Summary

The Investigator supports senior investigators and management by conducting policy, program, and case-related research, and by gathering and analyzing data relevant to assigned matters. The role is responsible for planning, directing, and administering an enforcement program designed to ensure compliance with the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) and applicable criminal provisions of the United States Code as they relate to employee benefit plans.

Major duties for this position include but are not limited to:

• Plan, lead, and conduct technical civil and criminal investigations involving employee benefit plans, service providers, fiduciaries, financial institutions, and related entities to assess compliance with the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) and related laws.
• Determine investigative scope, objectives, strategies, evidence needs, applicable statutory provisions, records to review, interviews to conduct, and whether subpoenas or other investigative tools are needed.
• Review and analyze plan operations, financial controls, transactions, investments, records, and fiduciary conduct to identify violations, assess impact on plan participants, and determine appropriate enforcement actions.
• Prepare comprehensive investigative reports, work papers, findings, legal/regulatory analyses, and recommendations for voluntary compliance, civil litigation, criminal prosecution, penalties, settlement, or case closure.

For a specific office address, please see EBSA Offices. The advertised salary reflects the minimum and maximum pay for the listed locations. Upon selection, the salary will be set in accordance with the selectee's assigned duty location.

Requirements

• Must be at least 16 years old.
• Must be a U.S. Citizen.
• Candidate required to obtain and maintain the necessary security/investigation level.
• Requires a probationary period if the requirement has not been met.

Qualifications

You must meet the Specialized Experience to qualify for the Employee Benefits Investigator position, as described below.

Applicants must have 52 weeks of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level, GS-12 in the Federal Service.

Specialized Experience is the experience that equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSA's) to perform the duties of the position successfully, and that is typically in or related to the position to be filled. To be creditable, specialized experience must have been equivalent to at least the next lower grade level.

Qualifying specialized experience for this GS-13 position includes (applicants must meet three out of the five statements):

• Experience planning, leading, and conducting civil and/or criminal investigations involving employee benefit plans, fiduciaries, service providers, financial institutions, or related entities.
• Experience applying and interpreting ERISA and related federal or state civil/criminal laws, regulations, advisory opinions, exemptions, court decisions, and rules of evidence.
• Experience reviewing and analyzing plan operations, financial records, accounting systems, transactions, investments, reporting/disclosure documents, and internal controls to identify violations or fiduciary breaches.
• Experience preparing well-documented investigative reports, work papers, evidentiary materials, analyses, findings, and recommendations for corrective action, litigation, prosecution, penalties, settlement, or case closure.
• Experience coordinating investigations with attorneys, prosecutors, law enforcement or regulatory agencies, and negotiating with plan officials, fiduciaries, attorneys, or other representatives to obtain compliance or remedial action.

Education

There is no substitution of education for the required specialized experience for this position at the GS-13 level.

Additional information

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.

Benefits

Help

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.

Review our benefits

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.