Criminal Investigator

Summary

Position is located in the Office of Security & Law Enforcement (OSLE), Executive Protection Division (EPD), Office of Operations, Security and Preparedness, Veterans Affairs Central Office, Department of Veterans Affairs. This office coordinates the Department's emergency management, preparedness, security, and law enforcement activities to ensure the Department can continue to perform VA's mission essential functions under all circumstances across the spectrum of threats.

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Duties

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Duties include but not limited to:

• Plan and conduct protective service missions.
• Interview and interrogate persons suspected of violations of law.
• Develop policy or operational plans and determine investigative priorities of cases.
• Write reports and conduct briefings of findings relating to law enforcement activities and/or court cases.
• Perform activities to assure the personal safety of the Secretary and Deputy Secretary of Veterans Affairs.
• Conduct investigations of all possible threats against the Secretary or Deputy Secretary, both verbal and written.
• Meet and/or correspond with court officials and law enforcement personnel to discuss case-related materials as necessary.
• Conduct advanced physical security surveys to ensure that the Secretary or Deputy Secretary operates and functions in a secure an environment.

Promotion Potential: The selectee may be promoted to the full performance level without further competition when all regulatory, qualification, and performance requirements are met. Selection at a lower grade level does not guarantee promotion to the full performance level.

Physical Requirements: Work in the office is usually sedentary. When conducting criminal investigations and/or undercover surveillance work, the employee Is subject to regular and recurring exertion such as extensive walking, long periods of standing, stooping, bending and climbing. Work also regularly involves extended duty hours and extensive duty travel to meet investigative mission requirements. The work requires the incumbent to be proficient In the use of firearms and other law enforcement equipment to protect him/herself and others In hostile environments.

Work Schedule: Monday to Friday, 8:00am to 4:30pm

Compressed/Flexible: Maybe available

Telework: Not available

Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Position Description/PD#: PD00444A, PD00446A, and PD00445A

Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized

Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

Requirements

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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
• You may be required to serve a probationary period
• 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 (
• 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.
• Fire Arms Proficiency - Position must display operational skills and proficiency in handling firearms. Required to perform a semi-annual weapons qualification test commensurate with assigned duties and responsibilities. Position will be required to carry the duty firearm and associated law enforcement equipment.

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you may be required to serve a one year probationary period or two 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 one year probationary period or two year trial period your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 09/08/2026.

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 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-7. For a GS-11 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-9. For a GS-12 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-11. The grade may have been in any occupation, but must have been held in the Federal service. An 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 one-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. Note: Time-In-Grade requirements also apply to some former Federal employees applying for reinstatement, as well as current employees applying for Veterans Employment Opportunities Act of 1998 (VEOA) appointment. See the Required Document section below for more information regarding the SF-50s needed to verify time-in-grade.

You may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below:

Specialized Experience:

• GS-9 - You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-7 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: Providing protective or executive protection for senior officials or dignitaries. Conducting advance security surveys and threat assessments in support of protective operations. Coordinating protective detail logistics and liaising with law enforcement partners to ensure principle safety. Assisting in conducting investigations of alleged or suspected violations of law; Collecting and analyzing data from a variety of sources relating to investigations; Assisting prosecuting attorneys in preparation of technical aspects of cases for court.
• GS-11 - You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-9 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: Providing protective or executive protection for senior officials or dignitaries. Conducting advance security surveys and threat assessments in support of protective operations. Coordinating protective detail logistics and liaising with law enforcement partners to ensure principle safety. Developing operational plans and determining investigative priorities of cases; interviewing and interrogating persons suspected of violations of law; Writing reports and conducting briefings of findings, results, or accomplishments for information or action relating to law enforcement activities and/or court cases; And meeting or corresponding with court officials and law enforcement personnel to discuss case-related materials as necessary.
• GS-12 - You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-11 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: Conducting executive protection service operations for top level civilian government executives or military dignitaries during all phases of operations. Operations may include major National Special Security Events (NSSE), Local and travel advance security details, motorcade movements, full threat assessment determinations, and all manners of coordination with other local, state, federal, and military executive protection teams

OR

• Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have : Applicants may substitute education for the required experience for the GS-9 level. To qualify based on education for the GS-9, you must have Master's or equivalent graduate degree or 2 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree OR LL.B. or J.D., if related. To qualify based on education for the GS-11, you must have a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree or 3 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree or LL.M., if related

Applicants may NOT substitute education for the GS-12 level.

• Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify for the GS-9/11 grade level.

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: Resume must include job title and employer name, number of hours worked per week, start and end dates (including month and year), list of duties and responsibilities for each position held. In addition, if the experience was a federal position, you must list series and grade for each position held. Failure to include this information may result in an ineligible rating. A full year of work is considered to be 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

The Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) and Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provide eligible displaced Federal/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 found well qualified, applicants must meet the following qualifications: Conducting executive protection service operations for top level civilian government executives or military dignitaries during all phases of operations. Operations may include major National Special Security Events (NSSE), Local and travel advance security details, motorcade movements, full threat assessment determinations, and all manners of coordination with other local, state, federal, and military executive protection teams. Assisting in conducting investigations of alleged or suspected violations of law; Collecting and analyzing data from a variety of sources relating to investigations; Assisting prosecuting attorneys in preparation of technical aspects of cases for court. Information about ICTAP and CTAP eligibility is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website at

Local Commuting Area: The local commuting area for this position is defined as a radius of 50 miles from Washington, DC. . This includes all locations that fall within a 50-mile driving distance from 810 Vermont Ave, NW, Washington, DC 20420.

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: 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: Recognition of Foreign Qualifications | International Affairs Office.

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 (HRA) at The Fair Chance Act.

Special Employment Consideration: VA encourages persons with disabilities to apply, including those eligible for hiring under 5 CFR 213.3102(u), Schedule A, Appointment of persons with disabilities [i.e., intellectual disabilities, severe physical disabilities, or psychiatric disabilities], and/or Disabled Veterans with a compensable service-connected disability of 30% or more. Contact the Agency Contact for information on how to apply under this appointment authority via the Selective Placement Coordinator.

Placement Policy: The posting of this announcement does not obligate management to fill a vacancy or vacancies by promotion. The position may be filled by reassignment, change to lower grade, transfer, appointment, or reinstatement. Management may use any one or any combination of these methods to fill the position.

It is the policy of the VA to not deny employment to those that have faced financial hardships or periods of unemployment.

This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.

Veterans and Transitioning Service Members : Please visit the VA for Vets site for career-search tools for Veterans seeking employment at VA, career development services for our existing Veterans, and coaching and reintegration support for military service members.

For more information on the "Who may apply" eligibility requirements, please refer to the OHRM Status Candidates and Other Candidate Definitions document.

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 here:

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.

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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.

VA supports the use of telework as a way to help attract and retain talented individuals in public service, increase worker productivity, and better prepare the agency to operate during emergencies. This position may be authorized for telework. Telework eligibility will be discussed during the interview process.

Receiving Service Credit or 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.

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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.