Criminal Investigator

Clarification from the agency

Current or former Federal employees with competitive status obtained through a permanent Federal competitive service appointment OR individuals with eligibility for noncompetitive special appointing authority OR ICTAP/CTAP eligibles OR veterans eligible under the Veterans Employment Opportunities Act (VEOA).

As a GS-1811-13 Criminal Investigator, you will be responsible for the following duties:

• Plan, organize, and conduct investigations of alleged or suspected violations of federal criminal, civil laws, and administrative regulations. Investigations can include allegations of sexual assault, stalking, grant fraud, contract fraud, and employee misconduct.
• Provide advice to case partner(s) and management regarding planning and timing of complex interviews and investigations.
• Plan, participate in, and organize interrogations, interviews, hearings, and conferences to resolve problems of considerable importance.
• Obtain, handle, and analyze physical, digital, and testimonial evidence in accordance with legal standards and agency policies.
• Ensure proper chain of custody and admissibility of evidence for judicial or administrative proceedings.
• Prepare clear, comprehensive, and cohesive investigative reports in a timely manner in accordance with established policies.
• Possess working knowledge of applicable rights and advisories, and ensure they are properly administered to witnesses and subjects in accordance with established policies and procedures.
• Utilize strong interpersonal skills to convey information clearly, appropriately, and professionally with investigators, management, prosecutors, partners, and stakeholders.
• Recognize, identify, and address undefined issues in assigned investigations, programs, and projects. Coordination with other appropriate participants to determine the nature and scope of the problems and the factors that will be instrumental in their resolution.
• Brief senior NSF management, investigative personnel, attorneys, and other interested parties regarding projects and programs.
• Exercise sound judgment and discretion in high-visibility, sensitive, or complex matters.
• Manage administrative requirements, including case documentation, reporting systems, and resource tracking.

THIS POSITION REQUIRES UP TO 50% TRAVEL TO ANTARCTICA.

Conditions of employment

1. You must be a U.S. citizen.
2. Selectee will be required to have a background investigation prior to onboarding.
3. Selectee may be required to serve a 1-2 year trial/probationary period.
4. This position is subject to Law Enforcement Availability Pay (LEAP).
5. This position requires regular qualification with an issued firearm.
6. This position has physical requirements that must be met prior to onboarding and maintained throughout the incumbent's employment.
7. This position is subject to random drug testing.

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS:

• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents). Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued identification cards that are not REAL ID-compliant cannot be used as acceptable forms of identification for employment.
• You must meet all eligibility requirements within thirty (30) days of the date the announcement closes and continue to meet these requirements throughout the hiring process. Offers can be rescinded if requirements are not met.
• You will not need a clearance to accept this position, but you must be able to obtain a clearance if needed.
• If you are a current federal employee holding a General Schedule (GS) position, you must meet the time-in-grade requirements.
• You must answer all job-related questions in the questionnaire and any assessment that is included.

All online applicants must provide a valid email address. If your email address is inaccurate or your mailbox is full/blocked, you may not receive important communication that could affect your consideration for this position.

Qualifications

You must meet the following within thirty (30) days of the closing date of this announcement:

SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: To qualify at the GS-1811-13 level, you must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-12 Level in the federal government that includes: Planning, organizing, and conducting investigations of alleged violations of federal criminal and civil laws and administrative regulations including allegations of sexual assault and/or stalking; planning, participating in, and organizing interrogations, interviews, hearings, and conferences; obtaining, handling, and analyzing physical, digital, and testimonial evidence while ensuring proper chain of custody and admissibility; preparing investigative reports; and managing administrative requirements, including case documentation, reporting systems, and resource tracking.

TIME-IN-GRADE: Applicants who are current Federal employees and have held a GS grade any time in the past 52 weeks must also meet time-in-grade requirements by the closing date of this announcement. For a GS-13 position, you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-12. The grade may have been in any occupation, but must have been held in the Federal service. An SF-50 that shows your time-in-grade eligibility must be submitted with your application materials. If the most recent SF-50 has an effective date within the past year, it may not clearly demonstrate that you possess one year of time-in-grade, as required by the announcement. In this instance, you must provide an additional SF-50 that clearly demonstrates one year of time-in-grade. Note: Time-In-Grade requirements also apply to former Federal employees applying for reinstatement as well as current employees applying for Veterans Employment Opportunities Act of 1998 (VEOA) appointment. Do not submit an award SF-50. It is highly recommended that multiple SF-50s be submitted to verify that time-in-grade requirements are met.

AGE RESTRICTION: The date immediately preceding an individual's thirty-seventh (37) birthday is the maximum entrance age for original appointment to a federal law enforcement officer position. This requirement does not apply to:

• Preference-eligible veterans

OR

• Individuals who are thirty-seven (37) years of age or older and have previously served in law enforcement officer positions that were covered by a special law enforcement retirement plan.

MEDICAL REQUIREMENTS: The duties of positions in this series 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 fingers, wrists, elbows, shoulders, hips, and knees is required. Arms, hands, legs, and feet must be sufficiently intact and functioning in order that applicants may perform the duties satisfactorily.
• Near vision, with 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 thirty-five (35) decibels at one thousand (1000), two thousand (2000), and three thousand (3000) Hz levels.
• Because the duties of these positions are exacting and responsible, and involve activities under trying conditions, applicants must possess emotional and mental stability.

Any physical or mental condition that may cause the applicant to be a hazard to themselves or others is disqualifying.


TRAINING: Applicants must have successfully completed the Basic Criminal Investigator Training Program at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC), or other equivalent law enforcement training such as the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command (CID), U.S. Air Force Office of Special Investigations (AFOSI), or Naval Criminal Investigation Service (NCIS). You must provide documentation proving this training has been completed.


Experience refers to paid/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/experience that translates directly to paid work. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

How you will be evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

To be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. In addition to the application and application questionnaire, this position requires an online assessment. The online assessment measures critical general competencies required to perform the job. Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or application questionnaire may result in your removal from consideration. Cheating on the online assessment may also result in your removal from consideration.

Your experience must be fully documented on your resume and include the job title, duties, grade/salary, and dates worked.

A full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week. Part-time experience will be credited based on the time actually spent in appropriate activities. Applicants wishing to receive credit for such experience must indicate clearly the nature of their duties and responsibilities in each position and the number of hours a week spent in such employment.

IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE.

If your resume is missing the job title, duties, grade, or salary, or dates worked, you might not be referred for consideration to the hiring manager.

You will be assessed on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics):

• Criminal Investigation
• Investigative Planning and Execution
• Effective Communication
• Decision-Making and Sound Judgment
• Documentation and Reporting

Applicants eligible for selection preference under ICTAP must meet the agency definition of "well qualified."

In the merit promotion selection process, formal performance appraisals may be considered if voluntarily submitted by the applicant.

To preview the application questionnaire, click the following link: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/13003412

It is your responsibility to carefully review the list of required documents below and submit the necessary documentation based on your eligibility. Beginning September 27, 2025, Federal agencies will only accept resumes up to two pages in length to comply with the Merit Hiring Plan. Resumes longer than two pages will result in ineligibility for further consideration for the position. Additional guidance on this new requirement and resume-building tools can be found at: Page Limit and OPM guidance on 2-page limit

Resume - All Applicants: You must submit a resume (a two-page or less resume is required) containing the following pieces of information for each job entry listed in your employment history:

• Official position title
• Employer name and contact information
  • If the work was performed as a contractor, please clearly indicate that on the resume
• Start and end dates (at least month and year)
• Indicate full-time or number of hours worked per week if part-time
• Grade or salary of position

If you are a current or former Federal employee:

1. You must submit your most recent SF-50 (Notification of Personnel Action) or equivalent agency form. Do not submit an award SF-50; these do not contain sufficient information about your appointment. Your SF-50 should list the full position title, series, grade, and step, organization, duty location, service computation date, effective date, and your service type and tenure status. Applicants are encouraged to submit multiple SF-50s to meet eligibility requirements.
2. You must submit a copy of your most recent performance evaluation or appraisal, signed, showing your final rating. If a performance appraisal is not available, submit a statement explaining why one is not available.

If you are a Veteran or a qualifying parent or spouse:

1. When claiming a Veteran's Preference, you must submit your last DD-214 (Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty) form, specifically the Member #4 Copy, indicating dates and character of service and discharge type.
2. If you are a Veteran with a service-connected disability rating, you will need to additionally submit the SF-15 (Application for 10-point Veterans Preference) and a copy of your VA Letter stating your disability rating.
3. If you are the qualifying parent or spouse of a disabled, deceased, or deployed Veteran, and are seeking a derived preference eligibility, you must submit appropriate supporting documentation, such as the Veteran's DD-214, SF-15, VA Letter, and/or Permanent Change of Station (PCS) orders. See Veteran Family Preference for more information.
4. For more information on each type of Veterans Preference, and the documentation required for each, see FedsHireVets.

If you are applying for consideration under the Military Spouse Appointing Authority: Military spouses of the armed forces on active duty should visit the following site for information on required documentation: https://help.usajobs.gov/working-in-government/unique-hiring-paths/military-spousesIf you are a person with a disability, claiming eligibility under Schedule A:

1. You must submit "proof of a disability" documentation ("Proof of a disability" is a letter stating that you have an intellectual disability, severe physical disability, or psychiatric disability).
2. You must get this letter from your doctor, a licensed medical professional, a licensed vocational rehabilitation specialist, or any Federal, state, or local agency that issues or provides disability benefits.

During the application process, you may have an option to opt in to make your resume available to hiring managers in the agency (or elsewhere) who have similar positions. Opting in does not impact your application for this announcement, nor does it guarantee further consideration for additional positions.

The NSF OIG provides reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities where appropriate. Individuals with disabilities may contact OIG-HR@nsf.gov for assistance with the application or hiring process. Individuals who are eligible for a non-competitive appointment under an Office of Personnel and Management (OPM) special appointing authority may apply for consideration under a comparable non-competitive appointing authority.

Selectees will be required to complete a "Declaration of Federal Employment" (OF-306) prior to being appointed to determine their suitability for Federal employment and to authorize a background investigation. False statements or responses on your resume or questionnaire can jeopardize your employment opportunity and subject you to disciplinary action, including removal from federal service.

All uploading must be completed before 11:59 PM Eastern Time (ET) on the vacancy closing date.

IMPORTANT NOTE: PLEASE DO NOT INCLUDE YOUR SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER, DATE OF BIRTH, OR ANY OTHER PERSONALLY IDENTIFIABLE INFORMATION ON YOUR APPLICATION DOCUMENTS.

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