Victim Assistance Specialist

Summary

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, in various locations. These are non-bargaining unit positions. Salary: The salary range indicated in this announcement will be adjusted to include locality payment for selected duty location. General Schedule locality pay tables may be found under Salaries & Wages.

Duties

• As a Victim Assistance Specialist, at the full performance level GS-13, you will perform the following duties: Assists agents on scene when victims are likely to be encountered to provide mandated services, referrals, crisis mitigation, and information to crime victims. Independently establishes liaison with other field offices, DOJ components, and federal, state, and local officials and nongovernmental agencies regarding victim assistance. Coordinates with the United States Attorney Victim-Witness Coordinator to transition victim assistance responsibilities following indictment. Participates in local, regional, and statewide victim assistance networks, such as child and family advocacy centers.

Qualifications

Please limit your resume to 2 pages. If more than 2 pages are submitted, only the first 2 pages will be reviewed to determine your eligibility/qualifications. IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. Do not copy and paste the duties, specialized experience, or occupational assessment questionnaire from this announcement into your resume as that will not be considered a demonstration of your qualifications for this position. You must possess one of the following to satisfy the Individual Occupation Requirements as defined by the Office of Personnel Management for the GS-0101 job series: Degree: behavioral or social science; or related disciplines appropriate to the position; OR Combination of education and experience that provided the applicant with knowledge of one or more of the behavioral or social sciences equivalent to a major in the field; OR Four years of appropriate experience that demonstrated that the applicant has acquired knowledge of one or more of the behavioral or social sciences equivalent to a major in the field. In addition to meeting the Individual Occupational Requirement, you must meet the minimum qualifications below. You qualify for the GS-12 grade level if you possess one (1) year of specialized experience at the GS-11 next lower grade level or equivalent performing duties such as: Attend client interviews to address the victim's needs and concerns and determining eligibility for victim services; Follow policy and regulations regarding the treatment and provision of services to victims of crime; AND Liaison with community organizations, federal, state, and local officials regarding victim assistance services available. You qualify for the GS-13 grade level if you possess one (1) year of specialized experience at the GS-12 next lower grade level or equivalent performing duties such as: Identify local, regional, and federal resources available directly to victims; Establish relationships with other professionals, Federal, state, and local agencies, victims, judges, attorneys, law enforcement agents, and representatives from non-governmental service agencies; AND Provide training, technical assistance, support, and advice to office staff on a variety of federal victim assistance matters. Qualification requirements must be met by the closing date of this announcement. Qualification claims will be subject to verification. 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.

Education

There is an Individual Occupational Requirements for this position. Please refer to the Qualifications section for additional information.

How to apply

To apply for this position, you must complete the Occupational Questionnaire https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/13046956, and assessment, and submit all the required documentation as specified in he HOW TO APPLY and the REQUIRED DOCUMENTS section. The complete initial Application must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on 09/30/2026. The vacancy questionnaire includes four short, free-response essay questions. This provides an opportunity for you to highlight your dedication to public service for the hiring manager and agency leadership (or designee(s)). While your responses are not required and will not be scored, we encourage you to thoughtfully address each question. Please provide a response of 200 words or less to each question. You will be asked to certify that you are using your own words and did not use a consultant or artificial intelligence (AI) such as a large language model (LLM) like ChatGPT or Copilot. 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 the outcome of your application. To begin your online application, click "Apply Online" to create a USAJOBS account and follow the prompts or log in to your existing account. Your application packet must include a completed assessment questionnaire, a resume, and any applicable and or required supporting documentation. Please see the "Required Documents" section below for additional information. All application materials, including transcripts, must be in English. We encourage you to apply online. Applications and supporting documentation will not be accepted by mail or email. The address below is for inquiries only. You may apply more than once, but the most recent application is the only one that will be used. You must submit your resume, your online questionnaire, and any supporting documents by 11:59 PM eastern standard time on 09/30/2026. It is your responsibility to verify that any information entered or uploaded is received and is accurate. Human Resources will not modify or change any part of your application. Determining your eligibility and qualifications is dependent on the supporting documentation and information provided, which may impact your referral for further consideration. If a document is not legible, you will not be able to view it in your application. 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.