Investigative Specialist

Summary

The Office of the Inspector General is one of the best places to work in the Department of Justice and is one of the premier inspector general offices in federal government. The Investigations Division (INV) investigates alleged criminal violations and misconduct that govern DOJ employees, operations, grantees, and contractors. Annually INV receives more than 13,000 complaints, opens approximately 250 investigations, and makes an average of over 90 arrests.

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Duties

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This position falls under the direction of the Investigations Division, Dallas Office.

If you are selected as an Investigative Specialist, your responsibilities would include, but would not be limited to::

• Apply regulations, policies, and directives pertaining to OIG complaints and investigative programs.
• Manage department employee misconduct allegation referral, mail, OIG Hotline, and OIG-generated complaints directed to assigned Region Office location.
• Responsible for providing support in the receipt and processing of allegations, documenting the allegations, entering the allegations into the Division's complaint/case management system.
• Research investigative data and/or verify related information using varies criminal databases to develop background information; tracking and compiling criminal history, statistics, and reports.
• Conduct overall quality control over the office's complaint mailbox, complaint entry, complaint archiving, complaint handling, complaint processing, case opening, component complaint notification, and complainant acknowledgement systems and procedures for the office and ensure the work is being completed and procedures are properly followed by other support staff.
• Utilize and train new staff on criminal investigative systems such as the National Crime Information Center (NCIC), National Law Enforcement Telecommunications Systems (NLETS), or other commercially-available systems (e.g., Lexis-Nexis).
• Perform investigative support responsibilities such as coordinating victim-witness matters, ensuring appropriate handling of grand jury material, accessing and retrieving data from law enforcement databases/systems.
• Serve as the Special Operations Support account cashier, and field vehicle coordinator.
• Analyze and evaluate criminal case information including incomplete background facts, research records, and compiles information for reports.
• Support the onboarding and separation of office staff, to include requesting new staff digital account creation, ensuring annual certifications are in place, property distribution or collection, and various other administrative tasks.
• Perform administrative duties to include, but not limited to, procurement, property, travel and time & attendance coordinator.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

• You must be a U.S. Citizen or National.
• You must be able to obtain and maintain a Top Secret security clearance.
• You must be registered for the Selective Service, if applicable.
• You must successfully pass and are subject to random drug screenings.
• You must meet all qualification requirements by the closing date of this announcement.
• You may be subject to a probationary period.
• You must complete the Vacancy Announcement Questionnaire in USAjobs in order to be considered for this position.
• You must complete the USAHire Questionnaire in order to be considered for this position.

Qualifications

To qualify for this position at the GS-11 grade level, you must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-09 grade level obtained in the Federal or public sector. (Specialized experience is paid or unpaid experience which has equipped you with the specific knowledge, skills, and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position.) Examples of specialized experience include such duties as: receiving, processing and preparing complaints for the investigative process; conducting complaint inquiries and recommending appropriate actions to inquires; compiling investigative data from law enforcement sources; and verifying case related information through the use of electronic criminal investigative systems.

To qualify for this position at the GS-12 grade level, you must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-11 grade level obtained in the Federal or public sector. (Specialized experience is paid or unpaid experience which has equipped you with the specific knowledge, skills, and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position.) Examples of specialized experience include such duties as: independently performed processing, analyzing and preparing complaints for the investigative process; searching and gathering a broad range of investigative data from a wide variety of law enforcement sources; verifying case related information through the use of electronic criminal investigative systems and preparing statistical investigative reports for senior level managers.

Time in Grade Requirement: Applicants who have held a General Schedule (GS) position within the last 52 weeks must have 52 weeks of Federal service at the next lower grade level (or equivalent).

Education

GS-11: 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, may be substituted for experience. Schools must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.Accreditation may be verified at the following website:

NOTE : Equivalent combinations of education and experience are qualifying for all grade levels for which both education and experience are acceptable.

To qualify based on education, you must upload or fax a copy of your college or university transcripts or certificates at time of application. Failure to do so will result in loss of consideration.

All academic degrees and coursework must be completed at a college or university that has obtained accreditation or pre-accreditation status from an accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. For a list of schools that meet this criteria, see For foreign education, see:

** PROBATIONARY INFORMATION:

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you may be required to serve a 1-year probationary or 2-year trial periodduring 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 or trial periodyour employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

The Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP)/Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP). The CTAP/ICTAP provides eligible displaced Federal competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. If your agency has notified you in writing that you are a displaced employee eligible for CTAP/ICTAP consideration, you may receive selection priority if: 1) this vacancy is within your CTAP/ICTAP eligibility; 2) you apply under the instructions in this announcement; and 3) you are found well-qualified for this vacancy. To be well qualified, you must satisfy all qualification requirements for the vacant position and (for scored examining) score 85 or better on established ranking criteria OR (for category rating criteria) rate equivalent to the Highly Qualified or better category using established category rating criteria. You must provide proof of eligibility with your application to receive selection priority. Such proof may include a copy of your written notification of CTAP/ICTAP eligibility or a copy of your separation personnel action form. Additional information about CTAP/ICTAP eligibility is at:

Additional information

DOJ EEO Statement/Policy: the federal agency whose mission is to ensure the fair and impartial administration of justice for all Americans, the Department of Justice is committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive work environment. To build and retain a workforce that reflects the diverse experiences and perspectives of the American people, we welcome applicants from the many communities, identities, races, ethnicities, backgrounds, abilities, religions, and cultures of the United States who share our commitment to public service.

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 and Americans with Disabilities Act 1990 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. 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:

Veterans Employment Opportunity Act (VEOA): VEOA allows eligible veterans to apply and compete for positions announced under merit promotion procedures when the hiring agency is recruiting from outside its own workforce. To be eligible for a VEOA appointment, a veteran must be honorably separated and either a preference eligible or have substantially completed three (3) or more years of continuous active military service. If you are applying for a Merit Promotion announcement and wish to be considered under the VEOA, you must submit a copy of the Member Copy 4 of your DD-214, in addition to any other required documents listed on this announcement.

Selective Service: If you are a male applicant born after December 31, 1959, you must certify that you have registered with the Selective Service System, or are exempt from having to do so under the Selective Service Law. Additional information is found at:

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.

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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.