Criminal Investigator (Special Agent)

• Investigate allegations of embezzlement and fraud involving USDA-funded programs.
• Establish and maintain liaison with USDA agency personnel.
• Analyze allegations, complaints, and investigations to identify issues involved and the types of evidence needed to properly address each matter.
• Maintain liaison with other federal (non-USDA agencies) and state and local government organizations.
• Advise and/or assist U.S. attorneys and/or state/local prosecutors and/or their staff members in the preparation of investigations for presentation to federal and/or state/local grand juries.
• Appear as a witness before grand juries and trial courts or participate and assist in other legal proceedings, and lead and coordinate collateral administrative functions in a unit such as custodial officer for all investigative equipment.
• Personally handle exceptionally complex, technical investigative problems or controversial, novel, or exploratory questions and issues and advises on potential investigation areas and new investigative approaches.
• Report critical information to other concerned law enforcement jurisdictions and collaborate with other investigative team members as required in meeting the objectives of the USDA OIG investigative program.
• Perform or lead and coordinate the conduct of undercover and/or surveillance work and provide technical subject matter expertise support for training, internal inspection, and/or quality control as required.
• Serve, as required, as a task force member or outside agency liaison, working from an alternate duty location, relaying information and accessing outside agency resources to support USDA OIG investigations.
• Perform full criminal, civil, or administrative investigations and conduct investigative interviews.
• Develop new approaches to performing investigative functions, including responses to identified weaknesses and vulnerabilities in on-going operations and analyze investigative facts to arrive at sound conclusions.
• Plan and conduct fact-finding and prepare comprehensive administrative and technical reports in order to present complex and conflicting findings in a clear, logical, impartial, comprehensive, and concise manner.
• Collaborate with other investigative team members as required in meeting the objectives of the USDA OIG investigative program.

Conditions of employment

• You must be a US citizen or US national. Males born after 12/31/1959 must be Selective Service registered or exempt.
• Subject to satisfactory adjudication of background investigation and/or fingerprint check.
• You must successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, visit https://www.e-verify.gov/.
• This is a Testing Designated Position (TDP). Designated or random drug testing required. Failure to pass an entrance drug test or subsequent drug tests is grounds for removal.
• You are subject to satisfactory adjudication of background investigation and/or fingerprint check.
• You must be able to obtain and maintain a valid state-issued motor vehicle operator's license. You must be able to operate a government-owned or leased vehicle.
• Frequent travel may be expected. Selected applicants must be able to acquire and maintain a government-issued travel charge card.
• You must pass initial and periodic medical examinations. Failure to meet medical requirements may result in reassignment from the position of criminal investigator or other appropriate action.
• Acknowledgement of career mobility is a condition of employment. You must be available for permanent reassignment to other regional or resident offices as required by the OIG.
• Successful completion of the Basic Criminal Investigative Training Program at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center or an equivalent criminal investigation training program will be considered favorably.
• Selectees must undergo and successfully obtain and maintain a background investigation for a Top Secret (TS) clearance. You must meet initial and periodic suitability determinations based on favorable background investigations and updates.
• Males born after 12/31/1959 must be Selective Service registered or exempt.
• Relocation expenses are NOT authorized.
• Direct Deposit - Per Public Law 104-134 all Federal employees are required to have federal payments made by direct deposit to their financial institution.
• You will be required to serve a 1-year probationary period or 2-year trial period based on your appointment type, unless previous federal service is creditable.
• Your performance will be evaluated during your probationary or trial period to determine if your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the federal service.
• Upon completion of your probationary or trial period your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.
• If selected, you must submit Form OGE-450 within 30 days of initial appointment and then annually. Requirements are in 5 CFR, Part 2635, Sub part E regarding business or personal transactions with individuals seeking business with this agency.

Qualifications

Applicants must meet all qualifications, eligibility requirements, and specialized experience minimums (and time-in-grade restrictions for merit promotion applicants) by the closing date of the announcement.

This position is a primary law enforcement position under 5 U.S.C. 8336 (C) (CSRS and 5 U.S. C 8412 (d) (FERS). Persons making their first entry into a law enforcement position under these authorities must be no younger than 21 years of age and no older than 36 years of age. Persons in already covered secondary positions or persons with previous approved service who apply for a primary position cannot be considered if their age at reentry into the primary position exceeds 36 years after subtracting their years of service in covered positions.

You will be required to qualify to carry and use firearms and other weapons as part of assigned duties and maintain such qualification. Applicants are ineligible for this position if, at any time, they have been convicted of a misdemeanor or felony crime of domestic violence, unless such conviction was expunged, set aside, or the applicant received a pardon. Refer to the Lautenberg Amendment, titled "Gun Ban for Individuals Convicted of a Misdemeanor Crime of Domestic Violence", Pub.L.104-208,[1] 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(9).

Applicants must meet all qualifications and eligibility requirements by the closing date of the announcement including time-in-grade restrictions and specialized experience as defined below.

THIS POSITION HAS A BASIC MEDICAL REQUIREMENT:

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, with or without correction, 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 himself/herself or others is disqualifying.

IN ADDITION TO MEETING THE BASIC MEDICAL REQUIREMENT ABOVE, APPLICANTS MUST MEET THE MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS BELOW.

Time in grade: Applicants must have one year of specialized experience at the next lower grade to be considered for the next higher grade (one year at the GS-12 level is required to meet the time-in-grade requirements for the GS-13 level). Under competitive merit promotion procedures, any individual who is currently holding, or who has held within the previous 52 weeks, a General Schedule position under non-temporary appointment in the competitive or excepted service, must meet "time-in-grade" requirements (have served 52 weeks at the next lower grade of the grade for which you are applying). Restrictions are contained in 5CFR 300, Subpart F. You must include an SF-50(s) (you may need to submit more than one) that supports meeting this requirement with your application package.

MINIMUM SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE QUALIFICATIONS REQUIREMENT FOR GS-13:
Applicants must possess one (1) year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-12 in the federal service or the private sector that has equipped the applicant with the knowledge, skills, and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position with minimal supervisor or independently. Specialized experience is defined as: conducting criminal and administrative investigations, from planning and conducting fact-finding, to reporting the results of investigations; performing undercover and surveillance work; conducting investigative interviews; and analyzing investigative facts to arrive at sound conclusions. This experience includes the preparation of comprehensive administrative and technical reports in order to present findings in a clear, logical, impartial, comprehensive, and concise manner. In addition, applicants should have experience conducting liaison activities with other investigative agencies on behalf of their organization, including federal, state, and local agencies, and developing new approaches to performing investigative functions, including responses to identified weaknesses and vulnerabilities in on-going operations.

Evidence of one year or more of specialized experience must be clearly documented in your resume.

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 and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience, documented in your resume.

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.

Online assessment: Applicants must complete the online USA Hire Competency Based Assessments measuring critical general competencies required to perform the job.

Structured Interview: The hiring manager will select competitive candidates for further consideration in a structured interview with a panel including the hiring manager and other experienced special agents. Candidates are asked the same predetermined questions in the same order, and responses are evaluated using the same scale and standards.

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

The following documents are required for your applicant package to be complete. Encrypted documents will not be accepted. Failure to submit required, legible documents may result in loss of consideration.

Resume that includes: Personal Information: name, address, contact information; Education; Work Experience related to this position as described in the major duties including work schedule, hours worked per week, dates of employment; title, series, grade (if applicable); other qualifications. Resume cannot exceed 2 pages.

Surplus or displaced employees eligible for CTAP, RPL, or ICTAP priority must provide: proof of eligibility (RIF separation notice, notice of proposed removal for declining a transfer of function or directed reassignment to another commuting area, notice of disability annuity termination), SF-50 documenting separation (as applicable), current performance appraisal with rating of at least "Fully Successful" or equivalent, and your most recent SF-50 noting position, grade level, and duty location with your application per 5 CFR 330.

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