Senior Investigator

Clarification from the agency

This job is open to current title 5, status employees of the Federal Trade Commission

General Duties for Senior Investigators include:

• Coordinating cross agency efforts. Such coordination would include working with others throughout the agency in different Bureaus/offices or in different roles (e.g., investigators, attorneys, technologists, forensic analysts) to coordinate research and investigative work, initiatives, and resources.
• Creating fraud work templates and updating them. Such templates would tackle common issues and create models on topics such as how to locate individuals and assets and how to put together evidence in an investigator declaration in a manner that presents a coherent story for submission to court. Templates and models would also need to be regularly updated.
• Testing and onboarding investigative tools, getting more staff access to such tools, and providing training.

• Guiding case selection. Proactively identifying, researching, and investigating possible targets for investigation, including practices involving large and sophisticated frauds that cause massive consumer harm. In resulting investigations, possible targets may be highly complex in structure and financing, with a large number of primary and subsidiary entities, activities, and components that span local, national, and international markets.
• Effectively and independently plans, arranges, and executes highly sophisticated investigative actions and projects for consumer protection investigations of the most complexity and greatest scope.
• Serving as a subject matter expert on investigative techniques, including money tracing, financial analysis, evidence capture, and analysis in complex investigations involving financial technologies and entities such as payment processors and internet service providers; anticipating and addressing evidence collection issues, including those related to sophisticated frauds and those utilizing new technologies; electronically capturing evidence from a variety of Internet sources using advanced technological techniques and preserving the evidence in admissible form; maintaining chain of custody for physical evidence; and testifying in court proceedings as necessary.

Conditions of employment

• U.S. citizenship requirement must be met by the closing date of this vacancy.
• This position is subject to a background investigation.
• Males born after December 31, 1959 must register with Selective Service.
• You may serve a one-year probationary period under this appointment.
• You must meet time in grade requirement by the closing date of the vacancy.
• You must submit a copy of your performance appraisal with your application.
• You must be a current title 5, status employee of the Federal Trade Commission.

Qualifications

To qualify for a Senior Investigator at the GS-14 level, you must meet the following requirements:

You must demonstrate in your resume at least one (1) year of qualifying experience equivalent to at least the GS-13 level in the Federal service obtained in either the private or public sector, performing the following types of tasks: conducting and directing the full range of functions for highly complex consumer protection investigations, including, but not limited to, generating case leads and developing new investigations; planning and implementing investigative steps based on the nature of the investigation and following leads developed from the information obtained; executing of the investigation, including interviewing witnesses, obtaining and analyzing financial, company records and documents, and consumer complaint data, as well as managing other personnel assigned to assist the investigation, such as paralegals, data analysts, and accountants; drafting investigative affidavits or declarations; testifying at depositions, trials, hearings, or before grand juries; and identifying areas in need of further inquiry; and revising investigative plans based on acquired evidence and feedback; formulating accurate findings and detailing them in a declaration as needed; managing extensive projects with agency-wide impact that involve consumer protection initiatives and organizational strategic and program goals.


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, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

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, your resume and supporting documentation will be used to determine if you meet the qualifications listed on this announcement. If you are found qualified, your resume and supporting documentation will be compared to your responses on the assessment questionnaire to determine your level of experience. If you rate yourself higher than is supported by your application package, your responses may be adjusted and/or you may be excluded from consideration for this position. If you are found to be among the top qualified candidates, you will be referred to the selecting official for employment consideration.

Your qualifications will be evaluated on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities and other characteristics):

Ability to apply laws and regulations to investigational work.
Knowledge of basic legal principles and concepts.
Knowledge of credit markets and consumer financing.
Knowledge of payment transactions and funds transfers.
Skill in oral and written communication.
Skill with analytical and investigative tools used for capturing and preserving electronically stored information, including evidence-capturing software and open-source tools.
Ability to monitor and manage electronic administration of investigative and legal records.
Ability to perform project management and independently keep track of several projects at one time.

To apply for this position, you must submit a complete Application Package which includes:

1. Your resume showing work schedule, hours worked per week, dates of employment and duties performed.
2. Other supporting documents:
- Most recent SF-50, "Notification of Personnel Action" showing you are/were in the competitive service and the highest grade or promotion potential held (if applying as a status candidate with current or former Federal Service) - REQUIRED
- Most recent Performance Appraisal, if applicable - REQUIRED
- Cover Letter, optional
- College transcript(s), if qualifying based on education
- Career Transition Assistance Program/ Documentation, if applicable (e.g. Certification of Expected Separation, Reduction-In-Force Separation Notice, or Notice of Proposed Removal; SF-50 that documents the RIF separation action; and most recent performance appraisal.)

FEDERAL APPLICANTS: You must submit SF-50(s) that verify your highest competitive grade, full performance level, and eligibility as a federal applicant. DO NOT submit an award SF-50 as these often do not verify grade or eligibility. For consideration for a promotion, Box 4 of the SF-50 must show a date that is at least 52 weeks prior to the job announcement closing. We recommend submitting your last promotion SF-50 or within-grade increase SF-50. Pay adjustment raise SF-50s for the current year will not support the 52 weeks' time-in-grade requirements. https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/working-in-government/service/SF-50/

- Schedule A- In order to receive consideration under the Schedule A authority, you must provide a certification of job readiness printed on a medical professional's letterhead and signed. For more information, please visit USAJOBS Individuals with Disabilities (https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/working-in-government/unique-hiring-paths/individuals-with-disabilities/)

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