Job Description
Summary This position is based at the Raymond G. Murphy VA Medical Center in Albuquerque, NM, within a specialized VA environment where operational security is crucial due to the presence of serious criminal activity. These activities may include complex fraud schemes, large-scale substance diversion, organized prostitution operations requiring surveillance, and multi-state efforts to unlawfully target VA property, Veterans, or personnel onsite.
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The single focus of the Criminal Investigator is the investigation of suspected major offenses against Veterans Affairs (VA) patients, visitors and staff and U.S. government property and assets and the potential prosecution of criminals. The Senior Criminal Investigator reports to the Chief of Police. Major duties and responsibilities include:
- Performs criminal and non-criminal investigative duties with emphasis on white-collar crime
- Plans and conducts investigations of alleged violation of Title 18, United States Code, including fraud, bribery, larceny, embezzlement, collusion, conflict of interest, as well as the violations of Title 18 which involve VA/VHA employees
- Evaluates complaints and information to determine investigative merit
- Gathers, analyzes, and reports on complex financial, observational, and other information to establish its evidentiary value and sufficiency
- Obtains evidence, explains constitutional rights, performs search and seizures, and makes arrests
- Prepares and reviews reports, makes recommendations, and prepares cases for prosecution
- Collects enough evidence to support a court case against a criminal and explains to juries the significance of evidence as it relates to proof that a crime was committed
- Coordinates and conducts joint investigations relating to alleged or suspected violations of criminal laws with other federal and state agencies such as the FBI, US Marshalls, etc.
- Perform other related duties as assigned.
Work Schedule: Full-time, Monday-Friday, 8:00AM to 4:30 PM (On-call)
Compressed/Flexible: No authorized
Telework: T his position is not authorized for telework.
Virtual: This is not a virtual position
Position Description/PD#: Criminal Investigator/ PD99720S
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not authorized.
Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not authorized.
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not authorized.
Physical Requirements: This position is rigorous and physically demanding, meets the definition of a "Rigorous Position" contained in 5 CFR 842.802, 1)Having direct contact with, and frequently pursuing and detaining, persons who are suspected or convicted of offenses against the criminal laws of the United States. 2) Carrying a firearm and exposure to hazards or danger. 3) interviewing witnesses, interrogating suspects, and giving Miranda and other rights warnings when appropriate. 4) Working long periods without a break, which may require moderate to arduous physical exertion involving considerable walking, long periods of standing, frequent bending or lifting, and occasional climbing; and, 5) Being on-call 24 hours a day. The incumbent must meet certain physical qualifications and shall maintain a high standard of physical condition, enabling the incumbent to work long and/or irregular hours under adverse conditions.
Requirements Help
Conditions of employment - You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job
- To be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. In addition to the application and questionnaire, this position requires an online assessment. The online assessment measures critical general competencies required to perform the job.
- All applicants tentatively selected for VA employment in a testing designated position are subject to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment. Applicants who refuse to be tested will be denied employment with VA.
- Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959
- Subject to background/security investigation
- Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements ( Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued identification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.
- Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP)
As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary period or 2-year trial 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.
Qualifications To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 09/25/2026.
Time-In-Grade Requirement : Applicants who are current Federal employees and have held a GS grade any time in the past 52 weeks must also meet time-in-grade requirements by the closing date of this announcement. For a GS-11 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-9. The grade may have been in any occupation, but must have been held in the Federal service. An SF-50 that shows your time-in-grade eligibility must be submitted with your application materials. If the most recent SF-50 has an effective date within the past year, it may not clearly demonstrate you possess one-year time-in-grade, as required by the announcement. In this instance, you must provide an additional SF-50 that clearly demonstrates one-year time-in-grade.
Note: Time-In-Grade requirements also apply to former Federal employees applying for reinstatement as well as current employees applying for Veterans Employment Opportunities Act of 1998 (VEOA) appointment.
This position has an Individual Occupation Requirement (IOR): - The duties of positions in this series require moderate to 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, and feet must be sufficiently intact and functioning in order that applicants may perform the duties satisfactorily. Sufficiently good vision in each eye, with or without correction, is required to perform the duties satisfactorily. Near vision, corrective lenses permitted, must be sufficient to read printed material the size of typewritten characters. Hearing loss, as measured by an audiometer, must not exceed 35 decibels at 1000, 2000, and 3000 Hz levels. Since the duties of these positions are exacting and responsible, and involve activities under trying conditions, applicants must possess emotional and mental stability. Any physical condition that would cause the applicant to be a hazard to himself/herself, or others is disqualifying.
In addition to meeting the IOR above, you must meet one of the following: - Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-9 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: 1) reviewing and monitoring criminal activities; evaluating indicated trends and informing management of results; 2) gathering and examining intelligence from confidential sources, using state-of-the-art expertise in criminal investigations involving sensitive and complex investigations; 3) preparing complete, legally accurate, truthful, and sound criminal complaints and/or warrant applications to ensure personnel safety, mission readiness, and national security meet mission objectives.
OR:
- Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have completed a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree or 3 full years of progressively higher graduate education leading to such a degree or LL.M, if related.
OR - Combination: A combination of successfully completed graduate level education and experience as described above that equates to 100%.
For more information on these qualification standards, please visit the United States Office of Personnel Management's website at
Education A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education.
Note: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit:
Additional information Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicant's criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer. For more information about the Act and the complaint process, visit Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP) at The Fair Chance Act.
Reasonable Accommodation (RA) 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 RA in your online application. Requests for RA for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for RA must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for RA 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, based on your adjudication decision. 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 RA, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments.
Receiving Service Credit for Earning Annual (Vacation) Leave : Federal Employees earn annual leave at a rate (4, 6 or 8 hours per pay period) which is based on the number of years they have served as a Federal employee. VA may offer newly-appointed Federal employee's credit for their job-related non-federal experience or active duty uniformed military service. This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave. Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment date and is not guaranteed.
This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.
The
Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) and
Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provide eligible displaced VA competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. To be qualified you must submit appropriate documentation (a copy of the agency notice, your most recent performance rating, and your most recent SF-50 noting current position, grade level, and duty location) and be found well-qualified for this vacancy. To be well-qualified: applicants must possess experience that exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors, and who are proficient in most of the required competencies of the job. Information about ICTAP and CTAP eligibility is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website at
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.
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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.
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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.
Job Tags
Permanent employment, Full time, Part time, Seasonal work, Work at office, Remote work, Trial period, Relocation package, Monday to Friday, Flexible hours