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

Criminal Investigator, GS-1811-14 (ED OIG-Wide Only)

Department of Education
Office of Inspector General

Summary

This position is located in the Department of Education, Office of Inspector General, Investigation Services. As the National Training Coordinator (NTC), the incumbent will conduct complex and sensitive investigations and is responsible for planning, implementing and direction of a national training program.

Overview

Help
Accepting applications
Open & closing dates
03/11/2026 to 03/17/2026
Salary
$125,776 to - $163,514 per year

Locality pay will vary based upon the selectee's duty location. A final salary determination will be made upon selection.

Pay scale & grade
GS 14
Location
1 vacancy in the following location:
Location Negotiable After Selection
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
Yes—This position is eligible for situational telework at the discretion of management.
Travel Required
Occasional travel - Travel up to 50% of the time may be required to complete assigned tasks and investigations.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
14
Job family (Series)
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Top Secret
Drug test
Yes
Position sensitivity and risk
Critical-Sensitive (CS)/High Risk
Financial disclosure
Yes - Requires a financial disclosure agreement.
Bargaining unit status
No
Announcement number
OIG-HQ-2026-0009
Control number
860853500

This job is open to

Help

Clarification from the agency

Current U.S. Department of Education, Office of Inspector General employees serving under competitive, permanent appointments; Current U.S. Department of Education, Office of Inspector General employees serving under temporary appointments with reinstatement eligibility.

Duties

Help

Fraud doesn’t stop, and neither do we. We’re the Office of Inspector General, an independent oversight office within the U.S. Department of Education (ED) charged with identifying and preventing fraud, waste, and abuse, and ensuring accountability and effectiveness within ED programs. If you want to help fight fraud and make a difference for America’s students, schools, and taxpayers, we may have the career for you! We offer competitive salaries, opportunities for rapid and substantial salary increases and career growth, great benefits, employee recognition programs, and more.

We’re the U.S. Department of Education (ED) Office of Inspector General (OIG). Often referred to as America’s watchdogs, it’s our job to help ensure that the hard-earned tax dollars that fund ED programs and operations are used as intended by law, achieve the desired results, and reach the intended recipients.

The OIG conducts audits and reviews of issues involving Federal student aid, K–12 schools, charter schools, special education, vocational education, adult education, and more. When our work identifies problems, we propose solutions. Our work has resulted in improvements to ED programs and changes to some of the most important Federal education laws in our country.

We conduct criminal and civil investigations into suspected fraudulent activities by schools, colleges, universities, contractors, subcontractors, school officials—any entity or individual that participates in ED programs or receives ED funding. Through our work, we have unraveled multimillion-dollar fraud schemes by people placed in positions of trust to educate our children. We’re also on the cutting edge of cybersecurity, using the latest technology and techniques to discover and defeat current and emerging threats from cyber and economic crime.

We tackle new and emerging issues head-on and continually work to improve our techniques and capabilities. We consistently expand our expertise by training and developing our staff. This dedication has enabled the OIG to become a leader in the Federal government in the areas of audits, investigations, and fighting cybercrime.

Whether you are just entering the workforce or are a seasoned professional, if you’re looking for a career rather than just a job, and shaping the next generation of American’s tackling tomorrow’s challenges, consider joining our team.

As a Criminal Investigator (NTC), the incumbent will perform the following duties:

  • Plan, implement and guide a national program keeping agents current in training, skills retention, and competencies for a law enforcement organization with minimal oversight.
  • Develop, maintain and update policies and training that conform with the demands of the Attorney General, the Department of Justice and the Council of Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency (CIGIE).
  • Responsible for the IS training program including budget/forecasting, class scheduling and development programs for new agents and supervisors.

Requirements

Help

Conditions of employment

  • You must be a U.S. citizen.
  • May be required to complete a background clearance and fingerprint check.
  • Males 18 and over must be registered with the Selective Service.
  • You may be subject to serve a probationary period.
  • Must possess and maintain a valid state driver's license.
  • Top Secret Clearance is required.
  • Subject to pre-employment and random drug testing.
  • Mobile work is a condition of employment.

Condition of Employment:

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you may be required to serve a probationary period or trial period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider:

  • your performance and conduct;
  • the needs and interests of the agency;
  • whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and
  • whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service.

Upon completion of your probationary period OR trial period your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

You must meet all qualification requirements within 30 days of the closing date of this vacancy announcement.

If you are a current federal employee, you must meet all time-in-grade and time-after competitive appointment qualifications within 30 days of the closing date of this vacancy announcement. To verify that you meet these requirements, we will review your responses to the core eligibility questions on the occupational questionnaire, as well as your submitted resume and required documents. To make an accurate determination, you will need to include on your resume your federal position title, pay plan, occupational series, grade level, agency, dates for which you held the grade level (stated as MM/YYYY to MM/YYYY, OR MM/YYYY to PRESENT), and total hours worked per week. Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community, student, social).

Qualifications

Minimum Qualification Requirements

Specialized Experience for the GS-14 level:

One year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-13 grade level or equivalent public or private sector experience that has equipped you with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the following duties or work assignments below:

  1. Planning and conducting complex criminal, civil and administrative investigations; controlling cases through all stages of the investigative process; preparing comprehensive reports
  2. Experience with budgeting and forecasting, inter-agency agreements, class scheduling, or development programs for new agents and supervisors. 
  3. Briefing management and senior leaders on findings or special projects; and creating effective relationships across multiple entities.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSAs)

The quality of your experience will be measured by the extent to which you possess the following knowledge, skills and abilities (KSAs).  You do not need to provide separate narrative responses to these KSAs as they will be measured by your responses to the occupational questionnaire (you may preview the occupational questionnaire by clicking the link at the end of the Evaluations section of this vacancy announcement).

  1. Ability to provide expert technical advice, guidance, and recommendations to agency management and other senior agents, officers, or inspectors on critical operations; to include making recommendations which change the interpretation of laws, lead to new case law decisions, or influence the development and modification of training regulations and policies for the entire OIG staff.
  2. Mastery of, and skill in applying, theories, concepts, principles, practices, laws, and regulations of criminal investigations including constitutional and statutory laws; investigative procedures and techniques; and specialized investigative techniques sufficient to develop agency-wide policies, procedures, and strategies applicable to use of force legal standards.
  3. Highly developed oral communication and writing skills in order to communicate with managers/supervisors and employees at all levels of the Department to secure training needed for a LE organization laws and regulations and to resolve differences in policy and guidelines for the OIG.

Individual Occupation Requirement (IOR):  Medical Requirements: The duties of positions 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.

Education

Education cannot be substituted for experience for this position and grade level.

Additional information

Veterans’ Career Counseling: If you are a veteran interested in receiving tips on preparing a Federal resume and/or how to prepare for an interview, you may email careers@ed.gov to schedule a session with a career counselor (“Veterans Counseling Session” should be placed in the subject line of the email).

Student Loan Default: If selected for this position, we will verify that you have not defaulted on any loan funded or guaranteed by the U.S. Department of Education. If you are found to be in default, we will contact you to make arrangements for repayment prior to making an official offer of employment.

Suitability and Investigation: If selected for this position, you will be required to complete the Declaration for Federal Employment (OF-306) to determine your suitability for federal employment and successfully complete a pre-appointment investigation/background check.

Employment Drug PolicyApplicants tentatively selected for this position will be required to submit to a urinalysis prior to appointment to screen for illegal drug use and will be subject to periodic random testing thereafter.

Essential/Non-Essential: This position is considered essential for purposes of reporting to work during federal government closures.

Selections: Agencies have broad authority under law to hire from any appropriate source of eligibles and may fill a vacancy in the competitive service by any method authorized. We may make additional selections from this vacancy announcement within 90 days from the date the selection certificates are issued, should vacancies occur. We may also share selection certificates amongst program offices across the agency.

Applicants eligible for selection preference under the Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) must meet the agency definition of "well qualified." At ED-OIG, this means a score of 85.0 or higher.

Applicants must be a minimum age of 21 and not have reached their 37th birthday prior to the opening date of this vacancy announcement. If an applicant reaches his/her 37th birthday during the open period of this vacancy announcement, the application will be considered. Applicants who reach their 37th birthday prior to the opening date of this vacancy announcement will not be considered. Applicants who are currently or previously have been employed under a law enforcement position covered by 5 U.S.C. § 8336(C) or 5 U.S.C. § 8412(D) and applicants with documented veteran's preference are not restricted from applying regardless of age.

Firearms Requirement: Applicants for this position are required to qualify with and use firearms and other weapons as part of assigned duties and to maintain such qualifications. Because of an amendment to 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(9), which became effective September 30, 1996, and is referred to as the Lautenberg Amendment, applicants are ineligible for this position if at ANY time they have been convicted of a misdemeanor or felony crime of domestic violence, unless such conviction was expunged, set aside, or the applicant received a pardon.

Agent Training: Applicant must have satisfactorily completed the Basic Criminal Investigative Training Program at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center in Glynco, Georgia, or its equivalent.

Law Enforcement Availability: Applicants must agree to work an average of two hours extra per day to meet the requirements of law enforcement availability pay (LEAP) as described in Title 5 U.S.C. § 5545A(d)(1).

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

How you will be evaluated

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

We use a multi-step process to review and evaluate applicants:

You will be evaluated based on how well you meet the qualifications listed in this announcement.

Evaluation will be based on your application materials (such as your resume and supporting documents), your responses to the application questionnaire, and the results of all required assessments.

Resume Requirement
Please limit your resume to 2 pages with the font size no smaller than 10 points.  If your resume is more than 2 pages, only the first 2 pages will be reviewed and considered for the qualifications determination. 

Minimum Qualification Question
As part of the application process, you must answer a minimum qualification question addressing whether you meet the Specialized Experience required for this position, as described in this announcement.

Your response must be supported by the experience documented in your resume. If your resume does not demonstrate the required Specialized Experience, you may be found not qualified.

SME Resume Review
Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) will review your resume to determine whether you meet the required Specialized Experience.

SME Structured Interview
You may be invited to participate in a structured interview with one or more Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) to assess the required competencies for the position.

Applicants who successfully pass the assessment(s) may be referred to the Hiring Manager for consideration.

You must complete all required steps in the process, including submitting an application and resume and participating in the structured interview, to be considered for this position.


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.