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View Common Definitions of terms found in this announcement.
Organizational Location: These positions are located in the Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations within various offices throughout the country.
These are non-bargaining unit positions.
Apply early! ICE will test 4,500 applicants for selection consideration. We will consider applications in the order in which they are received.
08/22/2023 to 08/28/2023
$46,495 - $82,814 per year
GL 5 - 7
Many vacancies in the following location:
No
No
Occasional travel - You will be expected to travel to attend training and for mission requirements.
No
Permanent
Full-time
Competitive
13
No
Yes
HSI-ELHU-12076961-DE-JGK
744769000
U.S. Citizens, Nationals or those who owe allegiance to the U.S.
Federal employees who meet the definition of a "surplus" or "displaced" employee.
The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) has approved an exception to 5 CFR 332.407, Restriction of consideration to one sex, for this announcement in an effort to successfully recruit females to help execute the agency's mission and conduct gender-based functions. Please note, ICE will test 4,500 applicants for selection consideration and applications will be considered in the order received.
As a Criminal Investigator, at the full performance level, you will perform the following duties:
You qualify for the GL-05 grade level if you possess one of the following:
Experience: Three years of progressively responsible experience, one year of which was equivalent to at least GS-04, that demonstrates the ability to (1) analyze problems to identify significant factors, gather pertinent data, and recognize solutions; (2) plan and organize work; and (3) communicate effectively orally and in writing. Experience of a general clerical nature (typing, filing, routine procedural processing, maintaining records, or other nonspecialized tasks) is not creditable.
OR
Education: Four-year course of study in any field leading to a bachelor's degree, at an accredited college or university. A college transcript(s) is required if claiming education in lieu of experience and must show your grade point average for all four years of undergraduate study, including all transferred courses.
OR
Combination of Education and Experience: A combination of successfully completed education and experience. Education must be from an accredited college or university.
You qualify for the GL-07 grade level if you possess one of the following:
Experience: One year of specialized experience at the GS-05 grade level or equivalent, related to the work of the position, such as (1) formal or on-the-job activities that support learning the principles, practices, procedures, objectives, and techniques of investigating; (2) completing assignments, under supervision, that progressively develop skills to initiate, plan, and conduct investigations; (3) observing and assisting in law enforcement and prosecutorial activities; and (4) assisting in preparation of documents related to various stages of the investigatory process.
OR
Education: One (1) full year of graduate level education OR a bachelor's degree that meets one of the Superior Academic Achievement Provisions listed below. All education must be from an accredited college or university in a field of study which demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of a GL-07 Criminal Investigator.
A college transcript(s) is required if claiming education in lieu of experience and must show your grade point average for all four years of undergraduate study, including all transferred courses. GPAs are rounded to one decimal place. For example, 2.95 will round to 3.0 and 2.94 will round to 2.9. If more than 10 percent of your undergraduate course work (credit hours) were taken on a pass/fail or similar basis, your claim must be based on class standing or membership in an honor society.
OR
Combination of Education and Experience: A combination of successfully completed education and experience as described above that totals at least one year. Education must be from an accredited college or university and must demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work.
National Service Experience (i.e., volunteer experience): 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.
Current or Former Political Appointees: The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) must authorize employment offers made to current or former political appointees. If you are currently, or have been within the last 5 years, a political Schedule A, Schedule C, Non-career SES or Presidential Appointee employee in the Executive Branch, you must disclose this information to the Human Resources Office.
The Department of Homeland Security encourages persons with disabilities to apply, to include persons with intellectual, severe physical or psychiatric disabilities, as defined by 5 CFR 213.3102(u), and/or Disabled Veterans with a compensable service-connected disability of 30 percent or more as defined by 5 CFR 315.707. Veterans, Peace Corps, VISTA volunteers, and persons with disabilities possess a wealth of unique talents, experiences, and competencies that can be invaluable to the DHS mission. If you are a member of one of these groups, you may not have to compete with the public for federal jobs. To determine your eligibility for non-competitive appointment and to understand the required documentation, click on the links above or contact the Servicing Human Resources Office listed at the bottom of this announcement.
Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP) Eligibles: If you have never worked for the federal government, you are not ICTAP eligible. View information about ICTAP eligibility on OPM's Career Transition Resources website. To be considered eligible under ICTAP, you must be placed in the well-qualified category for this position, as described above. In addition, you must submit the supporting documents listed under the required documents section of this job announcement.
If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements: You must submit an official transcript, unofficial transcript, or a list including courses, grades earned, completion dates, quarter and semester hours earned, the institution's full name, and your full name. Your transcript(s) must clearly demonstrate the course(s) listed in the qualification requirement section. If the transcript(s) does not clearly demonstrate this you must submit a copy of the course description and/or other documentation demonstrating that the courses are equivalent. Applicants can verify accreditation at the following website: https://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/search.aspx.
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. Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating of your application.
Special Instructions for Foreign Education: If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show that 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. Failure to provide such documentation with your application will result in loss of consideration. For further information, visit: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications
***Prior to the final job offer, an official transcript will be required.***
********OTHER ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
Current Federal Employees: Current federal employees who apply to this announcement may be required to accept a change to lower grade which will reduce their current salary based on Federal pay regulations. Pay retention and automatic re-promotion will not apply. You will be required to complete 52 weeks at each grade level prior to being eligible for promotion or re-promotion. Current ICE employees in the 1811 job series will not be eligible for consideration under this vacancy announcement.
HSI Special Agent Basic Training: A mandatory component of continued employment is the successful completion of Basic Training, which consists of the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC) Criminal Investigator Training Program (CITP) and the HSI Special Agent Training Program (HSISAT). The training is approximately 22 weeks in total. You may be temporarily reassigned to a non-law enforcement position if you fail to complete basic training.
Physical Fitness Testing (PFT): A pre-employment Physical Fitness Test (PFT) will be administered. A passing score is required. If you have failed a PFT, you are not eligible for consideration for 12 months from the closing date of the announcement in which you applied that required the PFT. Additionally, a PFT will also be administered at FLETC during Basic Training. Every trainee must pass the PFT during training.
Polygraph: ICE has designated this position for polygraph testing which you may be required to submit to and successfully complete as a pre-employment requirement. If referred for polygraph testing, you will be required to travel to a testing location at your own expense. If you previously had an unsuccessful polygraph examination administered by ICE within the last 365 days, ICE will use those results which will remove you from continuing in the hiring process.
Medical Requirements: Click here for information about the medical process. You must complete a pre-employment medical examination and be found to meet the medical standards for this position.
Age Requirement: Applicants must be at least 21 years of age by the closing date of this announcement. Provisions of Public Law 93-950 and 100-238 allow the imposition of a maximum age for initial appointment to a Criminal Investigator position with the Department of Homeland Security. The date immediately preceding an individual's 37th birthday is the last day to be appointed (enter on duty) to the Criminal Investigator position (DHS Directive 253-03). However, the age restriction may not apply to individuals who are qualified preference-eligible veterans or who are currently or have previously served in a federal civilian (not military) law enforcement position covered by 5 U.S.C. 8336(c) or 5 U.S.C. 8412(d).
Background Investigation: To ensure the accomplishment of our mission, DHS requires every employee to be reliable and trustworthy. To meet these standards, all selected applicants must undergo and successfully obtain and maintain a background investigation for Top Secret as a condition of placement into this position. This may include a credit check, a review of financial issues such as delinquency in the payment of debts, child support and/or tax obligations, as well as certain criminal offenses and illegal use or possession of drugs.
Law Enforcement Availability Pay (LEAP): This position may require substantial amounts of irregular or occasional overtime. You will be required to work on an unscheduled basis in excess of the 40-hour workweek. You must be readily available to perform this unscheduled overtime on a continual basis.
Any offers of employment made pursuant to this announcement will be consistent with all applicable authorities, including Presidential Memoranda, Executive Orders, interpretive U.S. Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) guidance, and Office of Management and Budget plans and policies concerning hiring. These authorities are subject to change.
While the location in this announcement is identified as "location negotiable after selection," locations available will be based on the needs of the agency and no specific location is guaranteed. Homeland Security Investigations has identified targeted recruitment locations in which most positions are expected to be filled. You have the opportunity to identify two targeted recruitment location preferences and a third geographicpreference (Special Agent in Charge (SAC) office area of responsibility). Note that multiple duty locations fall within the area of responsibility (AOR) of each SAC office. Please view the duty locations within each SAC AOR here. Your preference locations are NOT guaranteed. The duty locations offered will be based on the needs of the agency. If you decline the duty locations offered during the official job offer, you will be removed from further consideration.
A student loan repayment incentive may be available, in which case a service agreement will be required.
Promotion Potential: When promotion potential is shown, the agency is not making a commitment and is not obligated to provide future promotions to you if you are selected. Future promotions will be dependent on your ability to perform the duties at a higher level, the continuing need for an employee assigned to the higher level, and administrative approval. To be eligible for promotion, basic training must be successfully completed.
E-Verify: DHS uses E-Verify, an Internet-based system, to confirm the eligibility of all newly hired employees to work in the United States. Learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities.
Benefits: DHS offers competitive salaries and an attractive benefits package, including: health, dental, vision, life, and long-term care insurance; retirement plan; Thrift Savings Plan [similar to a 401(k)]; Flexible Spending Account; Employee Assistance Program; personal leave days; and paid federal holidays. Other benefits may include: flexible work schedules; telework; tuition reimbursement; transportation subsidies; uniform allowance; health and wellness programs; and fitness centers. DHS is committed to employee development and offers a variety of employee training and developmental opportunities. For more information, go to the DHS Careers website and select "Benefits." Disabled veteran leave will be available to any Federal employee hired on or after November 5, 2016, who is a veteran with a service-connected disability rating of 30 percent or more.
Applicants who are hired as Criminal Investigators with ICE after the closing date of the announcement will be removed from further consideration under this vacancy announcement.
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
The following competencies or knowledge, skills, and abilities were identified in a job analysis as necessary to perform this job:
All documents must be in English.
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.
Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.
Please read the entire announcement and all the instructions before you begin an application. To apply for this position, you must complete the initial online application, to include submission of the required documentation specified in the Required Documents section. The complete initial application must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on 08/28/2023.
PLEASE NOTE: If your materials are not received by the closing date, your application will be evaluated solely on the information available and you may not receive full consideration or may not be considered eligible. Also, if you do not provide a valid email address, you may not be notified of required assessments and/or the outcome of your application. Ensure that your email in USAJOBS is accurate and accessible to you for the duration of the assessment process; once you submit your application, that is the address that will be used for all future communications including instructions for assessments.
To begin the process, click the Apply Online button to create an account or log into your existing USAJOBS account. Follow the prompts to complete the announcement questionnaire. Please ensure you click the Submit My Answers button at the end of the process.
To apply for this position, you must complete the Announcement Questionnaire https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12076961 and submit the required documentation outlined under the REQUIRED DOCUMENTS section.
To update your application (including supporting documentation) at any time during the announcement open period, visit your USAJOBS account at https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login. There you will find a record of your application, the application status, and an option to Update Application. This option will no longer be available once the announcement has closed.
***Responses to the announcement questionnaire may not be changed or altered once the announcement has closed.***
Applications and supporting documentation will not be accepted by mail or email. If you need further assistance, contact the Human Resources Office listed on this announcement at least one day prior to the closing date for further instructions.
One or more positions may be filled using this vacancy announcement.
Applying to this announcement certifies that you give permission for DHS to share your application with others in DHS for similar positions.
After you submit your application, based on your responses to the Announcement Questionnaire, you may be advanced to the Criminal Investigator Assessment Process. This process involves three phases of assessments, for which you will be emailed detailed information on how to complete. Your passing assessment results will be used for this job opportunity and may be reused for future job opportunities requiring the same assessments. If you do not pass one or more assessments, it will be two years before you can retest and be considered for job opportunities requiring those assessments.
All communications associated with the Criminal Investigator application and hiring process will be sent to the email address you have listed in your USAJOBS profile at the time of application. It is critical that you check (and if necessary, update) your USAJOBS profile prior to applying to ensure your email address is correct and up-to-date. It is your responsibility to proactively search for communications, including spam or junk email folders, to ensure deadlines for testing or document submissions are not missed.
Each USAJOBS posting contains specifications for a time frame during which applicants must complete any required assessments, and which is also listed in your assessment invitation email. We will notify you of your results by email once all three phases of the Criminal Investigator Assessment Process have been completed. Failure to successfully complete any portion of the phases listed above will result in removal from the application process. Failure to complete testing within the defined time frame will result in removal from consideration for the current Criminal Investigator job announcement. We will notify you of your results by email once all three phases of the Criminal Investigator Assessment Process have been completed. If tentatively selected, failure to submit required documents by the due date will result in removal from the hiring process.
View more information on applying for federal employment.
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
This job originated on www.usajobs.gov. For the full announcement and to apply, visit www.usajobs.gov/job/744769000. Only resumes submitted according to the instructions on the job announcement listed at www.usajobs.gov will be considered.
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The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is calling on those who want to help protect American interests and secure our Nation. DHS components work collectively to prevent terrorism; secure borders and our transportation systems; protect the President and other dignitaries; enforce and administer immigration laws, safeguard cyberspace; and ensure resilience to disasters. We achieve these vital missions through a diverse workforce spanning hundreds of occupations. Make an impact; join DHS.
The mission of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is to protect America from the cross-border crime and illegal immigration that threaten national security and public safety. ICE focuses on smart immigration enforcement, preventing terrorism, and combating the illegal movement of people and goods. ICE is the principal investigative arm of DHS and the second largest investigative agency in the federal government. Created in 2003, through a merger of the investigative and interior enforcement elements of the U.S. Customs Service and the Immigration and Naturalization Service, ICE has more than 20,000 employees in more than 400 offices in the United States and around the world. ICE is a key component of the DHS layered approach to protecting our nation from a wide range of threats. For additional information about ICE and career opportunities, please visit www.ice.gov.
