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Employee Benefits Investigator

Department of Labor
Employee Benefits Security Administration

Summary

EBSA plays a vital role in protecting the retirement, health, and other job-based benefits of America's workers, retirees, and their families. We issue effective regulations, offer comprehensive education and assistance to workers, plan sponsors, fiduciaries, and service providers, and rigorously enforce the law. We serve workers, families, and the broader employee benefits community by protecting the security and integrity of the nation's benefit systems.

Overview

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Accepting applications
Open & closing dates
04/29/2026 to 05/05/2026
Salary
$62,729 - $121,371 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 9 - 11
Locations
Many vacancies in the following locations:
Pasadena, CA
San Francisco, CA
Plantation, FL
Atlanta, GA
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Travel Required
25% or less - You may be expected to travel for this position.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
12
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Not Required
Drug test
No
Position sensitivity and risk
Moderate Risk (MR)
Trust determination process
Financial disclosure
No
Bargaining unit status
Yes
Announcement number
MS-26-CHI-EBSA-12945129-KG
Control number
867024800

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Duties

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Major duties include but are not limited to the following:

  • Review and analyze voluntary compliance letters, transmittal memoranda, litigation referrals, and reports of investigation to ensure that the documents have legal and evidentiary sufficiency, and are written in conformity with national enforcement policy.
  • Research and identify policy and program issues, relevant court cases, precedents and opinions and analyzes materials, discerns relationships and interrelationships, and reports findings logically and transparently.
  • Conduct research, collect, and develop data reports for periodic and special reports required by management on the enforcement program and administrative operations and accomplishments of the regional offices.
  • Conduct and/or participate in conducting novel, complex, multi-faceted, multiregional, and/or large investigations with assistance. This includes a thorough analysis of complex issues, effective and thorough gathering of evidence, identification of violations, the use of effective and innovative investigative techniques, and resolution of the issues identified.
Location Selection Limitation:
Applicants may select up to two (2) duty locations when applying to this announcement. Please carefully consider and choose only the locations you can reliably and easily commute to or otherwise access, if selected.

Locality Salary Ranges: Advertised salary reflects the minimum and maximum pay for the listed locations. Upon selection, the salary will be set in accordance with the selectee's assigned duty location. Below are the specific minimum and maximum salary for each location.

Boston, Massachusetts- $69,905-$109,959; New York, New York- $72,737-$114,413; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania- $68,013-$106,982; Silver Spring, Maryland- $70,623-$111,087; Plantation, Florida- $65,735-$103,399; Dallas, Texas- $67,100-$105,547; Fort Wright, Kentucky- $64,290-$101,126; Kansas City, Missouri- $62,729-$98,671; Chicago, Illinois- $68,999-$108,533; Pasadena, California- $71,957-$113,185; San Francisco, California- $77,161-$121,371; Seattle, Washington- $69,373-$109,122

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • Must be at least 16 years old.
  • Must be a U.S. Citizen.
  • Candidate required to obtain the necessary security/investigation level.
  • Requires a probationary period if the requirement has not been met.

Qualifications

You must meet the requirements for the Employee Benefits Investigator, as described below.

Specialized Experience is the experience that equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSA's) to perform the duties of the position successfully, and that is typically in or related to the position to be filled. To be creditable, specialized experience must have been equivalent to at least the next lower grade level.

For GS-09 : Applicants must demonstrate 52 weeks of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level, GS-07 in the Federal Service OR meet the substitution of education OR combination of specialized experience and graduate level education as described below. Applicants must demonstrate at least three (3) of the specialized experience statements listed here: (1) Participating in investigative projects and/or audits to gather and review information to help determine whether organizations are following applicable laws and requirements. (2) Utilizing investigative and/or auditing methods to carry out fact-finding steps, identify potential issues, and support actions that promote compliance. (3) Researching and reviewing reports, case documents, and other materials to identify important information and support the development of investigative findings. (4) Identifying and analyzing administrative or regulatory issues by reviewing the accuracy and relevance of information and suggesting practical solutions or next steps.

OR - Master's or equivalent graduate degree or 2 full years of graduate level education, or LLB. or J.D.; if related.

OR - A combination of specialized experience and graduate level education that provided the specific knowledge, skills and abilities to successfully perform the duties of this position.


For GS-11 : Applicants must demonstrate 52 weeks of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level GS-09 in the Federal Service OR meet the substitution of education OR combination of specialized experience and graduate level education as described below. Applicants must demonstrate at least three (3) of the specialized experience statements listed here: (1) Applying investigative and auditing principles and techniques to programs and practices to determine compliance with administrative laws, policies, regulations, and established precedents, ensuring accurate evaluation and proper enforcement actions. (2) Planning and participating in investigative and enforcement projects involving potential fiduciary breaches, and/or prohibited transactions, and report and/or disclosure violations to gather evidence, document findings, and support corrective or legal action as appropriate. (3) Researching and reviewing plan reporting documents, disclosure filings, discovery materials, and other case evidence to identify key facts, develop investigative leads, and advance case strategy or resolution. (4) Identifying, analyzing, and resolving complex administrative and regulatory issues by assessing the accuracy and relevance of information, developing alternatives, and making evidence-based recommendations to support investigative or enforcement decisions.

OR - Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree OR 3 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree OR LL.M., if related.

OR - A combination of specialized experience and graduate level education that provided the specific knowledge, skills and abilities to successfully perform the duties of this position.

Education

Any applicant falsely claiming an academic degree from an accredited school will be subject to actions ranging from disqualification from federal employment to removal from federal service.

If your education was completed at a foreign college or university, you must show comparability to education received in accredited educational institutions in the United States and comparability to applicable minimum coursework requirements for this position. Click Evaluation of Foreign Education for more information.

Additional information

The mission of the Department of Labor (DOL) is to protect the welfare of workers and job seekers, improve working conditions, expand high-quality employment opportunities, and assure work-related benefits and rights for all workers.

Refer to these links for more information: GENERAL INFORMATION, REASONABLE ACCOMMODATIONS, ADDITIONAL DOCUMENTATION, FORMER FEDERAL EMPLOYEES

As a condition of employment, all personnel must undergo a background investigation for access to DOL facilities, systems, information and/or classified materials before they can enter on duty: BACKGROUND INVESTIGATION

This position is inside the bargaining unit. If the duty location is within the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area, the position will be included in the Local 12, AFGE bargaining unit. If the duty location is outside the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area, the position will be included in the NCFLL bargaining unit.

For more information, Click here for Career Ladder Promotion Information

For more information, click Telework Position Information. This is not a remote work position. The selectee will report to an assigned DOL office location on a regular basis and is eligible for participation in telework as determined by management in accordance with DOL policy.

Based on agency needs, additional positions may be filled using this vacancy.

The Department of Labor may use certain incentives and hiring flexibilities, currently offered by the Federal government to attract highly qualified candidates. Click here for Additional Information.

The Fair Chance Act (FCA) prohibits Federal agencies from requesting an applicant's criminal history information before the agency makes a conditional offer of employment. If you believe a DOL employee has violated your rights under the FCA, you may file a complaint of the alleged violation following our agency's complaint process Guidelines for Reporting Violations of the Fair Chance Act. Note: The FCA does not apply to some positions specified under the Act, such as law enforcement or national security positions.

All Department of Labor employees are subject to the provisions of the Drug-Free Workplace Program under Executive Order 12564 and Public Law 100-71.

Reasonable Accommodation (RA) Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a RA in your online application. Requests for RA for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for RA must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for RA are made on a case-by-case basis. If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, based on your adjudication decision. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments if you received the link after the close of the announcement. To determine if you need a RA, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments.

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.

You may preview application questions for this vacancy here: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12945129

USA Hire

You will be assessed on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics):

  • Attention to Detail
  • Customer Service
  • Flexibility
  • Integrity/Honesty
  • Interpersonal Skills
  • Learning
  • Reading Comprehension
  • Reasoning
  • Self-Management
  • Stress Tolerance
  • Teamwork


The information you provide may be verified by a review of your paid, unpaid, and volunteer, as it demonstrates the competencies or skills required for the position to be filled. Your evaluation may include an interview, reference checks, or other assessment conducted by HR specialists, subject matter experts, or panel members and may include other assessment tools (ex. interview, structured interview, written test, work sample, etc.).

INFORMATION FOR ICTAP/CTAP ELIGIBLE(S) ONLY: If you are eligible for special priority selection under ICTAP/CTAP, you must be well-qualified for the position to receive consideration. ICTAP/CTAP eligible(s) will be considered well-qualified if they attain at least a rating score of 85 in a numerical rating scheme. Be sure to review the eligibility questions to reflect that you are applying as an ICTAP or CTAP eligible and submit supporting documentation.

NOTE: It is your responsibility to ensure your responses and appropriate documentation is submitted prior to the closing date.

For more detailed information on applying for positions with DOL click here to view the U.S. Department of Labor, How to Apply website.

Employee Benefits Security Administration

Begin a challenging career with the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL), and you will help shape the workforce of tomorrow. DOL offers rewarding opportunities to contribute to a noble mission; to serve and protect American workers, prepare them for new and better jobs, and to ensure the safety and fairness of American workplaces.

The Department of Labor values its customers. Every DOL employee is responsible for delivering good customer service through accurate, courteous, efficient, and effective transactions.

The Department of Labor does not make unfavorable hiring decisions on the basis of an applicant's previous or current unemployment, or the fact that an applicant has experienced financial difficulty through no fault of his/her own and has undertaken good faith efforts to meet his/her financial obligations. Consideration is given to financial status in relation to appointments only where required by law, regulation, or Executive Order.

Applicants with disabilities can contact the vacancy point of contact listed on the job vacancy announcement to request reasonable accommodations needed for the application process.

Agency contact information

Karla Goldberg
Phone
215-861-5894
Email
goldberg.karla.j@dol.gov
Address
Employee Benefits Security Administration, Regional Offices
200 Constitution Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20210
US

Visit our careers page

Learn more about what it's like to work at Employee Benefits Security Administration, what the agency does, and about the types of careers this agency offers.

https://www.dol.gov/agencies/ebsa/about-ebsa

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