Clarification from the agency

This position is being advertised under Direct-Hire Authority. Under this authority, competitive rating, ranking and veterans’ preference procedures do not apply.

As a Criminal Investigator, you will perform the following duties:

• Receive, develop and evaluate leads, original requests, complaints and allegations from informants, industry, the U.S. Government and other sources. Find and develop evidence sufficient to prove or disprove allegations of actual or attempted violations. Determine the nature, scope, timing, and direction of the investigation.
• Apply learned investigative knowledge and skills. Study and review laws, regulations and legal opinions. Practice and use various traditional and modem investigative techniques.
• Summarize and report all investigative activities efficiently in a clear, logical and impartial manner.
• Conduct meetings with and deliver effective presentations to industry representatives on Export Enforcement (EE) objectives in the private sector and general public.
• Coordinate findings with other law enforcement agencies, other regulatory agencies, and other DOC program areas, and the United States Attorney’s Office, as appropriate.
• Train junior criminal investigators in required skills such as report writing, interviews and interrogation procedures, detention and seizure procedures, recording investigative information electronically, taking of statements, database and records checks, rules of evidence, export control laws and regulations.

This Job Opportunity Announcement may be used to fill other Criminal Investigator GS-1811-11/12/13, full performance level GS-13 positions within the Department of Commerce in the same geographical location with the same qualifications and specialized experience.

Conditions of employment

• You must be a U.S. citizen to apply for this position.
• This position requires a TOP SECRET/SCI CLEARANCE. You must be able to obtain and maintain a TS/SCI clearance. Failure to obtain and maintain the required level of clearance may result in the withdrawal of a job offer or removal.
• You must successfully pass a background investigation. This may include a credit check, a review of financial issues, as well as certain criminal offenses and illegal use of possession of drugs.
• A probationary period may be required.
• Selective Service: Males born after 12/31/59 must be registered or exempt from Selective Service (see https://www.sss.gov/).
• 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.
• All Federal employees are required to have Federal salary payments made by direct deposit to a financial institution of their choosing.
• Bargaining Unit Position: No
• Confidential Financial Disclosure Report (OGE form 450): Yes
• Drug Test: Yes – Except as prohibited by law, all applicants tentatively selected for this position will be required to submit to a urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment, and appointed the incumbent will be subjected to random drug testing procedures.
• License required: Yes, Valid State Motor Vehicle Operator’s License.
• Pre-employment physical required: Yes
• Bargaining Unit Position: No
• Confidential Financial Disclosure Report (OGE form 450): Yes
• Basic Training: You must complete or have completed the basic criminal investigator course at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center, Glynco, GA (or equivalent training determined by the agency).
• Travel: Frequent temporary travel may be required.
• Mobile Workforce: You will be expected to work "on the road" meaning from and/or out of their vehicles; work from and/or out of non-traditional locations; work in-transit from either aircraft or motor vehicle.
• Mobility Agreement: Youmust sign a mobility agreement to accept, on direction of the Director of the Office of Export Enforcement (OEE), assignment to any one of OEE’s offices.
• Permanent Change of Duty Station (PCS) Expense: will not be paid.

Qualifications

Firearms: This position requires the incumbent to carry a firearm while performing duties and maintain firearm proficiency and successfully pass periodic firearm qualifications. Any person who has been convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence cannot lawfully possess a firearm or ammunition in accordance with 18 USC 922 (Lautenberg Amendment). Applicants for the Criminal Investigator position who have been convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence are not eligible for employment.

Lautenberg Amendment: This position authorizes the incumbent to carry a firearm. Any person convicted of a felony or misdemeanor crime of domestic violence cannot lawfully possess a firearm or ammunition (Title 18, USC Section 992(g)). A felony or misdemeanor crime of domestic violence is generally defined under the statute as any offense involving the use or attempted use of physical force or the threatened use of a deadly weapon committed by the victim’s current or former domestic partner, parent, or guardian. The term convicted, as defined in the statute, excludes any person whose conviction has been expunged, set aside, or pardoned, or any person whose civil rights have been restored, so long as such restoration does not restrict the shipping, transport, possession or receipt of firearms or ammunition. Candidates convicted of a felony or misdemeanor crime of domestic violence within the meaning of the referenced statutes are not eligible for the position.

Individual Occupational Requirements – Medical Requirements: The duties in this position 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 for applicants to perform their 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. As measured by an audiometer, hearing loss 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 unqualifying.

AND


In addition to meeting Individual Occupational Requirements, candidates must also meet the additional specialized experience requirement.

Qualification requirements in the vacancy announcements are based on the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Qualification Standards Handbook, which contains federal qualification standards. This handbook is available on the Office of Personnel Management’s website located at: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/#url=Occupational-Series

Applicants must possess one year of specialized experience equivalent in difficulty and responsibility to the next lower grade level in the Federal Service. Specialized experience is experience that has equipped the applicant with the particular competencies/knowledge, skills and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position. This experience need not have been in the federal government.

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.

To qualify at the GS-11 level:

SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: You must possess one full year (52 weeks) of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-09 in the Federal service. Specialized experience is defined as:

• Determining the depth and scope of the investigation (subject/targets);
• Preparing cases for presentation to prosecutors or management officials;
• Developing investigative leads and analyzing evidence collected to build criminal or administrative cases; and
• Preparing written investigative reports.

OR

SUBSTITUTION OF EDUCATION: a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree or three (3) full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree, or LL.M, if related;

OR

COMBINATION OF EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE: a combination of the required experience and education for this grade level.

To qualify at the GS-12 level:

SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: You must possess one full year (52 weeks) of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-11 in the Federal service. Specialized experience is defined as:

• Securing facts and developing evidence;
• Maintaining liaison with other law enforcement bodies;
• Conducting investigative interviews, record searches and/or obtaining sworn statements; and
• Preparing comprehensive written investigative reports.

To qualify at the GS-13 level:

SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: You must possess one full year (52 weeks) of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-12 in the Federal service. Specialized experience is defined as:

• Securing facts and developing evidence;
• Maintaining liaison with other law enforcement bodies;
• Conducting investigative interviews, record searches and/or obtaining sworn statements;
• Preparing comprehensive written investigative reports, and
• Training junior level employees in investigative matters.

How you will be evaluated

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

Under the provisions of the Direct-Hire Authority (DHA), rating, ranking and veterans’ preference does not apply. While veterans’ preference does not apply in DHA, preference eligibles are encouraged to submit their supporting documentation (DD-214 stating disposition of discharge or character of service, VA letter, SF-15, etc.).

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., two-page resume, supporting documents), the responses you provide on the application questionnaire and the result of the Structured Interview required for this position.Applicants who meet the qualification requirements, as defined in the job opportunity announcement, will be referred for selection consideration.

Structured Interview: A structured interview is an assessment method designed to measure job-related competencies of candidates by systematically inquiring about their behavior in past experiences and/or their proposed behavior in hypothetical situations.

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.

The technical assessment will evaluate you on the following competencies; please do not provide a separate written response:

• Criminal Law
• Criminal Investigation
• Judgement, Initiative and Problem Solving
• Oral Communication
• Written Communication

Do NOT include the following types of information in your resume/application. If any are included, you will be deemed INELIGIBLE for consideration.

• Classified or government sensitive information
• Social Security Number (SSN)
• Photos of yourself
• Personal information, such as age, gender, religious affiliation, etc.

To preview the questionnaire, click the following link: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12900449

A complete application consists of the following:

• Resume (that should not exceed two pages in length) which shows relevant experience; cover letter optional. If more than two pages are submitted for the resume, only the first two pages will be reviewed to determine your eligibility/qualifications. Your resume should list your educational and work experience including the dates (mm/dd/yy) of each employment along with the number of hours worked per week, if less than 40. Your resume may be used to validate your responses to the qualifications/assessments. Your resume should also indicate your citizenship and if you are registered with the Selective Service System if you are a male born after 12/31/59. Refer to the "How you will be Evaluated’ section for types of information not to include in your resume/application.
• Veterans’ Preference documentation. Please preference is not applicable under this direct hire vacancy announcement, however, you choose to may submit veteran’s documentation at your own discretion, i.e., DD-214 stating disposition of discharge or character of service, VA letter, SF-15, etc.
• Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) and Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) documentation, if applicable.
  • CTAP or ICTAP applicant(s), MUST submit the following documents:
    • A copy of your specific RIF notice; notice of proposed removal for failure to relocate; or a Certificate of Expected Separation (CES); or certification that you are in a surplus organization or occupation (this could be a position abolishment letter, a notice eligibility for discontinued service retirement, or similar notice); or notice of disability annuity termination; or certification from your former agency that it cannot place you after your recovery from a compensable injury; or certification from the National Guard Bureau or Military Department that you are eligible for disability retirement; or a copy of your SF-50 "Notification of Personnel Action" documenting your RIF separation, noting your positions, grade level, and duty location, and/or Agency certification of inability to place you through RPL, etc;
    • Any documentation from your agency that shows your latest performance appraisal rating; AND
    • Any documentation from your agency that shows your current promotion potential.
• Education. If this position requires proof of higher education, or you are substituting education for experience, you must submit an unofficial transcript or a list of courses that includes the following information: name of accredited institution, grades earned, completion dates, and quarter and semester hours earned. Education completed in foreign colleges or universities may be used to meet the requirements. Please refer to http://www.opm.gov/qualifications/policy/ApplicationOfStds-04.asp for more information.
• Are you a current or former political Schedule A, Schedule C, Non-career SES or Presidential Appointee employee? Submit a copy of your applicable SF-50, along with a statement that provides the following information regarding your most recent political appointment:
  • Position title;
  • Type of appointment (Schedule A, Schedule C, Non-career SES, or Presidential Appointee);
  • Agency; and
  • Beginning and ending dates of appointment.

You are not required to submit official documents at this time; copies are sufficient.


Failure to provide such documents when requested may result in lost consideration.

Special Instructions for Foreign Education: See Note in Education Section for additional information.

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