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Investigator (Whistleblower Protection Program)

Department of Labor
Occupational Safety and Health Administration
This job announcement has closed

Summary

Positions will be filled in location listed above for the US Department of Labor, Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), Region I. Vacancies may be filled in any of the above listed locations. Selectees will be expected to report to one of the offices listed above.  This position is inside the bargaining unit. Additional selections may be made from this vacancy.



Overview

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Reviewing applications
Posted 06/16/21
Location
few vacancies in the following locations:
Work site options
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Salary
$55,756 - $86,881 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 11 - 12
Promotion potential
12 - There is no obligation to provide future promotions if you are selected. Promotions are dependent on your ability to perform the duties at a higher level, meet all the performance requirements, and supervisor’s recommendation to the next grade.
Pay scale and grade determines the salary of the job.
Work schedule
Full-Time
Travel Required
25% or less - Infrequent business travel may be required.
Appointment type
Permanent
Occupations and job series
Supervisory status
No
Federal service type
This job is in the Competitive Service
Drug test
No
Security clearance
Other
Position sensitivity and risk
Moderate Risk (MR)
Jobs require a background check and some require a security clearance. The type depends on the job.
Background check type
Announcement number
MS-21-BOS-OSHA-246
Control number
604728500

Duties

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The salary indicated in this announcement is the 2021 General Schedule (GS) Base salary.  The salary will be adjusted to meet the locality pay of the duty location upon selection. For more salary information visit www.opm.gov.

Department of Labor does not negotiate salary.  If you have never worked for the Federal government, your salary will reflect the step 1 rate of the grade level for which you have been selected.

At the GS-11 level, works independently and in a team environment; plans and conducts field investigations by gathering relevant information and conducting interviews.  Writes investigative findings, reports and recommendations; plans and organizes workload to focus attention on priority deadlines that are both internal and external; independently organizes schedule to work on multiple assignments at the same time; and produces finished work products without engendering excessive workload backlogs. Receives complaints, ensuring the information taken is complete and adequate to meet filing requirement for the various statutes enforced by OSHA.  Evaluates and amends the scope of the compliant if the investigation reveals potential violations of additional statutes under the jurisdiction of OSHA. Conducts settlement negotiations with complainants, respondents and/or their legal representatives or other employer/employee representatives for major companies.

At the GS-12 level, the incumbent serves as Subject Matter Expert (SME) for the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), Whistleblower Protection Program (WPP) for the investigation of allegations under a wide variety of complex whistleblower protection statutes. The incumbent provides advice to decision-making officials regarding complex investigations and complaint issues. The incumbent deals regularly with a variety of investigation issues, and/or questions at various OSHA activities. The incumbent operates as a primary interface for the OSHA Whistleblower Protection Program (WPP) and assists in providing mentoring and training to lower graded staff handling WPP investigations.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • Appointment to this position may require a background investigation.
  • Requires a probationary period if the requirement has not been met.
  • Must be at least 16 years old and an U.S. Citizenship.
  • Candidate required to obtain the necessary security/investigation level.
  • Requires a valid drivers license.

Applicants must meet time-in-grade (52 weeks at the next lower level), time-after-competitive-appointment (90 days) and qualifications requirements within 30 calendar days after the closing date of the vacancy to be eligible for consideration for selection.

Federal Employees Please Note: Your SF-50 must include enough information to be able to determine that time-in-grade requirements have been met and reflects your position title, pay plan/series/grade, tenure and the type of appointment (i.e. competitive/excepted). In some cases you may need to submit more than one SF-50.

Reference the "Required Documents" section for additional requirements.

Relocation and/or PCS funds NOT available.

This position is a Non-Sensitive-Moderate Risk position, due to the agency's commitment to the health and safety for workers and the public at large.

A writing sample may be required at the time of interview.

Additional selections can be made from this vacancy at any of the identified locations.  Selectees will be expected to report to the duty station at the location selected for.

Qualifications

Specialized Experience is experience that equipped 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 work of the Investigator.

GS-11: Applicants must have 52 weeks of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level, GS-9, in the Federal Service.

Specialized experience is defined as:

  • Experience evaluating evidence obtained during investigations; AND
  • Negotiating with respondents to reach remedy agreements; AND
  • Making appropriate recommendations for legal remedies through litigation; AND
  • Providing consultation on discrimination statutes.

Education Substitution: For the GS-11 level: 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.

GS-12: Applicants must have 52 weeks of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level, GS-11, in the Federal Service.

Specialized experience is defined as:

  • Experience evaluating evidence obtained during OSHA or State Whistleblower investigations; AND
  • Negotiating with respondents to reach remedy agreements; AND
  • Making appropriate recommendations for legal remedies through litigation; AND
  • Providing consultation on OSHA- or State-enforced discrimination statutes.

Education Substitution: For the GS-12 level: No education substitution.

Education

If you wish to use your education as a basis for meeting the eligibility and/or minimum qualification requirements for this position, you must submit academic transcripts demonstrating that you meet the qualifying educational requirements. If specific course work is required to fulfill the eligibility and/or minimum qualification requirements, you must supply transcripts from each academic institution in which the required courses were taken in order to receive credit for that course work. See the 'Qualifications and Evaluations' section of this announcement for more details.

Any applicant falsely claiming an academic degree from an accredited school will be subject to actions ranging from disqualification from federal employment to removal from federal service.

If your education was completed at a foreign college or university, you must show comparability to education received in accredited educational institutions in the United States and comparability to applicable minimum course work requirements for this position. Click Evaluation of Foreign Education for more information.

Additional information

DOL seeks to attract and retain a high performing and diverse workforce in which employees’ differences are respected and valued to better meet the varying needs of the diverse customers we serve. DOL fosters a diverse and inclusive work environment that promotes collaboration, flexibility and fairness so that all individuals are able to participate and contribute to their full potential. Federal Employees Please Note: Your SF-50 must include enough information to be able to determine that time-in-grade requirements have been met and reflects your position title, pay plan/series/grade, tenure and the type of appointment (i.e. competitive/excepted). In some cases you may need to submit more than one SF-50. Refer to these links for more information: GENERAL INFORMATION, ADDITIONAL DOCUMENTATION, FORMER FEDERAL EMPLOYEES

How you will be evaluated

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

Click here for Evaluation details. For Displaced Employees ONLY: if you meet the eligibility requirements for special priority selection under ICTAP/CTAP, you must be well-qualified for the position to receive consideration for special priority selection. ICTAP/CTAP eligibles will be considered "well-qualified" if they attain at least a rating score of 85.0 in a numerical rating scheme. Be sure to review DOL Account Eligibility Questions #24 to reflect that you are applying as a ICTAP or CTAP eligible and submit supporting documentation.

Evaluation Factors (Competencies) - All qualified applicants will be evaluated on the following key competencies:

Influencing/Negotiating: Persuades others to accept recommendations, cooperate, or change their behavior.

Writing: Uses correct English grammar, punctuation, and spelling.

Interpersonal Skills: Shows understanding, friendliness, courtesy, tact, empathy, concern, and politeness to others.

Reasoning: Identifies rules, principles, or relationships that explain facts, data, or other information.

Legal, Government, and Jurisprudence: Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, legal practices and documents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, government organization and functions.

Self Management: Sets well-defines and realistic personal goals.

Problem Solving: Identifies problems; determines accuracy and relevance of information.

Oral Communication: Expresses information to individuals or groups effectively, taking into account the audience and nature of the information.

The information you provide may be verified by a review of your work experience and/or education, by checking references and through other means (ex. interview). Your evaluation may also include a review by an HR Specialist or panel and may include other assessment tools (ex. interview, structured interview, written test, work sample, etc). The examining Human Resources Office (HRO) makes the final determination concerning applicant ratings. Your resume MUST provide sufficient information to substantiate your vacancy question responses. If not, the HRO may amend your responses to more accurately reflect the level of competency indicated by the content of your resume.


To preview questions please click here.

Occupational Safety and Health Administration

Agency contact information

Erin McKenna
Phone
617-788-2810
Email
McKenna.erin.e@dol.gov
Address
Labor, Occupational Safety and Health Admin
OHR Branch D
Boston, Massachusetts 02203
United States

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https://www.dol.gov/general/jobs/vacancy-information#marketing-statement

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