Criminal Investigator

Criminal Investigator

The position is organizationally known as a Criminal Investigator and reports to the Chief of Police. The single focus of this position is the investigation of suspected major offenses against Veterans Affairs (VA) patients, visitors and staff and U.S. government property and assets and the potential prosecution of criminals.

Responsibilities include :

• Investigating crimes which cannot be resolved through the initial efforts of the reporting officer's preliminary investigation or are beyond the scope of a Detective's responsibility.
• Utilizing an extensive array of standardized, optional, and innovative investigation procedures, techniques, and methods to detect, investigate, and resolve crimes and other activities that are beyond the scope or requirements for solutions associated with standard patrol assignments.
• Performing a variety of standard and nonstandard assignments in resolving a wide range of conditions or criminal / administrative activities typically requiring extensive research, interviewing, planning, observing, conducting stakeout operations, and executing investigative techniques, resulting in arrest of suspects and in some instances, changes in patrol operating procedures.
• Investigating complaints and tips, developing leads, obtaining physical evidence, seeking out and questioning witnesses and suspects, taking testimony, and arresting offenders.

Work Schedule : Days, Nights, Weekends, Holidays, and rotating shifts

Virtual : This is not a virtual position.

Requirements :

You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job.

All applicants tentatively selected for VA employment in a testing designated position are subject to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment. Applicants who refuse to be tested will be denied employment with VA.

Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12 / 31 / 1959.

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.

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.

Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP).

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary period or 2-year trial period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest.

Qualifications :

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 11 / 03 / 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-09 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-07. 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.

INDIVIDUAL OCCUPATIONAL REQUIREMENT (IOR) : An IOR is a basic requirement that must be met in order to qualify for entry into this job series, and it is something that can't be waived.

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.

You may qualify based on your experience and / or education as described below :

Specialized Experience : You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-07 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to :

OR, Education : Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have 2 years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a master's degree or master's or equivalent graduate degree.

OR, Combination : Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have an combination of specialized experience and education beyond Master's degree.

You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position :

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; religions; 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.

Note : A full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week. Part-time experience will be credited on the basis of time actually spent in appropriate activities. Applicants wishing to receive credit for such experience must indicate clearly the nature of their duties and responsibilities in each position and the number of hours a week spent in such employment.

Physical Requirements :

The work requires regular and recurring physical exertion, such as long periods of standing, walking, bending, stooping, reaching, crawling, and similar activities. Performance of work may take place in attics, crawlspaces, walls, ceilings, and other limited access spaces, or in rough terrain. The work may require some common characteristics and abilities of physical agility and dexterity to work in confined spaces and to move or lift moderately heavy objects.

For more information on these qualification standards, please visit the United States Office of Personnel Management's website.

Education :

A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education.

Note : Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment.

Additional Information :

Receiving Service Credit or Earning Annual (Vacation) Leave : Federal Employees earn annual leave at a rate (4, 6 or 8 hours per pay period) which is based on the number of years they have served as a Federal employee. Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior work experience or military service experience.