Summary

This position is located in the Office of the Inspector General, Investigation Services, Investigations Operations Unit (IOU). IOU has a nationwide mission and is responsible for investigating information technology-based crimes and criminal activity that threatens the Department’s administration of Federal education assistance funds and data. IOU is also responsible for providing digital forensics services to other OIG components.

This job is open to

The public

U.S. Citizens, Nationals or those who owe allegiance to the U.S.

Career transition (CTAP, ICTAP, RPL)

Federal employees whose job, agency or department was eliminated and are eligible for priority over other applicants.

Clarification from the agency

Any U.S. citizen and ICTAP/CTAP eligible employees

Duties

The Inspector General of the Department of Education (Department) heads an independent and objective organization responsible for audit, investigation, and other services related to programs and operations of the Department. The Inspector General provides leadership and coordination and recommends policies for activities designed, to promote economy, efficiency, and effectiveness in the administration of programs and operations as well as to prevent and detect fraud and abuse in such programs and operations.

The Office of the Inspector General consists of the following seven components:

Immediate Office of the Inspector General
Investigation Services
Audit Services
Management Services
Technology Services
Legal Services/Counsel to the Inspector General
Enterprise and External Affairs

This position is considered a primary law enforcement position and is eligible for special law enforcement retirement coverage. IOU centralizes computer crime investigation and law-enforcement capabilities of digital evidence forensic analysis.

Criminal Investigators in IOU are computer crime investigators and receive specialized training in information technology, digital forensics, and the investigation of cyber-crimes and conduct all investigations of alleged computer and network crime for the OIG. This includes:

computer intrusions
denial of service attacks
the intentional destruction or altering of digital data, and
the exploitation of children by means of visual depictions.

This position required the incumbent to conducts investigations into intrusions of ED systems on fraud, waste, and abuse within Departmental programs, where a computer or other electronic means is used as a weapon, fruit, or instrumentality in the commission of a crime.

The incumbent will submit written investigative reports and make oral presentations for management and/or prosecutors to substantiate or disprove allegations in accordance with standards and timeframe.

The incumbent examines, verifies, and analyzes records, books, reports, correspondence, and other data of consequence related to transactions, actions, or allegations under investigation.

The incumbent independently provides expert forensic support through the scientific analysis of electronic evidence. Conducts complex computer forensic examinations that are consistent with those standards established by ED-OIG, the Council of Inspectors General for Integrity and Efficiency (CIGIE), the Department of Justice as well as reflective of current trends and techniques within the law enforcement and professional communities. This may include the testing of forensic software and other appropriate automated analytical tools to meet diverse investigative requirements.

Requirements

Conditions of employment

May be required to complete a background and fingerprint check.
You must be a U.S. citizen.
Males born after 12/31/1959 must be registered with the Selective Services.
Subject to pre-employment and random drug testing.
Must be able to obtain and maintain a Top Secret clearance.
Statement of Employment & Financial Interest is required.
A pre-employment medical examination is required.

You must meet all qualification requirements within 30 days of the closing date of this vacancy announcement.

This vacancy announcement will close after the agency receives 150 applications. If the 'cut-off' number is reached during the day, the vacancy announcement will close the same day at 11:59 p.m. ET.

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. We will consider all qualifying experience, including any volunteer experience.

Qualifications

Minimum Qualification Requirements:

One year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level (GS-12) in federal service that has equipped you with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position (see description below).

Specialized Experience for the GS-13:

One year of specialized experience in either federal or non-federal service that is equivalent to at least a GS-12 performing the three (3) following duties or work assignments:

Experience in demonstrating advanced skills in law enforcement techniques and computer forensic techniques.

Experience in analyzing records, complaints or allegations to identify issues in a case.

Experience in questioning or interviewing subjects, witnesses and victims to obtain and verify information.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs)

The quality of your experience will be measured by the extent to which you possess the following knowledge, skills and abilities (KSAs). You do not need to provide separate narrative responses to these KSAs, as they will be measured by your responses to the occupational questionnaire (you may preview the occupational questionnaire by clicking the link at the end of the Evaluations section of this vacancy announcement).

Knowledge of laws of evidence, rules of criminal procedures, and precedent setting court decisions required for gathering investigative evidence and conducting research and analysis for investigations.
Knowledge of and skill in court decisions and legal precedent in cases where 18 USC 1030 was used to charge criminal violations.
Ability to communicate effectively both orally and in writing.
Ability to interact and work effectively with others.
Skilled in use of computers and computer software including work processing, spreadsheets, email, and Internet search engines.
Knowledge of and skill in analyzing and organizing data and in presenting facts and analyses orally and in writing.
Knowledge of data and forensic analysis techniques, principles, theories, concepts, and practices applicable to data acquisition and analyses.

Selectee must meet the initial agency suitability determination before a final offer can be made.

Law Enforcement Availability: Applicants must agree to work an average of two hours extra per day to meet the requirements of law enforcement availability pay (LEAP) as described in Title 5 U.S.C. § 5545A(d)(1).

Applicants may be required to undergo a pre-employment medical examination by an Agency designated physician to determine if they are physically and medically qualified to perform the full duties of the position. Any physical condition which could hinder an individual's full, efficient and safe performance of his/her duties as a criminal investigator, or failure to meet any of the required physical or medical qualifications, will usually be considered disqualifying for employment, except when sufficient evidence is presented that the individual can perform the essential functions of the job efficiently and without hazard to themselves and others.

Medical Requirement: The duties of positions in this series require moderate 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, feet must be sufficiently intact and functioning in order that applicants may perform the duties satisfactorily. Applicant must be able to pass an Audiometer test. Hearing loss exceeding a 30-decibel average in either ear in the conversational and speech range (500, 1000, 2000 cycles) is disqualifying. Applicant should possess uncorrected visual acuity of no less than 20/100 in each eye, correctable to 20/20 in one eye and 20/30 in the other eye. Ability to read, without strain, printed material the size of typewritten characters is required. Glasses are permitted. Normal depth perception: depth perception to the correctable standard of 80 seconds of ARC is permitted.

Education

Education cannot be substituted for experience for this position and grade level.

Additional information

Veterans’ Career Counseling: If you are a veteran interested in receiving tips on preparing a Federal resume and/or how to prepare for an interview, you may email sro_recruiting@ed.gov to schedule a session with a career counselor (“Veterans Counseling Session” should be placed in the subject line of the email).

Student Loan Default: If selected for this position, we will verify that you have not defaulted on any loan funded or guaranteed by the U.S. Department of Education. If you are found to be in default, we will contact you to make arrangements for repayment prior to making an official offer of employment.

Suitability and Investigation: If selected for this position, you will be required to complete the Declaration for Federal Employment (OF-306) to determine your suitability for federal employment and successfully complete a pre-appointment investigation/background check.

Non-Essential: This position is considered non-essential for purposes of reporting to work during federal government closures.

Selections: Agencies have broad authority under law to hire from any appropriate source of eligibles and may fill a vacancy in the competitive service by any method authorized. We may make additional selections from this vacancy announcement within 90 days from the date the selection certificates are issued, should vacancies occur. We may also share selection certificates amongst program offices across the agency.

Employment Drug Policy: Applicants tentatively selected for this position will be required to submit to a urinalysis prior to appointment to screen for illegal drug use and will be subject to periodic random testing thereafter.

This position requires that the incumbent must possess and maintain a valid state driver's license.

Applicants must be a minimum age of 21 and not have reached their 37th birthday prior to the opening date of this vacancy announcement. If an applicant reaches his/her 37th birthday during the open period of this vacancy announcement, the application will be considered. Applicants who reach their 37th birthday prior to the opening date of this vacancy announcement will not be considered. Applicants who are currently or previously have been employed under a law enforcement position covered by 5 U.S.C. § 8336(C) or 5 U.S.C. § 8412(D) and applicants with documented veteran's preference are not restricted from applying regardless of age.

Firearms Requirement: Applicants for this position are required to qualify with and use firearms and other weapons as part of assigned duties and to maintain such qualifications. Because of an amendment to 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(9), which became effective September 30, 1996, and is referred to as the Lautenberg Amendment, 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.

Agent Training: Applicant must have satisfactorily completed the Basic Criminal Investigative Training Program at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center in Glynco, Georgia, or its equivalent.

Applicants eligible for selection preference under the Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) must meet the agency definition of "well qualified." At ED-OIG, this means a score of 85.0 or higher.

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.

Benefits

A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.

As an ED employee, you will also benefit from our family-friendly work environment. As part of our commitment to maintain a work life balance, we offer excused leave for Parent/Teacher Conferences (3 hours); excused leave for annual health screenings (4 hours); and matching leave for community volunteer service. Other flexibilities that may be available to you include alternative work schedules.

You may be eligible to receive a recruitment incentive for this position. To receive this incentive payment, you will be required to sign a service agreement obligating you to remain with the U.S. Department of Education for a specified period as agreed upon.

You may be eligible to participate in the Student Loan Repayment Program as a recruitment incentive for this position. To receive student loan repayments, you will be required to sign a service agreement obligating you to remain with the U.S. Department of Education for a specified period as agreed upon.

Review our benefits

Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.

How you will be evaluated

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

We use a multi-step process to review and evaluate applicants:

Eligibility and Minimum Qualifications

Once the vacancy announcement closes, we will review your submitted resume and documents to determine if you meet the eligibility and minimum qualification requirements, including any required education, experience, and/or selective placement factors. You will be rated as ineligible if you are outside of the area of consideration (i.e., who may apply) or your application is missing any required documents. You will be rated as not qualified if you do not possess the minimum qualification requirements.

Rating and Ranking

If you are found to meet both the eligibility and minimum qualification requirements, we will assess the quality of your experience and the extent to which you possess the required KSAs by comparing your submitted resume and documents against your responses to the occupational questionnaire. Your application may be referred to a subject matter expert or panel of subject matter experts for further evaluation. Based on the outcome of this evaluation, you will be placed into one of three categories: Best Qualified, Well Qualified, or Qualified. If your responses to the occupational questionnaire are not substantiated by your submitted resume, you may be eliminated from receiving further consideration. Veterans’ Preference: Qualified veterans’ preference eligibles will be ranked ahead of qualified non-preference eligibles within each category for which they are qualified. Qualified veterans’ preference eligibles with a compensable service-connected disability of 10 percent or more (CPS and CP) will be placed at the top of the Best Qualified category, except in the case of scientific or professional positions at the GS-9 grade level or higher.

Based on the outcome of this evaluation candidates will be assigned a numerical score out of a possible 100 and be placed into one of three categories: Best Qualified, Well Qualified, or Qualified. The three categories are defined below:

Best-Qualified Category – Applicants who have a score between 95 and 100. Demonstrates better overall or key knowledge, skills, or abilities for a specific position.
Well-Qualified Category – Applicants who have a score between 85 and 94.99. Possesses the knowledge, skills, and abilities which clearly exceed the minimum qualification requirements for the position but does not necessarily meet the definition of best qualified.
Qualified Category – Applicants who have a score between 70 and 84.99. Meets the minimum qualification standards for a specific position.

Referral and Selection

If you are found to be amongst the most highly qualified applicants, you will be referred to the selecting official. As part of the assessment and selection process, the selecting official may invite you to participate in a structured interview, check your references, and/or request that you submit a writing sample or complete a written assessment or exercise to further evaluate your qualifications for this position. If you require reasonable accommodation for any part of the interview process or written assessment or exercise, please inform the selecting official at the time of scheduling.

Candidates will not be hired based on their race, sex, color, religion, or national origin.

You may preview questions for this vacancy.

Required Documents

Your resume should include relevant work experience, applicable education and your contact information. For current or previous federal employees, include the pay plan, series and grade.

If you are claiming Veteran's Preference, you must submit:

A copy of your DD-214 that shows active service and character of discharge (Separated Members only); OR
A certification of expected discharge or release from active duty under honorable conditions within 120 days from the date of application (Current Active Duty Members only); AND/OR
The Application for 10-Point Veteran Preference (SF-15) AND all documents indicated on the form as proof of type of preference; AND/OR
Proof of Sole Survivorship Preference (e.g., certificate of death or 100% disability as a result of serving in the armed forces).

Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP), or Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP): CTAP and ICTAP provide eligible displaced Federal competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. If your agency has notified you in writing that you are a displaced employee eligible for ICTAP or CTAP consideration, you may receive selection priority if: 1) this vacancy is within your ICTAP or CTAP eligibility; 2) you apply under the instructions in this announcement; and 3) you are found well-qualified for this vacancy. To be well-qualified you must meet the following: OPM qualification requirements for the position, all selective factors, where applicable; special OPM approved qualifying conditions for the position; is physically qualified with reasonable accommodation, where appropriate, to satisfactorily perform the duties of the position upon entry; and receives a rating of at least “well-qualified” on the questionnaire. You must provide proof of eligibility with your application to receive selection priority. Such proof may include a copy of your written notification of ICTAP or CTAP eligibility, or a copy of your separation personnel action form. Additional information regarding ICTAP or CTAP eligibility is available from Career Transition (opm.gov).

Are you claiming special priority selection rights under the Interagency Career Transition Plan (ICTAP)? If so, submit a copy of your agency notice, a copy of your most recent performance rating, and a copy of your most recent Notification of Personnel Action (SF-50) noting your current position, grade level, and duty location.

If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:

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.

How to Apply

Step 1: Create a USAJOBS account (if you do not already have one) at www.usajobs.gov.

Step 2: Create a resume using the USAJOBS resume builder or upload a resume into your USAJOBS account. Ensure that your resume demonstrates your education, experience, training, and accomplishments as it relates to the qualifications for this position and substantiates your responses to the occupational questionnaire. We strongly recommend that applicants limit their resumes to a maximum of two pages.

Step 3: Upload any required documents into your USAJOBS account (must be less than 3MB and in one of the following document formats: GIF, JPG, JPEG, PNG, RTF, PDF, or Word (DOC or DOCX)).

Step 4: Click "Apply Online" and follow the prompts to complete the occupational questionnaire and attach any required documents. Verify that uploaded documents from USAJOBS transfer into the agency's hiring system. You will have the opportunity to upload any additional required documents in the agency's hiring system. Click “Finish” to submit your application.

NOTE: You may update your application or required documents at any time while the announcement is open by logging into your USAJOBS account, clicking on "Application Status," clicking on the position title, clicking "Update Application,” and following the prompts.

In order to receive consideration for this position, you must submit your complete application, including all required documents, by 11:59 PM Eastern Time on the closing date of the vacancy announcement. If the vacancy announcement has an application limit, we recommend that you submit your complete application at the time of initial application. We will not accept any required documentation after the closing date of the vacancy announcement.

If you have any questions regarding submitting your application, please contact the HR Specialist listed under the Agency Contact Information.

Agency contact information

Teresa Dargan

Phone

(202) 987-0442

Email

Teresa.Dargan@ed.gov

Address

EDUCATION-OFFICE OF INSPECTOR GENERAL
400 Maryland Ave, S.W.
Attn: OIG Human Resources
Washington, District of Columbia 20202
United States

Next steps

As an applicant, you may check your application status through your USAJOBS account at any time. We will also notify you via email of your application status at three key stages in the recruitment process.
1. Once the vacancy announcement closes, we will inform you that your application has been received.
2. After we review your submitted resume and supporting documentation, we will inform you if you are eligible and qualified, if your application was referred to a subject matter expert or panel of subject matter experts for further evaluation, and if you were amongst the most highly qualified candidates referred to the selecting official.
3. Finally, we will inform you of your final disposition for this announcement (e.g., if/when a selection is made, if/when the announcement is cancelled).

Overview

Accepting applications

Open & closing dates

09/19/2025 to 09/26/2025

This job will close when we have received 150 applications which may be sooner than the closing date. Learn more

Salary

$120,579 to - $156,755 per year

Pay scale & grade

GS 13

Location

1 vacancy in the following location:

Washington, DC

Remote job

No

Telework eligible

No

Travel Required

Occasional travel - Travel May Be Required

Relocation expenses reimbursed

No

Appointment type

Permanent

Work schedule

Full-time

Service

Competitive

Promotion potential

13

Job family (Series)

1811 Criminal Investigation

Supervisory status

No

Security clearance

Top Secret

Drug test

Yes

Position sensitivity and risk

Critical-Sensitive (CS)/High Risk

Trust determination process

Credentialing
Suitability/Fitness
National security

Financial disclosure

Yes - This position requires financial disclosure.

Bargaining unit status

No

Announcement number

OIG-HQ-2025-0009

Control number

846492300

US Office of Inspector General

ABOUT_COMPANY

Criminal Investigator, GS-1811-13 (DE)