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Criminal Investigator (Senior Special Agent)

Department of Veterans Affairs
Veterans Affairs, Inspector General

Summary

OIG is organized into six operational units: the Immediate Office of the Inspector General, Office of the Counselor, Office of Audits and Evaluations, Office of Healthcare Inspections, Office of Investigations, and Office of Management and Administration. In addition to the Washington, DC, headquarters, OIG has offices located in more than 60 locations throughout the country.

Overview

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Accepting applications
Posted this week · Apply by 07/10/26
Due by 11:59 p.m. ET on July 10, 2026
Location
1 vacancy in the following location:
Work site options
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Remote job
No
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Salary
$125,776 - $197,200 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 14
Promotion potential
14
Pay scale and grade determines the salary of the job.
Work schedule
Full-time
Travel Required
25% or less - You may be expected to travel 1- 5 nights per month 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
Not Required
Position sensitivity and risk
High Risk (HR)
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-VAOIG-12994265
Control number
874551100

This job is open to

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Clarification from the agency

All Candidates who are: Internal employees of VAOIG who are Status Candidates or currently serving on a Veterans Recruitment Appointment (VRA), OR CTAP eligibles.

Duties

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Duty locations are limited to the following for this position: Montgomery, AL, Fayetteville, AR, North Little Rock, AR, Phoenix, AZ, Long Beach, CA, Los Angeles, CA, Oakland, CA, Sacramento, CA, San Diego, CA, Aurora, CO, Bay Pines, FL, Orlando, FL, Palm Beach Gardens, FL, Decatur, GA, Smyrna, GA, Hines, IL, New Orleans, LA, Bedford, MA, Baltimore, MD, Frederick, MD, Detroit, MI, Saint Paul, MN, Columbia, MO, Kansas City, MO, Jackson, MS, Asheville, NC, Manchester, NH, Newark, NJ, Trenton, NJ, Buffalo, NY, New York, NY, Cleveland, OH, Portland, OR, Pittsburgh, PA, Nashville, TN, Dallas, TX, El Paso, TX, Houston, TX, San Antonio, TX, Salt Lake City, UT, Seattle, WZ, Spokane, WA.

Current OIG Employees will remain at their current duty location.

IG's Office of Investigations (OI) investigates potential crimes and civil violations of law involving VA programs and operations committed by VA employees, contractors, beneficiaries, and other individuals. These investigations focus on a wide range of matters including health care, procurement, benefits, education, construction, and other fraud; cybercrime and identity theft; bribery, embezzlement, and conflicts of interest; drug offenses; and violent crimes. OI is staffed by special agents, forensic accountants, analysts, and other professional staff in headquarters divisions and regional field offices that use data analytics, cyber-tools, covert operations, and other strategies to detect and address conduct that poses a threat to or has harmed VA personnel, operations, and the veterans or other beneficiaries they service. Through criminal prosecutions and civil monetary recoveries, OI's investigations promote integrity, patient safety, efficiency, and accountability within VA.

As a Criminal Investigator (Senior Special Agent), you will:

  • Serve as principal advisor to the IOD SAC, and VA OIG senior leadership, routinely assisting and conducting analyses of the various critical support programs managed by IOD to identify more efficient operational methods and procedures and proposes policy and/or procedure recommendations for change in the program areas for which the division is responsible to ensure OI goals and objectives are achieved.
  • Participate in planning, developing, and implementing investigative policies, programs, standards, requirements, methods, procedures, and techniques that govern nationwide OIG investigations.
  • Review, coordinate, and monitor the work by field elements.
  • Assist in the resolution of problems related to investigations and provides guidance on resource requirements and avenues for accomplishing mission tasks.
  • Perform as a team member in conducting OI inspections when needed and qualitative assessment reviews. The SSA routinely provides the necessary oversight, guidance, and overall management to IOD's areas of responsibility.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

The experience may have been gained in either the public, private sector or volunteer service. One year of experience refers to full-time work; part-time work is considered on a prorated basis. To ensure full credit for your work experience, please indicate dates of employment by month/day/year, and indicate number of hours worked per week on your résumé.

Key Requirements:

  1. Click "Print Preview" to review the entire announcement before applying.
  2. Must be a U.S. Citizen or U.S. National.

- We may select from this announcement or any other source to fill one or more vacancies. Applicants who apply for this position may be considered for other positions within the Office of Inspector General that require the same knowledge, skills, and abilities.
- This is a non-bargaining unit position.
- We offer opportunities for flexible work schedules.
- Office assignment may be at one of the locations listed on the announcement subject to availability and OIG management discretion.

Qualifications

You must meet the following requirements within 30 days of the closing date of this announcement.

Age Restriction: The date immediately preceding an individual's 37th birthday is the maximum entry age for original appointment to a law enforcement officer position. This requirement does not apply to a) Preference-eligible veterans; OR b) Individuals who are 37 years of age or older and have previously served in law enforcement officer positions that were covered by a special law enforcement retirement plan.
AND
Medical Requirements:
The selectee must pass a pre-appointment physical examination and meet the physical requirements for this position as required by this agency. 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 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. Sufficiently good vision and hearing are required to perform the duties satisfactorily. Because the duties of this position are exacting, responsible, and sometimes performed under trying conditions, the selectee must possess emotional and mental stability. Any physical condition that would cause the selectee to be a hazard to himself/herself, or others is disqualifying.

AND
Specialized Experience:

Specialized Experience for the GS-14, you must have one year (full 52 weeks) of specialized experience at a level of difficulty and responsibility equivalent to the GS-13 grade level in the Federal service. Specialized experience for this position is defined as:
- Working on criminal and administrative investigations; AND
- Leading a team of investigators, investigative analysts, or investigative specialists.

In addition to the above requirements, you must meet the following time-in-grade requirement, if applicable:
For the GS-14, you must have been at the GS-13level for 52 weeks.

Time After Competitive Appointment: Candidates who are current Federal employees serving on a nontemporary competitive appointment must have served at least three months in that appointment.

Education

This job does not have an education qualification requirement.

Additional information

Conditions of Employment (CONTINUED):
- A probationary or trial period may be required. Continued employment is contingent upon supervisory certification that continued employment will benefit the Federal Service; the certification will occur no less than 30 days before the end of the probationary/trial period.
- Within 30 days prior to the end of a probationary (or trial) period, it must be certified by your first and second level supervisor that your continued employment would benefit the Federal service, or your appointment will be terminated.
- A one year supervisory or managerial probationary period may be required.
- Must successfully complete a background investigation.
- Public Trust - Background Investigation will be required.
- Travel nationwide under tight deadlines. The incumbent should anticipate frequent walking and standing as a component of this travel.
- If you are a male applicant born after December 31, 1959, certify that you have registered with the Selective Service System or are exempt from having to do so.
- Have your salary sent to a financial institution of your choice by Direct Deposit/Electronic Funds Transfer.- Go through a Personal Identity Verification (PIV) process that requires two forms of identification from the Form I-9. Federal law requires verification of the identity and employment eligibility of all new hires in the U.S.
- Complete a Declaration for Federal Employment to determine your suitability for Federal employment, at the time requested by the agency.
- Obtain and use a Government-issued purchase card for business-related travel.
- File a Confidential Financial Disclosure Report within 30 days of appointment and annually from then on.
- Carry and use a firearm. Maintaining firearm proficiency is also mandatory. You will be ineligible to occupy this position if at any time you have been convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence, unless you received a pardon or your conviction was expunged or set aside.
- Complete a pre-employment medical examination (including vision, hearing, cardiovascular and mobility of extremities) by an authorized Government physician and be determined physically fit to perform strenuous physically demanding duties. You may be required to provide medical or related documentation to Federal Occupation of Health at the time of the pre-employment physical. You will be required to undergo regular physical examinations and to maintain a level of physical fitness in accordance with the standards and policies of this agency.
- Complete or have previously completed the Criminal Investigator Training Program (CITP) at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC) in Glynco, GA OR its equivalent.
- Agree to work an average of two extra hours per day. Law Enforcement Availability Pay (LEAP) has been approved to compensate for unscheduled duty in excess of the 40-hour workweek.
- Possess and maintain a valid driver's license from one of the 50 U.S. states, the District of Columbia, or the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.
- Submit to a drug test prior to your appointment and random drug testing while you occupy the position.

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., résumé, supporting documents), the responses you provide on the application questionnaire, and the result of the online assessments required for this position. Please be sure that your résumé includes detailed information to support your qualifications for this position; failure to provide sufficient evidence in your résumé may result in a "not qualified" determination.

In order to be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. In addition to the application and application questionnaire, this position requires an online assessment. The online assessment measures critical general competencies required to perform the job.

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

Rating: Your application will be evaluated in the following areas: Attention to Detail, Customer Service, Decision Making, Flexibility, Influencing/Negotiating, Integrity/Honesty, Interpersonal Skills, Learning, Reasoning, Self-Management, Stress Tolerance, and Teamwork


Referral: If you are among the top qualified candidates, your application may be referred to a selecting official for consideration. You may be required to participate in a selection interview and/or a writing assessment. Applicants who are selected for an interview may ask questions about the evaluation process at the time they are contacted for an interview.

If you are a displaced or surplus Federal employee (eligible for the Career Transition Assistance Plan(CTAP)/Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP)) you must be rated as "well qualified" to receive special selection priority.

To be found well-qualified, and in addition to meeting specialized experience, the applicant must have documented the following experience:
- Having a solid and comprehensive understanding of the position. Can perform the required tasks efficiently and is proficient in applying the knowledge, skills, and abilities of the job.

Veterans Affairs, Inspector General

The Office of Inspector General's (OIG) mission is to serve veterans and the public by conducting meaningful independent oversight of the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Agency contact information

Applicant Call Center
Phone
304-480-7300
Email
VAOIGInquiries@fiscal.treasury.gov
Address
Office of Investigations
Treasury Common Services Center
Parkersburg, WV 26101
US

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https://www.vaoig.gov/about/mission-vision-values

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