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.

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Duties

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• 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.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

• Citizenship Requirement: You must be a U.S. Citizen to be considered for this advertisement unless explicitly stated otherwise.
• Selective Service Registration: All applicants born male, on (or after) 12/31/1959, must be registered with the Selective Service System OR have an approved exemption. Visit www.SSS.gov for more info.
• FDA participates in e-Verify: All new hires must complete the I-9 form; this information will be processed through e-Verify to determine your employment eligibility. If a discrepancy arises, you must take affirmative steps to resolve the matter.
• Background Investigation Requirement: All employees must pass a security investigation. Failing to pass the background check may be grounds for removal or legal action. If hired, you may be subject to additional investigations at a later time.
• Time-in-Grade Requirement: If you are applying as a current Federal employee, you must meet the time-in-grade requirements described in the Qualifications section, generally, 52-weeks of comparable experience at the next lowest grade.
• You must meet ALL requirements by the closing date of this announcement to be considered. Only education, experience, and qualifications attained by this date will be considered. You must continue to meet all requirements through the hiring process.
• Certification of Accuracy: All information concerning eligibility and qualification is subject to investigation and verification. False representation may be grounds for non-consideration, non-selection, or appropriate legal action.
• Direct Deposit: You will be required to have all federal salary payments electronically deposited into a bank account with a financial institution of your choice.
• Additional selections may be made from this vacancy, within the same geographical area, by other organizational elements from within FDA, through shared corporate recruiting activities.
• 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.
• Probationary periods are required for new employees appointed to competitive service positions for the first time; or reinstated employees who return after a break in service of 30-days or more and who have not completed a probationary period.
• Trial periods are required for all excepted service employees. Trial periods served in the same position and agency with no break in service will satisfy the requirement.
• Must meet the criteria for use of a firearm in accordance with the Federal Arrest Authority.
• Must meet the standard and training qualifications in strict compliance with Section 702(e)(5) of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (the Act) (21 U.S.C. 372 (e) (5)).
• Must possess a valid motor vehicle operator's license at the time of appointment, must maintain license while employed in the position, and will be required to operate a motor vehicle.
• Applicants for the Criminal Investigator position who have been convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence are not eligible for employment. You will be required to sign a Qualification Inquiry prior to confirmation of appointment.
• Must sign a mobility agreement to accept relocation to other geographic location,
• The incumbent of this position may be reassigned to another position and/or location with OCI in the US or Puerto Rico.
• Failure to relocate when directed may result in separation from employment in the FDA in accordance with appropriate Government regulations.

Qualifications

The position of Criminal Investigator (Senior Operations Manager) falls within the 1811 occupational series. To qualify for this position at grade GS-14, you must meet Time-in-Grade requirements by 11:59 pm EST on 08/07/2026.

Time-in-Grade: Any individual who is currently holding, or has held within the previous 52 weeks, a General Schedule position under non-temporary appointment in the competitive or excepted service, must meet time-in-grade requirements (must have served 52 weeks at the next lower grade or equivalent in the Federal service). Time-in-grade requirements must be met by the closing date of this announcement.

Applicants must have 52 weeks at the GS-13 grade level or higher in the Federal service.

Minimum Qualifications: Specialized experience is experience that equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled. The specialized experience must demonstrate one year of full-time work experience , or the equivalent if part-time (for example, an employee working 20 hours per week for a 12-month period should be credited with 6 months of experience.) Experience may have been obtained in either the federal service or its equivalent with state or local government, the private sector, or nongovernmental organizations.

GS-14: You must have 1 year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-13, in the Federal service, which includes: leading and coordinating multi-jurisdictional criminal investigation operations; providing advice, guidance, and regulatory interpretation of laws, policies, and regulations pertaining to all aspects of criminal investigations; preparing written legal investigative documents/reports; and liaising and maintaining effective relationships in collaboration of criminal investigations with local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies.

Individual Occupational Requirements

Medical Requirements: 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 accordance with Office of Personnel Management policy, federal employees are assumed to have gained experience by performing duties and responsibilities appropriate for their official series and grade level as described in their position description. Experience that would not normally be part of the employee's position is creditable, however, when documented by satisfactory evidence, such as a signed memorandum from the employee's supervisor or an SF-50 or SF-52 documenting an official detail or other official assignment. The documentation must indicate whether the duties were performed full time or, if part time, the percentage of times the other duties were performed. It is expected that this documentation is included in the employee's official personnel record. In order to receive credit for experience in your resume that is not within the official series and grade level of your official position, you must provide a copy of the appropriate documentation of such experience as indicated above.

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.

NOTE: It is your responsibility to ensure your responses and appropriate documentation is submitted prior to the closing date. To verify your application is complete, log into your USAJOBS account, https://secure.login.gov/ select the Application Status link and then select the More Information link for this position. The Details page will display the status of your application, the documentation received and processed, and any correspondence the agency has sent related to this application.

IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. Qualifications are based on breadth/level of experience. In addition to describing duties performed, applicants must provide the exact dates of each period of employment (from MM/YY to MM/YY) and the number of hours worked per week if part time. As qualification determinations cannot be made when resumes do not include the required information, failure to provide this information may result in disqualification. Applicants are encouraged to use the USAJOBS Resume Builder to develop their federal resume.

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.

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