T5 INVESTIGATIONS AND INQUIRIES SPECIALIST Job in Columbia, SC

Vacancy No. SC-12861678-26-046-AR Department Army National Guard Units
Salary $74,678.00 to $97,087.00 Grade 11 to 11
Perm/Temp Permanent FT/PT Full-time
Open Date 1/7/2026 Close Date 1/22/2026
Job Link Apply Online Who may apply Status Candidates
Locations:
Columbia, SC


Summary

THIS IS A NATIONAL GUARD TITLE 5 EXCEPTED SERVICE POSITION.

This National Guard position is for aT5 INVESTIGATIONS AND INQUIRIES SPECIALIST , Position Description Number PDT5231P01 and is part of theSC CHIEF OF STAFF, South Carolina National Guard.

This job is open to

Internal to an agency

Current federal employees of the hiring agency that posted the job announcement.

Clarification from the agency

This position is open to Area 1 Only. Please refer to the Area of Consideration (AOC) instructions in the Qualifications section of the job announcement. THIS IS A NATIONAL GUARD TITLE 5 EXCEPTED SERVICE POSITION. This position is in the Excepted Service "under the authority of Title V, P.L. 114-328, Sections 932 and 1084 (FY17 NDAA)".

Duties

***This is a Title 5 National Guard Employee position description.***

This position is located in the State/Joint Force Headquarters, Adjutant General's Personal Staff, Office of the Inspector General. This position will function as a journeyman level Inspector General (IG) with a focus on investigator duties and responsibilities. The purpose of this position is to provide a variety of specialized technical and investigative work associated with Complaints, Review, and Oversight functions within a state level IG office. Further, this position will serve as a specialist on both Army and Air issues at the State level and provide support to the State IG in investigating and resolving both Army and Air IG issues.

Work in this series includes planning, directing, investigating, administering, conducting, and managing all Inspector General Programs. This career field provides policy guidance, procedures, planning, oversight, and directions for implementing the Army, Air Force, and National Guard Inspection System, Complaints Resolution Program, and Fraud, Waste, and Abuse Program. Work involves managing the Commanders' Inspection Programs at the JFHQ-State, Army National Guard units, and Air National Guard units.

Requirements

Conditions of employment

  • Federal employment suitability as determined by a background investigation.
  • May be required to successfully complete a probationary period.

Qualifications

AREA OF CONSIDERATION (AOC): This is a Title 5 "Excepted Service " position under the authority of Title V, P.L. 114-328, Sections 932 and 1084 (FY17 NDAA)", and is open to US citizens interested in helping the Department of the Army meet our mission requirements.

This position is open to Area 1 Only. Please note that applicants outside of these categories may not be considered.

Area 1: Current employees (Tenure 1 and 2 / internal to the Agency)
Area 2: All other applicants (external to the Agency)

Applicants who meet one of the DoD Priority Placement Program categories below are eligible to apply with this preference. (See Required Documents section)

  • Priority Placement Program, DoD Military Reserve (MR) and National Guard (NG) Technician Eligible
  • Priority Placement Program, DoD MR and NG Preference Eligible Tech Receiving Disability Retirement
  • Priority Placement Program, DoD Military Spouse Preference (MSP) Eligible"
  • Priority Placement Program, DoD Retained Grade


*Temporary and Indefinite employees do not meet permanent tenure requirements and are not eligible for Area 1.

GENERAL EXPERIENCE: Experience, education, or training which has provided the applicant with skill in collecting and analyzing data effectively, efficiently, and accurately; knowledge of applicable laws, directives, regulations, policies, and procedures; skill in interpersonal communications, empathy, and effective listening; ability to organize thoughts, research materials, and manage case projects; skill in comprehending and interpreting directives and laws; ability to enunciate without impediment of speech that would interfere or prohibit effective communications; ability to write reports and presentation formats; and ability to communicate -orally and in writing- clearly and effectively.

SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: 1-year specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade. Use the National Guard position description to determine specialized experience, education, or training required for the work in the position in this series.

CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT & NOTES:

1. Employee must be a citizen of the United States by birth or naturalization.

2. Employee must have moral attributes and personal traits that demonstrate adherence to Army and Air Force Values, and the Army Civilian Corps Creed.

3. Employee must have no record of criminal punishment except for minor offenses or derogatory information contained in IG records as screened by the USAIGA and SAF-IG.

4. Employee will be required to attend and successfully complete the Headquarters, Department of the Army Inspector General Course and the Secretary of the Air Force Inspector General Inspector General Training Course for Investigations and successfully complete the Department of the Army Inspector General Refresher training as required by The Inspector General of the Army, and the Air Force Worldwide Training Conferences as required for refresher training.

5. Employee will be required to obtain and maintain a SECRET clearance. A minimum of an interim secret security clearance is required before an individual can perform any IG functions or have access to IG records. Inspector general positions are designated as noncritical sensitive. Positions requiring a higher clearance level must be designated as such in accordance with DOD 5200.2-R and validated by the Office of Personnel Management's Position Designation Tool.

6. Irregular and overtime (compensatory) hours may be required to support operational requirements or contingencies.

7. Position requires travel to support National Guard units statewide. The employee may be required to travel in military and/or commercial aircraft to perform temporary duty assignments.

8. This position is designated as Essential Personnel and may be subject to duty in preparation for, or in response to, a state emergency or disaster declaration. This designation will not exceed 14 calendar days per year unless otherwise approved in advance by the TAG.

9. Applicants referred for consideration will be subject to a database check against the Army Inspector General Action Request (IGARS) and the Air Force Complaints Resolution (ACTS) databases to screen for adverse information, substantiated allegations, and ongoing IG investigations. A social security number (SSN) is required to conduct the background investigation; applicants must supply their SSN when asked by the hiring authority.

Education

Substitution of Education for specialized experience: Completion of 2 academic years of education in an accredited college or university will satisfy the requirements for GS-4 positions. Only education in excess of the first 60 semester hours (i.e., beyond the second year) is creditable toward meeting the specialized experience requirement. One full academic year of study (30 semester hours) beyond the second year is equivalent to 6 months of specialized experience for GS-5 positions.

You must include the diploma and transcripts to support the education. Failure to do so could impact your consideration.

Additional information

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement,

Participation in direct deposit is mandatory.

If you are a male applicant who was born after 12/31/1959 and are required to register under the Military Selective Service Act, the Defense Authorization Act of 1986 requires that you be registered or you are not eligible for appointment in this agency (https://www.sss.gov/RegVer/wfRegistration.aspx).

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, your resume and supporting documentation will be used to determine if you meet the qualifications listed on this announcement. If you are minimally 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 Plan and Organize Work

Required Documents

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

1. Federal agencies only accept resumes up to two pages in length to comply with the Merit Hiring Plan. Your resume showing work schedule, hours worked per week, dates of employment and duties performed- REQUIRED. Resumes that do not sufficiently show the required experience in detail, as well as resumes that list accolades and not relatable experience may not be considered.

2. Other supporting documents: DD-214's, Transcripts, Etc.


Applicants claiming Priority Placement Program, DoD Military Reserve (MR) and National Guard (NG) Technician Eligible must submit the following documentation:

  • Military Reserve and National Guard Technician PPP Self Certification Checklist (DD 3145-3)
  • Termination SF-50 Separation stating that the applicant has Priority Placement Eligibility
  • Notice of Separation confirming of eligibility.

Applicants claiming Priority Placement Program, DoD MR and NG Preference Eligible Tech Receiving Disability Retirement must submit the following documentation:

  • Military Reserve and Technician Disability PPP Self Certification Checklist (DD 3145-2)
  • Termination SF-50 Separation stating that the applicant has Priority Placement Eligibility
  • Notice of Separation confirming of eligibility.

Applicants claiming DOD Military Spouse preference must submit the following documentation:

  • Marriage Certificate
  • Spouses PCS Orders
  • Military Spouse PPP Self Certification Checklist

Applicants claiming DoD Retained Grade preference must submit the following documentation:

  • Retained Grade PPP Self Certification Checklist (DD3145-1)
  • SF-50 effecting the placement in retained grade status, and
  • A copy of the notification letter received (RIF or classification downgrade)


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/Occupational Questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section below. To view the Occupational Questionnaire, click the following link: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12861678~

A complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on the closing date of the announcement to receive consideration.
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 resume 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.

Federal agencies only accept resumes up to two pages in length to comply with the Merit Hiring Plan. USAJOBS will not allow you to upload or build resumes longer than two pages, and you will need to update the resumes in your profile before applying to a job.

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 (https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login), 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://www.usajobs.gov/Help/how-to/application/status/.

Agency contact information

Shanequa Pendergrass
Email
shanequa.s.pendergrass.mil@army.mil
Address
SC CHIEF OF STAFF
1 National Guard Road
Columbia, SC 29201
US

Next steps

Once your online application is submitted you will receive a confirmation notification by email. Within 15 days of closing your application will be evaluated by the Human Resources Office to determine your eligibility for the position. After the evaluation is complete, you will receive email notification of your eligibility. You do not need to contact HRO regarding the status of your application- you may check the status of your application at any time in your USA Jobs account.

If qualified you will be contacted for interview and notified of your selection status within 30 days of the qualification date.


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