Investigative Analyst (Communications) - IOD Job in Arlington, VA

Vacancy No. EX 25-71B-12790637-DR Department Office of the Inspector General, USPS
Salary $120,579.00 to $156,755.00 Grade 13 to 13
Perm/Temp Permanent FT/PT Full-time
Open Date 8/27/2025 Close Date 9/4/2025
Job Link Apply Online Who may apply Public
Locations:
Arlington, VA


Summary

The USPS OIG is seeking a highly qualified applicant to fill our Investigative Analyst (Communications) position in the Office of Investigations, Investigative Operations Division (IOD), located in Arlington, VA. The successful candidate must be highly motivated, exhibit a high degree of leadership, and demonstrate experience supporting and assisting in complex criminal investigations. Bring your skills and voice to our team!

This job is open to

Clarification from the agency

All U.S. Citizens, Public, Current Federal employees - Competitive Status, Excepted Service and Veterans. Note, current career United States Postal Service Office of Inspector General, United States Postal Service and United States Postal Inspection Service, and Postal Regulatory Commission Employees will not be considered or selected from this vacancy announcement.

Duties

The Communications Analyst (CA) supports the U.S. Postal Service Office of the Inspector General with its various investigations by gathering pertinent data from multiple sources to highlight OI's investigative efforts of identifying areas of fraud, waste and abuse within the postal service. The CA authors communication work products and is responsible for the creation of communication products in support of investigations that may be presented to USPS OIG management, outside agencies, and external stakeholders.

Candidates will be evaluated on the skills that they possess that are directly related to the duties of the position and the experience, education and training that indicate the applicant's ability to acquire the particular knowledge and skills needed to perform the duties of the position. Only those candidates who meet all qualification and eligibility requirements and who submit the required information by 11:59 PM EST on Thursday, September 4, 2025, will be considered.

The USPS OIG uses a Pay Banding system, which is equivalent to the Federal GS scale. Grade and salary determinations will be made based upon a candidate's education and professional experience.

This position is being advertised at the Journey Band level, equivalent to a GS-13 grade level. The salary range for this position is $120,579 - $156,755, salary figure includes locality pay.

Please note that the duties and responsibilities associated with this position may vary based upon the agency's needs at the time of hire. The following description of major duties and responsibilities is only intended to give applicants a general overview of the expectations.

The successful candidate must be highly motivated, exhibit a high degree of leadership, and demonstrate experience supporting and assisting in complex criminal investigations.

  • Participates in and executes the planning, development, coordination, writing, editing, design and dissemination of both organizational and mass communications products to external and internal audiences via print, broadcast video, podcast and digital media.
  • Develops, and posts approved content for internal and external communications channels including the OIG blog, official social media sites, public website, intranet sites, and email updates
  • Responsible for writing, reporting, and editing content for general information and events.
  • Responsible utilizing software tools to create and publish a dynamic monthly newsletter.
  • Coordinating, editing, writing, and producing content, internal newsletters, and messaging to OI staff.
  • Creating PowerPoint presentations.
  • Assist OI Training Coordinator with event logistics and communication efforts.
  • Other duties as assigned.
Relocation expenses will not be paid.

Travel Required
  • Occasional travel - Selectee may be expected to travel for this position.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

  • Must be a U.S. citizen
  • Must be able to obtain and maintain a Moderate Background Investigations security clearance
  • Must be able to obtain and maintain a government-issued credit card
  • Must be able to pass a drug screening
  • May be required to successfully complete a 12-month probationary period

Qualifications

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

You must meet ALL of the minimum qualifications listed below.
  • Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university.
  • At least three (3) years of experience in the communications field. (Your resume must reflect where, when, and how you gained this experience.)
  • Must have received a met expectations rating on your previous two performance appraisals (Fiscal Years 2023 and 2024). If a performance appraisal is not available, you must submit a written statement stating the reason it is not available. (You must submit a copy of your latest two performance appraisals).
DESIRABLE QUALIFICATIONS
  • Investigative communication experience
  • Experience with SharePoint and Shorthand
  • Strong organizational skills and the ability to work both individually and collaboratively in a fast-paced, high-profile environment.
EVALUATION FACTORS

You must have the experience, knowledge and skills as listed in EACH of the evaluation factors. Failure to demonstrate that you meet all of the evaluation factor requirements as listed below will result in a score of zero (0); an ineligible status, and you will not be referred for further consideration. Include your major accomplishments relevant to the position requirements in your resume.

Your resume MUST reflect that you have experience, knowledge and/or skills in each of the following Evaluation Factors listed below.
  1. Demonstrated written and oral communication skills, including detail-oriented editing and proofreading.
  2. Experience using Microsoft Office programs, including Word, Excel, SharePoint, and PowerPoint.
  3. Demonstrates professionalism, strong organization skills, and the ability to problem solve.
You will no longer be considered for this position if you: fail to respond to all of the questions in the self-assessment questionnaire; fail to address a factor in the narrative section (no response or "See resume" or similar language will be scored a zero (0)); or receive a zero (0) rating on any evaluation factor.

Failure to demonstrate that you meet all evaluation factor requirements will result in a score of zero (0). Upon receipt of a zero score, you will be deemed "not minimally qualified," and you will not be referred for further consideration.

Education

Education must be accredited by an institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.
Applicants can verify accreditation here: www.ed.gov

Special Instructions for Candidates with Foreign Education:
Education completed outside the United States must be deemed equivalent to that gained in U.S. education programs. You must submit all necessary documents to a private U.S. credential evaluation service to interpret equivalency of your education against courses given in U.S. accredited colleges and universities.
For further information visit: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications.

Additional information

Pay is only part of the compensation you will earn working for the USPS OIG. We offer a broad array of benefits programs:

As a result of the passage of the Postal Service Reform Act of 2022 (PSRA), USPS employees (including USPS OIG) and retirees will transition from the Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) Program to the Postal Service Health Benefits (PSHB) Program effective January 1, 2025.

Detailed information about eligibility and enrollment will be provided upon hiring. For more information, visit the Postal Service Health Benefits (PSHB) Program website at https://www.opm.gov/healthcare-insurance/pshb/.

We offer Health, Dental, Vision, Life and Long-Term Care Insurances with Flexible Spending options as well.For more information about these programs visit: https://www.opm.gov/healthcare-insurance/Guide-Me/Federal-Employees/

Visit the 'Guide to PSHB Plans' for a comprehensive PSHB plan comparison tool and an educational tool that explains how Medicare B works: https://www.checkbook.org/pshb/

Retirement and Thrift Savings. For more information about these programs see https://www.opm.gov/retirement-center/ and tsp.gov/.

Flexible Work Schedules. USPS OIG offers a range of family-friendly flexibilities including flexible work schedules, telework and employee assistance programs.

Leave and Holidays. In addition to eleven (11) paid holidays each year, you will earn thirteen (13) days of paid sick leave and thirteen (13) to twenty-six (26) paid vacation days each year depending on your years of service.

Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) Status: Exempt (Nonexempt employees are entitled to overtime pay; Exempt employees are not).

This agency provides Reasonable Accommodations to applicants with disabilities. If you require accommodations for any part of the application and/or hiring process, please send an email to jobs@uspsoig.gov. The decision on granting an accommodation request will be made on a case-by-case basis.

For further information, please refer to our website at: https://www.uspsoig.gov/frequently-asked-questions

If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:
Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from an accredited college or university https://ope.ed.gov/dapip/#/home.
Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.

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. 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.

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.


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.

The Human Resources Office will review your resume and supporting documentation to ensure that you meet the minimum qualifications required for this position. You will no longer be considered for this position if you: receive a zero (0) rating on any evaluation factor; fail to attach all required documentation; if your application materials indicate that you are not minimally-qualified for this position; or if you fail to qualify on the interview. Only the top-rated candidates will be referred to a review official or the selecting official for further consideration. Top-rated applicants may be required to participate in an interview. Your rating may be further adjusted or rated as ineligible by the review official or the selecting official based on your interview performance. Once all applicant scores are finalized, the selecting official will make a final decision. NOTE: If you receive a zero (0) rating on any evaluation factor or on the interview, you will be considered NOT MINIMALLY QUALIFIED for the position and rated ineligible. Applicants for this position may be interviewed one or more times as part of the hiring process. During interviews, applicants may not use any AI tool or virtual assistant (such as ChatGPT) to help them answer questions, except for accessibility tools used as part of a reasonable accommodation. Applicants who fail to follow these rules will be disqualified from the hiring process.

Required Documents

You must submit all required documents by 11:59 PM EST on the closing date of this announcement, Vacancy Announcement EX 25-71B-12790637-DR, by closing date Thursday, September 4, 2025.

1. RESUME - Required, when completing your online application or uploading your resume, you must categorize it as a "Resume" document). IMPORTANT: You will be asked questions in the self-assessment questionnaire. It is essential that your resume and supporting documentation provide sufficient information to substantiate your responses to the self-assessment questionnaire.

2. COMPLETE OCCUPATIONAL QUESTIONNAIRE. Click the "Apply Online" button and follow the prompts to complete the Occupational Questionnaire. (Required: You must click on "Submit My Answers" button at the end of the Questionnaire to complete this process)

3. PERFORMANCE APPRAISALS (FY 2023 and 2024) - Required, dated within the last 15 months. This is required from all applicants including federal, private sector, USPS OIG, USPS, USPIS or PRC employees. If a PERFORMANCE APPRAISAL is not available, you must submit a separate statement with the reason a performance appraisal is not available. (Upload as "Performance Appraisal"). NOTE: An SF50 IS NOT acceptable as a performance appraisal.

4. SF-50 - Required, if you are or have been a federal employee to demonstrate tenure and competitive service for eligibility purposes. (If applicable to you, you are Required to upload each applicable SF-50 and categorize as a "SF-50" document.)

5. UPLOAD SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS which may include:

  • Certificates or Licenses, if applicable. Upload and save as "Other" document.
  • Veterans Preference Documentation. If you are claiming veterans' preference. You must submit the Member 4 copy of your DD-214 Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty, and/or other proof of veterans' preference eligibility, including your VA letter, SF-15 (https://www.opm.gov/forms/standard-forms/), and all required documents related to your SF15 claim. Veterans can request the Member 4 copy of their DD-214 at archives.gov/veterans/military-service- records and can download a copy of their VA letter from ebenefits.va.gov/ebenefits/homepage.. If applicable, you are required to submit each veterans' preference document in the application packages. Please name these files as "DD-214" or "SF-15" or "Other Veterans Document."
  • TRANSCRIPTS from an accredited college or university. The information presented in the transcript must be verifiable and should contain the name of the institution, applicant's name, list of completed courses, semester hours, GPA, date and type of Bachelor's Degree issued. Education completed outside the United States must be deemed equivalent to that gained in conventional/accredited U.S. education programs to be acceptable for Federal employment. Attach document verifying that it has been deemed equivalent. For further information visit: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications.

If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:

Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.

How to Apply

To apply for this position, you must complete the online application and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section below. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on the closing date, Thursday, September 4, 2025, to receive consideration.

  • To begin, click Apply Online to access an online application. Follow the prompts to select your USAJOBS resume and/or other supporting documents.
  • You will need to be logged into your USAJOBS account or you may need to create a new account. You will be taken to an online application. Complete the online application, verify the required documentation, and submit the application.
  • You will receive an email notification when your application has been received for the announcement.
  • To verify the status of your application, log into your USAJOBS account, https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login, select the Application Status link and then select the More Information link for this position. The Application Status page will display the status of your application, the documentation received and processed, and your responses submitted to the online application. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process.
  • You are strongly urged to read and print the entire vacancy announcement.

Agency contact information

Vacancy Inquiries
Address
OI -DAIGI 3 - Investigative Operations Division
1735 N. Lynn Street
Arlington, VA 22209
US

Next steps

Once the Occupational Questionnaire has been received you will receive an acknowledgement e-mail that your submission was successful. After a review of your application package has been completed, you will be notified of your rating and/or referral to the Selecting Official.


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


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