Summary This position is located at the Captain James A. Lovell Federal Health Care Center in North Chicago, IL and is organizationally aligned under the Police and Security Service Line. The Criminal Investigator is responsible for the complete investigation of all offenses against the criminal laws of the United States on all property owned or controlled by the FHCC VA Medical Center. Responsibilities The Criminal Investigator reports to the Chief of Police. Major duties and responsibilities include: Investigates crimes which cannot be resolved through the initial efforts of the reporting officer's preliminary investigation or are beyond the scope of a Detective's responsibility Researches, interviews, observes, conducts stakeout operations, and executes investigative techniques Coordinates and conducts joint investigations relating to alleged or suspected violations of criminal laws with other federal and state agencies such as the FBI, US Marshalls, etc. Participates in surveillance activities that are coordinated by an OIG and/or other federal agencies Collects sufficient evidence to support a court case against a criminal, and explains to the jury the significance of evidence as it relates to proof that a crime was committed Confers with the U.S. Attorney's office, VA Regional Counsel Office, or other outside law enforcement agencies as appropriate, to dispose of or to proceed with a case Leads or assists in the conduct of administrative investigations of alleged administrative misconduct, patient abuse, and other improprieties Coordinates and/or participate in a taskforce or other team to conduct highly complex, difficult and sensitive criminal, civil and administrative investigations Collects/compiles data that includes criminal trends, performance metrics, and quality assurance for all functions of Police Service Creates graphs, charts, and descriptions of the data collected to include analyzing the information and providing ways to reduce crime, improve performance, and meet customer needs while maintaining an acceptable performance service level Conducts and oversees Internal Affairs Investigations (IA), under the direction of the Chief of Police or as assigned by VHA Leadership. Perform other related duties as assigned. DESIGNATED DRUG-TESTING POSITION: Applicants tentatively selected for VA employment in a testing designated position are subject to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment. Applicants who refuse to be tested will be denied employment with VA. Applicants will not be appointed to the position if a verified positive drug test result is received. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 7:00am - 3:00pm Compressed/Flexible: Not available Telework: Not available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Criminal Investigator/PD99782S Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not authorized Driver's License Requirement: Applicants must possess a valid, unrestricted State driver's license, have a safe driving record, and demonstrate that he or she is medically qualified to operate the appropriate motor vehicle safely. Applicants are required to pass agency Government Vehicle Drivers physical examination. NOTE: We cannot accept photographs, therefore; please do not submit a copy of your driver's license with your application package. If an interview is requested, you may be required to provide a copy of your valid state-issued driver's license. Firearm Requirement: VA Police Officers are required to carry agency-approved firearms while on duty on VA property. Officers must achieve and maintain qualification/certification with the agency-approved firearms as condition of gaining and continuing employment as a Police Officer. Applicants must be able to possess firearms under the terms of the Gun Control Act of 1968, as amended (18 U.S.C. 922(g)(9). Physical Requirements: The Criminal Investigator must be physically, emotionally and mentally fit. The investigator is routinely confronted with physical demands such as assisting staff in emergencies. This includes the ability to run, climb stairs or ladders, and lifting individuals. Prolonged crawling and crouching can be expected during crime scene processing. While affecting arrests, there may be periods of extended running and physical exertion to apprehend and secure the person being arrested. On a recurring basis, the Investigator is required to use physical ability as necessary to subdue and restrain violent persons, assist officers in their efforts to subdue and restrain violent persons, etc. The investigator must undergo an annual physical and psychological examination in accordance with VA Handbook 0730. The Investigator is issued a cell phone and is subject to 24 hour recall (no standby pay involved).Work Environment: The Criminal Investigator is subject to all @types of environmental factors, i.e., heat, cold, rain, ice and snow. During emergency operations, the Investigator may be exposed to toxic fumes, gases and smoke. The investigator may come into contact with biological hazards and chemically contaminated materials. The investigator will deal with people in possession of unauthorized weapons and will be required to confront these individuals to mitigate risk to self and others in the area. Requirements Conditions of Employment You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job To be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. In addition to the application and questionnaire, this position requires an online assessment. The online assessment measures critical general competencies required to perform the job. All applicants tentatively selected for VA employment in a testing designated position are subject to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment. Applicants who refuse to be tested will be denied employment with VA. Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959 Physical Requirements: The work required does not inherently include any physical requirements essential for successful job performance that could not otherwise be performed with accommodation or workplace adjustment. A pre-placement physical examination is required. Subject to background/security investigation Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents). Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued identification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment. Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP) As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary period or 2-year trial period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider: your performance and conduct; the needs and interests of the agency; whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service. Upon completion of your probationary period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest. Qualifications Individual Occupational Requirements Medical Requirements The duties of positions in this series 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, hp, 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 in each eye, with or without correction, is required to perform the duties satisfactorily. Near vision, corrective lenses permitted, must be sufficient to read printed material the size of @typewritten characters. Hearing loss, as measured by an audiometer, must not exceed 35 decibels at 1000, 2000, and 3000 Hz levels. Since the duties of these positions are exacting and responsible, and involve activities under trying conditions, applicants must possess emotional and mental stability. Any physical condition that would cause the applicant to be a hazard to himself/herself, or others is disqualifying. Time-In-Grade Requirement: Applicants who are current Federal employees and have held a GS grade any time in the past 52 weeks must also meet time-in-grade requirements by the closing date of this announcement. For a GS-9 positions you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-7. The grade may have been in any occupation, but must have been held in the Federal service. An effective SF-50 that shows your time-in-grade eligibility must be submitted with your application materials. If the most recent SF-50 has an effective date within the past year, it may not clearly demonstrate you possess on-year time-in-grade, as required by the announcement. In this instance, you must provide an additional SF-50 that clearly demonstrates one-year time-in-grade. You may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below: Specialized Experience: You must have one full year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-7 level in Federal service. Specialized experience is defined as experience that equips the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the position to be filled. Examples of specialized experience include: practical knowledge of law enforcement procedures and techniques of criminal investigations, including the investigation of crimes, police conduct, courtroom etiquette, rules of evidence, and rules of testimony; execution of search and arrest warrants; recognizing, collecting, and preserving physical evidence; and maintaining a chain of custody and presenting pertinent facts both orally and in writing. -OR- Education: To qualify based on education at the GS-9 level you must have completed a master's or equivalent graduate degree, or successfully completed two (2) full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree or successfully completed a LL.B or J.D., related to Criminal Investigation (such as law enforcement or criminal justice). This education must have been obtained in an accredited college, or university. NOTE: You must submit a copy of your transcripts (unofficial or official) with your application. Education cannot be credited without documentation. -OR- Combination of Specialized Experience and Education: An equivalent combination of graduate education (in excess of the first year or 18 semester hours, which is the amount required at the next lower grade level, GS-7) and specialized experience may be used to meet the total experience requirement. This education must have been obtained in an accredited college, or university. NOTE: You must submit a copy of your transcripts (unofficial or official) with your application. Education cannot be credited without documentation. 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; religions; 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. Note: A full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week. Part-time experience will be credited on the basis of time actually spent in appropriate activities. Applicants wishing to receive credit for such experience must indicate clearly the nature of their duties and responsibilities in each position and the number of hours a week spent in such employment. For more information on these qualification standards, please visit the United States Office of Personnel Management's website at https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/. ADDITIONAL CRIMINAL INVESTIGATOR CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT: Required to attend an 8 - 10-week course at the VA Law Enforcement Training Center in Little Rock, Arkansas (if not already completed). Satisfactory completion of this course is a condition of continued employment. Must attend and successfully complete the 12-week Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC) Criminal Investigator Training Program (CITP) (if not already completed). Satisfactory completion of this course is a condition of continued employment. Scheduling and attendance of CITP is at the needs of the agency and FLETC class availability. A medical examination is required. The duties of these positions require moderate to arduous physical exertion and/or duties of a hazardous nature. The following medical requirements apply to all applicants: good near and distant vision, ability to distinguish basic colors, and ability to hear the conversational voice. Applicants and employees must have the capacity to perform the essential functions of the position without risk to themselves or others. Applicants and employees must possess emotional and mental stability. A psychological examination is required. In most instances, a specific medical condition or impairment will not automatically disqualify an applicant or employee. A medical condition or impairment is disqualifying only if the condition, for good medical reason, precludes assignment to or warrants restriction from the duties of the specific position. For some positions, the loss or impairment of a specific function may be compensated for by the satisfactory use of a prosthesis or mechanical aid. Reasonable accommodation shall also be considered in determining an applicant's ability to perform the duties of a position. A character investigation will be conducted on applicants selected for employment. The purpose of such an investigation is to secure evidence of the candidate's honesty, integrity, general character, and loyalty to the U.S. Government. As a condition of employment, must qualify to be issued a firearm and semi-annually with assigned firearm, annually with an expandable Straight Baton (MEB), maintain a valid State or Commonwealth Driver's License and pass annual physical and psychosocial assessments. Applicants must be able to possess firearms under the terms of the Gun Control Act of 1968, as amended (18 U.S.C. 922(g)(9). Education A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education. Note: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/. If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/. Additional Information Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicant's criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer. For more information about the Act and the complaint process, visit Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP) at The Fair Chance Act. 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. Receiving Service Credit for Earning Annual (Vacation) Leave: Federal Employees earn annual leave at a rate (4, 6 or 8 hours per pay period) which is based on the number of years they have served as a Federal employee. VA may offer newly-appointed Federal employee's credit for their job-related non-federal experience or active duty uniformed military service. This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave. Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment date and is not guaranteed. This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies. The Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) and Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provide eligible displaced VA competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. To be qualified you must submit appropriate documentation (a copy of the agency notice, your most recent performance rating, and your most recent SF-50 noting current position, grade level, and duty location) and be found well-qualified for this vacancy. To be well-qualified: applicants must possess experience that exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors, and who are proficient in most of the required competencies of the job. Information about ICTAP and CTAP eligibility is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website at http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/workforce-restructuring/employee-guide-to-career-transition/. If you are unable to apply online or need an alternate method to submit documents, please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement.
