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Criminal Investigator

Department of Justice
Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys and the Office of the U.S. Attorneys
District of Columbia

Summary

The United States Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia's mission is to enforce the criminal laws of the United States and the District of Columbia, represent the interests of the United States in civil litigation, and respond to the public safety needs of the community by leading an effective, well-coordinated law enforcement effort that contributes to the overall goal of improving the quality of life in the District of Columbia.

Overview

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Accepting applications
Posted today · Apply by 07/02/26
Due by 11:59 p.m. ET on July 2, 2026
Location
Many vacancies in the following location:
Work site options
Telework eligible
No
Remote job
No
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Salary
$121,785 - $158,322 per year

You will also receive Law Enforcement Availability Pay (LEAP) which is an additional compensation rate of 25%.

Pay scale & grade
GS 13
Promotion potential
13
Pay scale and grade determines the salary of the job.
Work schedule
Full-time
Travel Required
Occasional travel - You may be expected to travel for this position.
Appointment type
Permanent
Occupations and job series
Supervisory status
No
Federal service type
This job is in the Competitive Service
Represented by a union
No
Drug test
Yes
Security clearance
Top Secret
Position sensitivity and risk
Special-Sensitive (SS)/High Risk
Jobs require a background check and some require a security clearance. The type depends on the job.
Background check type
Financial disclosure required
Yes
Some jobs require financial disclosure to identify conflicts of interests.
Announcement number
26-DC-12987404-MP
Control number
873263400

This job is open to

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Clarification from the agency

Well-qualified surplus/displaced Federal employees (CTAP/ICTAP) in the local area and current/former Federal employees in permanent competitive service positions (status candidates). VEOA eligibles and those eligible for non-competitive appointment under special hiring authority, e.g., Individuals with Disabilities, Military Spouses, former Overseas employees, VISTA/Peace Corps, some Land Management employees, Interchange Agreement Eligible, and certain veterans, e.g., 30% Disabled.

Duties

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This Criminal Investigator plans, coordinates, and conducts criminal investigations of moderate to significant complexity - building cases as the lead agent as well as supporting a variety of federal, state, and local law enforcement partners. This is a primary law enforcement position and will exercise the full scope of federal law enforcement authority for matters investigated and prosecuted by the United States Attorney's Office (USAO) for the District of Columbia, pursuant to statutory authority under Public Law 91-358, as well as designation as a Special Deputy United States Marshal.

If selected for this position, you will join the Criminal Investigations Unit, a well-respected team of special agents and investigative analysts responsible for providing support to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia, focusing in the areas of criminal investigations, and law enforcement.

Typical work assignments will include:

  • Planning, coordinating, and conducting criminal investigation into offenses against the United States and the DC Code.
  • Seeking, obtaining, and executing search and arrest warrants.
  • Locating and interviewing victims, witnesses, and subjects - using a variety of techniques to gain cooperation with the criminal justice process.
  • Locating, securing, and utilizing a variety of evidence to advance criminal investigations.
  • Working closely with Assistant United States Attorneys throughout the lifecycle of investigations to secure criminal convictions.
  • Testifying in a variety of proceedings, including before grand juries, in other hearings, and at trial.
  • Developing investigations related to violent crime and gun violence using a wide range of sources, including open-source information, digital evidence, cooperating defendants, and collaboration with other law enforcement entities.
Law Enforcement Retirement: This is a primary investigator position covered as a rigorous/primary position under the Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) 5 U.S.C. 8366 or Federal Employee's Retirement System (FERS) special retirement provision (5 U.S.C. 8412(d)).

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • You must be a United States Citizen or National to apply for this position.
  • Selective Service: Males born after 12/31/59 must be registered or exempt from Selective Service (see http://www.sss.gov/).
  • All Federal employees are required to have Federal salary payments made by direct deposit to a financial institution of their choosing.
  • Initial appointment is conditioned upon a satisfactory pre-employment adjudication. This includes fingerprint, credit and tax checks, and drug testing. Continued employment is subject to a favorable adjudication of a background investigation.
  • A probationary period may be required.
  • 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.
  • Must provide resume and supporting documents (See required documents).
  • Time-in-Grade: Current or former Federal employees applying under merit promotion considerations must meet applicable time-in-grade requirements for consideration within 30 days after the closing date of this announcement.
  • You must meet all qualification requirements within 30 days after the closing date of this announcement and before placement in the position.
  • As needed, additional selections may be made using this announcement.
  • Motor Vehicle Operator's License: You must possess a valid automobile driver's license at the time of appointment.
  • Security Clearance: The ability to obtain and maintain a Top Secret (Sensitive Compartmented Information) security clearance is required.
  • Law Enforcement Availability Pay (LEAP): LEAP is approved for those positions to compensate employees with 25% extra pay (base pay) for unscheduled duty in excess of the 40-hour week.
  • Must be appointed before age 37; exceptions for veterans’ preference or prior Federal LEO service (5 U.S.C. §§ 3307, 8335). Must submit proof of qualifying service or veterans’ preference with your application for exception consideration.
  • You must qualify with and carry a firearm.
  • The incumbent must successfully complete or have previously completed, required firearms training.

Qualifications

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS: To be considered minimally qualified for this position, you must demonstrate that you have the required specialized experience for the respective grade level in which you are applying:

To qualify at the GS-13 level, you must possess:

Specialized Experience:
At least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-12 level in the Federal service performing (obtained in either the public or private sectors) ALL of the duties listed below:

  • Utilizing investigative methods to plan, lead or conduct investigations in one or more of the following areas: fraud, bribery and public corruption, national security related offenses, cybercrimes, money laundering, violent crimes, domestic violence and sexual offenses;
  • Drafting search warrants and other complex investigative written products without significant supervisory oversight to identify and conduct necessary investigative steps to secure convictions for criminal offenses;
  • Utilizing federal and/or local laws, policies, precedents and regulations to recognize, seize or preserve evidence;
  • Testifying in local and/or federal courts and before local and federal grand juries.
Motor Vehicle Operator's License: Incumbent must possess and maintain a valid motor vehicle operator's license while employed in the position and will be required to operate a motor vehicle in accordance with applicable OPM regulations and related requirements of the Department of Justice.

Physical Requirements: 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, hands, legs, and feet must be sufficiently intact and functioning in order that applicants may perform the duties satisfactorily. Incumbent must possess sufficiently good vision in each eye, with or without glasses, in order to perform the duties satisfactorily. Near vision, glasses permitted, must be sufficient to read printed material the size of typewritten characters. The ability of the incumbent to hear the conversational voice and whispered speech is required. Any hearing impairment may be compensated for by use of a hearing aid. 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 himself/herself, or others is disqualifying.

Firearms Qualification: Must qualify with and carry a firearm.

Lautenberg Amendment:
This position authorizes the incumbent to carry a firearm. Any person who has been convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence cannot lawfully possess a firearm or ammunition (Title 18, U.S.C., Section 922(g)(9)). Candidates who have been convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence are not qualified for this position. Candidates under consideration will be required to certify whether they have ever been convicted of such an offense. False or fraudulent information provided by candidates is criminally punishable by fine or imprisonment. (Title 18, U.S.C., Section 1001).

Maximum Entry Age: Applicants must be at least 21 years of age. The day immediately preceding an individual's 37th birthday will be the last day to be referred for selection consideration. However, the age restriction may not apply if you are a preference-eligible veteran or if you are currently serving or have previously served in a federal civilian law enforcement position.

IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE MAY NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE.

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.

If your resume does not support your questionnaire answers, we will not allow credit for your response(s). For more information on the qualifications for this position, click here.

TIME-IN-GRADE REQUIREMENTS: Merit promotion applicants must meet applicable time-in-grade requirements to be considered eligible. One year at the GS-12is required to meet the time-in-grade requirements for the GS-13 level.
  • You must submit your SF-50 that shows Time-in-Grade eligibility and reflects your title, series, and grade. No award SF-50 will be accepted; recommended SF-50s include promotions and step increases (within grade increases).

Education

This job does not have an education qualification requirement.

Additional information

Payment of relocation expenses will not be authorized.

Background Investigation: To ensure the accomplishment of its mission, the Department of Justice requires each and every employee to be reliable and trustworthy. To meet those standards, all selected applicants must undergo and successfully complete a background investigation for a clearance as a condition of placement in this Special Sensitive/High-Risk position. This review includes financial issues such as delinquency in the payment of debts, child support and/or tax obligations, as well as certain criminal offenses and illegal use or possession of drugs.

The Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) provides 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 consideration, you may receive selection priority if: 1) this vacancy is within your ICTAP 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 satisfy all qualification requirements for the vacant position and rate equivalent to the Highly Qualified or better category using established category rating criteria. Additional information about ICTAP eligibility, click here.

The Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provides eligible surplus and displaced 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 surplus or displaced employee eligible for CTAP consideration, you may receive selection priority if: 1) this vacancy is within your 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 satisfy all qualification requirements for the vacant position and rate equivalent to the Highly Qualified or better category using established category rating criteria. Additional information about CTAP eligibility, click here.

Special Hiring Authorities for Military Spouse and Family Members: FedsHireVets - OPM.gov

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: 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 will be evaluated based on how well you meet the qualifications listed in this vacancy announcement. 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. You will be assessed on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics):

  • Attention to Detail
  • Customer Service
  • Decision Making
  • Flexibility
  • Influencing/Negotiating
  • Integrity/Honesty
  • Interpersonal Skills
  • Learning
  • Reasoning
  • Self-Management
  • Stress Tolerance
  • Teamwork


Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or application questionnaire may result in your removal from consideration. Cheating on an assessment may also result in your removal from consideration.

Structured Resume Review: Subject matter experts (SMEs) will review your resume to determine your technical qualifications for this position based on the required specialized experience.SMEs will not review additional information beyond your resume (e.g., Links embedded in your resume will not be opened.).

To preview the application questionnaire, click the following link: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12987404

Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys and the Office of the U.S. Attorneys

If you are looking for an exciting and challenging career, this is the position for you! With a diverse and talented workforce of over 100,000 men and women, The Department of Justice leads the Nation in ensuring the protection of all Americans while preserving their constitutional freedoms. You will be part of a dedicated team helping to enforce Federal criminal and civil laws that protect life, liberty and the property of citizens.

For more information on the Department of Justice and the United States Attorneys' Offices, visit www.justice.gov/usao/.

Agency contact information

Staff Acquisition
Email
SAG-E-Appeals@opm.gov
Address
District of Columbia
601 D Street, NW
Washington, DC 20530
US

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

https://www.justice.gov/usao/find-your-united-states-attorney

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