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Criminal Investigator

Department of Defense
Pentagon Force Protection Agency
Law Enforcement Directorate / Investigations & Protection Division

Summary

The PFPA is designated by the Secretary of War as a Law Enforcement and Protection Providing Organization (PPO) per Title 10 U.S.C 2674 and 10 U.S. C 714. PFPA performs full range of investigative and threat-based security functions, including, world-wide Protective Security Missions (PSMs) for designated DoW High Risk Personnel (HRP) and designated United States (U.S.) visits by Senior Foreign Official Visitors (SFOVs) to the Secretary, DSW, and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (CJCS).

Overview

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Accepting applications
Location
Many vacancies in the following location:
Work site options
Telework eligible
No
Remote job
No
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Salary
$72,977 - $158,322 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 9 - 11
Promotion potential
13
Pay scale and grade determines the salary of the job.
Work schedule
Full-time
Travel Required
76% or greater - 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
Sensitive Compartmented Information
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
No
Some jobs require financial disclosure to identify conflicts of interests.
Announcement number
ST-13099317-27-TJ
Control number
891336600

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Duties

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Incumbent typical work assignments may include the following:

  • Conducts criminal investigations involving violations of federal law impacting PFPA protected facilities and persons.
  • Conducts the full range of investigations involving suspected violations of U.S. Codes (USC), violations of Title 32 of Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 234, Security on the Pentagon Reservation, 41 CFR, Sec 102-74 (c); and other CFRs.
  • Plans and coordinates efforts with other Defense Criminal Investigations Organizations (DCIOs), and other law enforcement agencies, such as the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), other Federal, state, and local law enforcement organizations during the conduct of the investigations involving a DoW nexus.
  • Provides oral and written briefs regarding security recommendations/arrangements, and establishes security requirements for protective detail members, DoW HRP, delegation staff members, foreign protective details, and other stakeholders involved with the protective mission.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • U.S. Citizenship is required
  • Males born after 12-31-59 must be registered or exempt from Selective Service (see https://www.sss.gov/Home/Registration)
  • May be required to successfully complete a probationary/trial period
  • Must be determined suitable for federal employment
  • Required to participate in the direct deposit program
  • This position is subject to pre-employment and random drug testing
  • This position is subject to the DoD Priority Placement Program
  • This position requires you to obtain and maintain a Top Secret/Sensitive Compartmented Information (TS/SCI) security clearance.
  • This position is designated as MISSION ESSENTIAL EMPLOYEES.
  • The employee may be required to travel extensively outside the continental United States (OCONUS) in combat zones, as well as outside of the assigned office commuting area.
  • The incumbent of this position must be in constant state of physical readiness and must be capable of demonstrating maximum physical exertion without warning.
  • The following medical requirements apply to all employees: good near and distant vision, ability to distinguish basic colors, emotional and mental stability, and the ability to hear the conversational voice.
  • The employee must take and pass annual medical and physical fitness examinations; carry and qualify with PFPA designated weapon(s) ; wear personal protective equipment, and pass all designated PFPA equipment and occupational certification programs.
  • The incumbent must possess and maintain a valid state driver's license form the jurisdiction where he or she resides.
  • As an employee representing PFPA, it is essential that the employee always present a professional and competent appearance (unless, performing in authorized under cover operations).
  • The employee must meet requirements of "Lautenberg Agreement," which outline rules regarding possessing and carrying of firearms.
  • This position falls under the Law Enforcement Availability Pay Act (LEAP (5 USC 5545-A)).
  • This position is identified as a "covered position" under the PFPA Civilian Mobility Program, Regulation 1400.24.
  • Retention in this position is contingent upon the successful completion of all federal, DoW, and Agency directed training requirements.
  • This position is covered under the Federal Law Enforcement Retirement Coverage. The maximum entry age for positions covered under the special Law Enforcement Officer retirement is 37 years old.

Qualifications

In order to qualify for this position, you must meet the requirements described below.

Basic Requirement
Individual Occupational Requirements:


The Criminal Investigation occupation has specific medical requirements which apply to all positions: 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. 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 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.


You may qualify at the GL-9 level, if you fulfill the following qualification requirement:

One year of experience in the same or similar work equivalent to at least the next lower grade level (GL-07) requiring application of the knowledge, skills, and abilities of the position being filled. Candidates for this position must clearly demonstrate in their resume that they possess specialized experience in 1) applying inspection, investigation, enforcement, and/or compliance principles; 2) effectively communicating both orally and in writing to testify in court and interrogate/interview suspects and witnesses.
OR
A master's or equivalent graduate degree or 2 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree or LL.B. or J.D., if related. Such education must demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work.
OR
A combination of experience and education.

You may qualify at the GS-11 level, if you fulfill the following qualification requirement:

One year of experience in the same or similar work equivalent to at least the next lower grade level (GL-09) requiring application of the knowledge, skills, and abilities of the position being filled. Candidates for this position must clearly demonstrate in their resume that they possess specialized experience in 1) photographing and sketching a crime scene, including pertinent items of evidence, construction of evidential elements, and positive measurements; 2) independently conducting criminal investigations; 3) effectively communicating both orally and in writing to testify in court, interrogate/interview suspects and witnesses, and write comprehensive, concise reports of investigations.
OR
A 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 from an accredited college or university. Such education must demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work. (Note: You must attach a copy of your transcripts.)
OR
A combination of experience and education.


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). You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

All qualifications and education requirements must be met by the closing date of this announcement and clearly documented in your resume. Your resume may not exceed two (2) pages. For qualifications determinations, it is recommended that applicants include their months and hours worked per week for each employment listed on their resume. If a determination is not able to be made about the duration of your creditable experience for qualification requirements, you will be removed from consideration.

Read more about what should I include in my federal resume at https://help.usajobs.gov/faq/application/documents/resume/what-to-include

ACTIVE DUTY SERVICE MEMBERS: Federal agencies treat active duty service member as veterans, disabled veterans, and preference eligible, when they submit, as part of their application package, a "certification" of active service in lieu of a DD-214, indicating the service member is otherwise eligible and will be discharged or released within 120 days from the date of submission.. A "certification" letter should be on letterhead of the appropriate military branch of the service and contain (1) the military service dates including the expected discharge or release date; and (2) the character of service. This "certification" must include your rank, dates of active duty service, type of discharge and character of service (i.e. honorable), and date any terminal leave will begin. It must be signed by, or by direction of, the adjutant, personnel officer, or commander of your unit or higher headquarters. Active duty members that fail to provide a valid "certification" of service with their initial application will be found "not eligible". Members may be appointed before the effective date of their military retirement/separation if they are on terminal leave.

Current or Former Political Appointees: Agencies must seek prior approval from OPM before they can appoint a current or recent political appointee to a competitive or non-political excepted service position at any level. If you are currently or have been within the last 5 years, a political Schedule A, Schedule C, or Non-career SES employee in the executive branch, you MUST disclose that to the Human Resources Office.

Time-in-grade requirements must be met by the closing date of this announcement and clearly documented in your resume.

Education

ARE YOU QUALIFYING BASED ON EDUCATION or A COMBINATION OF EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE?
You must provide sufficient documentation of your education in your resume. You MUST provide a copy of official or unofficial transcripts or degrees in your application package. It may also be acceptable to document your applicable course listing in your resume (course number, credits earned, etc.). Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Applicants can verify accreditation at the following website: http://www.ed.gov/admins/finaid/accred/index.html. All education claimed by applicants will be verified by the appointing agency. If selected, an official/sealed transcript will be required prior to appointment.

PASS/FAIL COURSES: If more than 10 percent of your undergraduate course work (credit hours) were taken on a pass/fail basis, your claim of superior academic achievement must be based upon class standing or membership in an honor society.

GRADUATE EDUCATION: One academic year of graduate education is considered to be the number of credits hours your graduate school has determined to represent one academic year of full-time study. Such study may have been performed on a full-time or part-time basis. If you cannot obtain your graduate school's definition of one year of graduate study, 18 semester hours (or 27 quarter hours) should be considered as satisfying the requirement for one year of full-time graduate study.

FOREIGN EDUCATION: If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show the education credentials have been evaluated by a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign education programs and such education has been deemed equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program; or full credit has been given for the courses at a U.S. accredited college or university. For further information, visit: https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html

Additional information

Probationary Periods: As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider:
- your performance and conduct;
- the needs and interests of the agency;
- whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and
- whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service.
Upon completion of your probationary period your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP): This program applies to employees who have been involuntarily separated from a Federal service position within the competitive service or Federal service employees whose positions have been deemed surplus or no longer needed. To receive selection priority for this position, you must: (1) meet ICTAP eligibility criteria; (2) be rated well-qualified for the position; and, (3) submit the appropriate documentation to support your ICTAP eligibility. For more information visit: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/workforce-restructuring/employee-guide-to-career-transition/

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 an online application, you may request an alternative application. Please send an email to the following address for information on how to obtain an alternative application: whs.job.application.assistance@mail.mil

Reemployed Annuitants: Applicants in receipt of an annuity based on civilian employment in the Federal Service are subject to the DoD Policy on The Employment of Annuitants (DODI 1400.25, volume 300). http://www.esd.whs.mil/DD/DoD-Issuances/140025/

Nepotism: Under the provisions of 5 USC 3110, an individual may not be appointed into a position if the position is under the supervisory chain of command of a relative.

Additional vacancies may be filled by 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.

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 may requires a Subject Matter Expert (SME) Panel Assessment. The SME Panel assessment measures critical general competencies required to perform the job.

Your eligibility and qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g., resume, supporting documents), the responses you provide on the application questionnaire, and the result of the SME Panel Assessment(s) required for this position (if applicable). If you are found to be among the top candidates, you will be referred to the selecting official for employment consideration.

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

GS-9:
  • Interpersonal Skills & Cooperativeness
  • Interviewing and Interrogation
  • Legal Knowledge, Warrants, and Court Procedures
  • Oral and Written Communication
  • Judgment, Decision-Making, and Accountability
GS-11:
  • Criminal Investigation and Methodologies
  • Interviewing and Interrogation
  • Partnering & Inter-Agency Collaboration
  • Written and Oral Communication
  • Judgment and Integrity

DOD PPP candidates using Application-Based Procedures:

Military Spouse Preference (MSP) Eligible: Military Spouse Preference applicants, must be selected and placed at the highest grade level for which they have applied and been determined best qualified. You must include a completed copy of the Military Spouse PPP Self-Certification Checklist (DD-3145-4) dated within 30 days along with the documents identified on the checklist to verify your eligibility for Military Spouse Preference.

Military Reserve (MR) and National Guard (NG) Technicians PPP Eligible: MR and NG technicians PPP applicants must be selected and placed at the full performance level if determined well qualified. You must include a completed copy of the Military Reserve and National Guard Technician PPP Self-Certification Checklist (DD-3145-3) to verify your eligibility for Military Reserve and National Guard Technician preference.

Military Reserve (MR) and National Guard (NG) Technicians Receiving Disability Retirement PPP Eligible: MR and NG technicians receiving disability retirement PPP applicants must be selected and placed at the full performance level if determined well qualified. You must include a completed copy of the Military Reserve and National Guard Technician Disability PPP Self-Certification Checklist (DD-3145-2) to verify your eligibility for Military Reserve and National Guard Technician Disability preference.

Retained Grade PPP Eligible: Retained Grade PPP applicants, must be selected and placed at the full performance level if determined well qualified. You must include a completed copy of the Retained Grade PPP Self-Certification Checklist (DD-3145-1) to verify your eligibility for Retained Grade preference.

Pentagon Force Protection Agency

The mission of the Pentagon Force Protection Agency (PFPA) is to provide force protection, security, and law enforcement to safeguard personnel, facilities, infrastructure, and other resources for the Pentagon Reservation and designated Department of War (DoW) facilities (hereinafter referred to as "the Pentagon Facilities") within the National Capital Region (NCR). PFPA addresses the full spectrum of threats by utilizing a balanced approach of comprehensive protective intelligence and counterintelligence analysis, to include forensic and biometric-enabled information, to determine the appropriate protective posture for personnel and facilities; prevention, preparedness, detection; all-hazards response; DoW emergency management; support the lead response management agency during an emergency or crisis; and provide comprehensive threat assessments, security, and protection services for Office of the Secretary of War personnel and other persons. The PFPA is the DoW focal point for collaborating and coordinating with other DoW Components, other Executive departments and agencies, and State and local authorities on matters involving force protection, security, and law enforcement activities that impact the Pentagon Facilities.

Agency contact information

Washington HQ Services
Email
whs.job.application.assistance@mail.mil
Address
Pentagon Force Protection Agency
Human Resources Directorate
4800 Mark Center Drive
Alexandria, VA 22350
US

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