Criminal Investigator (Senior Operations Manager)

Summary

The position is located in the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Office of Inspections and Investigations (OII), Office of Criminal Investigations (OCI). As FDA's criminal law enforcement and intelligence arm, OCI is responsible for protecting public health and furthering the FDA mission by investigating suspected criminal violations of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FDCA) and other related laws. Click here to learn more about FDA/OCI.

Duties

Serves as Senior Criminal Investigator and trained authority in organizing, conducting, and/or managing difficult and complex investigative projects, programs, and national level criminal investigations. Exercises managerial oversight in multiple administrative functional areas, providing authoritative technical, criminal, administrative, and operational guidance to the Directors, Special Agent in Charge - HQS Operations, and field personnel. Provides authoritative guidance to field managers and case agents - monitoring, researching, and assessing complex or precedent-setting criminal investigations conducted by field personnel. Prepares, reviews, and approves progress and productivity reports relating to nationwide ongoing criminal investigations. Establishes and maintains effective working relationships as liaison to inter-agency, national, and international law enforcement agencies, providing effective coordination and cooperation in collection, analysis, and dissemination of information.

Qualifications and evaluation

You must meet the requirements of the job by 11:59 (Eastern Standard Time) of the closing date: 08/07/2026 Your eligibility for consideration and qualifications for the position (as listed in this vacancy announcement above) will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g., resume, supporting documents) and your score from the required assessment(s). The application review process will be conducted in multiple stages: Eligibility Consideration: Once the application process is complete, the Human Resources Office will review your application and supporting documentation to determine it is complete, meets the two (2) page resume limit and meets the eligibility requirements for this vacancy. Minimum Qualifications: Then, the Human Resources Office will review your resume and supporting documentation to determine whether you meet the minimum job requirements and qualifications. Assessment and Rating Process: This vacancy will use the following assessment(s): Structure Review Next, the Human Resources Office and/or Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) will review your technical qualifications based on the extent and quality of your experience, education (if applicable to the job), and training described in your resume, questionnaire, and assessment documentation as related to the duties and competencies of this position. You will be assessed on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities and other characteristics). You need not respond to the KSA's separately, but your resume should contain sufficient information to demonstrate possession of these competencies. Criminal Investigation Decision Making Technical Competence Partnering This assessment and rating process will determine your quality category for referral. Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or application questionnaire may result in your removal from consideration or your score may be adjusted to more accurately reflect your skills and abilities. All qualified Non-Competitive applicants and the best-qualified applicants will be referred to the hiring manager for consideration. Career Transition Assistance Programs: Employees who have been involuntarily separated from a Federal service position within the competitive service or whose positions have been deemed surplus or no longer needed. To receive selection priority, you must: 1) meet CTAP or ICTAP eligibility criteria; 2) be rated well-qualified for the position (obtain a score of 85 or higher on assessments); and 3) submit the appropriate documentation to support your CTAP or ICTAP eligibility. Referral Consideration: If you are referred to the hiring manager for consideration, you may be further evaluated based on an interview, review of requested work samples, etc. Failure to comply with any of the additional assessment requirements will result in removal from further consideration.

Education

There is no education substitution for this position at the GS-14 grade level. Other Requirements: 1. Basic Criminal Investigation Training: Selectee must have already successfully completed a recognized federal law enforcement training program such as: (1) the Criminal Investigator Training Program (CITP) conducted by the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC); or (2) the Special Agent Basic Training conducted by Drug Enforcement Agency or Federal Bureau of Investigations; or (3) the Basic Inspector Training conducted by the US Postal Service. You must include a copy of the Training Certificate of Completion in your application package. 2. Law Enforcement Availability Pay (LEAP): The incumbent is subject to work unscheduled duty hours and must be available for unscheduled duty based upon the needs of the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. Therefore, the incumbent is eligible for Law Enforcement Availability Pay (LEAP) of an additional 25%, and is subject to the provisions of the LEAP Act of 1994. 3. Federal Law Enforcement Officer (FLEO): This position meets the eligibility criteria for law enforcement retirement under both the Civil Service Retirement Systems (CSRS) and the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS). Employees covered by either retirement system that reach age 50 or over with at least twenty years of service as a law enforcement officer are qualified for law enforcement retirement. In addition, employees covered by FERS (all new hires to the federal government) of any age with at least twenty-five years of service as a law enforcement officer are qualified for law enforcement retirement. Finally, employees who reach age 57 with at least twenty years of service as a law enforcement officer are subject to mandatory retirement. This position is approved for Primary Law Enforcement coverage under 5 (USC) 8336 (c) or 5 USC 8412 (d). 4. Lautenberg Amendment: This position authorizes the incumbent to carry a firearm and must meet the Lautenberg Amendment requirements as described in Title 18, USC Section 992 (g). Any person who has been convicted of a felony, a misdemeanor, or crime of domestic violence cannot lawfully possess a firearm. The term convicted as defined by the statute, excludes any person whose conviction has been expunged, set-aside, pardoned, or any person whose civil rights have been restored, so long as the restoration does not restrict the shipping, transport, possession or receipt of firearms or ammunition. Candidates who have been convicted of a felony or misdemeanor or crimes of domestic violence within the meaning of the referenced statute are not eligible for this position. 5. Minimum Age Requirements: The minimum entry age for this position is 21 years of age and the maximum entry age for this position is 36 years of age (the date of appointment must be no later than the date immediately preceding the 37th birthday) unless you have sufficient prior Federal service in a covered law enforcement position or are a preference eligible veteran.

Benefits

All requirements must be met by the closing date of this announcement (08/07/2026); only education and experience gained by this date will be considered. You must continue to meet all requirements throughout the hiring process. You must submit supporting documentation to verify your eligibility to apply for this vacancy. For internal applicants an SF-50 will be required. If Educational requirements are listed, you must submit a Transcript, even if you occupy the series/grade in question. See the Required Documents section for full details...You must submit https://help.usajobs.gov/faq/application/documents to verify your eligibility to apply for this vacancy. For most applicants, an ttps://help.usajobs.gov/working-in-government/service/sf-50 will be required. However, if you are applying as a https://help.usajobs.gov/working-in-government/unique-hiring-paths/veterans, individual with a https://help.usajobs.gov/working-in-government/unique-hiring-paths/individuals-with-disabilities, or a https://help.usajobs.gov/working-in-government/unique-hiring-paths/federal-employees/career-transition , you will be required to provide other supporting documents as applicable. See the Required Documents section for details. Be sure that any files you upload as supporting documentation are free of security or compression features which render such documents unreadable to our system.

How to apply

In accordance with Executive Order 14170, applicants are encouraged to respond to the four short, free-response, essay questions in the questionnaire. Answers to these questions are optional and will not be scored or rated. Your answers will be reviewed by the hiring manager and agency leadership if you are referred for selection consideration. You will be asked to certify that your responses are written in your own words and that you did not use a consultant or artificial intelligence (AI) tool (such as ChatGPT or Copilot). 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. To apply for positions with the Food & Drug Administration, you must log into https://secure.login.gov/ account and be signed in to that account before you click the "Apply Online" button. See the USAJOBS Help Article "How does the application process work?" for more on this process. Additionally, you must provide a resume and any required supporting documentation listed on the announcement, and you must complete all assessment questionnaires BEFORE 11:59 pm Eastern Time on the closing date of this announcement, 08/07/2026. We recommend that you start the application process early enough that you can complete and submit your application before this deadline. Please note that you cannot submit documentation or make changes to your application after the deadline, and in most cases, only experience and education obtained by this date will be considered. If you would like to learn how to use USAJOBS including: accessing and managing your account, adding saved documents, building a resume, or starting an application; we recommend you visit the USAJOBS How To site, and read up on any topic that you need help with. This site is located at: https://help.usajobs.gov/how-to. Additionally, if you need technical assistance with USAJOBS (such as account issues) please visit the main USAJOBS Contact us at: USAJOBS - Contact us FDA's Applicant Help Desk is not able to support USAJOBS-related issues. The Food & Drug Administration uses a system called Application Manager (USA Staffing) to post jobs and accept applications. If you are not familiar with Application Manager or you encounter any difficulty with the site, we recommend that you visit the Applicant HELP Site at: https://appsupport-usastaffing.opm.gov/hc/en-us. This help site contains step-by-step instructions for completing the application process, submitting documentation, and completing questionnaires, and should be very helpful to you! You are encouraged to apply online. Applying online will allow you to review and track the status of your application. The FDA will provide reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities who are not able to apply online. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application process, please contact the Applicant Help Desk. Decisions on granting a reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis. If after reviewing the USAJOBS and Application Manager help sites, you're not able to find the answer to your question or concern, or if you wish to request a reasonable accommodation, please contact the FDA Applicant Help Desk at 866-807-3742, or e-mail ERIC@fda.hhs.gov The Applicant Help Desk is staffed between the hours of 7am and 6pm Eastern Time, Monday through Friday, except for government holidays. If you contact the Applicant Help Desk, please provide the following Vacancy Identification Number (VIN) 13014938 so that we may assist you faster. See https://help.usajobs.gov/working-in-government/unique-hiring-pathson USAJOBS for more information about various ways you may be eligible to apply! In addition to meeting the eligibility requirements you must have sufficient past experience to demonstrate minimum qualifications for this position. PHS Commissioned Corps Officers interested in performing the duties of this position within the Commissioned Corps may apply online to this announcement. Candidates will be referred to (CC) personnel and not as candidates for conversion to a permanent career or career-conditional appointment. Be sure that any files you upload as supporting documentation are free of security or compression features which render such documents unreadable to our system. To preview the application questionnaire, click the link below. https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/13014938

Required documents

Resume: At a minimum, your resume should list the position title, employer name, start and end dates (including month and year), salary (or grade and step), hours worked per week, and a list of duties performed or accomplishments, for EACH position listed. USAJobs - What to Include USAJobs - Page Limit Your two (2) page RESUME showing all relevant work experience (paid and unpaid) including: duties performed; full name and address of the each employer; start and end dates (month/day/year); work schedule (part-time, full-time, number of hours if intermittent); salary; and any completed education and training (program title, subject area, number of hours completed, and completion date). Basic Criminal Investigation Training Certificate: You must include a copy of the Training Certificate of Completion in your application package. Performance Appraisal: A performance appraisal must be provided if you wish to be considered as a: Current/Former land management agency employee eligible under the Land Management Workforce Flexibility Act. Family member formerly serving overseas eligible under Executive Order 12721. Current and Former Federal Employees: To verify your eligibility and status, you must submit your most recent SF-50 showing you are/were in the competitive service and the highest grade or promotion potential held. The SF-50 must also show: Full position title, Pay Plan, Series, Grade/Step, Position Occupied, Tenure code; and, Service Computation Date. If you are applying for a higher grade, the SF-50 provided must also demonstrate you meet time-in-grade. Multiple SF-50s may need to be submitted to show all the required information. See more on the USAJOBS SF-50 Help Page. I/CTAP: Current/former Federal employees who are surplus or displaced, please submit supporting documentation (e.g., a Certification of Expected Separation, separation notice, RIF separation notice, notice of proposed removal, SF-50 for RIF separation, etc.) and your most recent performance appraisal. To be selected under I/CTAP, you must be found well-qualified for this position and have a current performance appraisal rating of at least "Fully Successful". See the How You Will Be Evaluated section for the agency's definition of well-qualified. See more on the USAJOBS Career Transition Assistance Site. Schedule A (individuals with disabilities): Individuals with intellectual disabilities, severe physical disabilities, or psychiatric disabilities, may apply for appointment through the Schedule A hiring authority. Certified verification of a disability from a licensed medical professional; a licensed vocational rehabilitation specialist; or any Federal, state, or District of Columbia agency or U.S. territory that issues or provides disability benefits will be required. Military spouses eligible for a noncompetitive appointment: Documentation verifying marriage (e.g., marriage certificate) and as applicable, copy of the service member's DD-214 or Statement of Service; copy of the service member's VA disability letter; statement certifying you are the un-remarried widow or widower of the service member; and documentation of the service member's death while on active duty (e.g., DD-1300). Special appointing authority for veterans and Veterans' Preference: Veterans must submit a DD-214 (Certificate of Release or Discharge) that has the dates of service and discharge status and VA disability letter (if applicable) as proof of eligibility under a special appointing authority for veterans (e.g., VEOA, etc.) and proof for veterans' preference. Active Duty Members: To claim status under the Veterans Opportunity to Work, submit written documentation from the armed forces that certifies the service member is expected to be discharged or released from active duty service in the armed forces under honorable conditions not later than 120 days after the date the certification is submitted with your application package. Parents of Deceased or Disabled Veterans: To claim preference, submit a copy of the deceased or disabled veterans' DD Form 214, Certificate of Release or Discharge from the armed forces that has the dates of service and discharge status AND the SF-15, Application for 10-point Veterans' Preference.* Widow or Widower: To claim preference, submit a copy of the deceased or disabled veterans' DD Form 214, Certificate of Release or Discharge from the armed forces that has the dates of service and discharge status AND the SF-15, Application for 10-point Veterans' Preference.* Spouse of a Living Veteran: To claim preference, you must submit a copy of the veterans' DD Form 214, Certificate of Release or Discharge from the armed forces that has the dates of service and discharge status AND the SF-15, Application for 10-point Veterans' Preference*, and Documentation of Veteran's Inability to Work Because of a Service-Connected Disability. *See the instructions in the SF-15 on required documentation for submission.

Additional information

For some advertisements, the Food & Drug Administration receives hundreds, even thousands, of applications from job-seekers. Because of this high level of interest, FDA reserves the option of setting an application number limit. The Application limit is 150. When an application limit is set, USAJOBS will close the vacancy at 11:59 pm Eastern Time on either:(A) the day the limit is reached, -OR- (B) the pre-defined closing date of 08/07/2026, whichever comes first. If the limit is reached before 11:59 pm ET, all applications in excess of the limit will continue to be accepted until 11:59 pm ET. For more information about announcement closing, see: https://help.usajobs.gov/how-to/job-announcement/closing-types ADDITIONAL CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT: Pre-employment physical required: Yes Drug testing required: Yes, in accordance with Executive Order 12564 of September 14, 1986, The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is A Drug-Free Federal Workplace. The Federal government, as the largest employer in the Nation, can and should show the way towards achieving drug-free workplaces through programs designed to offer drug users a helping hand, and at the same time demonstrating to drug users and potential drug users that drugs will not be tolerated in the Federal workplace. The use of illegal drugs, on or off duty, by Federal employees is inconsistent not only with the law-abiding behavior expected of all citizens, but also with the special trust placed in such employees as servants of the public. All applicants tentatively selected for this position will be required to submit to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment and be subject to random, reasonable suspicion, and post-accident drug testing upon hiring. Appointment to the position will be contingent upon a negative applicant drug test result. License required: Yes, state driver's license. Mobility agreement required: Yes. Immunization required: No Bargaining Unit: No If you are serving, or have served in the last 5 years (from 08/07/2026) as an Executive Branch political, Schedule C, or Non-career SES appointee, HHS/FDA may be required to obtain approval by the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) prior to beginning employment. You can find out if you have held one of these appointment types by looking at your Standard Form 50s in your Electronic Official Personnel Folder (eOPF), in Section 5 where the legal authorities are listed. If you have served or are currently serving, you must provide a copy of your SF-50, Notification of Personnel Action, documenting this appointment. In addition, you will be required to respond to the question in the assessment and certify your responses to the questionnaire. Political Appointees FAQ - OPM This position may require financial disclosure reporting and will be subject to FDA's prohibited financial interest regulation. If you are hired, you may be required to divest of certain financial interests. You are advised to seek additional information on this requirement from the hiring official before accepting any job offers. For more information please visit the FDA Ethics web page: https://www.fda.gov/about-fda/jobs-and-training-fda/ethics.