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Criminal Investigator - Direct Hire

Social Security Administration
Office of Inspector General, Office of Investigations

Summary

Positions under this announcement are being filled using a Direct Hire Authority (DHA), open to all U.S. citizens. Selections made under this bulletin will be processed as new appointments to the civil service. Current civil service employees would be given new appointments to the civil service. Under the provisions of the DHA, veteran's preference in selection does not apply.

Overview

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Accepting applications
Open & closing dates
03/27/2026 to 04/03/2026
Salary
$106,437 - $138,370 per year

View salary for each location under "Additional Information" | Selectee will also receive 25% Law Enforcement Availability Pay (LEAP) in addition.

Pay scale & grade
GS 13
Locations
Many vacancies in the following locations:
Jacksonville, FL
Miramar, FL
Des Moines, IA
Lexington, KY
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
No
Travel Required
Occasional travel - You may be expected to travel for this position.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
None
Job family (Series)
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Top Secret
Drug test
Yes
Position sensitivity and risk
Critical-Sensitive (CS)/High Risk
Trust determination process
Financial disclosure
Yes
Bargaining unit status
No
Announcement number
SSA 12882419-26-DHA-OIG
Control number
862533000

Duties

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  • Responsible for conducting and coordinating difficult and sensitive investigations related to fraud, waste, abuse and mismanagement in Agency programs and operations.
  • Independently conducts criminal investigations and determines the scope of investigations based on guidance from supervisory criminal investigators, subject matter experts, auditors,
  • (Cont'd) Office of Counsel to the Inspector General attorneys or other personnel in the investigative process.
  • Plans, coordinates, and initiates contacts with Federal, State, local officials, and other key officials related to matters under investigation for the purpose of obtaining facts,
  • (Cont'd) signed statements, explanation of actions, and conducting surveillance.
  • Plans and conducts interviews with suspects, witnesses, and informants in case development.
  • Develops the full breadth and depth of planning and conducting surveillance of a suspect or various groups of suspects. Serves as the key coordinator for all activities and participants involved in the surveillance.
  • Prepares interim and comprehensive final investigative reports for prosecutive and management official and maintains investigative files in a professional, organized manner in order that all pertinent information will be readily available.
  • Testifies before grand juries, courts, or administrative hearings on facts of investigative cases.
  • Plans and coordinates the investigative activities of lower graded criminal investigators assigned to assist on extremely complex and sensitive investigations.
  • Selectee will be required to pass firearms qualification and may be required to carry a firearm

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • U.S. Citizenship required.
  • Selective Service Registration: 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
  • Fingerprinting and background and/or security investigation may be required.
  • Job offers are contingent on fingerprinting and background / security investigation results.
  • Federal employees must be in good standing.
  • Selectees may be required to serve a 1-year probationary period.
  • All application materials must be received by the closing date.
  • Requests for copies of application documents will not be accepted.
  • All application forms submitted become the property of SSA Human Resources.
  • This position is designated as mobile work. Mobile work means work that is characterized by routine and regular travel to conduct work in customer or other worksites as opposed to a single authorized alternative worksite such as a home or office.
  • Selectees may be required to sign a mobility agreement.
  • Candidates will not be hired based on their race, sex, color, religion or national origin
  • Complete the initial online assessment and USA Hire Assessment, if required

Qualifications

Resumes exceeding two pages in length will not be considered, please visit the new resume guidance for more information.

HOW TO QUALIFY
: Eligible applicants must meet the following qualification requirements

Specialized Experience: Applicants must have 52 weeks of specialized experience at the GS-12 level, or equivalent, which is in or related to the work of the position to be filled and has equipped applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position. Such experience includes One of the following:

(1) Leading and managing a personal caseload containing multiple independent criminal investigations;
(2) Testifying during criminal judicial proceedings (for example, grand jury, evidentiary hearings, trials);
(3) Coordinating with prosecutors to present cases for prosecution, determine legal courses of action, or prepare for legal proceedings..

Qualification requirements must be met by the closing date of this announcement.

Additionally, the Law Enforcement (1811) series has the following qualification requirements:

  • Tentative selectee(s) must pass a pre-appointment physical examination. 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, 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 themselves or others is disqualifying.
  • Tentative selectee(s) will be required to submit to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment unless currently an SSA employee occupying a position already in a random drug testing program. Appointment to the position is contingent upon a negative test result. After appointment the employee will be included in the agency's random drug test program.
  • This position is subject to the Lautenberg Amendment/Domestic Violence Misdemeanor Amendment to the Gun Control Act of 1968.
  • The selected employee will not be made a final offer of employment until after we receive notice of a successful background investigation, drug test, and medical physical.
  • Selectee will be required to pass firearms qualification and may be required to carry a firearm.
  • The selectee will be required to attend a course of instruction on the proper use of Oleoresin Capsicum spray (OCS), which is the oily resin of pepper. This instruction includes being exposed to OCS so that knowledge of its effects can be gained.
  • This position is covered by the special retirement provision for Federal Law Enforcement Officers (FLEO). Selectee without previous FLEO service must be at least 21 years of age and not yet 37 years of age or older on the date of appointment.
  • Selectee newly assigned to the Criminal Investigator position MUST successfully complete the 12-week Criminal Investigator Program training course at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC), Glynco, Georgia.
  • This position is designated as a mobile work position. Mobile work means work that is characterized by routine and regular travel to conduct work in customer or other worksites as opposed to a single authorized alternative worksite such as a home or office. It is different from telework and/or remote work. Examples of mobile work include site audits, site inspections, investigations, property management, and work performed while commuting, traveling between worksites, or on Temporary Duty (TDY).
  • Selectee must sign a mobility agreement to accept relocation to other geographic locations if required by the agency.

Education

There is no educational requirement for this position.

Additional information

To find out the salary range for your selected location, you can view the salary for each locality pay table here: General Schedule

Available locations:
Des Moines, Iowa
Cincinnati, Ohio
Memphis, Tennessee
Salt Lake City, Utah
Columbia, South Carolina,
Jacksonville, Florida,
Lexington, Kentucky,
Miramar, Florida,
New York, New York
Boston, Massachuetts

Additional selections may be made for this vacancy six months from the closing date of this announcement. This Direct Hire announcement may be used to fill the same or similar position in another office.

Veteran's preference does not apply under this Direct Hire Authority.

This is a non-bargaining unit position

Selective Service: 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.

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you may be required to serve a 1-year probationary 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 your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

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.

Please make sure you answer all questions and follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your evaluation. To preview the questions, click the following link: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12882419

The evaluation you receive is based on your responses to the online assessments completed during the application process. You will be assessed on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics):

  • Knowledge of the laws, principles, and procedures used in apprehending a criminal suspect, including policies for pursuit and reasonable use of force.
  • Knowledge of the guidelines, regulations, and procedures associated with managing an investigation; knowledge of how to develop, coordinate, execute, monitor, and evaluate an investigative process to ensure a successful outcome.
  • Knowledge of Federal, State, local, and tribal criminal laws, including procedures, regulations, and guidelines governing investigations and prosecution.
  • Knowledge of laws, policies, and techniques related to interviewing individuals, including advice of rights (e.g., Miranda, Kalkines, Garrity).
  • Knowledge of methods for gathering information to make determinations, developing new sources of information, analyzing information, and drawing factual inferences.
  • knowledge of laws, regulations, policies, and procedures for conducting criminal, civil, or administrative investigations.

The assessment includes a cut score based on the minimum level of required proficiency in these critical general competencies. You must meet or exceed the cut score to be considered. You will not be considered for the position if you score below the cut score or fail to complete the assessment.
Please make sure you answer all questions and follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your evaluation. Cheating on the online assessment may result in your removal from consideration.

Social Security Administration

Agency contact information

Careers at SSA
Email
Careers@ssa.gov
Address
OIG
6401 Security Boulevard
Baltimore, MD 21235
US

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http://www.ssa.gov/careers

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