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Criminal Investigator (U.S. Foreign Service)

U.S. Agency for International Development
Office of Inspector General

Summary

By law, this Office of Inspector General has continued oversight responsibility for United States funded foreign assistance activities across multiple agencies, to include the Millennium Challenge Corporation, the Inter-American Foundation, the US African Development Foundation, USAID and the Department of State. Responsibilities may additionally include oversight of and/or oversight coordination for foreign assistance programs with other interagency partners throughout the US Government.

Overview

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Accepting applications
Open & closing dates
04/01/2026 to 04/13/2026
This job will close when we have received 100 applications which may be sooner than the closing date. Learn more
Salary
$90,061 - $132,258 per year

Position is eligible for Law Enforcement Availability Pay (LEAP)

Pay scale & grade
FS 4
Location
Many vacancies in the following location:
Washington, DC
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Travel Required
50% or less - Position requires frequent travel to domestic and overseas locations.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Permanent - Under the Foreign Service Act of 1980, as amended, Chapter 3, SEC. 306. (a)(1)(2)
Work schedule
Full-time - EOD location will be Washington, DC. Selectee(s) will be reassigned to worldwide locations.
Service
Excepted
Promotion potential
1 - FS-01 - (Foreign Service employees must meet eligibility requirements established for their class to get consideration for the next class level.)
Job family (Series)
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Sensitive Compartmented Information
Drug test
Yes
Position sensitivity and risk
Special-Sensitive (SS)/High Risk
Trust determination process
Financial disclosure
Yes
Bargaining unit status
No
Announcement number
OIG-26-FS-12910739-GT
Control number
863304400

This job is open to

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Clarification from the agency

All qualified U.S. Citizens.

Duties

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As a criminal investigator in the foreign service, you will:

  • Conduct multi-faceted and/or multi-jurisdictional criminal, civil, and administrative investigations.
  • Plan, conduct and coordinate sensitive and significant domestic and overseas criminal investigations affecting the integrity and efficiency of USAID, ADF, IAF and MCC activities and personnel in an assigned geographic region.
  • Plan, organize or direct investigations, determine scope and possible ramifications, develop methods, procedures and techniques to be followed. Conduct research, data collection and analysis of information related to programs and projects that are subject to investigative oversight
  • Oversee the gathering and development of technical/administrative evidence relating to phases of investigations, and utilize a broad range of investigative techniques such as interviews, subpoenas, search warrants, electronic surveillance, financial analysis, document examination and the use expert witnesses.
  • Lead teams or work directly with employees and other federal agencies' experts to complete investigations.
  • Prepare investigative reports and other written documentation for action officials, Congress, prosecutorial bodies and OIG management.
  • Brief and advise management/leadership, congressional staffers, prosecutors and law enforcement teams on various investigative matters/results.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • U.S. Citizenship required
  • Must be able to obtain and maintain a Top Secret security clearance with access to Sensitive Compartmented Information (TS/SCI)
  • International and overnight travel will be required
  • Registration with the Selective Service System is required, if applicable
  • Designated and/or random drug testing required
  • Males born after 12/31/1959, must be registered with the Selective Service.
  • Must be able to obtain an appropriate Foreign Service Medical Clearance - Prior to being hired to the Foreign Service, applicants must have a thorough medical examination and receive an unlimited medical clearance for assignment worldwide.
  • Must agree to work an annual 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).
  • Must be proficient in the use of assigned firearms/weapons, pass an initial qualification, and must continually qualify in the use of firearms/weapons
  • You may be required to serve a one-year probationary period.
  • Relocation expenses are not authorized on initial appointment.
  • Must possess and maintain a valid state driver's license.
  • Must meet the Lautenberg Amendment to the Gun Control Act of 1968. Persons convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence are not eligible for this position.
  • Subject to pre-employment Law Enforcement Medical Examination

Qualifications

MEDICAL REQUIREMENTS: The duties of this position require moderate to arduous physical exertion involving walking and standing, use of firearms, and exposure to inclement weather. Manual dexterity with comparatively free range of motion of fingers, wrists, elbows, shoulders, hips, and knee joints are 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 this position 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 be at least 21 years of age at the time of appointment. Applicants that have no prior series 1811 criminal investigator experience must meet the maximum age for entry into a covered position which is the date immediately preceding the applicant's 37th birthday and must be able to retire at the mandatory age of 57 years with 20 years of service as an 1811 criminal investigator. Hiring exceptions may be made for certain eligible veterans.

To qualify for the FS-04 grade level, you must have one year of specialized experience at the FS-05/GS-11 grade in the federal service or equivalent. Specialized experience is defined as: (1) Performing record searches, (2) Reviewing and analyzing contracts and business records, and (3) Applying appropriate legal/ regulatory guidelines and standard investigative techniques/procedures.

Time in Grade Requirement: Applicants who have held a General Schedule (GS) position within the last 52 weeks must have 52 weeks of Federal service at the next lower grade or equivalent.

Required competencies for this position:

  • Investigative Practices and Techniques
  • Case/Project Management
  • Planning and Evaluating
  • Oral Communication and Written Communication
  • Problem Solving
  • Teamwork

Selective Placement Factors:

(1) Applicants must have experience conducting investigations of Title 18, Claims Act and investigations involving contractual remedies.

(2) Applicant must have satisfactorily completed the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center's Criminal Investigator Training Program, or any one of the following equivalent programs: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Academy or the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Academy (proof of completion must be provided at time of application).

Your resume serves as the basis for qualification determinations and must highlight your most relevant and significant work experience and education (if applicable) as it relates to this job opportunity. 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). Your resume must include the dates of all qualifying experience (from month/year to month/year) and the number of hours worked/volunteered per week.

Qualifications must be met by the closing date of this vacancy announcement.

If you are requesting special employment consideration under the Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP) or CTAP, you must provide eligible displaced Federal competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. If your agency has notified you in writing that you are a displaced employee eligible for ICTAP or CTAP consideration, you may receive selection priority if: 1) this vacancy is within your ICTAP or CTAP eligibility; 2) you apply under the instructions in this announcement; and 3) you are found well-qualified for this vacancy.

To be well-qualified you must meet the following: OPM qualification requirements for the position, all selective factors, where applicable; special OPM approved qualifying conditions for the position; is physically qualified with reasonable accommodation, where appropriate, to satisfactorily perform the duties of the position upon entry; and receives a rating of at least "well-qualified" on the questionnaire. You must provide proof of eligibility with your application to receive selection priority. Such proof may include a copy of your written notification of ICTAP or CTAP eligibility, or a copy of your separation personnel action form. Additional information regarding ICTAP or CTAP eligibility is available from Career Transition (opm.gov). Note: Appointing an individual under an excepted service appointing authority may be an exception to ICTAP selection priority.

Education

There is no education substitution for this position.

Additional information

Important note: Before receiving a career appointment in the Foreign Service an individual shall first serve under a limited appointment as a career candidate for a trial period of service not to exceed five (5) years. During such trial period of service, the career candidate may be terminated at any time for any reason including misconduct. Please see Sec. 306-309 of the Foreign Service Act of 1980, as amended.https://www.usaid.gov/sites/default/files/documents/1868/fsa.pdf

Applicants must be available for and willing to accept assignments throughout the world, including assignments to Washington, D.C. They must also be willing to travel frequently on short notice. In cases where both husband and wife are foreign affairs agency employees, both are expected to be willing to accept assignments to a post other than that of the tandem spouse in order to meet the needs of the Service. This job is being filled by an alternative hiring process and is not in the competitive civil service.

Foreign Service career candidates will be considered for tenure by a Tenure Board after they have acquired at least three years in the agency, of which a minimum of two years' overseas experience in the Service. Each career candidate is afforded two opportunities to receive tenure based on the Board's review of the employee's written performance evaluations which are prepared by a supervisor at least once a year. A career candidate who fails to perform satisfactorily may be separated at any time during their probationary period. Any employee who remains untenured after two reviews will be separated from the Agency at the end of the five-year probationary appointment. The appointment status of a career candidate who receives tenure will be changed from probationary to career.

The appointment status of a career candidate who receives tenure will be changed from probationary to career.

Law Enforcement Availability Pay (LEAP): LEAP in the amount of 25% has been approved for this position. However, the biweekly maximum earnings limitation for LEO's in 5 U.S.C. 5547(c) applies.

These are Testing Designated Positions (TDPs) under the Agency's approved Drug-Free Work Place Program. All applicants selected for this position will be subject to random drug testing once they begin working for the Agency.

SELECTIVE SERVICE:http://www.sss.gov/

EEO Policy Statement: https://help.usajobs.gov/index.php/EEO_Policy_Statement

Reasonable Accommodation Policy Statement:
https://help.usajobs.gov/index.php/Reasonable_Accommodation_Policy_Statement

Veterans Information: http://www.fedshirevets.gov/

Telework: www.telework.gov

Disability: www.opm.gov/disability/mngr_3-13.asp

Noncompetitive Appointment Authorities: The following links contain information on the eligibility requirements to be considered under a noncompetitive appointing authority:
http://www.opm.gov/hr_practitioners/lawsregulations/appointingauthorities/

Selections are made on the basis of merit without regard to race, ethnicity, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy and gender identity), national origin, age, disability, sexual orientation, genetic information, or any other non-merit-based factor.

If needed, additional selections will be made from this announcement.

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.

U.S. Agency for International Development

Mission: To safeguard and strengthen U.S. foreign assistance through timely, relevant, and impactful oversight.

Agency contact information

OIG HR Operations Washington
Email
recruitment@oig.usaid.gov
Address
OIG - Office of Investigations
555 12th St NW
Washington, DC 20523
US

Visit our careers page

Learn more about what it's like to work at U.S. Agency for International Development, what the agency does, and about the types of careers this agency offers.

https://oig.usaid.gov/

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