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Criminal Investigator (Special Agent)

Department of Housing and Urban Development
Office of Inspector General
This job announcement has closed

Summary

This position is located at Department of Housing and Urban Development Office of Inspector General, OIG, Office of Investigation. As a Criminal Investigator (Special Agent), you will handle complex, sensitive criminal investigations and plan and direct complete programs including multi-agency task force operations.

Overview

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Reviewing applications
Open & closing dates
09/16/2025 to 09/22/2025
Salary
$105,383 to - $171,268 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 13
Locations
8 vacancies in the following locations:
Los Angeles, CA
Oakland, CA
Sacramento, CA
Miami, FL
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Travel Required
Occasional travel - You may be expected to travel for this position.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
13
Job family (Series)
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Top Secret
Drug test
Yes
Position sensitivity and risk
Critical-Sensitive (CS)/High Risk
Trust determination process
Financial disclosure
Yes
Bargaining unit status
No
Announcement number
25-HUDIG-12798809
Control number
845983600

This job is open to

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Clarification from the agency

All candidates who are: Current or former federal employees qualifying as Status Candidates, Federal employees currently serving on a VRA, VEOA eligibles, CTAP/ICTAP eligibles, eligible for special hiring authorities (e.g., the Schedule A appointment for persons with disabilities, or covered by an Interchange Agreement), or Land Management employees eligible under Public Law 114-47.

Duties

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

-Plan direct, and execute investigations of diverse housing programs and activities--both within and outside the Department. Investigations are broad in scope and involve complex issues and are characterized by at least four of the following six elements:

  • Involve investigations that are of major inter-regional or national coverage.
  • Subject(s) of case are involved in legal or illegal organizations or operations that are very complex in structure and that have diversified interests.
  • Multiple cases grow out of one investigative matter.
  • Interrelationship of fact and evidence is extremely difficult to establish.
  • Assignments involve matters of extreme sensitivity, such as suspected criminal activity that reaches into State or Federal affairs.
  • Planning the investigation is extremely difficult because there are problems involving other jurisdictions.

- Review legislation, reports, and other background information and holds discussions with program personnel in order to become familiar with program requirements and operations; determine any potential problems; develop required connections to offices, organizations, and program personnel; and identify preliminary scope and course of investigation.

- Develop the investigative strategy/plan. Throughout the course of the investigation, modifies the plan by changing and/or adding areas of emphasis and devising new approaches as required to meet unanticipated developments or complications. As new cases grow out of the original investigation, incorporates them into the overall plan.

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 U.S. Citizen or U.S. National.
To ensure compliance with an applicable preliminary nationwide injunction, which may be supplemented, modified, or vacated, depending on the course of ongoing litigation, the Federal Government will take no action to implement or enforce the COVID-19 vaccination requirement pursuant to Executive Order 14043 on Requiring Coronavirus Disease 2019 Vaccination for Federal Employees. Therefore, to the extent a Federal job announcement includes the requirement that applicants must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 pursuant to E.O. 14043, that requirement does not currently apply. Federal agencies may request information regarding the vaccination status of selected applicants for the purposes of implementing other workplace safety protocols, such as protocols related to masking, physical distancing, testing, travel, and quarantine.

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 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.
AND
For the GS-13, you must have one year of specialized experience at a level of difficulty and responsibility equivalent to the GS-12grade level in the Federal service. Specialized experience for this position includes:
- Participating in the coordination of multi-agent cases or investigations that involve multiple subjects; AND
- Performing criminal or administrative misconduct investigations involving law enforcement officers, or employees of all levels, including senior managers; AND
- Providing technical assistance, training, and consultation for criminal investigations, inspections and techniques, or coordinating criminal investigations and strategies; AND
- Utilizing various investigative techniques to establish interrelationships of facts or evidence; AND
Investigating sensitive, controversial subjects or cases involving jurisdictional problems.

Time-in-Grade: In addition to the above requirements, you must meet the following time-in-grade requirement, if applicable:
For the GS-13, you must have been at the GS-12level for 52 weeks.

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

Education

This job does not have an education qualification requirement.

Additional information

Other Information:
- We may select from this announcement or any other source to fill one or more vacancies.
- Selectee is entitled to Law Enforcement Availability Pay at the rate of 25% of base pay.
- Relocation expenses will not be paid.
- This is a non-bargaining unit position.
- A recruitment incentive may be offered.
- We offer opportunities for telework per agency policy.
- We offer opportunities for flexible work schedules.

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.
- Background Investigation will be required.
- Complete a Declaration for Federal Employment to determine your suitability for Federal employment, at the time requested by the agency.
- 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.
- Submit to a drug test prior to your appointment and random drug testing while you occupy the position.
- Obtain and use a Government-issued charge card for business-related travel.
- File a Confidential Financial Disclosure Report within 30 days of appointment and annually from then on.
- Pass a detailed background investigation.
- Test negative for the presence of illegal drugs before placement in this position and be subject to random drug testing thereafter.
- Satisfactorily complete the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center's Criminal Investigator Training Program, or its equivalent.
- Carry a firearm, maintain firearms proficiency, and conduct full law enforcement activities. Any person convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence may not be hired [Title 18, United States Code, Section 922(g)(9)].
- Be willing to work irregular unscheduled hours and under hazardous conditions.
- Be willing to relocate at the direction of management.
- Pass a pre-employment physical examination.
- Possess and maintain a valid state driver's license.

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.

Your application includes your résumé, responses to the online questions, and required supporting documents. 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.

Applicants that are in the top tier will then be referred for an additional review.

Rating: Your application will be evaluated in the following areas: Analytical, Communication, Leadership and Technical.

Your application will be rated and ranked among others, based on your responses to the online questions, regarding your experience, education, training, performance appraisals and awards relevant to the duties of this position. Your rating may be lowered if your responses to the online questions are not supported by the education and/or experience described in your application.

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.

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 receive a score of 85 or better to be rated as "well qualified" to receive special selection priority.

To preview the application questionnaire: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12798809

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