Summary This position is located within in the Office of Inspector General, Office of Investigations - Labor Racketeering and Fraud (OI). OI's mission is to conduct criminal, civil, and administrative investigations into alleged violations of federal laws relating to U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) programs, operations, and personnel to prevent and detect fraud and abuse in such programs and operations. Responsibilities The major duties are as follows: Serve as the lead agent in investigating high-profile, complex cases that encompass a broad range of criminal activities within the organization's jurisdiction, establishing contacts with various stakeholders to gather relevant evidence. Assist in conducting joint investigations with Federal, State, and local law enforcement agencies and prosecutors, establishing and maintaining effective communication channels. Obtain information from individuals of diverse backgrounds and develop informants under challenging and sensitive conditions to enhance intelligence gathering. Act as the senior agent responsible for conducting interviews, surveillance, and examinations of records, managing sensitive investigations independently. Draft detailed investigative reports highlighting key findings and evidence to support potential legal actions, presenting cases to Assistant U.S. Attorneys for Grand Jury consideration. Requirements Conditions of Employment Qualifications You must meet the Basic Requirements listed in the Education Requirements section and the Specialized Experience to qualify for Criminal Investigator, as described below. Specialized Experience is the experience that equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSA's) to perform the duties of the position successfully, and that is typically in or related to the position to be filled. To be creditable, specialized experience must have been equivalent to at least the next lower grade level. For GS-12: Applicants must have 52 weeks of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level, GS-11, in the Federal Service. Examples of specialized experience include but is not limited to under limited supervision, the incumbent independently performing the full range of investigative functions on assigned cases or portions of cases from planning and conducting fact-finding to reporting the results of investigations; performing undercover and surveillance work under supervision; independently conducting investigative interviews; analyzing investigative facts to arrive at sound conclusions; and presentations to Assistant United States Attorneys in support of federal criminal prosecutions and civil actions. Incumbent must develop and maintain working relationships with law enforcement agencies at the federal, state and local level. For GS-13: Applicants must have 52 weeks of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level, GS-12, in the Federal Service. Examples of specialized experience include but is not limited to: 1) independently conducts, or leads, the most significant and complex investigations that often involve multiple law enforcement agencies covering multiple judicial districts. These investigation could include criminal offenses committed by individuals, entities, or organized criminal enterprises, including financial crimes and fraud; Federal program, contract or grant fraud; and employee integrity offenses 2) proficiency in the application of criminal, civil, and administrative laws, including false claims and qui tam actions 3) demonstrate proficiency in utilizing investigative principles and techniques, including undercover operations, consensual monitoring, and other covert investigative techniques; 4) demonstrate extensive experience in legal procedures related to the investigation and prosecution of criminal offenses; 5) experience in testifying in Federal criminal prosecutions; and 6) demonstrate extensive experience in consulting and working with U.S. Attorneys and other prosecutorial officials in preparation of cases for prosecution. Maximum AGE Requirements: An applicant must enter a Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) law enforcement covered position or a Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS) law enforcement covered position not one day later than his/her 37th birthday. Please note: Applicants appointed to Criminal Investigator positions in the Federal service must not have reached their 37th birthday upon appointment to the position unless they previously served in a Federal civilian law enforcement position covered by special civil service retirement provisions, including early or mandatory retirement. This requirement may be waived only for veterans. However, the primary duties of these positions are classified as "rigorous," and a waiver may be authorized by the head of the agency only in unusual situations. An age requirement waiver is not automatic. An individual who has passed the maximum entry age limit but previously served in a covered position, may be eligible for consideration and reinstatement of coverage if he/she will be able to complete a total of 20 years of covered law enforcement service by the time he reaches the mandatory retirement age of 57. See OPM Retirement Handbook for further details. The Maximum Entry Age requirement (See Maximum Entry may be waived for applicants eligible for veterans' preference.) POSITION REQUIREMENTS FOR OIG CRIMINAL INVESTIGATORS: Incumbents are required to be able to perform the following duties: A.) Firearm Use - All OIG criminal investigators are required to qualify with the U.S. DOL-issued firearms and to accept assignments where firearms are required. In the exercise of OIG's statutory law enforcement authority, there is the potential that the use of the firearm may be justified and necessary. B.) Arrests - OIG criminal investigators make arrests, with or without a warrant, according to the circumstances. C.) Search and Seizure - OIG criminal investigators execute warrants for search of premises or seizure of evidence. D.) Surveillances - In conducting investigations, criminal investigators may establish and maintain surveillances of suspected criminal acts. E.) Undercover Assignments - From time to time, criminal investigators assume undercover roles. F.) Review of Records and Other Evidence. Many cases under investigation involve the review of a tremendous amount of records which the agent takes control of and transports for copying. G.) Travel - Many criminal investigators travel frequently -- up to 50 percent of the time. Much of the travel is performed by automobile driven by the agent from 8 to 10 hours at a time to reach the destination. H.) Basic Law Enforcement Training - As a condition of employment, newly-hired OIG criminal investigators must have successfully completed the basic criminal investigator training course at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC ), unless waived by OIG because of proof of comparable special agent or law enforcement officer training. Higher grade level 1811s may receive biweekly and annual premium pay caps (refer to OPM website). No Relocation Incentives will be offered. No Permanent Change of Station Incentives will be offered. This position is outside the Bargaining Unit. This position will not be filled until the Department's Placement Assistance Programs have been fully utilized. Education There is no substitution of education for the required specialized experience at the GS-12 and GS-13 level. Any applicant falsely claiming an academic degree from an accredited school will be subject to actions ranging from disqualification from federal employment to removal from federal service. If your education was completed at a foreign college or university, you must show comparability to education received in accredited educational institutions in the United States and comparability to applicable minimum coursework requirements for this position. Click Evaluation of Foreign Education for more information. Additional Information The mission of the Department of Labor (DOL) is to protect the welfare of workers and job seekers, improve working conditions, expand high-quality employment opportunities, and assure work-related benefits and rights for all workers. Refer to these links for more information: GENERAL INFORMATION, REASONABLE ACCOMMODATIONS, ADDITIONAL DOCUMENTATION, FORMER FEDERAL EMPLOYEES As a condition of employment, all personnel must undergo a background investigation for access to DOL facilities, systems, information and/or classified materials before they can enter on duty: BACKGROUND INVESTIGATION For more information, Click here for Career Ladder Promotion Information. For more information, click Telework Position Information. This is not a remote work position. The selectee will report to an assigned DOL office location on a regular basis and is eligible for participation in telework as determined by management in accordance with DOL policy. Based on agency needs, additional positions may be filled using this vacancy. The Fair Chance Act (FCA) prohibits Federal agencies from requesting an applicant's criminal history information before the agency makes a conditional offer of employment. If you believe a DOL employee has violated your rights under the FCA, you may file a complaint of the alleged violation following our agency's complaint process Guidelines for Reporting Violations of the Fair Chance Act. Note: The FCA does not apply to some positions specified under the Act, such as law enforcement or national security positions. All applicants tentatively selected for this position will be required to submit to screening for illegal drug use prior to appointment. All Department of Labor employees are subject to the provisions of the Drug-Free Workplace Program under Executive Order 12564 and Public Law 100-71. Reasonable Accommodation (RA) Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a RA in your online application. Requests for RA for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for RA must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for RA are made on a case-by-case basis. If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, based on your adjudication decision. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments if you received the link after the close of the announcement. To determine if you need a RA, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments. (https://appsupport.usastaffing.gov/hc/en-us/sections/28980686389652-Reasonable-Accommodation-Information)
