Clarification from the agency

MERIT PROMOTION (MP) VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENT - Current Federal employees with competitive status; Former Federal employees with reinstatement eligibility; CTAP/ICTAP eligibles; Veterans with VOW, VEOA, or 30% disability; Military Spouses. Those eligible under an OPM interchange agreement.

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Please note: This position has a Selective Placement Factor that must be met and supported by your applicant package.

This position is in the EPA Office of Inspector General (OIG) Office of Investigations (OI). If selected, you will be responsible for planning, directing, and conducting complex investigations of suspected fraud, waste, and abuse, and mismanagement in EPA programs and operations.  You will determine the scope of the investigations, analyze facts and evidence, interview witnesses and subjects, and prepare investigative reports.  You will conduct fraud investigations, which typically involve violations of law, or Agency regulations such as financial fraud, employee misconduct, intrusion into EPA systems and computers, scientific misconduct, impersonation of EPA officials, and theft of EPA property and funds.  Investigative findings may form the basis for criminal or civil prosecution by the Department of Justice; civil action by EPA; withholding funds from a grantee or contractor; administrative personnel action by EPA; or changes in policy by EPA.

This position is designated as a “Primary Position” pursuant to 5 CFR 842.802. Primary duties mean those duties of a position that: (a) Are paramount in influence or weight; that is, constitute the basic reasons for the existence of the position; (b) Occupy a substantial portion of the individual's working time over a typical work cycle; and (c) Are assigned on a regular and recurring basis.

Law Enforcement Officer (LEO): This position is covered by the special retirement provisions for Law Enforcement Officer (LEO). Candidates without previous LEO service must be under age 37. Employees subject to special retirement coverage for law enforcement officers must retire at age 57 upon completing 20 years of law enforcement service under the special retirement provisions for law enforcement officers. If these 20 years of service are not attained at age 57, mandatory retirement is required upon completion of 20 years of service. This age restriction does not apply to those who have previously served in a Federal civilian (not military) law enforcement position covered by Title 5 U.S.C. Section 8336 (c) provisions and preference eligible veterans.

This position is covered by Law Enforcement Availability Pay (LEAP). An additional compensation rate of 25% (subject to statutory limitations) will be added to the locality salary.

The ideal candidate will perform the following duties:  

• Plans, organizes, and conducts complex fraud investigations involving criminal and civil, and administrative violations of laws or regulations in EPA and CSB programs and operations.
• Assesses allegations and identifies investigative steps and resources.
• Analyzes and evaluates facts for evidentiary value.
• Presents findings to supervisors, prosecutors, and other high-level officials.
• Prepare investigative reports that are accurate, clear, and concise.
• Uses specialized investigative techniques to obtain evidence.
• Testifies in court and administrative hearings.
• Interviews witnesses and subjects, administer oaths, obtain statements, carry firearms in the performance of official duties, make arrests, and execute search and seizure warrants.
• Works closely with other personnel within the OIG, EPA, law enforcement organizations, and professional business community in investigating and resolving allegations of criminal, civil, and administrative misconduct.

Conditions of employment

• You must be a U.S. citizen.
• Background Investigation Required.
• Pre-employment physical is required and periodic physicals thereafter.
• Pre-employment drug testing is required and random testing thereafter.
• You must possess a valid drivers license.

You must be at least 21 years of age and not older than 36 at the time of appointment. In accordance with PL 100-238, this position is covered under law enforcement retirements provisions; therefore, you must be appointed before reaching your 37th birthday unless you presently serve or have previously served in a Federal civilian law enforcement retirement-covered position.

Incumbents will be required to carry and use firearms in the performance of their law enforcement duties.

Incumbents will be required to participate in firearms training and qualifications, as well as physical standards and training consistent with Departmental law enforcement requirements.

Lautenberg Notice: Title 18 USC, Section 911 (g), automatically disqualifies anyone who has been convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence from being appointed to this position unless such conviction was expunged, set aside, or the applicant received a pardon.

Work Schedule: The hours are long and irregular. You must be available at all times, to include holidays. You may also be sent on extended temporary duty station assignments away from your assigned office. You may be reassigned to different duty locations throughout the U.S. based on the needs of the Agency.

Applicants must possess a valid state driver's license or be able to operate a Government-owned or leased motor vehicle.

Incumbent will be required to obtain and maintain a top-secret security clearance.

Incumbent must have successfully completed and passed the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center's Criminal Investigator training program (CITP), OR an equivalent and recognized federal law enforcement training program. Your certificate of completion MUST be provided at the time of application.

U.S. citizen; Selective Service registration (if applicable); Top Secret clearance; Pre-employment physical is required and periodic physicals thereafter; Pre-employment drug testing is required and random testing thereafter.

Qualifications

All applicants must have 52 weeks of specialized experience. 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 position to be filled. Experience may have been obtained in either the federal service or its equivalent with state or local government, the private sector, or nongovernmental organizations.

GS-13: You must possess one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-12 level or equivalent band of responsibility in the Federal service to include: 1) ability to plan, conduct, and coordinate complex criminal, civil, and administrative fraud investigations; 2) ability to prepare effective investigative reports and present information to stakeholders in an accurate, concise, and logical manner; 3) knowledge of applicable federal fraud statutes, and rules of criminal and civil procedure; 4) experience in identifying fraud in government programs and operations; and 5) ability to analyze financial information, review datasets, determine the accuracy of data, and summarize findings.

Evidence of the above specialized experience must be supported by detailed documentation of duties performed in positions held. Your resume is the key means we have for evaluating your skills, knowledge, and abilities as they relate to this position. Therefore, we encourage you to be clear and specific when describing your experience. We will not make assumptions regarding your experience or based on job titles alone. If your resume does not support your questionnaire answers, we will not allow credit for your response(s). 

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 representative knowledge and experience in their resume.  Applicants who fail to clearly address this factor in their resume will not receive further consideration.

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). 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. 

Applicants must meet the qualifications for this position within thirty (30) days of 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.

All applicants: Your application will be reviewed in three phases to determine how you move forward in the hiring process.

Phase I: Your resume will be reviewed to determine your technical qualifications for this position based on the required specialized experience. ONLY two (2) pages of your resume will be reviewed. Additional information beyond your resume (e.g., cover letter, links embedded in your resume) will not be reviewed.

Applicants passing “Phase I” will move on to the “Phase II” of the assessment process where your application will be reviewed and rated based on the competencies listed in the vacancy announcement by a Subject Matter Expert (SME). Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g., resume, supporting documents). Applicants who do not respond to the application questions may be rated ineligible. 

Applicants passing “Phase II” of the assessment process will be invited to participate in a structured interview, as part of “Phase III”. A SME panel will conduct the structured interview and assign a score for each of the five required competencies   listed below, based on your responses to the interview questions.

Your will be assessed on the following competencies:

• Knowledge and Conduct of Fraud Investigations
• Written and Oral Communication
• Legal, Government, and Jurisprudence
• Fraud Acumen
• Record and Financial Analysis

NOTE: If you exaggerate or falsify your experience, education and/or your responses to questions, your ratings are subject to change or you may be removed from employment consideration.

Applicants who apply under this job opportunity announcement agree to have their application, associated documents and applicable personal information shared with other Offices within the OIG community who have vacancies with the same occupational series, grade, full performance level and in the same geographic location(s). Applying to this announcement does not replace the need to apply to other job opportunity announcements for which you wish to receive consideration. You may choose to opt in of having your information shared with other agencies when applying for this position. If an agency requests a copy of a certificate, you are on, you will be notified.