Criminal Investigator

IRS-CI Special Agents (SAs) are duly sworn federal law enforcement officers throughout all 50 states and US territories including special agent attachés located in 11 countries. As a SA, you will combine your accounting skills with law enforcement skills to investigate financial crimes. SAs fill a unique niche in the federal law enforcement community due to IRS-CI's broad jurisdiction of Title 18 and Title 31 crimes, in addition to our primary tax enforcement mission. SAs are known for their financial investigative expertise in areas, such as, tax fraud, public corruption, cybercrimes, narcotics, terrorism, and much more. Today's sophisticated schemes demand the analytical ability of financial investigators to trace transactions through complex financial records.

The following are the duties of this position at the full working level.

• The Criminal Investigator plans and conducts investigations relative to criminal statutes of tax administration and financial crimes and other related offenses, which vary in levels or complexity.
• The work involves investigations analyzing precedent setting legal or investigative questions, complex or unusual accounting problems.
• The Criminal Investigator analyzes information obtained from diversified sources gathered over a wide section of the country; situations where the interrelationship of facts and evidence identification is difficult because of the numerous holding companies, entities, etc., involved; and cases including a mixture of legal and illegal activities; international transfers of funds; working with DOJ and IRS Foreign country attaches to obtain records; and cryptocurrency investigations.
• Performs other investigative and enforcement duties such as testifying as a Government witness, assisting the U.S. Attorney during the preparation of cases for trial, and conducting collateral inquiries.
• Obtains, evaluates, integrates, and recommends action on information items to identify large areas of
  noncompliance (e.g., major profession, occupation, industry, or wide geographic area).

Conditions of employment

• Probationary Period - All newly appointed employees to the competitive (or excepted) service are subject to a probationary (or trial) period. During this time, your performance, conduct, and suitability for continued employment will be evaluated. You will not automatically convert to permanent status at the end of the probationary (or trial) period. Your supervisor must affirmatively determine that continued employment is in the best interest of the Federal service. If no certification is made before the probationary (or trial) period ends, your appointment will be terminated. You are encouraged to actively engage with your supervisor, seek feedback, and understand role expectations. Additional guidance and support will be provided during onboarding.

Law Enforcement Officer (LEO) Positions:

• Physical Examination - Complete a pre-employment physical examination by an authorized Government physician; be determined physically fit to perform strenuous physically demanding duties. Undergo regular physical examinations to maintain a level of physical fitness IAW the standards/policies of this agency.
• Drug Test - Submit to a drug test prior to your appointment and random drug testing while you occupy the position.
• Firearm - Carry and use a firearm. Maintaining firearm proficiency is also mandatory. You will be ineligible to occupy this position if at any time you have been convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence, unless you received a pardon or your conviction was expunged or set aside.
• Law Enforcement Training Courses - Complete or have previously completed required courses at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC) in Glynco, GA.
• Law Enforcement Availability Pay (LEAP) - Agree to work an average of two extra hours per day. LEAP has been approved to compensate for unscheduled duty in excess of the 40-hour workweek.
• Commuting distance for Law Enforcement Availability Pay (Required). IAW Title 5 CFR 550.182(D) the agency must determine that a criminal investigator is generally/reasonably accessible to perform unscheduled duty based on the needs of the agency. The provisions of Treasury Directive 74-06 Home-to-Work Transportation Controls paragraph 3(d) require that special agents reside within 50 miles of their official duty station to be considered for Home-to-Work transportation (only granted/waived by Treasury).

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS SHOWN IN QUALIFICATIONS OR ADDTIONAL INFORMATION SECTIONS

Qualifications

Federal experience is not required. The experience may have been gained in the public sector, private sector or Volunteer Service. 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/day/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.

GENERAL REQUIREMENTS FOR GRADE 07 AND 09:

• EXPERIENCE - Must have been acquired in investigative work related to the ACCOUNTING OR AUDITING OF BUSINESS OR COMMERCIAL PRACTICES OF SUBJECTS INVESTIGATED. For examples of specialized experience, click here.
• EDUCATION - If substituting education for specialized experience for the grade 7 or 9, education must be supplemented by at least 15 semester/23 quarter hours in accounting plus an additional 9 semester/14 quarter hours from among the following fields: business law, economics, finance, tax law or money and banking. You may qualify by a combination of experience and education. Combinations of education and experience are qualifying.

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS FOR GRADE 07:
SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: You must have one year of specialized experience at a level of difficulty and responsibility equivalent to the GL-05 grade level in the Federal service. Specialized experience for this position includes experience in or related to investigation of criminal violations that provided the experience to successfully perform the duties of the IRS Special Agent. Experience must have required:

1. The exercise of tact, initiative, ingenuity, resourcefulness and judgment in collecting, assembling, and developing facts, evidence and other pertinent data through investigative techniques which included personal interview;
2. Making oral and written reports and presentations of personally conducted or personally directed investigations, examinations, or inspections; AND
3. Analyzing and evaluating evidence and arrive at sound conclusions.

OR
EDUCATION: You may substitute education for specialized experience as follows:

• One full year of progressively higher-level graduate education OR
• Superior Academic Achievement - 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 2 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 2 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 scholastic honor society recognized by the Association of College Honor Societies. If substituting Superior Academic Achievement (SAA) for experience at the GS-7 level, please note that grade-point averages are rounded to one decimal place. For example, 2.95 will round to 3.0 and 2.94 will round to 2.9.

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS FOR GRADE 09:
SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: You must have one year of specialized experience at a level of difficulty and responsibility equivalent to the GL-07 grade level in the Federal service. Specialized experience for this position includes, experience in or related to investigation of criminal violations that provided the specific experience needed to successfully perform the duties of this position. Experience must be sufficient to demonstrate the ability to gather intelligence, analyze and evaluate raw investigative data, prepare comprehensive written investigative reports, and investigate complex claims involving suspected crimes or alleged fraud. Examples of qualifying experience include:

1. Investigating criminal cases requiring the use of recognized investigative methods and techniques and that may have included appearing in court to present evidence;
2. Supervising or conducting interviews or interrogations that involved eliciting evidence, data, or surveillance information;
3. Investigating computerized business and/or accounting systems and forming sound conclusions as to related criminal business practices and compliance with Federal laws and regulations.

OR
EDUCATION: You may substitute education for specialized experience as follows:

• Two full years of progressively higher-level graduate education; OR a master's degree or equivalent graduate degree (i.e., LL.B. or J.D.)

You must meet the following special requirements:

• MINIMUM AGE REQUIREMENT: Generally, applicants for most Federal jobs must be at least 18 years old. For additional information refer to:Is there an age limit for Federal employment? - OPM.gov
  • In addition, provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act, Federal, State, and local laws that relate to the employment of minors in positions requiring the use of firearms must be observed.

• MAXIMUM ENTRY AGE: Provisions of Public Law 93-950 and Public Law 100-238 allow the imposition of a maximum age for original appointments to a law enforcement officer position within the Federal government. The date immediately preceding your 37th birthday is the final date of referral for selection. This age restriction does not apply to preference eligible veterans or land management eligibles. Applicants who are age 37 or over may subtract any of their prior federal service that is in approved position and that is creditable for retirement from their current age to meet this age requirement. This is to ensure you will be able to complete a total of 20 years of special retirement service by the time you reach the mandatory retirement age of 57. Applicants must provide proof of veterans' preference, land management eligibility, or prior creditable Federal service as listed in the announcement.

• PHYSICAL EXAMINATION: You must pass a medical examination prior to being appointed. This position requires moderate to arduous physical exertion involving walking and standing, use of firearms, and exposure to inclement weather. Manual dexterity with free motion of fingers, wrists, elbows, shoulders, hips, and knee joints is required. Arms, hands, legs, and feet must function sufficiently in order for applicants to perform the duties satisfactorily. All of the medical requirements MUST be met at the time of initial examination/test. Applicants failing to meet the medical requirements at the time of their initial examination/test will be considered ineligible for the position.
  • Vision: For all positions, near vision, corrected or uncorrected, must be sufficient to read Jaeger type 2 at 14 inches. Normal depth perception and peripheral vision are required, as is the ability to distinguish shades of color by color plate tests. For all positions covered by this standard, applicants who have undergone refractive surgery (i.e., surgery to improve distant visual acuity) must meet Treasury-approved requirements which include documentation that they have passed specific exam and protocol testing. Uncorrected distant vision must test 20/200, and corrected distant vision must test 20/20 in one eye, and 20/30 in the other.
  • Hearing: Hearing loss, as measured by an audiometer, must not exceed 30 decibels (A.S.A. or equivalent I.S.O.) in either ear in the 500, 1000, and 2000 Hz ranges. You must be able to hear the whispered voice at 15 feet with each ear without the use of a hearing aid.
  • Other Medical Requirements: You must possess emotional and mental stability. Any condition that would hinder full, efficient performance of the duties of this position or that would cause an individual to be a hazard to himself/herself or to others is disqualifying.

For more information on qualifications please refer to OPM's Qualifications Standards.

How you will be evaluated

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

Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g., resume, supporting documents), your responses on the application questionnaire, and your responses to all assessments required for this position. Applicants who disqualify themselves will not be evaluated further.

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

• Arithmetic
• Accounting
• Logical Reasoning
• Thinking/Decision Making/Problem Solving
• Memory, Learning
• Teamwork/Social Skills
• Openness to Change
• Conscientiousness/Integrity
• Communication (Writing and Reading)

Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or application questionnaire may result in your removal from consideration. Cheating on an assessment may also result in your removal from consideration.

Rating: Category rating will be used to rank and select eligible candidates. If qualified, you will be assigned to one of three quality level categories, CAT A, CAT B or CAT C.

Referral: If you are among the top qualified candidates, your application may be referred to a selecting official for consideration. Candidates, if required to participate in a selection interview (telephonic and/or in person at the discretion of the Selecting Official in accordance with hiring practices), will be interviewed in quality group order. We will not reimburse costs related to the interview such as travel to and from the interview site.

Veterans' preference is applied after applicants are assessed. Qualified preference eligibles who have a compensable service-connected disability of 10 percent or more (CPS, CP) are placed at the top of the highest category on the referral list (except for scientific or professional positions at the GS-9 level or higher). Remaining preference eligibles are placed above non-preference eligibles within their assigned category.

If you are a displaced or surplus Federal employee (eligible for the Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP)/Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP), you must receive a rating of CAT A/B to be rated as "well qualified" to receive special selection priority.

If you are selected, you will be subject to all requirements listed in the Qualifications, Requirements and Additional Information sections of this announcement which includes, Prior Employment/Tax Checks, Fingerprint/Criminal History checks.

The following documents are required and must be provided with your application. All application materials, including transcripts, must be in English.
Incomplete or insufficient information may result in not being considered for the position, or not receiving special consideration for which you may be eligible. Please view Application Preparation or How to write a resume for federal job.

1. Resume
… Your resume should:

• Be limited to two (2) pages. Applicants with resumes exceeding two-pages will be removed from consideration. We recommend utilizing a standard 8.5x11-inch document size, a sans-serif font such as Arial or Calibri with a font size no smaller than 10-point for the main text, and page margins of 0.5 inches. Applicants that attempt to circumvent the 2-page limit page limit, for example by materially reducing readability, will be deemed ineligible. If you update your application, only the most recent resume received (uploaded under the "Resume" document type) will be considered to determine qualifications.
• Include your name and contact information.
• Include relevant work experience - Employer Name, Job Title, Employment dates (start to end date or present), number of hours worked per week, and a brief description of duties that clearly demonstrate your qualifications. To receive full credit for work experience, you must include specific MM/DD/YYYY start and end dates for every position.
• Include pay plan, series, and grade (e.g., GS-0301-09) for all federal service jobs.
• Not include photographs, classified or sensitive information, SSN, encrypted/digitally signed documents, or other inappropriate content. Resumes containing prohibited information will be deemed ineligible.
• Not include embedded links as they will not be opened or considered when determining qualifications.
• Not include personal information such as age, sex, religion, race, or disability.
• Not include specialized experience copied from the announcement or position description, as this is not a demonstration of your experience.

2. Education (if applicable) - Refer to Qualification and Education sections above for requirements

• For positions with an education requirement, or if you are qualifying for this position based on education or training, submit a copy of your transcript(s) or equivalent. An official transcript(s) will be required if you are selected.

3. Registration/License (if applicable) - Current, active registration/license

4. Veterans' Preference (if applicable)

• MUST submit a copy of your DD-214 (Member 4 copy), or other official documentation from a branch of the Armed Forces or the Department of Veterans Affairs showing dates of service and type of discharge.
• If you are serving under active duty, provide certification from the Armed Forces that you will be discharged or released within 120 days from the date of certification. The certification must indicate your dates of service, rank and that you will be separated under honorable conditions.
• 10-point preference eligible - Submit an Application for 10-point Veteran Preference, SF-15, along with the required documentation listed on the back of the form if you are a 10-point preference eligible. For more information on claiming veterans' preference view here.

5. Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) or Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) (if applicable) Selection priority program for displaced or surplus federal employees:

• Review and submit the required documentation as oulined under CTAP/ICTAP.

6. Current and Former Federal Employees Documentation (Must submit if applicable)

• Your most recent SF-50 (Notification of Personnel Action) or equivalent form which shows your current grade and competitive service status (Position Occupied/Block 34 should reflect "1" and Tenure/Block 24 should reflect "1" or "2").

Maximum Entry Age Exception Documentation: (if applicable)

• Veteran Preference Eligibles: Must submit documentation listed above
• Land Management (current or former employees) or if over age 37 with prior creditable federal service in a qualifying position - Must submit all SF-50s and job performance documentation of the qualifying employment with your application. Refer to the Application Questionnaire for additional information.

Next steps

Additional locations