Supervisory Criminal Investigator (Assistant Special Agent-in-Charge)

JobSummary

This position is located in the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office of Inspector General. This position serves as the Supervisory Criminal Investigator (Assistant Special Agent-in-Charge) for Bravo Branch within the Office of Investigations, Southwest Region. This application will close upon receiving 50 applicants or at 11:59 PM on 06 April 2026, whichever occurs first.

LowGrade

14

HighGrade

14

PromotionPotential

None

SubAgencyName

Office of Investigations, Southwest Region, Bravo Branch

OrganizationCodes

AG/AG23

Relocation

False

HiringPath

• fed-transition
• fed-competitive
• disability
• land
• mspouse
• peace
• vet

MCOTags

TotalOpenings

1

AgencyMarketingStatement

USDA provides leadership on food, agriculture, natural resources, rural development, nutrition, and related issues based on sound public policy, the best available science, and efficient management. Our vision is to expand economic opportunity through innovation, helping rural America to thrive; to promote agriculture production sustainability that better nourishes Americans while also helping feed others throughout the world; and to preserve and conserve our Nations natural resources through restored forests, improved watersheds, and healthy private working lands. The Office of Inspector General (OIG) is an independent office within the Department of Agriculture whose mission is to ensure economy, efficiency, and integrity in the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) programs and operations through the successful execution of audits, investigations, and reviews. The OIG conducts investigations, audits, and reviews to prevent and detect waste, fraud, and mismanagement of USDA programs and operations. OIG consists of the following components: Immediate Office of Inspector General (IG) Office of Counsel (OC) Office of Management (OM) Office of Investigations (OI) Office of Audit (AUD) Office of Compliance and Integrity (OCI) Office of Analytics and Innovation (OAI)

TravelCode

2

ApplyOnlineUrl

https://apply.usastaffing.gov/Application/Apply

DetailStatusUrl

https://apply.usastaffing.gov/Application/ApplicationStatus

MajorDuties

• Assists in the directing and administering to a staff of special agents, investigators, investigative analysts, and other investigation support personnel in the conduct of investigation of criminal, civil, administrative, and training matters.
• Oversees the conduct of official inquiries and assessments relating to the personnel, programs, and operations of the USDA throughout the United States.
• Determines whether incoming allegations have investigative merit and recommends appropriate disposition, i.e. assignment to direct report staff members or referral to other investigative entities or closing without action.
• Serves as first-line manager to ensure the administration of applicable aspects of policy development and/or revision and training as related to the Office of Investigations.
• Provides liaison with other Federal Investigative and law enforcement agencies, to include internal and external stakeholders in the preparation of allegation and/or investigation related materials.
• Participates in effecting arrests, search warrants, and/or surveillance activities; and is involved in the investigation of high-level government officials requiring great discretion and tact.
• Formulates an internal strategic training plan promoting and reflecting the OIG and USDA strategic plans to encourage teamwork, innovation and the application of effective solutions to investigative and administrative problems.
• Provides presentations, briefings, or reports to the SAC and DAIGI, and other Senior USDA OIG and USDA officials including other internal and external stakeholders.
• Oversees projects of marked difficulty, responsibility, and sensitivity that require the exercise of tact, utilization of extensive experience, and various human resource skills.

Education

THERE IS NO SUBSTITUTION OF EDUCATION FOR SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE AT THE GS-14 GRADE LEVEL.

Requirements

Evaluations

You will be evaluated based on your qualifications for this position as evidenced by the experience, education, and training you described in your application package, as well as the responses to the Assessment Questionnaire to determine the degree to which you possess the knowledge, skills, abilities and competencies listed below: Criminal Investigation Oral Communication Partnering Teamwork Written Communication Your application, including the online Assessment Questionnaire, will be reviewed to determine if you meet (a) minimum qualification requirements and (b) the resume supports the answers provided to the job-specific questions. Your resume must clearly support your responses to all the questions addressing experience and education relevant to this position. Applicants who meet the minimum qualification requirements and are determined to be among the best qualified candidates will be referred to the hiring manager for consideration. Noncompetitive candidates and applicants under some special hiring authorities need only meet minimum qualifications to be referred. Note: If after reviewing your resume and/or supporting documentation, a determination is made that you have inflated your qualifications and or experience, your score may be adjusted to more accurately reflect your abilities, or you may be found ineligible. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your rating. Providing inaccurate information on Federal documents could be grounds for non-selection or disciplinary action up to including removal from the Federal service. Clicking the link below will present a preview of the application form; i.e. the online questionnaire. The application form link below will only provide a preview and does not initiate the application process. To initiate the online application process, click the "Apply" button to the right. To view the application form, visit: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12924438

HowToApply

Please read the entire announcement and all instructions before you begin. You must complete this application process and submit all required documents electronically by 11:59p.m. Eastern Time (ET) on the closing date of this announcement. Applying online is highly encouraged. We are available to assist you during business hours (normally 8:00a.m. - 4:00p.m., Monday - Friday). If applying online poses a hardship, contact the Agency Contact listed below well before the closing date for an alternate method. All hardship application packages must be complete and submitted no later than noon ET on the closing date of the announcement to be entered into the system prior to its closing. Resumes must not exceed two pages. This agency provides reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities on a case-by-case basis; contact the Agency Contact to request this. To begin, click "Apply" and follow the instructions to complete the Assessment Questionnaire and attach your resume and all required documents. Please verify that documents you are uploading from USAJOBs transfer into the Agency's staffing system as there is a limitation to the number of documents that can be transferred. However, once in the Agency's staffing system, you will have the opportunity to upload additional documents. Uploaded documents must be less than 5MB and in one of the following document formats: GIF, JPG, JPEG, PNG, RTF, PDF, TXT or Word (DOC or DOCX). Do not upload Adobe Portfolio documents because they are not viewable. Encrypted documents will not be accepted. Failure to submit required, legible documents may result in loss of consideration. Please ensure your resume does not exceed two pages. Applicants who submit a resume that exceeds two pages will be removed from consideration. Our office cannot be responsible for incompatible software, your system failure, etc.

WhatToExpectNext

Your application will be reviewed to verify that you meet the eligibility and qualification requirements for the position prior to issuing referral lists to the selecting official. If further evaluation or interviews are required, you will be contacted. Log in to your USAJOBS account to check your application status. You must choose to turn on email notifications in your USAJOBS profile if you want to receive important email notifications that may impact your applicant experience (e.g. If you start an application and do not submit it prior to the closing date, USAJOBS will send an email reminder that the closing date is approaching and your application is in an incomplete status). Under the Fair Chance Act, agencies are not allowed to request information about an applicant's criminal history until a conditional offer of employment has been made, except as allowed for access to classified information; assignment to national security duties or positions; acceptance or retention in the armed forces; or recruitment of a Federal law enforcement officer. An applicant may submit a complaint or any other information related to an organization's alleged noncompliance with the Fair Chance Act. The complaint must be submitted within 30 calendar days of the date of the alleged noncompliance. To make a Fair Chance Act inquiry or complaint, send an email with the appropriate information to flor.barker@oig.usda.gov, subject line: Fair Chance Act. Multiple positions may be filled from this announcement. As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider: your performance and conduct; the needs and interests of the agency; whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service. Upon completion of your probationary period your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

RequiredDocuments

The following documents are required for your applicant package to be complete. Encrypted documents will not be accepted. Failure to submit required, legible documents may result in loss of consideration. Resume that includes: Personal Information: name, address, contact information; Education; Work Experience related to this position as described in the major duties including work schedule, hours worked per week, dates of employment; title, series, and grade (if applicable); any other relevant qualifications. Resume must not exceed 2 pages. Current and former Federal employees: Most recent non-award Notification of Personnel Action (SF-50) showing you are/were in the competitive service, highest grade held (or promotion potential) on a permanent basis, position title, series and grade AND Most recent performance appraisal (dated within 18 months) showing the official rating of record, signed by a supervisor, or statement why the performance appraisal is unavailable. A performance plan is not an acceptable substitute. Current permanent FSA County employees must submit your most recent non-award Notification of Personnel Action (SF-50) showing your highest grade (or promotion potential) held on a permanent basis, position title, series and grade AND most recent performance appraisal (dated within 18 months) per above. Veteran Hiring Authorities: VEOA and 30% Disabled Veterans: DD214 (member 4 copy), Certificate of Release from Active Duty, that shows dates of service and discharge under honorable conditions. If currently on active duty, you must submit a certification of expected discharge or release from active duty service under honorable conditions not later than 120 days after the date the certification is submitted. Veteran's preference must be verified prior to appointment. If claiming 10-point veteran's preference you must provide the DD214 or certification requirements (see above), plus the proof of entitlement of this preference as listed on the SF-15 Application for 10-point Veterans' Preference. The SF-15 should be included but is not required. Failure to submit these documents could result in the determination that there is insufficient documentation to support your claim for 10-point preference. Land Management Workforce Flexibility Act: Copies of Notification of Personnel Action(s) (SF-50) showing the employee served in eligible appointment(s) for a period(s) of more than 24 months w/o a break between appointments of two+ years. Include initial hire actions, extensions, conversions and separation Sf-50s for each period. Submit performance rating(s) showing acceptable performance for each period counted towards eligibility signed by supervisor(s). If documentation does not exist for one or more periods, submit a statement from supervisor(s) indicating acceptable performance. Applicants who do not have performance documentation for any period shall provide a reason why the documentation is not available and statement that performance for all periods was at an acceptable level. Schedule A, Persons with Disabilities Appointment: Letter from a physician, local, state or federal rehabilitation office citing eligibility under 5 CFR 213.3102 (u). Surplus or displaced employees eligible for CTAP, RPL, or ICTAP priority must provide: proof of eligibility (RIF separation notice, notice of proposed removal for declining a transfer of function or directed reassignment to another commuting area, notice of disability annuity termination), SF-50 documenting separation (as applicable), current performance appraisal with rating of at least "Fully Successful" or equivalent, and your most recent SF-50 noting position, grade level, and duty location with your application per 5 CFR 330. If claiming eligibility under a special hiring authority or an interchange agreement with another merit system not listed above, see the requirements for that authority and submit the required supporting documentation. Go to USAJOBS Hiring Path for Special Authorities or Special Hiring Authority for more information.

Benefits

OtherInformation

You may be required to participate in a multi-phase selection process. This is a Testing Designated Position (TDP). Selectee must submit to a urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment and random testing thereafter. Final appointment and continued employment are conditional on negative results for illegal drug use. Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP), Reemployment Priority List (RPL), or Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP): Visit the OPM website for information on how to apply as a CTAP, RPL, or ICTAP eligible. To exercise selection priority for this vacancy, CTAP/RPL/ICTAP candidates must meet the basic eligibility requirements and all selective factors. CTAP/ICTAP candidates must be rated and determined to be qualified based on an evaluation of the competencies listed in the How You Will Be Evaluated section. CONFIDENTIAL FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE REPORT: If selected, you will be required to submit Form OGE-450 within 30 days of your initial appointment date, and annually thereafter. Selectee is subject to Financial Disclosure Requirements in 5 CFR 2635 (e) regarding business or personal transactions with applicants, borrowers, or business contacts who have, or who are seeking, business with USDA. This position is eligible for telework and other flexible work arrangements. Employee participation is at the discretion of the supervisor. This is not a bargaining unit position. Veterans who are preference eligible or who have been separated from the armed forces under honorable conditions after three years or more of continuous active service are eligible for consideration under the Special Hiring Authorities for Veterans. For more information on applying under special hiring authorities such as the 30 percent disabled veterans, certain military spouses, Schedule A Disabled, etc., explore the different Hiring Paths on the USAJOBS Hiring Paths. Farm Service Agency (FSA) County Employees: Permanent County employees without prior Federal tenure who are selected for a Civil Service position under Public Law 105-277 will be given a career-conditional appointment and must serve a 1-year probationary period. Land Management Workforce Flexibility Act (LMWFA) provides current or former temporary or term employees of federal land management agencies opportunity to compete for permanent competitive service positions. Individuals must have more than 24 months of service without a break between appointments of two or more years. Service must be in the competitive service and have been at a successful level of performance or better. Refer to PUBLIC LAW 114-47-AUG. 7, 2015 for more information. Applying to this announcement certifies that you give permission for your application to be shared for other, similar vacancies in USDA OIG. Candidates will not be considered or hired based on their race, sex, color, religion, or national origin.

KeyRequirements

WithinArea

False

CommuteDistance

0

ServiceType

01

AnnouncementClosingType

03

AnnouncementClosingTypeOption

50

AgencyContactEmail

flor.barker@oig.usda.gov

AgencyContactPhone

202-345-6693

SecurityClearance

Top Secret

DrugTestRequired

True

PositionSensitivitiy

Critical-Sensitive (CS)/High Risk

AdjudicationType

• Credentialing
• Suitability/Fitness
• National security