Criminal Investigator Job in District of Columbia, DC

Vacancy No. 26-RGJ-12970396-OPM Department Office of Personnel Management
Salary $121,785.00 to $158,322.00 Grade 13 to 13
Perm/Temp Permanent FT/PT Full-time
Open Date 9/10/2026 Close Date 9/24/2026
Job Link Apply Online Who may apply Status Candidates
Locations:
District of Columbia, DC


Criminal Investigator

Office of Personnel Management
Office of the Inspector General

Summary

As a Criminal Investigator with the US Office of Personnel Management, Office of the Inspector General, Office of Investigations, you will conduct criminal, civil, and administrative investigations involving fraud, waste, abuse, and misconduct affecting OPM programs and operations.

This job is open to

Internal to an agency

Current federal employees of the hiring agency that posted the job announcement.

Clarification from the agency

This announcement is open to current Career or Career-Conditional OPM employees.

Duties

  • Plans and conducts criminal, civil, and administrative investigations involving alleged fraud, waste, abuse, or misconduct affecting OPM programs and operations.
  • Reviews allegations, records, medical claims, financial information, and other data to identify fraud indicators and develop investigative leads.
  • Interviews witnesses, subject-matter experts, agency officials, program staff, and external partners to obtain information and verify facts.
  • Prepares investigative plans, reports, case updates, memoranda of interview, and other documents supporting investigative findings.
  • Coordinates with prosecutors, law enforcement partners, program offices, and health benefits carriers to develop and support investigations.
  • Conducts or supports surveillance, evidence collection, subpoena or warrant-related activities, arrests, searches, and other law enforcement actions.
  • Identifies agency weaknesses or concerns and communicates findings, recommendations, and investigative results to supervisors and stakeholders.

Requirements

Conditions of employment

  • Must be a U.S. Citizen or National
  • Males born after 12-31-59 must be registered for Selective Service
  • Suitable for Federal employment, determined by a background investigation
  • May be required to successfully complete a probationary period
  • Candidates will not be hired based on their race, sex, color, religion, or national origin
  • Complete the initial online assessment and USAHire Assessment, if required
  • You will be required to report to an OPM assigned office.
  • This position is not eligible for inclusion in a bargaining unit
  • Law enforcement availability pay (LEAP): in the amount of 25% has been approved for this position.
  • Possess uncorrected visual acuity of no worse than 20/100 binocular. Possess corrected visual acuity of 20/20 or better in each eye. (Note: Lasik, ALK, RK, and PRK corrective eye surgeries are acceptable eye surgeries for Special Agent applicants. Applicants will be considered eligible for the Special Agent position provided specific visual tests are passed. The following are waiting periods for visual tests: Lasik-3 months after surgery, PRK-6 months after surgery, and ALK and RK-one year after surgery).
  • 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.
  • Be less than age 37 at the time you receive a conditional offer of employment, unless you have previous service in a Federal Civilian Law Enforcement position covered by special law enforcement or firefighter retirement provisions, including early or mandatory retirement. Applicants with veteran's preference must receive a conditional offer of employment prior to reaching age 40 to continue in the application process.
  • Submit to a drug test prior to your appointment and random drug testing while in the position. Disclose any prior drug use, attempted use, and/or experimentation.
  • Carry and use a firearm. Maintaining firearm proficiency is 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.
  • While training, selectees will be partnered with an experienced Criminal Investigator for on the job training (OJT) before and after completing 12 weeks of intensive training at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC) in Glynco, GA. Failure to pass the training program may result in termination from federal service.

Qualifications

Applicants must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-12 level in the Federal service. This experience must include independently conducting complex criminal investigations; collecting and analyzing evidence; preparing investigative reports; and collaborating with law enforcement or legal personnel to support prosecution or enforcement actions.

Merit promotion applicants must meet time-in-grade requirement as defined in 5 CFR 300, Subpart F. One year at the GS-12 level is required to meet the time-in-grade requirements for the GS 13 level.

You must meet all qualification and eligibility requirements within 30 days of the closing date of this announcement.

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.

Education

This job does not have an education qualification requirement.

Additional information

Relocation expenses will not be paid.

This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional similar vacancies across OPM.

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

Reasonable Accommodation Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 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, based on your adjudication decision. 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

If you are unable to apply online and would like to request information about the Alternate Application process, please use the contact information at the bottom of this announcement.

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

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.

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 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), your responses on the application questionnaire, and your responses to all assessments required for this position. You will be assessed on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics):

  • Attention to Detail
  • Customer Service
  • Decision Making
  • Flexibility
  • Influencing/Negotiating
  • Integrity/Honesty
  • Interpersonal Skills
  • Learning
  • Reasoning
  • Self-Management
  • Stress Tolerance
  • Teamwork


All qualified Non Competitive applicants and the best qualified Merit Promotion applicants will be referred to the hiring manager for consideration.

Career Transition Assistance Programs: These programs apply to Office of Personnel Management (OPM) employees who meet the definition of surplus or displaced from a position in the competitive service. To receive selection priority for this position, you must: 1) meet CTAP eligibility criteria; 2) be rated well-qualified for the position (obtain a score of 85 or higher on assessments); and 3) submit the appropriate documentation to support your CTAP eligibility. For more information: http://www.opm.gov/rif/employee_guides/career_transition.asp

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.

Required Documents

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

  1. Your Resume showing the applicant's name, email address, work schedule, hours worked per week, dates of employment, and duties performed to include pay plan, series, and grade level for relevant federal experience. Your resume must show complete information for each job entry to support minimum qualifications. Only the first 2 pages of the resume/application will be used to verify minimum qualifications. Please be sure to include specific dates of employment and work schedule(s).
  • Do not include the following types of information in your resume:
    • Classified or government sensitive information
    • Social Security Number (SSN)
    • Photos of yourself
    • Personal information, such as age, sex, religious affiliation, etc.
    • Encrypted and digitally signed documents
  • Your most recent Promotion, Within Rate Increase (WRI/WGI), or Appointment/Conversion SF-50 or Notification of Personnel Action showing you are in a competitive service and the highest grade or promotion potential held.
  • Transcripts/Registration/License: If qualifying on education/position requires education, you must submit copies of your transcripts and if required for the position, submit an active, current registration/license.
  • Other supporting documents:
    • Cover Letter, optional
    • Most recent Performance Appraisal, optional.
    • CTAP Reduction-In-Force documentation, if applicable.
Failure to submit any of the above-mentioned required documents may result in loss of consideration due to an incomplete application package. It is your responsibility to ensure all required documents have been submitted.

How to Apply

Please read the entire announcement and all the instructions before you begin an application. To apply and be considered for this position, you must complete all required questionnaires, assessments and submit all required documentation as specified in the How to Apply and Required Documents section. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on the closing date of the announcement to receive consideration. The application process is as follows:
1. Click the Apply Online button.
2. Answer the questions presented in the application and attach all necessary supporting documentation.
3. Click the Submit Application button prior to 11:59 PM (ET) on the announcement closing date.
4. If you are required to complete any USA Hire Assessments, you will be notified after submitting your application. The notification will be provided in your application submission screen and via email. The notification will include your unique assessment access link to the USA Hire system and the completion deadline. Additionally, in USAJOBS you can click "Track this application" to return to your assessment completion notice.
5. Access USA Hire using your unique assessment link. Access is granted through your USAJOBS login credentials.
6. Review all instructions prior to beginning your assessments. You will have the opportunity to request a testing accommodation before beginning the assessments should you have a disability covered under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended.
7. Set aside at least 3 hours to take the USA Hire Assessments; however, most applicants complete the assessments in less time. If you need to stop the assessments and continue later, you can re-use your unique assessment link.
8. Your responses to the USA Hire Assessments will be reused for one year (in most cases) from the date you complete an assessment. If future applications you submit require completion of the same assessments, your responses will be automatically reused.

For more general information, system requirements, reasonable accommodation information, and to request assistance regarding the USA Hire Assessments, review the following resources: https://help.usastaffing.gov/Apply/index.php?title=USA_Hire_Assessments

To update your application, including supporting documentation: During the announcement open period, return to your USAJOBS account, find your application record, and click Edit my application. This option will no longer be available once the announcement has closed.

To view the announcement status or your application status: Click on this: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/how-to/application/status/. Your application status page is where you can view your application status, USA Hire assessment completion status, and review your notifications sent by the hiring agency regarding your application.

You may preview the assessment questionnaire by clicking here: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12970396

Agency contact information

OPM Human Resources
Phone
202-606-9321
Email
jobs@opm.gov
Address
OPM Human Resources
1900 E St., NW
Washington, DC 20415
US

Next steps

Once referred, you may be asked to complete a structured interview, written demonstration, and/or fit interview. Deliberate attempts to falsify information may be grounds for not selecting you or for dismissing you from the position/agency during the probationary period.

Once your online application is submitted you will receive a confirmation notification by email. Your application will be evaluated. You will receive another notification about the status of your application.

We expect to make a job offer within 40 days after the closing date of the announcement. After making a tentative job offer, we will conduct a suitability/security background investigation.

Generally, an agency may not request, orally, in writing, or electronically through the USA Jobs website or other electronic means, that an applicant for appointment for a position in the civil service disclose criminal history record information before the appointing agency extends a conditional offer of employment. However, there are exceptions to this rule for positions, such as the one covered by this vacancy announcement, for which the hiring agency is required to make a criminal history inquiry before extending an offer. Accordingly, we may ask about your criminal history for this position before making a conditional job offer. We may ask you to provide or authorize us to collect your criminal history information. We will give you more details on these inquiries, including providing any required release of information form(s).

Office of Personnel Management

At OPM, we are champions of talent for the Federal Government. We lead Federal agencies in workforce policies, programs, and benefits in service to the American people. We will create a new vision of work, together, positioning the Federal Government as a model employer for past and present employees through innovation and leadership. We will build a rewarding culture that empowers the workforce to solve some of our nation's toughest challenges.

Agency contact information

OPM Human Resources
Phone
202-606-9321
Email
jobs@opm.gov
Address
OPM Human Resources
1900 E St., NW
Washington, DC 20415
US

Visit our careers page

Learn more about what it's like to work at Office of Personnel Management, what the agency does, and about the types of careers this agency offers.

https://www.opm.gov/about-us/our-work/