Detective Job in Fort Meade, MD

Vacancy No. MCFT-26-12891340-DHA Department United States Army Installation Management Command
Salary $76,381.00 to $99,291.00 Grade 8 to 8
Perm/Temp Permanent FT/PT Full-time
Open Date 2/26/2026 Close Date 3/13/2026
Job Link Apply Online Who may apply Public
Locations:
Fort Meade, MD


Summary

This is a Direct Hire Authority (DHA) solicitation utilizing the DHA for Certain Competitive Positions to recruit and appoint qualified candidates to positions in the competitive service.

About the Position: Conducts investigations to apprehend/detain persons committing crimes on Fort George Meade.

This job is open to

The public

U.S. Citizens, Nationals or those who owe allegiance to the U.S.

Duties

  • Independently, or as a team member, conducts investigations to apprehend and/or detain persons committing crimes against persons and property.
  • Coordinates with civil and military agencies involving jurisdictional authority, exchange of information, and similar problems and considerations.
  • Develops and follows leads, takes statements, and gathers information and facts.
  • Analyzes data to identify suspects and develop case information for use in pressing charges and bringing suspects to trial.
  • Appears as a witness or testifies at trials, hearings, courts martial and other federal judiciary proceedings regarding results of investigations.
  • Performs surveillance of suspects, crime scenes, and suspected or potential criminal activities.
  • Collects and submits to crime laboratory evidence such as fingerprints, blood, stains, suspected narcotics, weapons, castings of foot and tire impressions, documents, etc., using special investigative techniques and equipment.
  • Serves as Point of Contact (POC) for civil law enforcement agencies required to serve due process to military and civilian personnel on the installation.
  • Assists in serving outstanding arrest warrants or civil court documents by accompanying law enforcement personnel to facilitate serving legal documents.
  • Coordinates the transfer of prisoners from civilian to military control.
  • Responsible for the proper documentary control of the safe and secure storage of all evidence obtained during investigations, raids, etc.

Requirements

Conditions of employment

  • Appointment may be subject to a suitability or fitness determination, as determined by a completed background investigation.
  • This position is subject to an initial drug screening, and random testing thereafter. A negative drug test result must be received by human resources within 30 calendar days after the Entrance on Duty (i.e., start date).
  • Selectee’s inability to successfully pass or refusal to conduct the drug test may result in the job offer being withdrawn during the recruitment process or subsequently being removed from Federal service for failure to meet a condition of employment.
  • You may be required to sign a Statement of Understanding if you are selected for this position.
  • Must have successfully graduated from the United States Army Military Police School (USAMPS) Military Police Investigator Course or complete within one year of appointment.
  • Must have successfully graduated from the United States Army Civilian Police Academy (USACPA) or complete within one year of hire date, unless incumbent has a current approved waiver from the Office of the Provost Marshal General (OPMG).
  • The incumbent is subject to possible civil and criminal action due to improper exercise of authority or injudicious use of force in the apprehension or detention of individuals.
  • Must successfully pass training, certification and qualifications as prescribed by policy, regulations or statutes. Includes, but not limited to weapons qualifications, first aid CPR and National Incident Management System training requirements.
  • Position requires incumbent to comply with requirements and maintain certification under the Individual Reliability Program (IRP).
  • This position requires incumbent to pass a Physical Agility Test (PAT) within 30 days of hire date and annually thereafter.
  • This position requires certification in cardiopulmonary resuscitation with Automatic External Defibrillator (AED) training.
  • Due to the nature of this position, employees are required to work both planned and unscheduled overtime.
  • This position requires shift work to provide coverage on evenings, weekends, holidays, or special situations. Employee shifts are rotated on a regularly scheduled basis.
  • 1996 Lautenberg Amendment to the Gun Control Act of 1968 covers this position. Persons convicted of a misdemeanor/felony crime of domestic violence are not eligible for position and subject to removal from position if convicted of a felony.
  • The duties of this position require the incumbent to possess or obtain and maintain a valid state Driver's License in one of the 50 U.S. states or possessions to operate vehicles.
  • Position is designated Mission Essential. In the event of a crisis situation or inclement weather, the incumbent must continue to perform the duties until relieved by proper authority.
  • This position requires the completion of a pre-employment Physical Examination and an annual examination thereafter to ensure the continued, required level of physical health and ability or fitness to perform the duties of the position.
  • This position requires the incumbent be able to obtain and maintain a determination of eligibility for a Secret security clearance or access for the duration of employment. A background investigation and credit check are required.

Qualifications


Who May Apply: US Citizens

In order to qualify, you must meet the experience requirements described below. 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). You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. Your resume must clearly describe your relevant experience; if qualifying based on education, your transcripts will be required as part of your application. Additional information about transcripts is in this document.

Specialized experience: One year of specialized experience which includes conducting criminal investigations using various investigative techniques and equipment; collecting and safeguarding evidence according to laws and regulations; AND preparing and processing forms to document incidents, obtain warrants, issue citations, interview witnesses, interrogate suspects, obtain evidence. This definition of specialized experience is typical of work performed at the next lower grade/level position in the federal service (GS-07).

Education

Some federal jobs allow you to substitute your education for the required experience in order to qualify. For this job, you must meet the qualification requirement using experience alone--no substitution of education for experience is permitted.

Additional information

  • Male applicants born after December 31, 1959, must complete a Pre-Employment Certification Statement for Selective Service Registration.
  • You will be required to provide proof of U.S. Citizenship.
  • One year trial/probationary period may be required.
  • Direct Deposit of Pay is required.
  • Selection is subject to restrictions resulting from Department of Defense referral system for displaced employees.
  • If you have retired from federal service and you are interested in employment as a reemployed annuitant, see the information in the Reemployed Annuitant information sheet.
  • This is a Security and Intelligence Career Field position.
  • Salary includes applicable locality pay or Local Market Supplement.
  • When you perform a Civilian Permanent Change of Station (PCS) with the government, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) considers the majority of your entitlements to be taxable. Visit https://www.dfas.mil/civilianemployees/civrelo/Civilian-Moving-Expenses-Tax-Deduction/ for more information.
  • Permanent Change of Station (PCS) allowances may be authorized, subject to the provisions of the Joint Travel Regulations and an agency determination that a PCS move is in the Government Interest.
  • The following special programs/incentives MAY be offered if it is appropriate to the position being filled and in the best interest of the government:
    • Recruitment Incentives
    • Relocation Incentives
    • Student Loan Repayment
    • Salary negotiations for those candidates who are new to Federal service may be authorized.
    • Credit for prior non-federal work experience and certain military service for determining annual leave accrual rate may be authorized.

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.

Once the announcement has closed, a review of your application package (resume, supporting documents, and responses to the questionnaire) will be used to determine whether you meet the qualification requirements listed on this announcement. Please follow all instructions carefully when applying, errors or omissions may affect your eligibility.

If, after reviewing your resume and/or supporting documentation, a determination is made that you have inflated your qualifications and/or experience, you may lose consideration for this position.


Veterans and Military Spouses will be considered along with all other candidates.

Required Documents

The documents you are required to submit vary based on whether or not you are eligible for preference in federal employment. A complete description of preference categories and the associated required documents is in the Applicant Checklist for Public Announcements.

As described above, your complete application includes your resume, your responses to the online questionnaire, and documents which prove your eligibility to apply. If you fail to provide these documents, you will be marked as having an incomplete application package and you will not be considered any further.

1. Your resume:

  • Your resume must be two pages or less and must support the specialized experience described in this announcement. Resumes exceeding two pages will be removed from consideration.
  • For each relevant work experience, make sure you include the employer's name, job title, start and end dates (include month and year), for qualifications purposes, the number of hours worked per week, and a brief description that show you can perform the tasks at the required level listed in the job announcement. If your resume does not contain this information, your application may be marked as incomplete, and you may not receive consideration for this position.
  • Use plain language. Avoid using acronyms and terms that are not easily understood. The hiring agency will not make assumptions about what's in your resume.
  • If your resume includes a photograph or other inappropriate material or content, it will not be used to make eligibility and qualification determinations, and you may not be considered for this vacancy.
  • For additional information, to include formatting tips, see: What to include in your resume.
2. Other supporting documents:
  • Cover Letter, optional
  • Most recent Performance Appraisal, if applicable
NOTE: Documents submitted as part of the application package, to include supplemental documents, may be shared beyond the Human Resources Office. Some supplemental documents such as military orders and marriage certificates may contain personal information for someone other than you. You may sanitize these documents to remove another person's personal information before you submit your application. You may be asked to provide an un-sanitized version of the documents if you are selected to confirm your eligibility.

How to Apply

To apply for this position, you must complete the online questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section above.

The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on 03/13/2026 to receive consideration

  • Follow the prompts to select your resume and/or other supporting documents to be included with your application package. As a reminder, your resume must be two pages or less and must support the specialized experience described in this announcement. Resumes exceeding two pages will be removed from consideration. For additional information, refer to the 'Required Documents' section.
  • 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. Your resume selected in USAJOBS will be included, but you must re-select other documents from your USAJOBS account or your application may be incomplete.
  • It is your responsibility to verify that your application package (resume, supporting documents, and responses to the questionnaire) is complete, accurate, and submitted by the closing date. Uploaded documents may take up to one hour to clear the virus scan.
  • Additional information on how to complete the online application process and submit your online application may be found on the USA Staffing Applicant Resource Center.
To verify the status of your application, log into your USAJOBS account (https://www.usajobs.gov/applicant/profile/dashboard/), all of your applications will appear on the Welcome screen. The Application Status will appear along with the date your application was last updated. For information on what each Application Status means, visit: https://help.usajobs.gov/how-to/application/status.

Agency contact information

Army Applicant Help Desk
Website
https://portal.chra.army.mil/hr_public?id=app_inq
Address
FT-W0USAA US ARMY IMCOM-USAG FT MEADE
DO NOT MAIL
Fort Meade, MD 20755
US

Next steps

If you provided an email address, you will receive an email message acknowledging receipt of your application. Your application package will be used to determine your eligibility, qualifications, and quality ranking (as applicable) for this position. If you are determined to be ineligible or not qualified, your application will receive no further consideration.