Summary

This position is located in the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL), Wage and Hour Division (WHD), Office of Regional Enforcement and Support, West Region. This position performs the full range of WHD investigative activities, including investigations to enforce provision of all other statues enforced by WHD.

This position will be located in one of the following WHD offices:

• San Francisco, CA
• Walnut Creek, CA
• San Jose, CA

Duties

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As a Wage and Hour Investigator you will perform the following duties which are not all-inclusive:

• Provides expert technical advice, guidance, and assistance to other senior and/or junior level investigators on cases in which enforcement precedents may not be applicable, evidence is inconclusive, and/or issues are ambiguous.
• Prepares cases for civil or criminal litigation and administrative hearing action, incumbent is responsible for making detailed analysis of all aspects of the case, determining responsibility for the violations, securing signed supportive testimony and other exhibit material, and establishing proof of willfulness.
• Coordinates the efforts of other investigators where the incumbent is responsible for communicating assignments, projects, problems to be solved, actionable events, milestones, program issues under review, and deadlines/timeframes for completion.
• Exercises a high degree of tact, diplomacy, and unusual skill in overcoming strong resistance to the settlement on the terms required for compliance.
• Maintains liaison with District Directors or appropriate Regional or National Office program representatives and recommends strategies, approaches and tactics including persons to be assigned or removed from an investigative team.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

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

Qualifications

A full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week. All experience listed on your resume must include the month and year start/end dates. Part-time experience will be credited on the basis of time actually spent in appropriate activities. Applicants wishing to receive credit for such experience must clearly indicate the nature of their duties and responsibilities in each position and the number of hours a week spent in such position.

IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE.Applicants must meet at least two of the following three specialized criteria requirements:

• General knowledge of Federal wage and hour labor laws, industrial occupations, wage scales, employment practices, or salary and wage administration practices.
• Skill in analyzing written/verbal information and numerical data and making decisions on issues based on interviews, records review, reconstruction of missing or fraudulent records and applying legal or regulatory provisions, precedents, and principles to specific investigative matters.
• Skill in personal contacts requiring the ability to explain requirements or rights and obtain information and cooperation from people with diverse backgrounds and levels of understanding, reconcile conflicting interests, and persuade others to comply voluntarily with requirements.

In addition to the criteria specified above, applicants must have knowledge of and ability to apply the provisions of Federal wage and hour labor laws pertaining to wages, hours of work, or related conditions of employment. Examples of qualifying specialized experience include:

• Developing, interpreting, or applying policies, procedures, and operating standards in determining compliance for an organization or government-based program.
• Conducting interviews and providing information about laws and/or regulations.
• Industrial personnel or salary and wage administration or responsible work in a certified public accounting firm.
• Analyzing or applying labor legislation.
• Reviewing and evaluating operations and procedures through analysis, audits, or surveillance inspections.
• Federal, State, or self-regulatory agency work involving obtaining compliance with appropriate program requirements.

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Applicants must possess one year (52 weeks) of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level, (i. e., GS-12 for a GS-13) in the Federal Service.

Specialized Experience is experience that has equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSA's) to successfully perform the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the position to be filled. For this position specialized experience is defined as experience applying laws, regulations, guidelines, procedures, and precedents enforced and administered by the Wage and Hour Division.

Examples of specialized experience for this position are:

• Experience leading a team involving potential civil and/or criminal litigation;
• Experience working as a project lead that involves cross regional and/or cross district jurisdiction; and,
• Experience developing comprehensive reports which include financial data for presentation to agency leadership and/or other stakeholders.

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Time in grade requirement for the GS-13 grade level - 52 weeks of Federal service at the GS-12 grade level.

Applicants must meet time-in-grade, time-after-competitive-appointment, and qualifications requirements within 30 days, 08/13/2026, of the closing date of this announcement to be eligible for consideration.

Education

This position has no education requirement and there is no substitution of education for specialized experience at this grade level. Applicants must possess the required specialized experience.

Additional information

This position is inside the NCFLL bargaining unit.

For more information, click Telework Position Information. This is not a remote work position. The selectee will report to an assigned DOL office location on a regular basis and is eligible for participation in telework as determined by management in accordance with DOL policy.

Based on agency needs, additional positions may be filled using this vacancy.The Department of Labor may use certain incentives and hiring flexibilities, currently offered by the Federal government to attract highly qualified candidates. Click here for Additional Information.

Note: The FCA does not apply to some positions specified under the Act, such as law enforcement or national security positions.

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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

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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.