing.
Evidence of the above specialized experience must be supported by detailed documentation of duties performed in positions held. Your resume is the key means we have for evaluating your skills, knowledge, and abilities as they relate to this position. Therefore, we encourage you to be clear and specific when describing your experience. We will not make assumptions regarding your experience or based on job titles alone. If your resume does not support your questionnaire answers, we will not allow credit for your response(s).
Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community, student, social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.
Applicants must meet the qualifications for this position within thirty (30) days of the closing date of this announcement.
Education
Mandatory Education Requirement.
This is an attorney position. Applicants must have a Juris Doctorate degree from a law school accredited by the American Bar Association and must be duly licensed and authorized to practice as an attorney under the laws of any state or territory of the United States or the District of Columbia. Active bar membership (of any jurisdiction) is required.
You MUST provide transcripts to support your educational claims. Unofficial transcripts are acceptable during the application process. Official transcripts will be required upon appointment.
All materials must be submitted by the closing date of this announcement.
All education claimed by applicants will be verified.
Benefits
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. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.
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. Learn more about federal benefits.
EPA OIG offers a comprehensive benefits package that includes: paid vacation, sick leave, 11 paid holidays per year, life and health insurance, Long Term Care insurance, dental and vision insurance, flexible spending account program, and retirement savings and investment plan similar to 401(k) (Thrift Savings Plan).
EPA OIG also offers a broad array of work-life flexibilities and services to employees such as, flexible work schedules, teleworking, transit subsidies, fitness center, and employee assistance and wellness programs.
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.
Review our benefits
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.
How You Will Be Evaluated
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. If your resume does not support your questionnaire answers, we will not allow credit for your response(s).
Your responses to the assessment questionnaire will be reviewed along with the information provided in your resume and supporting documentation to determine if you are qualified for the position. If, after reviewing your resume and/or supporting documentation, a determination is made that you have inflated your qualifications and or experience, your rating may be lowered and/or you may lose consideration for this position. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your eligibility.
Application of Veterans' Preference: Category rating and selection procedures place those with veteran's preference above non-preference eligibles within each category. Preference eligible applicants that meet the eligibility and qualification requirements and who have a compensable service-connected disability of at least 10 percent are listed in the highest quality category (except when the position being filled is scientific or professional at the GS-09 grade level or higher).You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above. After the vacancy closes, we will review your application package to determine if you meet the minimum qualifications for the position. If you meet the minimum qualifications, your responses to the questionnaire, resume and supporting documentation will then be reviewed. You will be placed in one of the three pre-defined categories. Your responses to the questionnaire will serve as the basis for your initial rating in one of three pre-defined categories: "Best Qualified", "Well Qualified", and "Qualified". Within each category, those eligible through veterans preference will be listed at the top of the category. Your resume must support your answers to the questionnaire, or your category may be changed. The candidates in the highest category will be certified for referral to the selecting official and may be invited to an interview.
You may preview questions for this vacancy.
Required Documents
Your package must be complete and submitted in the manner specified in this section. Please ensure that your resume contains specific information such as position titles, beginning and ending dates of employment for each position, average number of hours worked per week, salary, duties performed for each position, and if the position is/was in the Federal government, you should provide the position series and grade level/pay band. Packages that are submitted in any other manner without prior approval from the agency point of contact will not be considered.
A complete application includes:
- Resume;
- Vacancy question responses;
- Bar Membership;
- Transcripts; and
- Writing Sample.
Submission of any required documents. Please note that if you do not provide all required information, as specified in this announcement, you may not be considered for this position (or may not receive the special consideration for which you may be eligible).
If you are a current or former federal employee you must submit a copy of your most recent SF Form 50, Notification of Personnel Action, that shows: (1) permanent or career-conditional tenure (codes 1 or 2, in block 24), and (2) position occupied in the competitive or excepted service (code 1 or 2, in block 34). To be considered as a non-competitive eligible candidate, the SF-50 must show the highest grade level or promotion potential level applicant has attained. Indicate on your application the highest permanent grade you have held; if this grade is different from your current grade, submit a copy of an additional SF-50 showing this grade.
For proof of Veterans Preference you must submit a DD-214 (member copy 4)and, if applicable, Standard Form 15, and VA Letter. You can find additional information about Veterans' Preference at fedshirevets.
If you are eligible for special hiring authority, please indicate this when you apply, and submit the supporting documentation for proof of eligibility for the special hiring authority, such as disability, Peace Corps service, Interchange Agreement, etc. Other documents identified in this announcement.
All supplemental documents must be submitted electronically before the closing date of this vacancy announcement. You have two choices for submitting your supplemental documents:
- Download from your USAJOBS account; or
- Upload your file(s)
Failure to submit required documents, based upon how you apply, may result in loss of consideration due to an incomplete application package. It is your responsibility to ensure all required documents have been submitted. Official documents are not required at the time of application, copies are sufficient. If selected, official documentation must be submitted prior to appointment.
If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:
Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.
Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.
If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:
Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from
schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.
Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.
How to Apply
This vacancy announcement is being advertised simultaneous to vacancy announcement OIG-AID-M-2024-0001.
Applicants who wish to be considered under both announcements must apply separately.
You MUST apply on-line through USAJobs. Your application must be received by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on the closing date of this announcement. Uploaded resumes must include the following: applicant contact information and educational and professional background information including dates of employment and education, salary (and Federal grade level, if appropriate), and work schedule (i.e., FT/PT). Incomplete applications will not be considered and you will not be contacted to provide any missing information.
To begin the application process, select the "Apply On-line" button to the right on this screen. Then follow the prompts to login/register, submit all required supplemental documents, and complete the application process.
If you experience technical difficulties during the online application process, including error messages received when submitting your supporting documents, please contact the Help Desk by email at mgshelp@monster.com. The help desk is available for technical support questions Monday - Friday, 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. ET.
Next steps
After the closing date of the announcement, your package will be reviewed to determine if you meet the minimum qualification requirements. Best qualified candidates will be forwarded to the selecting official for consideration and may be interviewed.
You may check the status of your application at any time after the announcement closes by logging onto USAJOBS and selecting "Application Status."
You will be notified of your application status through USAJOBS at four points during the hiring process, as applicable.
The Federal hiring process is setup to be fair and transparent.
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