Investigator (Affirmative Civil Enforcement)

Summary

For more information on the Department of Justice and the United States Attorneys' Offices, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/. As needed, additional positions may be filled using this announcement. Salary contains multiple steps. In most cases, the salary is set at the minimum salary for the grade applicant(s) is selected. This position is also being announced to applicants eligible to apply through Merit Staffing procedures under 26-CAE-13043394-MS.

Duties

• If selected for this position, you will join a well-respected team that is responsible for prosecution of Affirmative Civil Enforcement litigation for the United States Attorney's Office, Eastern District of California. Typical work assignments include (but are not limited to): Conducts thorough and systematic investigations for cases of the most complex, difficult and/or unprecedented nature relating to civil actions or administrative violations with the jurisdiction of the United States attorney's Office (USAO) Serves as a resource to investigators throughout the agency, and in other federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies. Applies a mastery of the field of investigations to achieve legally acceptable responses to new developments or legal precedents, or to investigative or court presentation problems. Develops or recommends new approaches in investigations. Independently handles cases as either a lead agent or a major team member. Drives investigations and coordinates with other investigators to find/obtain appropriate evidence for prosecution or defense. Works with attorneys to determine applicable administrative statutory and regulatory law, and identify possible violations or causes of action. Examines books, ledgers, payrolls, cost reports, billing statements, invoices, correspondence, and other records pertaining to transactions, events, or allegations under investigation. Establishes and/or verifies relationships among all facts and evidence obtained to confirm authenticity, corroborate witness statements, and otherwise build proof necessary for successful litigation. Coordinates with attorneys to ensure applicable legal requirements are satisfied with regard to arrests, searches, surveillance, and other investigative activities. Locates and conducts interviews of witnesses. Identifies the need for service of warrants and subpoenas. Prepares interim and final reports on the progress of investigations for use by attorneys.

Qualifications

Note: In order to be considered "qualified" for this position, your specialized experience must be described in your resume. Please be sure that your resume clearly states any and all of the specialized experience that you may have. If your specialized experience is not clearly detailed in your resume, you will not be considered for this position. GS-13: To be eligible at the GS-13 level, you must have at least one full year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-12 level in the Federal service as defined below. Specialized experience is defined as experience applying laws, regulations, policies, and procedures sufficient to plan and conduct highly complex investigations; leading or directing investigative teams; ensuring reports of investigations comply with applicable regulations; coordinating with other investigative agencies; providing analytical advice with respect to investigations and evidence; interviewing witnesses; coordinating surveillance of suspects with appropriate law enforcement/investigative agencies; and utilizing office automation tools and applications, to include automated litigation support and trial presentation programs, in order to capture, review and organize data and to effectively present documentary evidence for use by attorneys in court. Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP)- The ICTAP provides 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 consideration, you may receive selection priority if: 1) this vacancy is within your ICTAP eligibility; 2) you apply under the instructions in the announcement; and 3) you are found well-qualified for this vacancy. To be well-qualified, you must satisfy all qualification requirements for the vacant position and receive a score of 85 or better on established ranking criteria. You must provide proof of eligibility to receive selection priority. Such proof may include a copy of your written notification of ICTAP eligibility or a copy of your separation personnel action form. Additional information about ICTAP eligibility is at: http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/workforce-restructuring/employee-guide-to-career-transition/. Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP)-The CTAP provides eligible surplus and displaced competitive service employees in the Department of Justice with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. If your Department of Justice component has notified you in writing that you are a surplus or displaced employee eligible for CTAP consideration, you may receive selection priority if: 1) this vacancy is within your 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 satisfy all qualification requirements for the vacant position and receive a score of 85 or better on established ranking criteria. You must provide a copy of your written notification of CTAP eligibility with your application. Additional information about CTAP eligibility is at http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/workforce-restructuring/employee-guide-to-career-transition/.

How to apply

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 the initial online assessment and submission of all the required documentation specified in the Required Documents section below. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on 09/09/2026 the closing date of the announcement to receive consideration. The application process is as follows: 1. To begin the application process, click the Apply Online button. 2. Answer the questions presented in the application and attach all necessary supporting documentation. 3. Click the Submit Application button prior to 11:59PM (ET) on 09/09/2026. 4. After submitting an online application, you will be notified whether or not you are required to take additional online assessments through the USA Hire Competency Based Assessment system. This message will be delivered to you both on screen and via email notification. 5. If you are asked to take the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be presented with a unique URL to access the USA Hire system. Access to USA Hire is granted through your USAJOBS login credentials. Be sure to review all instructions prior to beginning your USA Hire Assessments. Assessments. Click here for Computer System Requirements (https://help.usastaffing.gov/Apply/index.php?title=USA_Hire_System_Requirements) 6. Note, set aside at least 3 hours to take these assessments; however, most applicants complete the assessments in less time. If you need to stop the assessments and continue at a later time, you can re-use the URL sent to you via email and also found on the Additional Application Information page that can be located in the application record in your USAJOBS account. To preview the Assessment Questionnaire, please click the following link: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/13043393 To update your application, including supporting documentation, at any time during the announcement open period, return to your USAJOBS account (https://usajobs.gov). There you will find a record of your application, the application status, and an option to Edit my application. This option will no longer be available once the announcement has closed. To verify the status of your application both during and after the announcement open period, log into your USAJOBS account: https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login. All of your applications will appear on the Welcome page. The application record in your USAJOBS account provides an Additional Application Information page that provides information regarding the documentation you submitted and any correspondence we have sent related to this application. The Application Status will appear along with the date your application was last updated. For information on what each Application Status means, visit: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/how-to/application/status/. Reasonable Accommodation Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended, that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a reasonable accommodation in your online application. Requests for Reasonable Accommodations for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for Reasonable Accommodation must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for Reasonable Accommodations are made on a case-by-case basis. If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, if you received the link after the close of the announcement. To determine if you need a Reasonable Accommodation, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments here: https://help.usastaffing.gov/Apply/index.php?title=Reasonable_Accommodations_for_USA_Hire.