Investigative Specialist (Global) Job in Washington, DC

Vacancy No. 25-FINCEN-12649772-DH Department Treasury, Financial Crimes Enforcement Network
Salary $69,923.00 to $156,755.00 Grade 9 to 13
Perm/Temp Permanent FT/PT Full-time
Open Date 12/30/2024 Close Date 1/8/2025
Job Link Apply Online Who may apply Public
Locations:
Washington, DC


Summary

The position is located in FinCEN's Global Investigations Division (GID). GID investigators use all-source intelligence and FinCEN's statutory special authorities under the Bank Secrecy Act to collect information on foreign illicit finance threats (which may occur in fiat or cryptocurrencies) and propose actions -- which may affect U.S. foreign policy, international relations and/or international economics -- to prevent those threats from accessing the U.S. financial system.

This job is open to

Clarification from the agency

U.S. citizens or U.S. Nationals; no prior Federal experience is required.

Duties

This position is located in our Global Investigations Division.

The following are the duties of this position at the GS-14. 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.

  • Drafting, reviewing and editing evidentiary records and decisional memos for decision makers that support finding a foreign jurisdiction, institution, class of transactions, or type of account to be of primary money laundering concern. Recommending actions that have potential impact on U.S. foreign policy, international relations, national security, and international finance and economics.
  • Evaluating the need to impose additional reporting requirements on members of the public, including financial institutions and non-financial trades and businesses, by determining the impact of the proposed collection strategically on a vulnerability in the U.S. financial system, or tactically concerning a specific law enforcement investigation or illicit activity, and which can be denominated in fiat currency, or via other methods such as convertible virtual currency (aka cryptocurrency), or more broadly, virtual assets.
  • Providing subject matter expertise on illicit finance to inform administration priorities. The subject matter expertise may include: financial institution operations; financial institution products and services; illicit finance typologies and methods; illicit finance risk; and illicit finance conducted through convertible virtual currencies (aka cryptocurrencies), or more broadly, virtual assets. Illicit finance may include, but not be limited to, that related to money laundering, weapons proliferation, terrorism, corruption, transnational organized crime, narcotrafficking and/or cybercrime.
  • Representing FinCEN in meetings with other Treasury offices focused on illicit finance, in interagency meetings requiring coordination of U.S. Government actions to counter illicit finance threats, and with foreign counterparts and members of the private sector.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

Security Clearance: This position has been designated National Security Level IV, Special Sensitive and requires the incumbent to obtain and maintain eligibility for a Top Secret (TS) clearance with Sensitive Compartmented Information (SCI) access. Applicant must meet and continue to adhere to the requirements of a Tier 5 level background investigation. Failure to successfully meet these requirements will be grounds for termination. Continued employment with FinCEN is contingent upon satisfactory completion of the Tier 5 level background investigation, the results of which fully meet the FinCEN's special employment criteria. All employees are subject to satisfactory completion of periodic reinvestigation and a continuing life style in conformity with applicable national and FinCEN directives. Any unfavorable information developed during an investigation or other official inquiry may result in termination of employment in accordance with established security policies and procedures.

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.


There are three key documents that contain important information about your rights and obligations. Please read and retain these documents:
  1. Noncriminal Justice Applicant's Privacy Rights, for those who undergo an FBI fingerprint-based criminal history record check for personnel vetting, which includes Rap Back,
  2. FD-258 Privacy Act Statement - FBI (this is the same statement used when your fingerprints are submitted as part of your background investigation), and
  3. SEAD-3-Reporting-U.pdf (dni.gov), (applicable to those who hold a sensitive position or have eligibility for access to classified information).
Key Requirements:
  1. Please refer to "Conditions of Employment."
  2. Click "Print Preview" to review the entire announcement before applying.
  3. Must be U.S. Citizen or U.S. National

Qualifications

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

Specialized experience for the GS-13 is defined as one year of experience at or equivalent to the GS-12 level in the federal service, that is directly related to the position and which has equipped the candidate with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position. Specialized experience for this position is defined as:

- Independently managing a portfolio of investigations related to illicit finance (i.e., money laundering, terrorism financing, proliferation financing, evasion of financial sanctions, illicit finance involving cybercrime or cryptocurrencies, etc.); AND
- Providing subject-matter expertise and guidance regarding illicit finance.

Specialized experience for the GS-12 is defined as one year of experience at or equivalent to the GS-11 level in the federal service, that is directly related to the position and which has equipped the candidate with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position. Specialized experience for this position is defined as:

- Assisting with the management of a portfolio of investigations regarding illicit finance (i.e., money laundering, terrorism financing, proliferation financing, evasion of financial sanctions, illicit finance involving cybercrime or cryptocurrencies, etc.); AND
- Collecting and analyzing operational and strategic intelligence to assess illicit finance threats; AND
- Providing subject matter expertise on financial institutions and/or illicit finance threats to direct economic actions that have potential impact on U.S. foreign policy, international finance, and/or international economics.

Specialized experience for the GS-11 is defined as one year of experience at or equivalent the GS-09 level in the federal service, that is directly related to the position and which has equipped the candidate with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position. Specialized experience for this position is defined as:

- Assisting with obtaining and analyzing evidence regarding actions that relate to illicit finance (i.e., money laundering, terrorism financing, proliferation financing, evasion of financial sanctions, illicit finance involving cybercrime or cryptocurrencies, etc.); AND
- Maintaining subject matter expertise on one or more geographic portfolios (e.g., Eastern Europe, Middle East and North Africa, Central and South America, Western Europe, Sub-Saharan Africa, East Asia, and Southeast Asia) on matters related to U.S. foreign policy, international finance, international economics, and/or illicit finance; AND
- Assisting in drafting, reviewing, and editing evidentiary records and/or decisional memoranda for multiple stakeholders and decision makers regarding illicit finance and/or matters related to U.S. foreign policy, international finance, or international economics.

OR

You may substitute education for specialized experience as follows:

- Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree; OR- 3 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree; OR
- LL.M., if related; 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. Only graduate level education in excess of the first 36 semester hours (54 quarter hours) may be combined to be considered for qualifying education.

Specialized experience for the GS-09 is defined as one year of experience at or equivalent to the GS-07 level in the federal service, that is directly related to the position and which has equipped the candidate with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position. Specialized experience for this position is defined as:

- Analyzing or drafting of evidence related to actions affecting U.S. foreign policy, international finance, international economics, and/or illicit finance.

Examples of such experience might include:
- Assisting with obtaining and analyzing evidence regarding actions that relate to illicit finance (i.e. money laundering, terrorist financing, proliferation financing, evasion of financial sanctions, illicit finance involving cybercrime or cryptocurrencies, etc.), OR
- Maintaining subject matter expertise on one or more geographic portfolios (e.g. Eastern Europe, Middle East and North Africa, Central and South America, Western Europe, Sub-Saharan Africa, East Asia, and Southeast Asia) on matters related to U.S. foreign policy, international finance, international economics, and/or illicit finance; OR
- Assisting in drafting, reviewing, and editing evidentiary records and decisional memoranda for multiple stakeholders and decision makers regarding illicit finance.

OR

You may substitute education for specialized experience as follows:

- Master's or equivalent graduate degree; OR
- 2 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree; OR
- LL.B; 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. Only graduate level education in excess of the first 18 semester hours (27 quarter hours) may be combined to be considered for qualifying education.

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.

Education

Education Requirements: The education generally must be from an accredited (or pre-accredited) college or university recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. 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.

Additional information

OTHER 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.
CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT:
  • A one year probationary period may be required.
  • Must successfully complete a background investigation.
  • 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.
  • Submit to a drug test prior to your appointment and random drug testing while you occupy the position.
  • Applicants may be required to provide a writing sample and/or performance ratings at a later stage in the evaluation process.

FinCEN offers flexible work schedules, 11 paid holidays, financial subsidies to employees who use public transportation to commute, in-house training, fitness center reimbursement, alternate work schedules (AWS) and telework opportunities, and eligibility for performance awards. FinCEN also offers attractive health, life, and long-term care insurance programs, and the employees' health insurance contributions are out of pre-tax dollars. Newer employees are covered by a three-tier retirement plan that includes a pre-tax retirement contribution program with matching funds or, as applicable, continuance in the Civil Service Retirement System. Learn more about Federal benefits programs at: https://www.usajobs.gov/help/working-in-government/benefits/

All candidates will be considered regardless of their race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, sexual orientation, protected genetic information, status of a parent, lawful political affiliation, marital status, physical/mental disability (if not a job factor), membership, non-membership in an employee organization, or any other non-merit factor. To file a complaint of discrimination, contact FinCEN, Office of Equal Opportunity and Diversity on (703) 905-5052 or TDD (703) 905-3838.

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.

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.

Rating: This announcement is issued under the "direct-hire" authority. Consistent with 5 U.S.C. 3304(a)(3) and OPM regulations (5 CFR 337 Subpart B) on direct-hire: All candidates who meet all the qualifications and other eligibility requirements may be referred for consideration. Competitive examining rules providing for rating and ranking and veterans' preference do not apply.

Referral: All qualified & eligible candidates will be referred to the hiring manager 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 meet specialized experience and any education requirement 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.

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, but strongly recommended) 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.

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.

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:
In addition, we recommend that you submit copies of the following:

  • Veterans' Preference Documentation (if applicable) : If you are a veteran, please see applicant guide for required documentation. (Veterans' Preference and traditional rating and ranking of applicants do not apply to this vacancy.)
  • Applicants may be required to provide a writing sample and/or performance ratings at a later stage in the evaluation process.

How to Apply

FinCEN 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.

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 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/12649772

Agency contact information

Applicant Call Center
Address
GLOBAL INVESTIGATION DIVISION
Administrative Resource Center
Parkersburg, WV 26101
US
Learn more about this agency

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.


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