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Investigator (Background) (Reemployed Annuitant and ICTAP eligibles)

Department of Homeland Security
U.S. Secret Service
Office of Field Operations

Summary

The Secret Service is seeking retirees of the Federal Employee Retirement System (FERS) or Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) to support our integrated mission and impart knowledge and experience to the current workforce.

For definitions of terms found in this announcement, please click here.

Overview

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Accepting applications
Open & closing dates
05/14/2026 to 05/21/2026
Salary
$90,925 - $118,204 per year

Salary listed reflects General Schedule (Base) Table and, if applicable, will be adjusted to include the locality pay of the worksite location.

Pay scale & grade
GS 13
Locations
1 vacancy in the following locations:
Birmingham, AL
Mobile, AL
Montgomery, AL
Little Rock, AR
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
Term - Not to exceed four (4) years from initial appointment. Based on agency needs, appointments may be extended up to 10 years from the original appointment.
Work schedule
Multiple Schedules - Full Time, Part-time, Intermittent
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
13
Job family (Series)
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Top Secret
Drug test
Yes
Position sensitivity and risk
Critical-Sensitive (CS)/High Risk
Financial disclosure
No
Bargaining unit status
No
Announcement number
INV-QB-12950274-26-RA
Control number
869304300

This job is open to

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Clarification from the agency

This announcement is open to Civil Service Retirees from the Federal Employee Retirement System (FERS) and Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) who are eligible for reemployment as a federal annuitant; and Federal Government Agency, and Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP) eligibles.

Duties

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Joining the Secret Service, Office of Field Operations will allow you to conduct difficult and complex non-criminal national security and suitability investigations, focusing on performing background investigations.

The selectee will serve as an Investigator (Background) in the Office of Field Operations. Typical work assignments include:

  • Conducting pre-employment security interviews, retrieving records, conducting and preparing reports of investigations in compliance with federal laws and regulations.
  • Completing record searches at law enforcement agencies, courthouses, and mental health, financial and educational institutions.
  • Conducting face-to-face and/or telephonic security interviews with applicants and other references.
  • Compiling data and ensuring reporting is clear and concise in required reporting format.
Apply for this exciting opportunity to impact the Secret Service's investigative and protective missions. This Investigator (Background) position starts at a salary of $90,925.00, GS-13 Step 1 with potential to $118,204.00 GS-13 Step 10.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • U.S. Citizenship is required.
  • Males born after 12/31/1959 must be registered for Selective Service.
If selected for this position, you will be required to:
  • Obtain and maintain a Top-Secret Tier 5 clearance. For more information visit OPM Mythbuster Page.
  • Submit to a drug test prior to your appointment and random drug testing while you occupy the position.
  • Submit a credit check after a conditional offer of employment has been accepted.

OPM Dual Compensation Offset Waiver Approved for Rehires: This announcement is being used to recruit CSRS and FERS annuitants on a limited basis with a waiver of salary offset (if a dual compensation waiver is requested) under certain specified circumstances not to exceed 12/31/2028.

Annuitants who are reemployed with a salary offset waiver (dual compensation) are eligible for:

  • Full annuity and full Federal salary.
  • Annual and sick leave (not applicable for an intermittent work schedule)
  • Full-time, part-time, or intermittent work schedules.
  • Receive overtime (on a full-time schedule).
  • New hires under this authority will be offered a 4-year, non-status, term appointment in the competitive service.
  • Appointments that continue past December 31, 2028, may be subjected to salary offset (reduced) if the OPM dual compensation salary offset waiver is not renewed.
Annuitants who are reemployed with a salary offset waiver (dual compensation) are NOT eligible for:
  • Additional retirement coverage (other than Social Security coverage).
  • TSP Contributions.
  • Annual, sick leave or holiday pay (applicable to an intermittent work schedule only).
Reemployed annuitants may only receive one appointment per job series.

Qualifications

To be considered qualified for this position you must meet the following qualification requirements for the respective grade level in which you are applying.

You qualify for the GS-13 level (starting base salary $90,925.00) if you possess one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-12 level performing duties such as:

  • Conducting interviews for background investigative purposes.
  • Obtaining and reporting factual information for personnel background investigations.
  • Finalizing background investigative casework according to applicable rules and regulations.

The qualification requirements listed above must be met by the closing date of this announcement.

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.

The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) must authorize employment offers made to current or former political appointees. If you are currently, or have been within the last 5 years, a political Schedule A, Schedule C, Non-career SES or Presidential Appointee employee in the Executive Branch, you must disclose this information to the Human Resources Office.

Education


Additional information

Re-employed annuitants are at-will employees and can be separated at any time for any reason. There are no notice requirements and annuitants have no Reduction-in-Force (RIF) protections.

DHS uses E-Verify, an Internet-based system, to confirm the eligibility of all newly hired employees to work in the United States. Click here to learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities.

If you receive a conditional offer of employment for this position, you will be required to complete an Optional Form 306, Declaration for Federal Employment, and to sign and certify the accuracy of all information in your application, prior to entry on duty. False statements on any part of the application may result in withdrawal of offer of employment, dismissal after beginning work, fine, or imprisonment.

The Fair Chance to Compete for Jobs Act prohibits the Department of Homeland Security and its Components from requesting an applicant's criminal history record before that individual receives a conditional offer of employment. In accordance with 5 U.S. Code § 9202(c) and 5 C.F.R § 920.201 certain positions are exempt from the provisions of the Fair Chance to Compete Act. Applicants who believe they have been subjected to a violation of the Fair Chance to Compete for Jobs Act, may submit a written complaint to HRsupport@usss.dhs.gov.

More than one selection may be made from this announcement if additional identical vacancies in the same title, series, grade and unit occur.

Applying to this announcement certifies that you give permission for DHS to share your application with others in DHS for similar positions.

The Secret Service prohibits employees from having visible body markings (including but not limited to tattoos, body art, and branding) on the head, face, neck, hand and fingers (any area below the wrist bone) (exception: a single conservative and unobtrusive tattoo in the form of a ring is authorized on one finger).

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.

Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g., resume, supporting documents), your responses on the application questionnaire, and your responses to all assessments required for this position. Upon review, your resume and/or supporting documents need to support your answer choices and reflect the one year of specialized experience requirement, in order to be considered. If the one year of specialized experience, equivalent to the next lower grade level cannot be identified in your resume, you will be considered not qualified. The competencies or knowledge, skills, and abilities needed to perform this job are:

  • Attention to Detail
  • Customer Service
  • Decision Making
  • Flexibility
  • Influencing/Negotiating
  • Integrity/Honesty
  • Interpersonal Skills
  • Learning
  • Oral Communication
  • Planning and Evaluating
  • Reasoning
  • Self-Management
  • Stress Tolerance
  • Teamwork
  • Technical Competence


The USA Hire 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.

Interagency/Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP/CTAP) Eligibles: If you have never worked for the Federal government, you are not ICTAP/CTAP eligible. View information about ICTAP/CTAP eligibility on OPM's Career Transition Resources website. To be considered well qualified under ICTAP/CTAP, you must be rated at a minimum score of 85.0 for this position. In addition, you must submit the supporting documents listed under the required documents section of this announcement.

An Interviews may be required for this position. If an interview is required, failure to complete the interview may result in removal from further consideration.

Any offers of employment made pursuant to this announcement will be consistent with all applicable authorities, including Presidential Memoranda, Executive Orders, interpretive U.S. Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) guidance, and Office of Management and Budget plans and policies concerning hiring. These authorities are subject to change.

U.S. Secret Service

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is calling on those who want to help protect American interests and secure our Nation. DHS Components work collectively to prevent terrorism; secure borders and our transportation systems; protect the President and other dignitaries; enforce and administer immigration laws; safeguard cyberspace; and ensure resilience to disasters. We achieve these vital missions through a workforce spanning hundreds of occupations. Make an impact; join DHS.

Building on a Tradition of Excellence and Meeting the Challenges of the Future. The Secret Service is a premier law enforcement organization with two critical national security missions: protect our nation's leaders and to conduct criminal investigations. Our team members continue a tradition of excellence - whether investigating financial crime or protecting national and visiting foreign leaders. In the Secret Service, we serve the country with duty, loyalty, justice, integrity and courage.

In the Secret Service, we:

  • Protect the President, the Vice President, and other leaders; investigate threats against them; and safeguard their residences and other facilities
  • Plan and implement security designs for National Special Security Events
  • Investigate financial crimes including fraud, identity theft and computer-based attacks on banking or telecommunications infrastructure.
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Agency contact information

APT Talent Management Division
Email
HRSupport@usss.dhs.gov
Address
United States Secret Service
Please read entire announcement
Please apply online
Washington, DC 20223
US

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

https://www.secretservice.gov/careers

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