Summary
OIG is organized into six operational units: the Immediate Office of the Inspector General, Office of the Counselor, Office of Audits and Evaluations, Office of Healthcare Inspections, Office of Investigations, and Office of Management and Administration. In addition to the Washington, DC, headquarters, OIG has offices located in more than 60 locations throughout the country.
This job is open to
The public
U.S. Citizens, Nationals or those who owe allegiance to the U.S.
Clarification from the agency
1. Open to all US citizens or US nationals; no prior federal experience is required.
2. CTAP/ICTAP eligibles.
Duties
OIG's Office of Investigations (OI) investigates potential crimes and civil violations of law involving VA programs and operations committed by VA employees, contractors, beneficiaries, and other individuals. These investigations focus on a wide range of matters including health care, procurement, benefits, education, construction, and other fraud; cybercrime and identity theft; bribery, embezzlement, and conflicts of interest; drug offenses; and violent crimes. OI is staffed by special agents, forensic accountants, analysts, and other professional staff in headquarters divisions and regional field offices that use data analytics, cyber-tools, covert operations, and other strategies to detect and address conduct that poses a threat to or has harmed VA personnel, operations, and the veterans or other beneficiaries they service. Through criminal prosecutions and civil monetary recoveries, OI's investigations promote integrity, patient safety, efficiency, and accountability within VA.
The Criminal Investigator (Special Agent), is responsible for planning, managing, conducting, and concluding (independently, jointly, or as a team leader) complex and sensitive criminal, civil, and administrative investigations and other matters involving VA's programs and operations. The duties of the Criminal Investigator (Special Agent), include:
- Functioning as a law enforcement officer, including carrying authorized firearms and other enforcement equipment; applying for and executing arrest and search warrants; interviewing witnesses, victims, suspects and defendants; apprehending, searching, and transporting suspects and defendants.
- Initiating contacts with Federal, state, and local law enforcement officials, civic and business leaders, officials from financial institutions, medical facilities, and other organizations and individuals for the purpose of obtaining facts, signed statements, and developing investigative leads and cooperation.
- Collecting and analyzing operational and strategic intelligence from wide-ranging sources including Federal, State, and local law enforcement agencies.
- Conducting investigations in compliance with OIG policies and procedures, investigative standards promulgated by the Council of the Inspectors General (CIGIE), and the provisions of the Attorney General Guidelines for Offices of Inspector General with Statutory Law Enforcement Authority.
- Identifying material, systemic weaknesses or failures in VA operations and/or processes during investigations and prepares reports outlining possible solutions to the issues uncovered.
Requirements
Conditions of employment
Key Requirements:
- Click "Print Preview" to review the entire announcement before applying.
- Must be a U.S. Citizen or U.S. National.
Qualifications
You must meet the following requirements by the closing date of this announcement.
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.
Age Restriction: The date immediately preceding an individual's 37th birthday is the maximum entry age for original appointment to a law enforcement officer position. This requirement does not apply to a) Preference-eligible veterans; OR b) Individuals who are 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.
AND
Medical Requirements: The selectee must pass a pre-appointment physical examination and meet the physical requirements for this position as required by this agency. The duties of this position 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 and hearing are required to perform the duties satisfactorily. Because the duties of this position are exacting, responsible, and sometimes performed under trying conditions, the selectee must possess emotional and mental stability. Any physical condition that would cause the selectee to be a hazard to himself/herself, or others is disqualifying.
AND
Specialized Experience: Specialized experience for the GS-13 is one year of experience at the GS-12 level, or equivalent, that has equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position, which includes:
- Investigating cases that involve matters of extreme sensitivity and complexity (i.e.: criminal, civil, and/or administrative investigations of allegations of fraud, waste, and abuse.); AND
- Evaluating allegations and analyzing physical and digital evidence; AND
- Planning and conducting investigations involving criminal activities; AND
- Preparing investigative findings and reports; AND
- Maintaining liaison with law enforcement agencies at the local, state, or national level.
Education
This job does not have an education qualification requirement.
Additional information
This opportunity is also open to Status Candidates under Announcement 26-VAOIG-12900663. Please refer to that announcement for details on open period, eligibility, and how to apply.
- We may select from this announcement or any other source to fill one or more vacancies. Applicants who apply for this position may be considered for other positions within the Office of Inspector General that require the same knowledge, skills, and abilities.
- This is a non-bargaining unit position.
- Office assignment may be at one of the locations listed on the announcement subject to availability and OIG management discretion.
Conditions of Employment (CONTINUED):
- A one year probationary 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.
- Public Trust - Background Investigation will be required.
-Travel nationwide under tight deadlines. The incumbent should anticipate frequent walking and standing as a component of this travel.
- 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.
- Have your salary sent to a financial institution of your choice by Direct Deposit/Electronic Funds Transfer.
- 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.
- Complete a Declaration for Federal Employment to determine your suitability for Federal employment, at the time requested by the agency.
- Obtain and use a Government-issued purchase card for business-related travel.
- File a Confidential Financial Disclosure Report within 30 days of appointment and annually from then on.
- 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 a pre-employment medical 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 may be required to provide medical or related documentation to Federal Occupation of Health at the time of the pre-employment physical. 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.
- Complete or have previously completed the Criminal Investigator Training Program (CITP) at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC) in Glynco, GA OR its equivalent.
- 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.
- Possess and maintain a valid driver's license from one of the 50 U.S. states, the District of Columbia, or the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.
- Submit to a drug test prior to your appointment and random drug testing while you occupy the position.
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.
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: USAJOBS Help Center - 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.
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. Because this position is highly-technical, Subject Matter Experts of this position will review your resume to verify your qualifications meet the position requirements. Failure to provide sufficient evidence in your résumé may result in a "not qualified" determination.
Rating: Eligible and qualified applicants will be evaluated through astructured resume review. The structured resume review is a formal assessment and results may be used to rate, rank, and select candidates.
Veterans' preference is applied after applicants are assessed. Preference-eligibles will be listed at the top of their assigned category and considered before non-preference-eligibles in that category. Qualified preference-eligibles with a compensable service-connected disability of 10% or more will be listed at the top of the highest category.
Referral: If you are among the top qualified candidates, your application may be referred to a selecting official for consideration. You may be required to participate in a selection interview and/or a writing assessment. Applicants who are selected for an interview may ask questions about the evaluation process at the time they are contacted for an interview.
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 be "well qualified" to receive special selection priority. To be found well-qualified, and in addition to meeting specialized experience, the applicant must have documented the following experience:
- Having a solid and comprehensive understanding of the position. Can perform the required tasks efficiently and is proficient in applying the knowledge, skills, and abilities of the job.
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).
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.)USA Jobs restricts resume uploads to a maximum of 2 pages. Resumes attached in other sections (such as "Documents" or "Other") will not be considered in the determination of specialized experience. To ensure readability, resumes must be formatted using an easy-to-read font (such as Lato, Calibri, or Arial) with a minimum font size of 10-points and margins no smaller than 0.5 inches. Failure to follow these formatting guidelines may result in disqualification from further consideration. 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.
For resume writing guidance, please visit USAJOBS Help Center - How do I write a resume for a federal job?
VETERANS' PREFERENCE DOCUMENTATION: If you are claiming veterans preference, please see applicant guide for required documentation. In order to be considered for veterans preference, 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.
How to Apply
VAOIG 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.
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)
-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 USAJOBS Help Center - How to see your application and job status
For additional information on how to apply, please visit the Partnership for Public Service's
Go Government website.
To preview the online questionnaire:
https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12900662Next 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.