Major Duties and Responsibilities

Serve as the first-line supervisor for the Deputy Director, Investigation, and is responsible for six (6) investigatory teams including 6 supervisors and 40 investigators, plus support personnel, who conduct administrative investigations and related activities. The incumbent supervises case management and provides technical advice on matters investigated by OAWP. The incumbent develops general investigative strategies and tactics to resolve complex investigative issues.

Incumbent is responsible for providing leadership and program management, planning, assigning work, and prioritizing workload of assigned investigators to accomplish OAWP's mission and statutory functions, including but not limited to the following:

Incumbent performs the full range of supervisory functions including supervising, developing performance plans, and rating performance. Ensures work is assigned to subordinates based on priorities, difficulty of assignments, workload, and the capabilities of the employees. Incumbent performs the full range of supervisory functions for staff, including making decisions on proposed disciplinary actions and handling grievances.

Provides overall guidance and technical oversight of cases, including reviewing investigative reports and ensuring written work product produced by investigators is accurate, complete, and succinct, and that disciplinary recommendations are supported by the evidence file and applicable precedents.

Ensures investigations are conducted in accordance with established standard operating procedures including applicable CIGIE standards.

Provides leadership, mentorship, training, and administrative oversight. Identifies developmental and training needs of employees, provides and/or arranges for needed developmental training.

Provides comprehensive investigative training to incoming investigators and supervisory investigators.

Continually analyses the processes used by investigators ensuring identification, receipt, and tracking of the case is maintained to appropriate standards.

The incumbent identifies resources required for the investigation.

Provides, as needed, presentations, briefings, case updates, and/or reports to the Executive Director of Investigations (SES) and Senior OAWP leadership.

Maintains lines of communication between field personnel and the Executive Director. The incumbent prepares written communication on behalf of the Executive Director in relation to operational procedures; maintains a training program, conduct of investigative procedures and techniques.

Incumbent also assists in the oversight of the overall integrity of the data input into OAWP's electronic official system of records and helps ensure that the entries are accurate and timely reported.

Oversees investigations and projects to ensure the exercise of tact, diplomacy, and utilization of extensive investigative experience.

Contributes to the attainment of mission, vision goals and objectives and to continuous improvement of the organizations processes through accomplishments of goals and objectives. The incumbent participates in assignments and efforts, including review of decisions, recommendations, internal policy, internal standard operating procedures, correspondence, and other work products which result in the production and delivery of work products and services to the organizations.

Advises/briefs the Executive Director and OAWP leadership on highly complex and sensitive investigations. Communicates changes to subordinate staff. Ensures division employees readily adapt to changes.

Coordinates cases with internal staff and administrations and external offices such as the Office of Medical Inspector, regional offices for the administrations and the Office of Inspector General.

Ensures that sufficient information exists to warrant opening and closing the investigative file.

Demonstrates integrity, discretion, and commitment to quality, transparency, and due process.

Performs other duties as assigned.

Work Schedule: Required to work Monday through Friday with various tours available pending supervisory approval. May be subjected to change based on operational needs.
Compressed/Flexible: May be authorized by supervisor
Remote: Yes
Position Description/PD#: 99022-0
Recruitment Incentive: May be authorized for an eligible highly qualified individual.
Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

Conditions of employment

Conditions of Employment

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959
• You may be required to serve a probationary period
• Subject to background/security investigation
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process
• Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents).
• Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued identification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.

• 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.

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 12/15/2025.

Time-In-Grade Requirement: Applicants who are current Federal employees and have held a GS grade any time in the past 52 weeks must also meet time-in-grade requirements by the closing date of this announcement. For a GS-15 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-14. The grade may have been in any occupation, but must have been held in the Federal service. An SF-50 that shows your time-in-grade eligibility must be submitted with your application materials. If the most recent SF-50 has an effective date within the past year, it may not clearly demonstrate you possess one-year time-in-grade, as required by the announcement. In this instance, you must provide an additional SF-50 that clearly demonstrates one-year time-in-grade. Note: Time-In-Grade requirements also apply to former Federal employees applying for reinstatement as well as current employees applying for Veterans Employment Opportunities Act of 1998 (VEOA) appointment. See the Required Document section below for more information regarding the SF-50s needed to verify time-in-grade.


You may qualify based on your experience as described below:

• Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade (GS-14) in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: managing and/or leading teams of investigators in complex, large scale, and/or multijurisdictional investigations; developing general investigative strategies and tactics to resolve complex investigative issues; being responsible for providing leadership and program management and planning; ensuring investigative processes align with best practices, legal requirements, and organizational goals; and utilizing data analytics and data-driven approaches to inform decision-making and enhance investigative strategies.
• The Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) and Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provide eligible displaced Federal/VA competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. To be qualified you must submit appropriate documentation (a copy of the agency notice, your most recent performance rating, and your most recent SF-50 noting current position, grade level, and duty location) and be found well-qualified for this vacancy.
• A Well qualified candidate for the GS-15 Director of Investigations position within the Office of Accountability and Whistleblower Protection (OAWP) will bring extensive experience leading, managing, and overseeing complex administrative investigations in a large, regulated, and mission driven organization.
• This role requires a leader who can balance OAWP's dual responsibilities: protecting whistleblowers and giving VA the documented evidence needed to hold senior VA officials accountable for misconduct and wrongdoing. The well qualified candidate's resume will demonstrate:
  • Expertise in conducting and supervising quality, numerous high-profile investigations of allegations of misconduct and/or whistleblower retaliation with fairness, impartiality, timeliness, professionalism, and supported by sufficient evidence. This must include at least five (5) years managerial experience and ten (10) years of supervisory investigative experience.
  • Skill in presenting complex investigative findings and disciplinary recommendations clearly and credibly, both in writing and in oral briefings, to senior Government leaders and officials.
  • Experience developing and enforcing investigative policies, Standard Operating Procedures, internal controls, and performance metrics.
  • Proven leadership of investigative teams, fostering a culture of accountability and ethical conduct.
  • Ability to drive increased efficiencies in investigative timelines while maintaining investigation quality.
  • Knowledge of whistleblower protection laws (e.g. 5 U.S.C.§ 2302).
  • Experience closely coordinating and cooperating with investigative attorneys.
  • Experience driving cultural, procedural, technological, and other changes across an organization. Ability to coordinate with stakeholders such as VA OIG, Office of Special Counsel, Congressional staff, and other Federal oversight entities.
  • Integrity, discretion, and demonstrated commitment to quality, transparency, and accountability.
  • Knowledge of applicable MSPB and other relevant caselaw on misconduct, retaliation, and government investigations
• Information about ICTAP and CTAP eligibility is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website at http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/workforce-restructuring/employee-guide-to-career-transition/

• Interpersonal Skills
• Performance Management
• Problem Solving
• Technical Competence
• Written Communication

How you will be evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

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

A portion of your assessment is a Job Knowledge Test that will occur during the application. This is a multiple choice exercise with only one correct answer per question. You must answer all questions correctly and meet all other requirements to be considered eligible.

Narrative responses are not required at this time. If you are referred for consideration, you may be asked to submit additional job related information, which may include, but not limited to; responses to the knowledge, skills and abilities; completion of a work sample, and/or contact for an interview. Your resume and/or supporting documentation will be verified. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your rating or consideration for employment.

The Department of Veterans Affairs performs pre-employment reference checks as an assessment method used in the hiring process to verify information provided by a candidate (e.g., on resume or during interview or hiring process); gain additional knowledge regarding a candidate's abilities; and assist a hiring manager with making a final selection for a position.

Order of referral: Eligible applicants will be reviewed and referred in the following order:

• All current, permanent VA Employees in the VACO Office of Accountability and Whistleblower Protection
• All other current, permanent VA employees
• All other applicants (if status)