Clarification from the agency

Current OIG employees eligible for consideration under Merit Promotion procedures, currently hold a competitive service career or career conditional appointment and Career Transition Program (CTAP) eligibles.

The Office of Investigations is responsible for investigating the appropriate criminal and civil justice system those individuals and organizations involved in financial, professional, civil, or criminal misconduct relating to Department of Homeland Security programs and operations.

The position serves as a Criminal Investigator and as the national Technical Operations Program Manager within the Office of Investigations, Digital Forensics and Analysis Unit. In this position, you will have the responsibility of planning and coordinating a comprehensive technical operations program across INV to ensure the efficiency and economy across the Department. Typical assignments include:

• Managing Office of Investigations technical operations program, including the procurement, maintenance, and deployment of all technical equipment; oversight over all technical operations; deployment of a video management service; and mentoring and training field technical operations agents.
• Serving as the technical and programmatic liaison for INV, OIG, Department, and/or external entities regarding issues germane to his/her program area(s). Such program areas may include national security, counterintelligence, border corruption, undercover operations, confidential funds, confidential informants, special categories of allegations, and other programmatic areas.
• Developing and maintaining liaison with other law enforcement and/or intelligence agencies at the local, state, and federal level for the purpose of sharing information and obtaining their cooperation concerning allegations of criminal and non-criminal misconduct.
• Preparing, reviewing, and revising policies, programs, standards, and techniques. Participating in formulating and developing substantive policy recommendations and analytical reports. Monitoring and evaluatimg the overall progress of those policy initiatives and the impact on programs and operations.
• As needed, participates in effecting an arrest/search warrant or surveillance activity, and may be expected to be involved in the investigation of high-level government officials requiring great discretion and tact.

Conditions of employment

• You must be a U.S. citizen to apply for this position.
• You must successfully pass a background investigation.
• You must be able to obtain and maintain a Top Secret/SCI security clearance.
• Must complete a pre-employment medical examination that will include testing of your vision, hearing, cardiovascular, and mobility of extremities by an authorized Government physician.
• This position is subject to the Lautenberg Amendment, 18 U.S.C. Section(g)(9)/Domestic Violence Misdemeanor Amendment to the Gun Control Act of 1968. You will be required to carry a firearm.
• You will be required to sign a mobility agreement.
• Must possess and maintain a valid state issued driver's license.
• This position is a Drug Testing Designated Position and will be subject to random drug testing.
• Submission of Performance Appraisal is mandatory
• Law Enforcement Availability Pay (LEAP): LEAP in the amount of 25% has been approved for this position.

Qualifications

You will qualify for the GS-14 grade level if you possess one year of specialized experience at the GS-13 grade level. Specialized experience at this level includes:
1. Presenting evidence that reconstructs events, sequences, and time element to establish relationships, responsibilities, legal liabilities, and conflict.
2. Utilizing techniques, methods, and equipment in conducting a full life cycle criminal investigation to include drafting and preparing concise, logical reports of investigations and summaries.
3. Collaborating with other law enforcement agencies for purpose of obtaining their cooperation in furnishing information concerning illegal activities involving violations of criminal law.

Selective Placement Factor:

• NATIA Certification: This position requires that you have obtained NATIA Certified Technical Investigator (CTI) or an equivalent.

Additional Requirements:

• Training Requirement: This position requires that you have completed the Criminal Investigator Training Program (CITP) at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center in Glynco, GA or an approved comparable course: 1) Federal Bureau of Investigation, Basic Special Agent Academy; 2) Drug Enforcement Administration, Basic Special Agent Academy; 3) U.S. Postal Inspector Basic Inspection Training Program; 4) United States Army Military Police School, CID Special Agent Course; and 5) U.S. Air Force Office of Special Investigations, Special Investigators Course). Note: Please list it on your resume and a copy of your certificate and/or transcripts is required upon selection.
• FirearmRequirement: This position requires you to be authorized to carry a firearm and maintain firearm proficiency. Therefore, it is subject to the Lautenberg Amendment, 18 U.S.C. Section 922(g) (9) and you will be required to verify that you have not been convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence.
• Age Requirement: This position is covered by the law enforcement officer retirement provisions, 5 U.S.C. 8336 (c) or 5 U.S.C. 8412 (d),and as such is covered by a mandatory age requirement. There is a maximum entry age of the day before your 37th birthday for original appointment into law enforcement officer positions as defined in 5 U.S.C. 8331(21) or 5 U.S.C. 8401(17). This age restriction does not apply to those who have prior Federal service in a covered primary law enforcement position, or to qualified Veterans' preference eligible regardless of whether they meet the maximum age requirements identified at 5 U.S.C. 3307.
• MedicalRequirement:This position requires you to maintain physical fitness standards set by the agency. The duties of Criminal Investigators require moderate to arduous physical exertion involving walking and standing, use of firearms, and exposure to inclement weather. Manual dexterity with comparatively free motion of finger, wrist, elbow, shoulder, hip, and knee joints is required. Sufficiently good vision in each eye, with or without correction, is required to perform the duties satisfactorily. Near vision, corrective lenses permitted, must be sufficient to read printed material the size of typewritten characters. Hearing loss, as measured by an audiometer, must not exceed 35 decibels at 1000, 2000, and 3000 Hz levels. Additionally, the duties of this position involve activities under trying conditions, as such, applicants must possess emotional and mental stability. This position may require the completion of a Medical Examination that will include testing of your vision, hearing, cardiovascular, and mobility of extremities by an authorized Government physician. If a medical examination is required, you must be cleared by the authorized Government physician in order to be determined physically fit to perform the arduous physical exertion required of this position.
• This position has been identified as a Testing Designated Position (TDP); therefore, you are subject to drug testing under OIG's Drug-Free Workplace policy. Refusal to be randomly tested may result in disciplinary action up to and including removal from federal service.

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. The qualification requirements listed above must be met by the closing date 03/27/2026of this announcement. Current federal employees must have served 52 weeks at the next lower grade level or equivalent grade band in the federal service. The time-in-grade requirement must be met by the closing date 03/27/2026 of this announcement.

The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) must authorize employment offers made to current or former political appointees. If you are currently, or have been within the last 5 years, a political Schedule A, Schedule C, Non-career SES or Presidential Appointee employee in the Executive Branch, you must disclose this information to the Human Resources Office.

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 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, a subject matter expert review of your resume, and the result of the online assessments required for this position. You will be assessed on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics):

• Criminal Investigation
• Oral Communication
• Technical Competency
• Written Communication

Following the review of your resume by our panel of subject matter experts, you may be referred to the hiring manager for consideration and may be called for an interview.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is committed to ensuring that all of our employees act in a manner that embodies the Department's Mission Statement: With honor and integrity, we will safeguard the American people, our homeland and our values. As an employee of the Department, you will be joining a workforce that is dedicated to accomplishing our mission while maintaining the trust of our Nation by strictly adhering to all government ethics standards. Your conduct will be subject to the ethics rules applicable to all Executive Branch employees and to the criminal conflict of interest statutes. These rules will assist you in maintaining your impartiality and acting in the public's interest as you carry out the responsibilities of your DHS position. If you have a concern at any time that a DHS assignment may involve one of your personal financial interests, promptly notify your supervisor and obtain ethics guidance from the appropriate Ethics Official before working on the assignment. You can obtain ethics information by emailing DHS, Office of Inspector General, Ethics Office at OIG.Ethics@oig.dhs.gov.

To apply for this position, you must submit a complete Application Package which includes:

• Federal agencies will only accept resumes up to two pages in length.
• Your resume showing work schedule, hours worked per week, dates of employment and duties performed.
• Your responses to the job questionnaire
• Are you a current or former federal employee? Submit a copy of your most recent SF-50 Notification of Personnel Action that demonstrates your eligibility for consideration, e.g., length of time you have been in your current grade; your highest grade held; your current promotion potential and proof of permanent appointment if applying based on an interchange agreement. Examples of appropriate SF-50s include promotions, within-grade increases and accessions.
• If you are a current or former federal employee, you must submit your most recent Fiscal Year FY2025 Performance Appraisals.

Next steps