Criminal Investigator (Special Agent) Job

Vacancy No. 25-TIGTA-12791656 Department Office of the Inspector General for Tax Administration
Salary $59,878.00 to $101,641.00 Grade 7 to 11
Perm/Temp Permanent FT/PT Full-time
Open Date 9/3/2025 Close Date 9/16/2025
Job Link Apply Online Who may apply Public
Locations:
Atlanta, GAChamblee, GA


Summary

This position is located at Office of the Inspector General for Tax Admin, Office of Investigation. As a Criminal Investigator (Special Agent), you will conduct investigations and proactive investigative initiatives to ensure the integrity of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) employees, contractors, and other tax professionals; ensure IRS employee infrastructure security; and protect the IRS against attempts to corrupt tax administration.

This job is open to

Clarification from the agency

All candidates who are: Current or former federal employees qualifying as Status Candidates, Federal employees currently serving on a VRA, VEOA eligibles, CTAP/ICTAP eligibles, eligible for special hiring authorities (e.g., the Schedule A appointment for persons with disabilities, or covered by an Interchange Agreement), or VRA eligibles or Land Management employees eligible under Public Law 114-47.

Duties

As a criminal investigator, you will be called upon to spearhead the largest, most complex, and most sensitive criminal and occasionally non-criminal investigations which come under the jurisdiction of the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA).


The following are the duties of this position at the GS-13. If you are selected at a lower grade level, you will have the opportunity to learn to perform all these duties, and will receive training to help you grow in this position.
  • Plan and conduct investigations to determine violations of the IRS and Federal laws and regulations.
  • Interview subjects, complainants, victims and third-party witnesses.
  • Prepare reports of complex investigations.
  • Apprehend and arrest persons violating U.S. laws and conduct searches and seizures incident to the arrest when appropriate, by warrant. Execute and serve search or arrest warrants and make arrests without warrant in accordance with Federal law.
  • Confer with and assists U.S. Attorneys in preparing information and evidence for trials.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

This opportunity is also open to the general public under Announcement 25-TIGTA-12791655-P. Please refer to that announcement for details on open period, eligibility, and how to apply.

The experience may have been gained in either the public, private sector or volunteer service. One year of experience refers to full-time work; part-time work 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 résumé.

Key Requirements:
  1. Click "Print Preview" to review the entire announcement before applying.
  2. Must be U.S. Citizen or U.S. National
Additional Information:
  • We may select from this announcement or any other source to fill one or more vacancies.
  • This is a non-bargaining unit position.
  • We offer opportunities for telework.
  • We offer opportunities for flexible work schedules.
  • 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 on your application for this announcement, nor does it guarantee further consideration for additional positions. This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.
This position requires that the successful candidate undergo personnel vetting, which includes a background investigation and enrollment upon onboarding into "Continuous Vetting." Enrollment in Continuous Vetting will result in automated record checks being conducted throughout one's employment with Treasury. The successful candidate will also be enrolled into FBI's Rap Back service, which will allow Treasury to receive notification from the FBI of criminal matters (e.g., arrests, charges, convictions) involving enrolled individuals in near real-time. For more information about individual rights, Noncriminal Justice Applicant's Privacy Rights - FBI, FD-258 Privacy Act Statement - FBI, and SEAD-3-Reporting-U.pdf (dni.gov).

Qualifications

You must meet the following requirements by the closing date of this announcement.

Age Requirements: Incumbents selected for Criminal Investigator positions are covered under special law enforcement provisions. This requires that applicants not exceed the maximum age for entry. The date immediately preceding an applicant's 37th birthday is the final date for selection. The age restriction does not apply if you served in a Federal civilian (not military) law enforcement officer (FLEO) position covered by special civil service retirement provisions, including early or mandatory retirement.

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 finger, wrist, elbow, shoulder, hip, and knee joints is required. Arms, hands, legs, and feet must be sufficiently intact and functioning in order that applicants may perform the duties satisfactorily. 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. Since the duties of these positions are exacting and responsible, and involve activities under trying conditions, applicants must possess emotional and mental stability. Any physical condition that would cause the applicant to be a hazard to him/her, or others is disqualifying.

AND

Specialized experience: For the GS-11, You must have one year of specialized experience at a level of difficulty and responsibility equivalent to the GS-09 grade level in the Federal service. Specialized experience is defined as:

Performing criminal and administrative investigations;
AND
Utilizing various investigative techniques to establish interrelationships of facts or evidence.

OR
You may possess a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree, or three full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree or LLM. Only graduate level education in excess of the first two years 36 semester hours (54 quarter hours) may be combined to be considered for qualifying education.

OR
You may qualify on a combination of education and experience. To combine education and experience, the total percentage of experience at the required grade level compared to the requirement, as well as the percentage of completed education compared to the requirement must equal at least 100 percent.




For the GS-09: Specialized experience is one year at the GS-07 level, or equivalent, that has equipped the applicant with the knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position. Specialized experience includes working in a trainee capacity performing segments of investigations such as:

Researching legal documents and/or interviewing witnesses to verify facts and obtain specific pieces of information;
AND
Securing signed statements, affidavits and documentary evidence;
AND
Completing reports for case records.

OR
Masters or equivalent graduate degree, or two full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree, or LLB or JD. From the choices below, select the item that best describes your education and experience. Only graduate level education in excess of the first 18 semester hours (27 quarter hours) may be combined to be considered for qualifying education.

OR
You may qualify on a combination of education and experience. To combine education and experience, the total percentage of experience at the required grade level compared to the requirement, as well as the percentage of completed education compared to the requirement must equal at least 100 percent.




For the GS-07: Specialized experience is one year at the GS-05 level, or equivalent, that has equipped the applicant with the knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of this position. Specialized experience is:

Work in a trainee capacity or other position where experience with basic investigative or analytical techniques and methods was applied to determine case resolution;

OR
One full year of graduate level education in a related field;

OR
Superior Academic Achievement based on a bachelors degree that is demonstrated through class standing (upper 1/3 of class), grade point average (2.95/4.0 overall or 3.5/4.0 in major); OR, election to membership in a qualifying national scholastic honor society. From the choices below, select the item that best describes your education and experience. You may qualify on a combination of education and experience. To combine education and experience, the total percentage of experience at the required grade level compared to the requirement, as well as the percentage of completed education compared to the requirement must equal at least 100 percent.



Time-in-Grade: In addition to the above requirements, you must meet the following time-in-grade requirement, if applicable:
For the GS-11, you must have been at the GS-09level for 52 weeks.
For the GS-09, you must have been at the GS-07level for 52 weeks.
For the GS-07, you must have been at the GS-05level for 52 weeks.

Time After Competitive Appointment: Candidates who are current Federal employees serving on a non-temporary competitive appointment must have served at least three months in that appointment.

Education

This job does not have an education qualification requirement.

Additional information

CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT (CONTINUED):

  • A probationary or trial period may be required. Continued employment is contingent upon supervisory certification that continued employment will benefit the Federal Service; the certification will occur no less than 30 days before the end of the probationary/trial period.
  • Must successfully complete a background investigation.
  • Top Secret - Background Investigation will be required.
  • Complete a Declaration for Federal Employment to determine your suitability for Federal employment, at the time requested by the agency.
  • You will be required to regularly report to the Duty Station listed above. While teleworking is an option, approval is at management's discretion based on duties, business needs, performance, etc.
  • Have your salary sent to a financial institution of your choice by Direct Deposit/Electronic Funds Transfer.
  • If you are a male applicant born after December 31, 1959, certify that you have registered with the Selective Service System or are exempt from having to do so.
  • Go through a Personal Identity Verification (PIV) process that requires two forms of identification from the Form I-9. Federal law requires verification of the identity and employment eligibility of all new hires in the U.S.
  • Obtain and use a Government-issued charge card for business-related travel.
  • The employment of any candidate, including a current employee or a new hire, selected for this position is conditioned upon review/check of the candidate's tax compliance. Further, all TIGTA employees are subject to an employee tax compliance program to ensure that employees fulfill their personal tax responsibilities.
  • Submit to a drug test prior to your appointment and random drug testing while you occupy the position.
  • Complete a pre-employment physical examination (including vision, hearing, cardiovascular and mobility of extremities) by an authorized Government physician and be determined physically fit to perform strenuous physically demanding duties. You will be required to undergo regular physical examinations and to maintain a level of physical fitness in accordance with the standards and policies of this agency.
  • 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.
  • Complete or have previously completed the course(s) at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC) in Glynco, GA.
  • Sign a mobility agreement.
  • Agree to work an average of two extra hours per day. Law Enforcement Availability Pay (LEAP) has been approved to compensate for unscheduled duty in excess of the 40-hour workweek.

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.

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.

Our comprehensive benefits are very generous. Our benefits package includes:

  • Challenging work, opportunities for advancement, competitive salaries, bonuses and incentive awards.
  • Eleven paid holidays, 13 days of sick leave, and 13 to 26 days of vacation time each year.
  • Access to insurance programs that may be continued after you retire.
  • A wide choice of health insurance plans, coverage for pre-existing conditions, and no waiting periods. We pay a substantial amount (up to 75%) of the health insurance premiums.
  • A retirement program which includes employer-matching contributions.
Learn more about Federal benefits programs at: https://help.usajobs.gov/working-in-government/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.

Your application includes your résumé, responses to the online questions, and required supporting documents. Please be sure that your résumé includes detailed information to support your qualifications for this position; failure to provide sufficient evidence in your résumé may result in a "not qualified" determination.

Applicants that are in the top tier will then be referred for an additional review.

Rating: Your application will be evaluated in the following areas: Analytical, Communication, Leadership, and Technical

Your application will be rated and ranked among others, based on your responses to the online questions, regarding your experience, education, training, performance appraisals and awards relevant to the duties of this position. Your rating may be lowered if your responses to the online questions are not supported by the education and/or experience described in your application.

Referral: If you are among the top qualified candidates, your application may be referred to a selecting official for consideration.

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 score of 92 or better to be rated as "well qualified" to receive special selection priority.

Required Documents

A complete application includes 1. A résumé, 2. Vacancy question responses, and 3. 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).Please ensure all required documents, including any required work samples, narratives, or other materials as stated in this announcement, are attached to your application package.

It is anticipated that there will be significant interest in the announcement. As a result, the announcement will close at 11:59 p.m. ET on the date of receipt of the 150th application or at 11:59 p.m. ET on 09/16/2025; whichever occurs first. Any required documents should be submitted at the time that you apply as documents will not be accepted after the vacancy closes.

All applicants are required to submit a résumé either by creating one in USAJOBS or uploading one of their own choosing. (Cover letters are optional.) Please limit your resume to 2 pages. If more than 2 pages are submitted, your resume will still be accepted, however only the first 2 pages will be reviewed and considered for qualifications determination in whether or not the minimum qualifications for the position have been met. To receive full credit for relevant experience, please list the month/date/year and number of hours worked for experience listed on your résumé. We suggest that you preview the online questions, as you may need to customize your résumé to ensure that it supports your responses to these questions. Please view résumé tips.

CURRENT AND FORMER FEDERAL EMPLOYEES -- Documentation Relating to Your Federal Employment:

  • Submit a copy of your SF-50, Notification of Personnel Action, which shows your current (or most recent) grade and competitive service status.(The "position occupied" block on the SF-50 should show a "1" and your "tenure" block should show a "1" or "2".)
  • If you are currently on a Veterans Recruitment Appointment (VRA), submit a copy of an SF-50 showing that. Also, you must submit a copy of your DD214 or other documentation showing dates of service and type of discharge and any other applicable documents such as SF-15, VA letters, etc.
  • 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

PERFORMANCE APPRAISAL: Provide a copy of your most recent rating of record (i.e., final annual performance appraisal issued and signed by appropriate management official). If the rating of record you submit is not dated within the last 18 months, you must provide an explanation in your application as to why one has not been issued within the past 18 months.

If you are applying under a special hiring authority (e.g. Military Spouses, Interchange Agreement, VEOA, VRA, Schedule A Disability, etc.), please see applicant guide for required documentation. In order to be eligible under one of these authorities, you must submit all required documentation as outlined in the applicant guide.

CAREER TRANSITION ASSISTANCE PLAN (CTAP) OR INTERAGENCY CAREER TRANSITION ASSISTANCE PLAN (ICTAP) DOCUMENTATION: If you are a displaced or surplus Federal employee, click CTAP/ICTAP for eligibility and a detailed list of required documents you must submit in order to be eligible.

REINSTATEMENT: If you are a former federal employee that has been separated for at least one year, and wish to be non-competitively reinstated for a higher grade or full performance level than which you left federal employment, you MUST provide a copy of your separation SF50 (the "position occupied" block on the SF-50 should show a "1" and your "tenure" block should show a "1" or "2") AND the last performance appraisal you received from your federal employment which shows at least a fully successful rating.

EDUCATION DOCUMENTATION:

For positions with an education requirement, or if you are qualifying for this position by substituting education or training for experience, submit a copy of your transcripts or a list of courses showing title, number of credits, grade, and date of completion.

A college or university degree generally must be from an accredited (or pre-accredited) college or university recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. For a list of schools which meet these criteria, please refer to Department of Education Accreditation page. If you are qualifying based on foreign education, you must submit proof of creditability of education as evaluated by a credentialing agency. Refer to the OPM instructions.

RECOMMENDED DOCUMENTS:
- A list of awards received while employed with the Federal government.

How to Apply

The Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) has partnered with the Treasury's Bureau of the Fiscal Service to provide certain personnel services to its organization. Fiscal Service's responsibilities include advertising vacancies, accepting and handling applications, and extending job offers.

Are you unsure how to write your federal resume? We are here to help. The Treasury Recruitment Service regularly offers Writing Your Federal Resume training sessions, and other career-related information sessions, to assist you in your career search journey. To register for a session, click here to go to our Career Information Sessions webpage.

The following instructions outline our application process. You must complete this application process and submit any required documents by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) on the closing date of this announcement. We are available to assist you during business hours (normally 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. ET, Monday - Friday). If applying online poses a hardship, please contact us by noon ET on the announcement's closing date.

The Bureau provides reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities on a case-by-case basis. Please contact us if you require this for any part of the application and hiring process.
  • To begin, click Apply to access the online application. You will need to be logged into your USAJOBS account to apply. If you do not have a USAJOBS account, you will need to create one before beginning the application.
  • Follow the prompts to select your résumé and/or other supporting documents to be included with your application package. You will have the opportunity to upload additional documents to include in your application before it is submitted. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process.
  • After acknowledging you have reviewed your application package, complete the Include Personal Information section as you deem appropriate and click to continue with the application process.
  • You will be taken to the online application which you must complete in order to apply for the position. Complete the online application, verify the required documentation is included with your application package, and submit the application.
To verify the status of your application:
-Log into your USAJOBS account (USAJOBS Login). A list of announcements in which you have applied is at the Welcome screen.
-Under "application status," click "Track this application" and you will be taken to the agency website where you can check your application status.

For more information regarding the job and applicant status, please refer to https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/how-to/application/status/

If you wish to make changes/updates to your application and the vacancy is still open, you can click on the job announcement and "Update Application" to be taken back to your application. No updates can be made once the announcement has closed.

Please notify us if your contact information changes after the closing date of the announcement. Also, note that if you provide an email address that is inaccurate or if your mailbox is full or blocked (e.g., spam-blocker), you may not receive important communication that could affect your consideration for this position.

For additional information on how to apply, please visit the Partnership for Public Service's Go Government website.

The Fair Chance to Compete for Jobs Act prohibits the Department of Treasury and its bureaus from requesting an applicant's criminal history record before that individual receives a conditional offer of employment. In accordance with 5 U.S. Code § 9202(c) and 5 C.F.R § 920.201 certain positions are exempt from the provisions of the Fair Chance to Compete Act. Applicants who believe they have been subjected to a violation of the Fair Chance to Compete for Jobs Act, may submit a written complaint to the Department of Treasury by email at, FairChanceAct@treasury.gov.

To learn more, please visit our page at: Treasury.gov/fairchanceact.

To preview the assessment questionnaire: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12791656

Agency contact information

Applicant Call Center
Address
Office of Investigation
Administrative Resource Center
Parkersburg, WV 26101
US

Next steps

Once the online questionnaire is received, you will receive an acknowledgement email that your submission was successful. We will review your résumé and transcript(s) (if appropriate) to ensure you meet the basic qualification requirements. We will evaluate each applicant who meets the basic qualifications on the information provided and may interview the best-qualified applicants. After making a tentative job offer, we will conduct any required suitability and/or security background investigation.


Note: We cannot accept applications on behalf of Federal Agencies. Application instructions are listed within the Job Description.