Skip to main content
U.S. flag
Back to results

Criminal Investigator

Department of Transportation
Office of Inspector General
This job announcement has closed

Summary

This office works within DOT to detect and prevent waste, fraud and abuse in departmental programs. The OIG reports to the Secretary and Congress and carries out its mission by issuing audit reports, evaluations, and management advisories with findings and recommendations to improve program delivery and performance. It conducts investigations into whether Federal laws and regulations were followed and reports suspected civil and criminal violations to the Attorney General.

Overview

Help
Reviewing applications
Open & closing dates
08/03/2023 to 08/08/2023
This job will close when we have received 350 applications which may be sooner than the closing date. Learn more
Salary
$51,241 to - $101,055 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 07 - 11
Locations
Few vacancies in the following locations:
Woburn, MA
King of Prussia, PA
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Travel Required
25% or less - Travel required at least 25% of the time.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
13
Job family (Series)
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Secret
Drug test
Yes
Announcement number
Reg 1-2023-0010
Control number
741371600

This job is open to

Help

Clarification from the agency

Current Federal employees serving under a career or career-conditional appointment in the competitive service; applicants with reinstatement eligibility; applicants eligible for appointment under special appointing authorities; special selection priority consideration under either the Career Transition Assistance Program or Interagency Transition Assistance Program for well-qualified displaced or surplus candidates

Duties

Help

If selected for this position, you will be responsible for planning, directing and conducting complex investigations of suspected fraud, waste, and abuse, and mismanagement in programs of DOT, as well as a variety of proactive investigations, including fraud prevention and detection surveys. You will determine the scope and depth of the investigation, analyze and evaluate evidence; and on the basis of findings, prepare investigative reports. Investigations require frequent travel and may occasionally require undercover and surveillance work. Investigations will typically involve violations of the Department's programs and regulations with respect to contract and grant fraud, illegal transportation of hazardous materials, aviation safety, and motor carrier safety. Results of investigations may form the basis for criminal or civil prosecution by the Department of Justice; withholding funds from a state or grantee; administrative personnel actions by DOT; or changes in practices and/or procedures by DOT.

Requirements

Help

Conditions of employment

  • U.S. Citizen.
  • Pre-employment drug testing and physical examination are required.
  • You must meet the specialized experience to qualify.
  • Successful completion of a background security investigation.
  • Must possess and maintain a valid state DL to operate a motor vehicle.
  • Required documents must be submitted by the closing date.

CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT:

Selectee must relocate and fully reside within 60 miles from the Woburn or King of Prussia office by the official hire date.

(continued under 'Other Information')

Qualifications

To qualify at the GS-07 grade level, you must have one year of specialized experience at least to the GS-05 grade level in the Federal service. Specialized experience for this position includes:

  • work in a trainee capacity or other position where knowledge of basic investigative or analytical techniques and methods was applied to determine case resolution. 

OR, one full year of graduate level education in a related field.

OR, Superior Academic Achievement (S.A.A.): S.A.A. is based on (1) class standing, (2) grade-point average, or (3) honor society membership.

  1. Class standing -- Applicants must be in the upper third of the graduating class in the college, university, or major subdivision, such as the College of Liberal Arts or the School of Business Administration, based on completed courses.
  2. Grade-point average (G.P.A.)-- Applicants must have a grade-point average of:
    1. 3.0 or higher out of a possible 4.0 ("B" or better) as recorded on their official transcript, or as computed based on 4 years of education, or as computed based on courses completed during the final 2 years of the curriculum; or
    2. 3.5 or higher out of a possible 4.0 ("B+" or better) based on the average of the required courses completed in the major field or the required courses in the major field completed during the final 2 years of the curriculum.

    Grade-point averages are to be rounded to one decimal place. For example, 2.95 will round to 3.0 and 2.94 will round to 2.9.

    The G.P.A should be credited in a manner that is most beneficial to the applicant. For example, applicants may list their G.P.A. as recorded on their final transcript, or they may choose to compute their G.P.A. The specific provisions are detailed below:

    • G.P.A. as recorded on the final transcript. The final transcript must cover the period being used to determine G.P.A., i.e., all 4 years or last 2 years.
    • G.P.A. including course work after bachelor's degree. Undergraduate course work obtained after an applicant has received a bachelor's degree can be credited in computing the G.P.A. of applicants who need those courses to meet minimum qualification requirements, i.e., the courses are required by the standard or by the individual occupational requirement. They are treated as described in the following example:
      • An applicant for a Biologist position has a bachelor's degree that included no biology course work, but has taken 24 semester hours in undergraduate biology courses after obtaining the bachelor's degree. The grades earned in the biology courses should be included in the computation to determine this applicant's eligibility for GS-7 under the Superior Academic Achievement provision. These courses should be counted in determining (1) the overall grade-point average, (2) the average obtained during the final 2 years of the undergraduate curriculum, and/or (3) the average in the major field of study. For purposes of this example, biology would be considered the major field of study.
    • G.P.A. excluding pass/fail courses. Applicants usually cannot claim credit based on their overall G.P.A. if more than 10 percent of their total credit was based on pass/fail or similar systems rather than on traditional grading systems. However, if they can document that only their freshman-year courses (25 percent or less of their total credit) were credited on a pass/fail or similar system, they can use their overall G.P.A. to claim Superior Academic Achievement. If 10 percent or fewer credits or only freshman-year courses were based on pass/fail or similar systems, such credits can be ignored and the G.P.A. computed on the graded courses. Applicants can, however, still claim credit based on their last 2 years if 10 percent or fewer credits were based on pass/fail or similar systems. Applicants who cannot claim credit under the G.P.A. requirements may claim credit for superior academic achievement only on the basis of class standing or honor society membership.
  3. Election to membership in a national scholastic honor society -- Applicants can be considered eligible based on membership in one of the national scholastic honor societies listed below. These honor societies are listed by the Association of College Honor Societies (external link). Agencies considering eligibility based on any society not included in the following list must ensure that the honor society meets the minimum requirements of the Association of College Honor Societies. Membership in a freshman honor society cannot be used to meet the requirements of this provision.

To qualify at the GS-09 grade level, you must have one year of specialized experience at least to the GS-07 grade level in the Federal service. Examples of specialized experience includes:

  • experience with document reviews, interviews, preparing written materials and reports;
  • experience with researching legal documents and/or interviewing witnesses to verify facts and obtain specific pieces of information;
  • securing signed statements, affidavits and documentary evidence;
  • completing case reports for case records

OR, a Masters or equivalent graduate degree,

OR two full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree, or LL.B or J.D., if related.

You can also qualify based on a combination of graduate education and experience.

GS-11:To qualify at the GS-11 grade level, you must have one year of specialized experience at a level of difficulty and responsibility equivalent to the GS-9 grade level in the Federal service. Examples of specialized experience includes:

  • experience conducting investigations and research;
  • conducting subject-matter expert interviews;
  • gathering documents and background information;
  • conducting sophisticated document reviews;
  • experience utilizing various investigative techniques to establish interrelationships of facts or evidence

OR, Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree,

OR, three full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree or LL.M., if related.

NOTE: All applicants who do not currently, or have in the past worked as a GS-1811 Criminal Investigator in a federal OIG office must clearly demonstrate in their on-line application, possession of the experience. Applicants who fail to clearly and specifically address this factor in their on-line application will not receive further consideration for the announcement.

Applicants must meet qualification requirements by the closing date of this announcement.

Additional information

Conditions of Employment Continued:

MEDICAL REQUIREMENTS- The duties of this position in this series require moderate to arduous physical exertion involving walking and standing, use of firearms, and exposure to inclement weather. Manual dexterity with comparatively free motion of finger, wrist, elbow, shoulder, hip, and knee joints is required. Arms, hands, legs, and feet must be sufficiently intact and functioning in order that applicants may perform the duties satisfactorily. Sufficiently good vision in each eye, with or without correction, is required to perform the duties satisfactorily. Near vision, corrective lenses permitted, must be sufficient to read printed material the size of typewritten characters. Hearing loss, as measured by an audiometer, must not exceed 35 decibels at 1000, 2000, and 3000 Hz levels. Since the duties of these positions are exacting and responsible, and involve activities under trying conditions, applicants must possess emotional and mental stability. Any physical condition that would cause the applicant to be a hazard to himself/herself, or others is disqualifying

Applicants must not turn 37 years of age before 30 days after the closing date of this announcement. If you are age 37 through 56 you must be eligible to retire at age 57 with 20 years of covered law enforcement service. All qualified veterans preference eligibles may apply and be considered for this vacancy regardless of whether they meet the maximum age requirements identified at 5 U.S.C 3307.

You will be required to satisfactorily complete the criminal investigator training course at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center if selected and not yet completed.

Applicants who have already successfully completed the basic Criminal Investigator Training Program at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center or its equivalent will be given higher consideration for this position.

You will be required to qualify and maintain qualification to carry and use government-owned firearms. You are ineligible for this position if you have been convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence, unless the conviction was expunged, set aside, or you received a pardon. In most jurisdictions, you must be at least 21 years of age to carry a firearm.

This position is eligible for Law Enforcement Availability Pay (LEAP).

THIS ANNOUNCEMENT MAY BE USED TO FILL ADDITIONAL LIKE VACANCIES IN THE ANNOUNCED DUTY LOCATION.

This is a primary position that meets the early law enforcement retirement provisions of both the Civil Service and the Federal Employees Retirement Systems.

Best qualified candidates will be responsible for arranging and paying for their own travel expenses in conjunction with any required interviews, unless they are already employed by the Office of Inspector General at the U. S. Department of Transportation.

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.

Applicants will be rated on the extent and quality of experience, education, and training relevant to the duties of the position. Applicants who meet the qualification requirements will be further evaluated on their responses to the on-line announcement questions.

Eligible applicants will receive a numerical rating based on their responses to the application questions for this position submitted on-line via WWW.USAJOBS.GOV. These responses must be substantiated by your on-line resume. Applicants who do not respond to the application questions may be rated ineligible.

TIME-IN-GRADE (TIG): Federal applicants must have served 52 weeks at the next lower grade to satisfy time-in-grade restrictions contained in 5 CFR 300, Subpart F. TIG requirements must be met by the closing date of this announcement.

THIS AGENCY PROVIDES REASONABLE ACCOMMODATIONS TO APPLICANTS WITH DISABILITIES. IF YOU NEED A REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION FOR ANY PART OF THE APPLICATION AND HIRING PROCESS, PLEASE NOTIFY THE AGENCY. THE DECISION ON GRANTING REASONABLE ACCOMMODATIONS WILL BE ON A CASE-BY-CASE BASIS. ALL APPLICANTS WILL RECEIVE CONSIDERATION REGARDLESS OF RACE, COLOR, RELIGION, GENDER, SEXUAL ORIENTATION, NATIONAL ORIGIN, AGE, POLITICAL AFFILIATION, UNION AFFILIATION OR NON AFFILIATION, MARITAL STATUS, NON- DISQUALIFYING PHYSICAL HANDICAP, OR ANY OTHER NON-MERIT REASON. THE OFFICE OF INSPECTOR GENERAL (OIG), U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION (DOT) IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER.

It is the policy of the Government not to deny employment simply because an individual has been unemployed or to find an individual unqualified, unsuitable, or unfit for employment based upon financial difficulties that have arisen through no fault of the individual. Information about an individual's employment experience should be used only to determine the person's qualifications and to assess his or her relative level of knowledge, skills, and abilities. Although an individual's personal conduct may be relevant in any employment decision, including conduct during periods of unemployment or evidence of dishonesty in handling financial matters, financial difficulty that has arisen through no fault of the individual will generally not itself be the basis of unfavorable suitability or fitness determination.

Applicants who have successfully completed the basic Criminal Investigator Training Program at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center or its equivalent will be given higher consideration for this position.

The Human Resources Office is ultimately responsible for determining your final rating. Please ensure that your resume and application provide enough detail to support your answers to the Vacancy Specific Questions.


You may preview questions for this vacancy.

Your session is about to expire!

Your USAJOBS session will expire due to inactivity in 8 minutes. Any unsaved data will be lost if you allow the session to expire. Click the button below to continue your session.