Duties

Summary

OIG is organized into seven operational units: the Immediate Office of the Inspector General, Office of the Counselor, Office of Audits and Evaluations, Office of Healthcare Inspections, Office of Investigations, Office of Management and Administration, and Office of Special Reviews. In addition to the Washington, DC, headquarters, OIG has offices located in more than 60 locations throughout the country.

Learn more about this agency

Responsibilities

OIG's Office of Investigations (OI) investigates crimes and other violations of law committed against Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) programs and operations by employees and non-employees. These criminal and civil investigations involve a wide range of subject areas, including health care, procurement, education benefits and construction fraud; cyber-crime; bribery, embezzlement and conflicts of interest; narcotics offenses; and violent crimes. OI is composed of seven regional field offices and seven headquarters divisions, including specialized divisions that use data analytics to uncover complex fraud schemes and conduct highly technical cyber and covert operations. Through criminal prosecutions and civil monetary recoveries, OI's investigations promote integrity, patient safety, efficiency, and accountability at VA.

The incumbent serves as a Criminal Investigator (Special Agent) in an OI investigative office located in Washington, DC, in the Mid-Atlantic Region. As such, the incumbent is responsible for planning, managing, conducting, and concluding, independently or as a team leader, the most complex, sensitive, and difficult OIG criminal, civil, and/or administrative investigations of allegations of fraud, waste, and abuse directed at VA programs and/or operations.

As a GS-13 full performance-level Criminal Investigator, you will:

• Function as a law enforcement officer with full law enforcement authority, i.e., carrying authorized firearms and other enforcement equipment; applying for and executing arrest and search warrants; apprehending, searching, and transporting criminals and arranging for their detention.
• Provide expert technical advice, guidance, and recommendations to agency management and other senior agents, officers, or inspectors on critical operations.
• Collect and analyze operational and strategic intelligence from wide-ranging sources including Federal, State, and local law enforcement agencies.
• Identify material, systemic weaknesses or failures in VA operations and/or processes during investigations and prepare reports outlining possible solutions to the issues uncovered.
• Initiate contacts with Federal, state, and local law enforcement officials, civic and business leaders, officials from financial institutions, medical facilities, and other organizations and individuals for the purpose of obtaining facts, signed statements, and developing investigative leads and cooperation.

Travel Required

25% or less - Travel nationwide under tight deadlines. The incumbent should anticipate frequent walking and standing as a component of this travel.

Supervisory status
No

Promotion Potential
13

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

• Please refer to "Conditions of Employment."
• Click "Print Preview" to review the entire announcement before applying.
• Must be U.S. Citizens or U.S. Nationals.

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.

Full-time telework may be temporarily required if space is not currently available at the location chosen by the selectee. Selectees will be notified prior to their start date if this is necessary. Telework on a more permanent basis will be determined by management upon completion of all telework requirements and availability needs.

Qualifications

You must meet the following requirements within 30 days of the closing date of this announcement.

Age Restriction: The date immediately preceding an individual's 37th birthday is the maximum entry age for original appointment to a law enforcement officer position. This requirement does not apply to a) Preference-eligible veterans; OR b) Individuals who are 37 years of age or older and have previously served in law enforcement officer positions that were covered by a special law enforcement retirement plan.

MEDICAL REQUIREMENTS: The selectee must pass a pre-appointment physical examination and meet the physical requirements for this position as required by this agency. The duties of this position require moderate to arduous physical exertion involving walking and standing, use of firearms, and exposure to inclement weather. Manual dexterity with comparatively free motion of finger, wrist, elbow, shoulder, hip, and knee joints is required. Arms, hands, legs, and feet must be sufficiently intact and functioning in order that applicants may perform the duties satisfactorily. Sufficiently good vision and hearing are required to perform the duties satisfactorily. Because the duties of this position are exacting, responsible, and sometimes performed under trying conditions, the selectee must possess emotional and mental stability. Any physical condition that would cause the selectee to be a hazard to himself/herself, or others is disqualifying.

AND

Specialized experience: For the GS-13, you must have one year of specialized experience at a level of difficulty and responsibility equivalent to the GS-12 grade level in the Federal service. Specialized experience for this position includes:

- Investigating cases that involve matters of extreme sensitivity, and scope; AND
- Providing analytical assistance that includes the evaluation of allegations and evidence; AND
- Planning and conducting investigations involving illegal and criminal acts; AND
- Preparing investigative findings and reports; AND
- Maintaining liaison with law enforcement agencies at the local, state, or national level.

In addition to the above requirements, you must meet the following time-in-grade requirement, if applicable:
For the GS-13, you must have been at the GS-12 level for 52 weeks.

Time After Competitive Appointment: Candidates who are current Federal employees serving on a nontemporary competitive appointment must have served at least three months in that appointment.

Education

Additional information

- We may select from this announcement or any other source to fill one or more vacancies. Applicants who apply for this position may be considered for other positions within the Office of Inspector General that require the same knowledge, skills, and abilities.
- This is a non-bargaining unit position.
- A recruitment incentive may be offered.
- We offer opportunities for flexible work schedules.

CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT:
- A one year probationary period may be required.
- Public Trust - Background Investigation will be required.
- Must successfully complete a background investigation.
- 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.
- Have your salary sent to a financial institution of your choice by Direct Deposit/Electronic Funds Transfer.
- 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.
- Complete a Declaration for Federal Employment to determine your suitability for Federal employment, at the time requested by the agency.
- Obtain and use a Government-issued purchase card for business-related travel.
- File a Confidential Financial Disclosure Report within 30 days of appointment and annually from then on.
- Carry and use a firearm. Maintaining firearm proficiency is also mandatory. You will be ineligible to occupy this position if at any time you have been convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence, unless you received a pardon or your conviction was expunged or set aside.

- Complete a pre-employment medical examination, unless already working in a position covered under 5 USC 8336(c) with another Federal law enforcement agency and have passed a physical exam within the previous 6 months. Prior to appointment, the selectee must be determined to be physically fit by an authorized government physician to perform strenuous and physically demanding duties such as making arrests, conducting surveillances, using firearms, etc., and also pass a medical examination (which includes vision, hearing, cardiovascular, mobility of extremities, and other factors) given by an authorized government physician. Any physical condition that would cause the selectee to be a hazard to herself/himself or others is disqualifying. You may be required to provide medical or related documentation to Federal Occupation of Health at the time of the pre-employment physical. You will be required to undergo regular physical examinations and to maintain a level of physical fitness in accordance with the standards and policies of this agency.

- Complete or have previously completed the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC) in Glynco, GA OR its equivalent.
- Agree to work an average of two extra hours per day. Law Enforcement Availability Pay (LEAP) has been approved to compensate for unscheduled duty in excess of the 40-hour workweek.
- Possess and maintain a valid driver's license from one of the 50 U.S. states, the District of Columbia, or the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.
- Submit to a drug test prior to your appointment and random drug testing while you occupy the position.

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: Your application will be evaluated in the following areas: Leadership, Technical, and Communication. Your application will be rated and ranked among others, based on your responses to the online questions, regarding your experience, education, training, performance appraisals and awards relevant to the duties of this position. Your rating may be lowered if your responses to the online questions are not supported by the education and/or experience described in your application.

Referral: If you are among the top qualified candidates, your application may be referred to a selecting official for consideration. You may be required to participate in a selection interview and/or a writing assessment. Applicants who are selected for an interview may ask questions about the evaluation process at the time they are contacted for an interview.

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 receive a score of 92 or better to be rated as "well qualified" to receive special selection priority.

To preview questions please click here .

Background checks and security clearance

Security clearance
Other

Drug test required
Yes

Required Documents

It is anticipated that there will be significant interest in the announcement. As a result, the announcement will close at 11:59 p.m. ET on the date of receipt of the 200th application or at 11:59 p.m. ET on 10/19/2020; whichever occurs first. Any required documents should be submitted at the time that you apply as documents will not be accepted after the vacancy closes.

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).

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.) 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 .

CURRENT AND FORMER FEDERAL EMPLOYEES -- Documentation Relating to Your Federal Employment:
- Submit a copy of your SF-50, Notification of Personnel Action, which shows your current (or most recent) grade and competitive service status. (The "position occupied" block on the SF-50 should show a "1" and your "tenure" block should show a "1" or "2".)
- If you are currently on a Veterans Recruitment Appointment (VRA), submit a copy of an SF-50 showing that. Also, you must submit a copy of your DD214 or other documentation showing dates of service and type of discharge and any other applicable documents such as SF-15, VA letters, etc.
- Indicate on your application the highest permanent grade you have held; if this grade is different from your current grade, submit a copy of an additional SF-50 showing this grade.

PERFORMANCE APPRAISAL: Submit a copy of your most recent completed annual performance appraisal which includes the final rating. If you have not received a performance appraisal, please explain why in your application.

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.

If you are applying under a special hiring authority (e.g. Military Spouses, Interchange Agreement, VEOA, VRA, Schedule A Disability, etc.), please see applicant guide for required documentation . In order to be eligible under one of these authorities, you must submit all required documentation as outlined in the applicant guide.

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

• A list of awards received while employed with the Federal Government, if applicable. DO NOT send copies of the awards.

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.