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Investigative Assistant

Department of Veterans Affairs
Veterans Affairs, Inspector General
This job announcement has closed

Summary

OIG is organized into seven operational units: the Immediate Office of the Inspector General, Office of the Counselor, Office of Audits and Evaluations, Office of Healthcare Inspections, Office of Investigations, Office of Management and Administration, and Office of Special Reviews. In addition to the Washington, DC, headquarters, OIG has offices located in more than 60 locations throughout the country.

Overview

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Hiring complete
Open & closing dates
02/08/2021 to 02/09/2021
This job will close when we have received 200 applications which may be sooner than the closing date. Learn more
Salary
$43,992 to - $69,953 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 07 - 09
Location
San Antonio, TX
1 vacancy
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Travel Required
25% or less - 25% or less
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Permanent - Full-time
Work schedule
Full-time - Career/Career Conditional
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
09
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Other
Drug test
No
Announcement number
21-VAOIG-103
Control number
591764700

This job is open to

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Clarification from the agency

All candidates who are: Current or former federal employees qualifying as Status Candidates, Federal employees currently serving on a VRA, VEOA eligibles, CTAP/ICTAP eligibles, eligible for special hiring authorities (e.g., the Schedule A appointment for persons with disabilities, or covered by an Interchange Agreement), or VRA eligibles or Land Management employees eligible under Public Law 114-47.

Duties

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OIG’s Office of Investigations (OI) investigates potential crimes and civil violations of law involving VA programs and operations committed by VA employees, contractors, beneficiaries, and other individuals. These investigations focus on a wide range of matters including health care, procurement, benefits, construction, and other fraud; cybercrime and identity theft; bribery, embezzlement, and conflicts of interest; drug offenses; and violent crimes. OI is staffed by special agents, forensic auditors, and other specialized staff in headquarters divisions and regional field offices that use data analytics, cyber-tools, covert operations, and other strategies to detect and address conduct that poses a threat to or has harmed VA personnel, operations, and the veterans or other beneficiaries they serve.  Through criminal prosecutions and civil monetary recoveries, OI's investigations promote integrity, patient safety, efficiency, and accountability within VA.

This Investigative Assistant position is located in San Antonio, TX, in the South Central Region. The following are the duties of this position at the GS-09. If you are selected at a lower grade level, you will have the opportunity to learn to perform all of these duties and will receive training to help you grow in this position.

- Plan, manage, and conduct, independently or as a team member, a preliminary investigation by requesting, collecting, and examining records, such as payroll, email, personnel, reports, correspondence, purchase, travel, iron-port logs, and other data of consequence to the transaction or allegations under investigation.
- Coordinate and assist in obtaining background information from a variety of sources, compile statistical data, prepare subpoenas, transcribe and edit highly technical and confidential investigative memoranda or reports, cross reference, assist with interview preparation, provide a variety of clerical and technical services in support of more complex investigative work, and assist during interviews.
- Conduct research of laws, regulations, policies, internet, background, and data bases, as well as assist investigators in preparing subpoenas and making requests for data from within and outside the Department.
- Create spreadsheets and perform data entry to display and compare collected data.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • Please refer to "Conditions of Employment."
  • Click "Print Preview" to review the entire announcement before applying.
  • Must be U.S. Citizens or U.S. Nationals.

The experience may have been gained in either the public, private sector or volunteer service. One year of experience refers to full-time work; part-time work is considered on a prorated basis. To ensure full credit for your work experience, please indicate dates of employment by month/day/year, and indicate number of hours worked per week on your résumé.

Qualifications

You must meet the following requirements within 30 days of the closing date of this announcement.

Specialized experience: For the GS-09, you must have one year of specialized experience at a level of difficulty and responsibility equivalent to the GS-08grade level in the Federal service. Specialized experience for this position includes: 

- Administrative support. (examples might include coordinating travel arrangements; purchasing supplies; or tracking technical, office, and personal equipment; AND
- Assisting in the preparation of project files and gathering relevant information; AND
- Accessing background information from various data bases.

Specialized experience: For the GS-08, you must have one year of specialized experience at a level of difficulty and responsibility equivalent to the GS-07grade level in the Federal service. Specialized experience for this position includes:  

- Administrative support. (examples might include coordinating travel arrangements; purchasing supplies; or tracking technical, office, and personal equipment for military, VA, other Government agencies or the private sector); AND
- Assisting in the preparation of case files and gathering relevant information; AND
- Accessing background information from various data bases.

Specialized experience: For the GS-07 you must have one year of specialized experience at a level of difficulty and responsibility equivalent to the GS-06grade level in the Federal service. Specialized experience for this position includes: 

- Administrative support (examples might include coordinating travel arrangements; purchasing supplies; or tracking technical, office, and personal equipment for military, VA, other Government agencies or the private sector); AND
- Accessing background information from various data bases.

In addition to the above requirements, you must meet the following time-in-grade requirement, if applicable:
For the GS-09, you must have been at the GS-08level for 52 weeks.
For the GS-08, you must have been at the GS-07level for 52 weeks.
For the GS-07, you must have been at the GS-06level for 52 weeks.

Time After Competitive Appointment: Candidates who are current Federal employees serving on a nontemporary competitive appointment must have served at least three months in that appointment.

Additional information

- We may select from this announcement or any other source to fill one or more vacancies. Applicants who apply for this position may be considered for other positions within the Office of Inspector General that require the same knowledge, skills, and abilities.
- This is a non-bargaining unit position.
- A recruitment incentive may be offered.
- We offer opportunities for flexible work schedules.
- Full-time telework may be temporarily required if space is not currently available at the location chosen by the selectee.  Selectees will be notified prior to their start date if this is necessary.  Telework on a more permanent basis will be determined by management upon completion of all telework requirements and availability needs.

CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT:
- A one year probationary period may be required.
- Public Trust – Background Investigation will be required.
- Must successfully complete a background investigation.
- If you are a male applicant born after December 31, 1959, certify that you have registered with the Selective Service System or are exempt from having to do so.
- Have your salary sent to a financial institution of your choice by Direct Deposit/Electronic Funds Transfer.
- Go through a Personal Identity Verification (PIV) process that requires two forms of identification from the Form I-9.  Federal law requires verification of the identity and employment eligibility of all new hires in the U.S.
- Complete a Declaration for Federal Employment to determine your suitability for Federal employment, at the time requested by the agency.
- Obtain and use a Government-issued purchase card for business-related travel.

How you will be evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

Your application includes your résumé, responses to the online questions, and required supporting documents. Please be sure that your résumé includes detailed information to support your qualifications for this position; failure to provide sufficient evidence in your résumé may result in a “not qualified” determination.

Rating: Your application will be evaluated in the following areas: Problem Solving, Clerical, and Communication skills. Your application will be rated and ranked among others, based on your responses to the online questions, regarding your experience, education, training, performance appraisals and awards relevant to the duties of this position.  Your rating may be lowered if your responses to the online questions are not supported by the education and/or experience described in your application.

Referral: If you are among the top qualified candidates, your application may be referred to a selecting official for consideration.  You may be required to participate in a selection interview and/or a writing assessment. Applicants who are selected for an interview may ask questions about the evaluation process at the time they are contacted for an interview.

If you are a displaced or surplus Federal employee (eligible for the Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP)/Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP)) you must receive a score of 92 or better to be rated as “well qualified" to receive special selection priority.


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