Clarification from the agency

Recent Graduates who have completed within the previous two years a qualifying associates, bachelors, masters, professional, doctorate, vocational or technical degree or certificate from a qualifying educational institution. Veterans precluded from applying within two years due to a military service obligation have up to 6 years from completing their degree to apply.

This position is located in the Department of Health And Human Services, Office of Inspector General, Office of Investigations. As a Criminal Investigator GL-07, the incumbent will:

• Work with supervisor or senior agent for continued training and development in the review and analysis of cases.
• Study assigned material pertinent to cases of alleged or suspected violations of Federal statutes involving fraud against the Government.
• Collaborate in outlining sources and specific information required from within and outside of HHS. Initiate contact and arranges appointment to examine a variety of records and reports, logs, accounting documents, payrolls, correspondence and other data related to transactions, activities or allegations in the investigative process.
• Collaborate with other agents in increasingly more complex cases in interviewing, observing techniques under highly stressful situations, taking notes, and participating in the interviews to obtain specific information and to verify facts.
• Participate with other agents in working with U.S. Attorneys in the preparation of cases for presentation in Federal courts. Accompanies other agents when serving as a witness in the trial of cases, for training in the process and technical aspects required in presenting evidence to support criminal violations of Federal laws.

As a Criminal Investigator GL-09, the incumbent will:

• Plan and conduct a wide variety of investigations and examine readily available data to verify information.
• Contacts Federal, State and local officials, civic and business leaders, officers of lending institutions, and local agencies and authorities, for the purpose of obtaining facts, signed statements, explanation of actions, learning sequence of events and background or related information.
• Determine when sufficient interviews and fact finding have been accomplished to complete the assignment.
• Maintains surveillance over suspect areas as well as private and public employees from readily assessable vantage points to test factual statements, allegations and case variables to draw proper conclusions in matters under investigation.
• Determine kind and number of exhibits and witnesses necessary for direct verification of case material.
• Testifies as required and serves as witnesses in criminal process hearings to verify examination for all records, material and information obtained.
• Collects and classifies pertinent evidence and reports for investigative findings, setting forth therein all necessary evidence of facts, circumstance, and exhibits.

Conditions of employment

• U.S. Citizenship is required.
• Registration with the Selective Service (if applicable).
• Suitability for Federal employment determined by background investigation.
• Must complete a Pathways Participant Agreement.
• Financial Disclosure.
• Valid U.S. Driver License, Medical Examination, and Drug Test.
• If selected, you will be required to sign a Mobility Agreement.
• Age Requirement.

Eligibility

• Recent graduates who have completed, within the previous two years, a qualifying associates, bachelors, masters, professional, doctorate, vocational or technical degree or certificate from a qualifying educational institution.

• Veterans unable to apply within two years of receiving their degree, due to military service obligation, have as much as six years after degree completion to apply.

Training and Development:

• Orientation program for Recent Graduates hired for the program.
• Mentorship throughout the program.
• Individual Development Plan to create and track Recent Graduates' career planning, professional development, and training activities.
• At least 40 hours of formal, interactive training each year of the program.
• Positions offer opportunity for career advancement.

Program Completion and Conversion:

After Program Completion Recent Graduates may be converted to a permanent position (or, in some limited circumstances, a term appointment lasting 1-4 years).

To be eligible for conversion, Recent Graduates must have:

• Successfully completed at least 1-year of continuous service in addition to all requirements of the Program.
• Demonstrated successful job performance.
• Meet the qualifications for the position to which the Recent Graduate will be converted.

Qualifications

Age Requirement: The minimum entry age for this position is 21 years of age and the maximum entry age for this position is 36 years of age (the date of appointment must be no later than the date immediately preceding the 37th birthday) unless you have sufficient prior Federal service in a covered law enforcement position or are a preference-eligible applicant. If you are a preference eligible applicant, you may be eligible for this position after your 37th birthday. You must provide a copy of your (DD-214), Standard Form 15 (SF-15) if applicable, other documentation supporting preference eligibility, and any other documentation pursuant to the instructions in this vacancy announcement to receive consideration as preference-eligible applicant in the hiring process.

This positions are for Recent Graduates (RG) who have completed within the previous two years a qualifying associates, bachelors, masters, professional, doctorate, vocational or technical degree or certificate from a qualifying educational institution. A veteran, as defined in 5 U.S.C. 2108, who due to military service obligation, was precluded from applying to the Recent Graduate Program during any portion of the 2-year eligibility period shall have a full 2-year period of eligibility upon his/her release or discharge from active duty. In no event, may the individuals eligibility period extend beyond 6 years from the date on which the individual completed the requirements of an academic course of study.

This is an excepted service appointment expected to last one year under the OIG Pathways Recent Graduate Program. After the RG successfully completes the one-year developmental program and meets the OPM Qualification Standards for a Criminal Investigator, GS-1811, OIG may non competitively convert the RG to a term or permanent appointment in the competitive service.

Note: Conversion is not guaranteed nor an entitlement and is based on the needs of OIG. At the agency's discretion, this position may allow for promotion eligibility. Upon conversion the Criminal Investigator, GS-1811 has promotion potential to the GS-13 grade level.

Minimum Qualifications:

To qualify for the GL-07 grade level, the applicant must

• Applicants must have at least one full-time year (12 months) of specialized work experience equivalent in difficulty and responsibility to the GL-5 level in the Federal service that demonstrates experience in a trainee capacity where knowledge of basic investigative or analytical techniques and methods are applied to determine case resolution; applying knowledge of investigation laws, rules and regulations; as well applying knowledge of the rules of evidence that's applicable in criminal and non-criminal court cases; OR
• Completion of one full year of graduate level education (18 semester hours) in a related field; OR
• Possess a Bachelor's degree with superior Academic Achievement that is demonstrated through class standing (upper 1/3 of class), grade point average (2.95/4.0 overall or 3.5/4.0 in major); or election to membership in a qualifying national scholastic honor society.

• Applicants must have at least one full-time year (12 months) of specialized work experience equivalent in difficulty and responsibility to the GL-07 level in the Federal service that demonstrates the ability to conduct investigative techniques doing the following: searching public records/databases; interviewing witness/employees to verify facts and obtain specific pieces of information; securing signed statements, affidavits and documentary evidence to be included in reports or case records. In addition the ability to write reports for case records; OR
• Completion of two full academic years of progressively higher level graduate education or Masters or equivalent graduate degree or LLB or JD; OR
• Possess a combination of graduate level education and specialized experience that qualifies. Only graduate education in excess of the first year (18 semester hours) may be combine with experience under this standard.

This position has a Selective Placement Factor that requires applicants to possess experience providing assistance in conducting investigations involving or relating to healthcare fraud in either an academic or work setting.

Experience must be sufficient to demonstrate that the applicant possesses the knowledge, skills, and abilities required to perform the work.

Note: Failure to submit sufficient academic documentation necessary to demonstrate that you meet the eligibility and minimum qualification requirements described in this announcement, deemed you ineligible for further consideration for this vacancy.

Training Requirements: Successful completion of the Criminal Investigator Training Program at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC) or an approved equivalent is required. Must successfully qualify with OI-issued firearms on an approved course of fire and successfully complete OI Control Tactics training program. Appointments to this position will be terminated if all of the above are not satisfactorily completed.

This position authorizes the incumbent to carry a firearm and must meet the Lautenberg Amendment requirements as described in Title 18, USC Section 992 (g). Any person who has been convicted of a felony, a misdemeanor or crime of domestic violence cannot lawfully possess a firearm. The term convicted as defined by the statute, excludes any person whose conviction has been expunged, set-aside, pardoned, or any person whose civil rights have been restored, so long as the restoration does not restrict the shipping, transport, possession or receipt of firearms or ammunition. Candidates who have been convicted of a felony or misdemeanor or crimes of domestic violence within the meaning of the referenced statute are not eligible for this position.

Law Enforcement Retirement: This position meets the eligibility criteria for law enforcement retirement under both the Civil Service Retirement Systems (CSRS) and the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS). Employees covered by either retirement system that reach age 50 or over with a least twenty years of service as a law enforcement officer are qualified for law enforcement retirement. In addition, employees covered by FERS (all new hires to the federal government) of any age with a least twenty-five years of service as a law enforcement officer are qualified for law enforcement retirement. Finally, employees who reach age 57 with a least twenty years of service as a law enforcement officer are subject to mandatory retirement.

This position is approved for Primary Law Enforcement coverage under 5 (USC) 8331 (20) or 5 USC 8401 (17)

You must meet the requirements of the job by 11:59 (Eastern Standard Time) of the closing date: 07/26/2019

How you will be evaluated

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

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

Your eligibility for consideration and qualifications for the position will be determined based upon a review of your detailed application and your responses to job specific self-assessment questions. Your application will be evaluated based on evidence of your ability to demonstrate possession of any specialized experience and how well your background and experience relates to the self-assessment questions in the job announcement.

The self-assessment questions relate to the following Competencies:

• Criminal Investigation
• Decision Making
• Oral Communication
• Problem Solving
• Written Communication

Your responses to the self-assessment questions serve as the basis for your initial rating. You will receive a numerical score based on your responses to these questions. Next, your responses will be evaluated by a Human Resources Specialist and/or a subject matter expert against the information provided in your application. Your resume must support your answers to the self-assessment questions, or your score may be adjusted accordingly which may affect your overall final rating.

Falsifying your background, education, and/or experience is cause for not hiring you or for changing your scored responses to questions you've answered, which may affect your overall final score.

This agency uses Category Rating Procedures. Under Delegated Examining, we will use your responses to the job questionnaire to place you in one of three categories. If you meet the minimum qualifications, you will be placed in one of the following categories:

1. Best Qualified: Applicants possessing a background that demonstrates a superior level of all evaluation criteria.
2. Well Qualified: Applicants possessing a background that demonstrates a satisfactory level of evaluation criteria.
3. Qualified: Applicants possessing the basic qualifications, with general knowledge, skills, and abilities.

The Category Rating Process protects the rights of Veterans by placing them ahead of non-preference eligibles within each category. Preference eligibles who meet qualification requirements and have a compensable service-connected disability of at least 10 percent will be listed at the top of the highest quality category.ouncement.