Victim Advocate

This position advertised has been exempted from the federal civilian hiring freeze. Position Overview This position advertised has been exempted from the federal civilian hiring freeze. Current FBI employees are ineligible to apply if serving under the same conditions as that for which is advertised, including: Appointing organization (FBI) Type of position (full-time, part-time, etc.) Same or higher grade Duty location (city or state) Type of appointment (permanent, temporary, etc.) Job Opening: 66476 Opening Date: August 4, 2026 Closing Date: August 18, 2026 at 11:59 pm (ET) Job Title: Victim Specialist Non-Indian Country Full Performance Level: GS 13 Division: San Francisco Field Office - San Francisco Field Office; Concord RA; Fortuna RA; Monterey Bay RA; Oakland RA; Palo Alto RA; San Jose RA; Windsor - Santa Rosa RA Location: San Francisco, CA; Concord, CA; Fortuna, CA; Monterey Bay, CA; Oakland, CA; Palo Alto, CA; San Jose, CA; Santa Rosa, CA Working Hours: This will vary based on Division needs. Please note that Victim Specialists are also required to be on call. Job Type: Full Time/Permanent Who May Apply: All U.S. Citizens Number of Positions Available: 3 Questions: Email: View email address on click.appcast.io and View email address on click.appcast.io Salary GS 11 - $93,358.00 - $121,371.00 GS 12 - $9111,896.00 - $145,468.00 To attract and retain highly qualified candidates, selectees may be eligible for a recruitment incentive of up to 20% or, for eligible current federal employees, a relocation incentive of up to 20% may be granted for candidates, based on candidate eligibility, a Continuing Service agreement, and Appropriation of Funds. Eligibility for a relocation incentive requires proof of a change in residence and an assignment at a worksite in a different geographic area greater than or equal to 50 miles from the prior worksite. Employees must sign a written service agreement completing a specified period of employment with the FBI at the new duty station. Recruitment and relocation incentives cannot be combined. As of July 1, 2013, any employee under a Relocation Incentive Continuing Service Agreement (CSA) who fails to complete one (1) year in the assignment or accepts a new position that results in leaving his or her current FBIHQ division or field office prior to the conclusion date listed on the CSA will be held liable for the prorated value of a broken CSA. Recruitment and relocation incentives cannot be combined. Job Summary Victim Specialist: Non - Indian Country Locations The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is seeking to hire Victim Specialists. You may be selected and considered for our current Victim Specialist vacancies. Relocation may be required. Victim Specialists assist people who have suffered direct physical, emotional, or financial harm as a result of being identified as a victim of a federal crime. Victim Specialists provide services in a wide range of violations that include but are not exclusive to violent, civil rights, cyber and white-collar crime. Victim Specialists provide information on victimization, crime prevention, legal rights and protections, the criminal justice process, and rereferrals for services. The services provided can include crisis intervention directed toward deescalating a situation, establishing physical and emotional safety, providing concrete/basic needs assessments, identifying emergency needs, and empowering the victim’s ability to make choices regarding possible courses of action. Locations are listed in the application and you will have the opportunity to choose up to 3 location preferences when you apply to this posting. Key Requirements Must be a U.S. citizen Must have (or be able to obtain) a valid driver’s license Must be able to obtain a Top Secret-SCI clearance Travel will be required for victim assistance, special deployment, and/or conferences/training PHYSICAL DEMANDS The work is generally sedentary, but may also involve driving short and long distances, standing (for hours), and working at crime scenes. Work sometimes involves dealing with highly emotional and angry individuals. WORK ENVIRONMENT Work is partially office-based, but also requires being present at the scene of crimes, and/or at agencies providing assistance to victims, long hours, and long-term, repeated exposure to the injury and psychological trauma of victims of crime. May be required to be on call 24/7, responding afterhours and on weekends. MAJOR DUTIES Provides direct assistance services to persons who have suffered direct physical, emotional, or financial harm as a result of a violent crime. Contacts victims, conducts needs assessments and develops an action plan for immediate and on-going services as indicated by the needs assessment. Provides crisis intervention services, which are directed toward de-escalating a situation, establishes physical and emotional safety, and provides concrete/basic needs services, emergency needs and reinforcing the victim’s ability to make choices regarding possible courses of action. Ensures FBI Adherence to the Attorney General Guidelines and establishment and adoption of best practices for victim assistance. Maintains involvement either through outreach or membership on multidisciplinary teams, with local agencies that provide services to federal crime victims. Develops and implements trainings and presentations related to victim concerns and coordination with other federal, state, local, tribal and territorial law enforcement agencies, health, social services, schools, and advocacy organizations. Qualifications And Evaluations Please ensure that your specialized experience and requirements are clearly identifiable in your resume. Your application will be evaluated using the FBI’s Candidate Rating Procedures. Your resume and supporting documents will be reviewed to verify that you meet the job qualifications listed in this announcement. Applicants must meet the qualification requirements by the closing date of this announcement. If you are found minimally qualified, your application will move forward to additional phases of the review process. The competencies will be used in a Structured Resume Review to objectively evaluate applicant resumes. Do not provide a separate narrative written statement. Rather you must describe in your resume how your past work experience demonstrates that you possess the competencies identified below. Competencies Collaboration Interpersonal Ability Leadership Organizing and Planning Communication Behavior and Social Sciences Flexibility/Adaptability Basic Requirement Bachelor's degree (or higher) in behavioral or social science, or a discipline related to the victim assistance field , including but not limited to: Criminal Justice, Social Work, Counseling, Human Services, Psychology, Sociology, Victimology, Gender and Women Studies. or Combination of education and experience that provided the applicant with knowledge of one or more of the behavioral or social sciences equivalent to a major in the field. or Four years of appropriate experience that demonstrated that the applicant has acquired one or more of the behavioral or social sciences equivalent to a major in the field. Selective Placement Factor The Victim Services Division requires applicants to possess a minimum of 3 years of full-time work experience in which the applicant is providing direct services to victims of violent crimes, severe trauma, acts of terrorism, and fraud. In addition to the selective placement factor, please make sure your specialized experience/requirement(s) can be identified in your resume. Specialized Experience (SE) GS 11 Applicant must possess at least one (1) year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-9 grade level. SE is: Collaborated within a law enforcement, prosecutorial, or victim services agency to provide crisis intervention resources to victims who have suffered direct physical, emotional, or financial harm as a result of a violent crime. GS 12 Applicant must possess at least one (1) year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-11 grade level. SE is: Collaborated within a law enforcement, prosecutorial, or victim services agency to provide crisis intervention resources to victims who have suffered direct physical, emotional, or financial harm as a result of a violent crime. Maintained relationships with local, state, and federal agencies and victim assistance organizations to ensure adequate emergency resources and partner engagement. Assisted with the development and implementation of educational or training activities to speak with groups about issues related to victims of crime. Education All degrees must be from an accredited college or university. Education may be substituted for specialized experience as follows: Degree must be in behavioral or social science, or a discipline related to the victim assistance field. GS 11 Education may be substituted for Specialized Experience if Applicant has a Ph.D. OR equivalent doctoral degree OR 3 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree. GS 12 Education may not be substituted for specialized experience at these grade levels. Education completed in foreign colleges or universities may be used to meet the above requirements provided you can show foreign education is comparable to that received in an accredited educational institution in the United States. Required Documents To apply to this position, interested applicants must provide a complete application package by the closing date which includes: Utilizing the Resume Builder, outline your relevant work experience and associated start and end dates. Uploaded resumes will not be reviewed or used for qualification purposes. Other supporting documents (if applicable): College transcripts, if qualifying based on education or if there is a positive education requirement Former civilian Federal employees must submit a copy of your MOST RECENT SF-50 (Notification of Personnel Action) showing your tenure, grade and step, salary, and type of position occupied (i.e., Excepted or Competitive); or similar Notification of Personnel Action documentation, i.e., Transcript of Service, Form 1150, etc. This is a requirement to verify your Time in Grade (TIG). Actions such as promotion, within grade increase, or reassignment actions must be submitted as your most recent SF 50. Most recent Performance Appraisal; not applicable to current FBI employees Veterans: DD 214; Disabled Veterans: DD 214, SF-15, and VA letter dated 1991 or later Memorandum for Record (MFR): Work performed outside assigned duties (that would not normally be documented on an SF-50, i. e., back-up duties), has to be documented in detail by an immediate supervisor in order to receive full credit for amount of time worked in that position. If no documentation is furnished no credit will be given for time worked in that position. The following notations must be specified in the documentation: Percent of time worked in the particular position (cannot conflict with main duties. The month/year work began Frequency worked (i.e., daily, monthly, etc.) Specific duties performed Attach the Memorandum for Record to your application in the “Cover Letters and Attachments” section of My Career Tools on the Careers Home page. Please upload the attachment as type “Other.” While applicants might see these documents in their profile, HR Specialists may be unable to access them. Therefore, all applicants MUST upload another copy to ensure that staffing units can review the complete application. Please note: Failure to provide the necessary and relevant information required by this vacancy announcement may disqualify you from consideration. Incomplete applications will not be supplemented with additional requests for information; your application will be evaluated solely on the information you submit. You must complete the application process and submit all required documents by 11:59 p.m. (ET) on the announcement’s closing date. What To Expect Next Once your complete application is received, we will conduct an evaluation of your qualifications and determine your ranking. The Most Competitive candidates will be referred to the hiring manager for further consideration and possible interview. You will be notified of your status throughout the process. Additional Information The FBI is in the Executive Branch of the federal government. It is one of the components of the Department of Justice (DOJ). The FBI is the principle investigative arm of the DOJ. All FBI positions are in the excepted service. Applicants must be U.S. citizens and consent to a complete background investigation, urinalysis, and polygraph. You must be suitable for Federal employment; as determined by a background investigation. Positions with fitness for duty requirements or those that require international travel may require proof of certain vaccinations. Management may select any grade for which this position has been announced. Identification of promotion potential in this announcement does not constitute a commitment or an obligation on the part of management to promote the employee selected at some future date. Promotion will depend upon administrative approval and the continuing need for an actual assignment and performance of higher-level duties. If you are selected, you will be required to serve a two-year probationary period. Probationary employees are precluded from being considered for all job opportunities until 12-months of their 24-month probationary period has concluded. Probationary Employees may be considered for competitive vacancies that are advertised within their respective division or field office after serving 90 days within the FBI. Veterans' Preference If you are entitled to veterans' preference, you should indicate the type of veterans' preference you are claiming on your resume and application. Your veterans' preference entitlement will be verified by the employing agency. Nepotism Nepotism is the act of favoring relatives in the hiring process and is prohibited by law. Public officials are prohibited from hiring or promoting relatives or relatives of officials in their chain of command, as well as actively or indirectly endorse a relative’s appointment or promotion. During the hiring process, all selected candidates and FBI hiring managers will be required to certify they are not related to anyone involved in the hiring process. Reasonable Accommodation The FBI provides reasonable accommodations to qualified applicants with disabilities. If you require a reasonable accommodation during the application and/or hiring process, please contact the Office of Equal Employment Opportunity Affairs (OEEOA) Reasonable Accommodation (RA) Program by email at View email address on click.appcast.io, phone at View phone number on click.appcast.io, or fax at View phone number on click.appcast.io. This email address is for reasonable accommodation requests only. Do not send applications or unrelated inquiries to this address, as they will not be considered. Equal Employment Opportunity The FBI is an Equal Opportunity Employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for this vacancy. Unless explicitly authorized by law, selection will be made without regard to, and there will be no discrimination because of, color, race, religion, national origin, marital status, parental status, physical or mental disability, genetic information, age (40 or over), sex, pregnancy and related conditions, or on the basis of personal favoritism, or any other non-merit factors. Benefits The Bureau matches your dedication with a commitment to professional growth, a supportive work environment, and a robust benefits package that prioritizes you. As a member of our team, you’ll enjoy comprehensive health and life insurance benefits, paid vacation, sick leave, and federal holidays. For more details about benefits available to all federal employees, visit the Office of Personnel Management’s website . #J-18808-Ljbffr