Clarification from the agency

U.S. citizens or U.S. Nationals; no prior Federal experience is required.

This is an Excepted Service position. This appointment will not confer Competitive Service career-conditional or career tenure status. This means that if you are selected, you would have to compete with other applicants in open competition to meet requirements for another Federal position, unless you meet the requirements for reinstatement. Applicants who voluntarily convert from the competitive service, Senior Executive Service, or other pay systems to a non-time limited appointment under this excepted service authority are not afforded "fallback rights" to the pay system previously assigned prior to conversion.

As a GS-14, Investigator you will:

• Serves as a Counterintelligence (Cl) Officer with the Program Protection Division, which is responsible for providing tailored CI support to select programs and activities to ensure DOE and the U.S. Government most sensitive equities are appropriately safeguarded from foreign threats.
• Ensures all aspects related to CI support to research, development, and acquisition, including the preparation of reports and analytical support documentation, assessments, briefings and testimony on counterintelligence issues including counterintelligence investigations and foreign intelligence threats to DOE personnel and facilities, are conducted within established guidelines.
• Coordinates CI functional services for sensitive DOE programs and develops and recommends corrective actions to senior officials by developing additional sources of intelligence/information from the appropriate intelligence and law enforcement communities concerning the FIE threat to DOE national and technological assets.
• Presents critical sensitive findings that are confidential in nature, sensitive, or controversial to diverse audiences with conflicting goals and objectives. Regularly briefs and provides timely advice and recommendations to the Deputy Director, and the Office Director and other senior Department officials on the course of CI support to sensitive DOE programs and the development and implementation of investigative/operational initiatives.

Conditions of employment

• You must be a U.S. Citizen or National.
• This employer participates in the e-Verify program.
• 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. See www.sss.gov.
• If selected, your appointment may be subject to a suitability or fitness determination, as determined by a completed background investigation.
• If selected, you may be required to complete a one year probationary period.
• This position is not remote, the selectee will be expected to report to the duty station(s) listed. If selected, military spouses, veteran caregivers, and spouses of foreign service employees may be eligible for applicable workplace flexibilities.
• This position has been designated as Special-Sensitive (High Risk) and requires a security clearance at the Q level. The incumbent is required to obtain and maintain this clearance; failure to do so may result in separation from federal service.
• In addition, the incumbent is required to obtain and maintain a Sensitive Compartmented Information (SCI) security clearance prior to entrance on duty; failure to do so may result in separation from federal service.
• The incumbent is required to complete an initial Counterintelligence (CI) evaluation and on a recurring basis, which may include a CI-scope polygraph examination.
• This position is a Testing Designated Position (TDP) subject to applicant testing and random drug testing thereafter. Failure to test or a positive result on random drug tests conducted after appointment may result in removal from Federal employment.
• Situational telework may be approved at the discretion of the supervisor.
• This position is not included in a Bargaining Unit.
• Hiring incentives may be authorized for a highly qualified candidate based on budge availability and in accordance with federal regulations.

Qualifications

SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS: A qualified candidate's online application and resume must demonstrate at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower grade level GS-13 in the Federal service. Specialized experience for this position is defined as meeting 3 out of 4 of the following

1. Developing and implementing strategies to protect critical information against espionage and illicit property acquisition.
2. Collaborating with interagency or external partners to achieve shared security objectives and address complex threats.
3. Providing counterintelligence support for technology protection activities to mitigate risks.
4. Partnering with law enforcement and the intelligence communities on counterintelligence and investigative matters.

"Experience" refers to paid and unpaid experience. Examples of qualifying unpaid experience may include: volunteer work done through National Service programs (such as Peace Corps and AmeriCorps); as well as work for other community-based philanthropic and social organizations. Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills; and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

Limit your resume to no more than two (2) pages. If more than two pages are submitted, only the first two pages will be reviewed to determine your eligibility and qualifications. Your full resume will be made available to the hiring manager if you are referred.

You must meet all qualifications and eligibility requirements by the closing date of this announcement.

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 based on how well you meet the qualifications listed in this vacancy announcement, as demonstrated in your application and your responses to all assessments required for this position. Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application or cheating on the assessment may result in removal from consideration. Responses to assessments must be prepared solely by the applicant. The use of artificial intelligence (AI) tools (e.g., ChatGPT, Gemini, CoPilot) to draft, edit, or generate responses is strictly prohibited and may result in removal from consideration.

The Department of Energy, Office of Intelligence and Counterintelligence uses an application tracking system to evaluate the responses you provide in the applicant assessment questionnaire to determine if you meet the minimum qualifications necessary for this position. Then, the HR Office and/or Subject Matter Expert (SME) will conduct a quality review of your application and supporting documentation to determine if your qualifications meet the criteria for referral to the selecting official. This position is in the excepted service and is being filled in accordance with 50 U.S.C. 3024(v). All candidates that meet all of the minimum requirements of this position as stated in the qualifications section of this vacancy announcement will be referred to the selecting official.

Shared Certificates: The Department of Energy shares lists of applicants among its internal Departmental Elements and organizations. You may be referred for consideration to other DOE Hiring Managers throughout the Department for more than one position based on this application. By applying to this announcement, you understand your application materials may be shared with multiple Hiring Mangers throughout DOE. If additional positions are filled from this announcement conditions of employment may differ. You will be notified if you are referred for additional positions.

You must meet all qualifications and eligibility requirements by the closing date (03/16/2026) of this announcement.

To preview the Assessment Questionnaire, clickhttps://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12897050.