This position is located in the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office of Inspector General. This position serves as a Criminal Investigator (Special Agent) within Office of Investigations, Mid Western Region. There is only one position. Selectee will be assigned to one of the locations listed. Pay will be set accordingly. Cedar Rapids, IA: RUS 2024: $86,962 - $134,435 Des Moines, IA 2024: $87,602 - $135,425 LAW ENFORCEMENT AVAILABILITY PAY (LEAP) OF 25% IS NOT REFLECTED IN THESE FIGURES.

Duties

Investigate allegations of embezzlement and fraud involving USDA-funded programs. Establish and maintaining liaison with USDA agency personnel. Analyze allegations, complaints and investigations to identify issues involved and the types of evidence needed to properly address each matter. Maintain liaison with other Federal (non-USDA agencies) and State and local government organizations. Advise and/or assist U.S. Attorneys and/or State/local prosecutors and/or their staff members in the preparation of investigations for presentation to Federal and/or State/local Grand Juries. Appear as a witness before grand juries and trial courts, or participate and assist in other legal proceedings; lead and coordinate collateral administrative functions in a unit, such as custodial officer for all investigative equipment. Personally handles exceptionally complex, technical investigative problems or controversial, novel, or exploratory questions and issues, and advises on potential investigations areas and new investigative approaches. Report critical information to other concerned law enforcement jurisdictions. Collaborate with other INV team members as required in establishing objectives of the OIG investigative program. Perform, or may lead and coordinate the conduct of, undercover and/or surveillance work; provide technical subject matter expertise support for training, internal inspection and/or quality control as required. Serve, as required, as a Task Force member or outside agency liaison, working from an alternate duty location, relaying information and accessing outside agency resources to support OIG investigations. Perform full criminal, civil or administrative investigations and conduct investigative interviews. Develop new approaches to performing investigative functions, including responses to identified weaknesses and vulnerabilities in on-going operations. Analyze investigative facts to arrive at sound conclusions. Plan and conduct fact-finding and prepare comprehensive administrative and technical reports in order to present complex and conflicting findings in a clear, logical, impartial, comprehensive, and concise manner. Collaborate with other INV team members as required in establishing objectives of the OIG investigative program.

Requirements

• You must be a US Citizen
• Males born after 12/31/1959 must be Selective Service registered or exempt
• Selected applicants must undergo and successfully obtain and maintain a background investigation for a Top Secret (TS) clearance. You must meet initial and periodic suitability determinations based on favorable background investigations and updates.
• Subject to one year supervisory/managerial probationary period unless prior service is creditable. New USDA supervisors must successfully complete all components of the required training program before the end of their probationary period.
• Direct Deposit Per Public Law 104-134 all Federal employees are required to have federal payments made by direct deposit to their financial institution.
• Successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, visit https://www.e-verify.gov/.
• You will be required to complete an OGE-450, Confidential Statement of Employment and Financial Interests.
• Relocation expenses are NOT authorized.
• Designated or Random Drug Testing required. Failure to pass a Drug Test or maintain a clearance is grounds for removal.
• Subject to satisfactory adjudication of background investigation and/or fingerprint check
• Successful completion of one year probationary period, unless previously served.
• Must be able to obtain and maintain a valid State issued motor vehicle operator's license.
• Significant travel is expected. Selected applicants must be able to acquire and maintain a government-issued travel charge card.
• You must pass initial and periodic medical examinations. Failure to meet medical requirements may result in reassignment from the position of Supervisory Criminal Investigator or other appropriate action.
• Acknowledgement of Career Mobility is a condition of employment. You must be available for permanent reassignment to other regional or resident offices, as required by the OIG.
• Successful completion of the Basic Criminal Investigative Training Program at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center.
• You must be able to operate a government-owned or leased vehicle and have and maintain a valid driver’s license.
• Required to qualify to carry and use firearms and other weapons as part of assigned duties and maintain such qualification.

Qualifications

This position is a primary law enforcement position under 5 U.S.C. 8336 (C) (CSRS and 5 U.S. C 8412 (d) (FERS). You must be no more than 37 years of age upon entry into the GS-1811 series, unless the applicant has previous service creditable under the Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) or Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS) law enforcement provisions sufficient to enable you to retire at age 57 with 20 years of creditable service. Persons already in covered secondary positions or persons with previous approved service who apply for a primary position cannot be considered if their age at reentry into the primary position exceeds 37 years after subtracting their years of service in covered positions. Applicant must provide evidence of current or previous coverage that would qualify. This age restriction does not apply to those entitled to Veteran's Preference. You will be required to qualify to carry and use firearms and other weapons as part of assigned duties and maintain such qualification. Applicants are ineligible for this position if at any time, they have been convicted of a misdemeanor or felony crime of domestic violence, unless such conviction was expunged, set aside or the applicant received a pardon [Lautenberg Amendment title "Gun Ban for Individuals Convicted of a Misdemeanor Crime of Domestic Violence", Pub.L. 104-208,[1] 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(9)].Applicants must meet all qualifications and eligibility requirements by the closing date of the announcement including time-in-grade restrictions, specialized experience and/or education, as defined below. THIS POSITION HAS A BASIC MEDICAL REQUIREMENT: 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. Time in grade: Applicants must have one year of specialized experience at the next lower grade to be considered for the next higher grade. Under competitive merit promotion procedures, any individual who is currently holding, or who has held within the previous 52 weeks, a General Schedule position under non-temporary appointment in the competitive or excepted service, must meet "time-in-grade" requirements (have served 52 weeks at the next lower grade of the grade for which you are applying), restrictions contained in 5CFR 300, Subpart F. You must include an SF-50 (you may need to submit more than one) that supports meeting this requirement with your application package. One year at the GS-11 is required to meet the time-in-grade requirements for the GS-12 level. One year at the GS-12 is required to meet the time-in-grade requirements for the GS-13 level. IN ADDITION TO MEETING THE BASIC MEDICAL REQUIREMENT ABOVE, APPLICANTS MUST MEET THE MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS BELOW. MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS REQUIREMENT FOR GS-13: To qualify for the GS-12: Applicants must possess one (1) year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-11 in the Federal and or Public Service. Specialized experience is defined as: Criminal and administrative investigations, from planning and conducting fact-finding, to reporting the results of investigations; performing undercover and surveillance work; conducting investigative interviews; and analyzing investigative facts to arrive at sound conclusions. This experience includes the preparation of comprehensive administrative and technical reports in order to present findings in a clear, logical, impartial, comprehensive, and concise manner. In addition, I have experience conducting liaison activities with other investigative agencies, including Federal, State, and local agencies, representing the interests of my agency, and developing new approaches to performing investigative functions, including responses to identified weaknesses and vulnerabilities in on-going operations. To qualify for the GS-13: Applicants must possess one (1) year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-12 in the Federal and or Public Service. Specialized experience is defined as: Independently conducting a full range of criminal investigative functions on assigned cases from planning and conducting fact-finding to reporting the results of investigations; independently performing or leading undercover and surveillance work; conducting investigative interviews; and analyzing investigative facts to arrive at sound conclusions. This experience includes the preparation of comprehensive administrative and technical reports in order to present complex and conflicting findings in a clear, logical, impartial, comprehensive, and concise manner. In addition, I have experience conducting liaison activities with other investigative agencies, including Federal, State, and local agencies, representing the interests of my agency and impacted stakeholders, and developing new approaches to performing investigative functions, including in response to identified weaknesses and vulnerabilities in on-going operations. Applicants must meet all qualifications and eligibility requirements by the closing date of the announcement including time-in-grade restrictions, specialized experience and/or education, as defined below. Evidence of one year or more of specialized experience must be clearly documented in your resume. 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 and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

Education

THERE IS NO SUBSTITUTION OF EDUCATION FOR SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE.

Contacts

• Address Office of the Inspector General 1400 Independence Ave SW Washington, DC 20250 US
• Name: Jessica Aguirre
• Phone: (830) 475-2615
• Email: [email protected]