Entry Level Criminal Investigator - Northeast Area Field Office (NEAFO) (GG-7/9)

Summary

The USPS OIG is seeking a highly qualified applicant to fill our Entry Level Criminal Investigator vacancy within the Office of Investigation, Northeast Area Field Office (NEAFO), the New York, NY location. The successful candidates must demonstrate the potential to conduct federal criminal, civil and administrative investigations. Bring your skills and voice to our team!

Duties

Candidates will be evaluated on the skills that they possess that are directly related to the duties of the position and the experience, education and training that indicate the applicant's ability to acquire the particular knowledge and skills needed to perform the duties of the position. Only those candidates who meet all qualification and eligibility requirements and who submit the required information by 11:59 PM EST on Friday, November 13, 2026 will be considered. The USPS OIG uses a Pay Banding system, which is equivalent to the Federal GS scale. Grade and salary determinations will be made based upon a candidate's education and professional experience. This position is being advertised at the Journey Band level GS 7-9 equivalent grade level. The salary range for this position is $67,394 - $96,989 includes locality pay. Law Enforcement Availability Pay (LEAP) is authorized. LEAP will not be part of compensation until successful, completion of the 12-week training course at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC), or equivalent federal law enforcement academy. Applicants must be highly motivated and demonstrate the potential to conduct federal criminal, civil and administrative investigations. This is the trainee level in the area of criminal investigation. Work assignments are selected to provide training in the analytical evaluative aspects of the work and in the appropriate use of investigative methods. The training emphasizes developing an understanding of the relationships of the concepts underlying the specialty area. It is directed toward the recognition of incipient needs or problems and the identification, analysis and solution of problems. Assignments are pre-selected to combine performance of productive work with supervised on-the-job training in both the judgmental and methodological aspects of the work. Assignments involve learning and developing investigative abilities by observing more senior agents conducting investigations. Participates in approximately 14 weeks of basic formal classroom training. This is a primary criminal investigator position. Please note that the duties and responsibilities associated with this position may vary based upon the agency's needs at the time of hire. The following description of major duties and responsibilities is only intended to give applicants a general overview of the expectations.

Qualifications

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS You must meet ALL of the minimum requirements. Eligible applicants must possess a Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university Have 2 years of experience with a law enforcement agency Demonstrated potential to conduct federal criminal, civil, and administrative investigations Must have received a satisfactory performance rating on your most recent performance appraisal (Fiscal year 2025). If a performance appraisal is not available, you must submit a written statement stating the reason it is not available. (You must submit a copy of your latest performance appraisal or written statement) In accordance with applicable laws, the applicant selected for this position must: Must successfully complete the 12-week Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC) Criminal Investigator Training Program (CITP). Maintain eligibility to operate motor vehicles. Must be at least 21 years of age and not have reached 37th birthday at the time of initial appointment to law enforcement position. Qualify and maintain authorization to carry firearms, including no current or previous domestic violence convictions. Maintain physical, mental and emotional standards and requirements necessary to perform law enforcement assignments. Work unscheduled irregular hours with the possibility of personal risk. As a law enforcement officer, you will be required to work on an unscheduled basis in excess of the 40-hour work week. These positions require substantial overtime to include holidays, weekends, and nights. You must be readily accessible to perform this unscheduled work. To ensure your availability, you will receive extra compensation in the form of Law Enforcement Availability Pay, which is calculated at a flat rate of 25 percent of base salary. Must be willing to relocate at the direction of management. DESIRABLE QUALIFICATIONS Advanced academic degree Knowledge of Postal Service Operations Prior or current law enforcement or military experience Prior USPS OIG Student Cooperative Applicants that do not meet the minimum qualification requirements will not be considered. EVALUATION FACTORS Your resume MUST clearly demonstrate how your experience, knowledge, and/or skills meet EACH evaluation factor. Your resume must contain sufficient detail for the evaluator to determine that you meet the requirement. Do not assume that your job title, position, or employer alone demonstrates that you meet an evaluation factor. Failure to demonstrate that you meet ALL of the evaluation factors will result in a score of zero (0), an ineligible status, and you will NOT be referred for further consideration. Include your major accomplishments relevant to the position requirements in your resume. Demonstrated knowledge of various law enforcement/investigative techniques and procedures Ability to effectively present information, both orally and in writing, to convey ideas and concepts regarding complex and/or sensitive issues. Demonstrated ability to work with a team and develop and maintain effective working relationships with others from within and outside an organization.

Education

Education must be accredited by an institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Applicants can verify accreditation here: https://www.ed.gov/laws-and-policy/higher-education-laws-and-policy/college-accreditation. Special Instructions for Candidates with Foreign Education: Education completed outside the United States must be deemed equivalent to that gained in U.S. education programs. You must submit all necessary documents to a private U.S. credential evaluation service to interpret equivalency of your education against courses given in U.S. accredited colleges and universities. For further information visit: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications.

How you will be evaluated

The Human Resources Office will review your resume and supporting documentation to ensure that you meet the minimum qualifications required for this position. You will no longer be considered for this position if you: Receive a zero (0) rating on any evaluation factor Fail to attach all required documentation Submit a resume that exceeds the two-page limit If your application materials indicate that you are not minimally-qualified for this position If you fail to qualify on the interview Only the top-rated candidates will be referred to a review official or the selecting official for further consideration. Top-rated applicants may be required to participate in an interview. Your rating may be further adjusted or rated as ineligible by the review official or the selecting official based on your interview performance. Once all applicant scores are finalized, the selecting official will make a final decision. NOTE: If you receive a zero (0) rating on any evaluation factor or on the interview, you will be considered NOT MINIMALLY QUALIFIED for the position and rated ineligible. Applicants for this position may be interviewed one or more times as part of the hiring process. During interviews, applicants may not use any AI tool or virtual assistant (such as ChatGPT) to help them answer questions, except for accessibility tools used as part of a reasonable accommodation. Applicants who fail to follow these rules will be disqualified from the hiring process.

How to apply

To apply for this position, you must complete the online application and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section. IMPORTANT UPDATE: Your resume must not exceed two (2) pages. You will no longer be considered for this announcement if your resume exceeds the two-page limit. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on the closing date, Friday, November 13, 2026, to receive consideration. To begin, click Apply Online to access an online application. Follow the prompts to select your USAJOBS resume and/or other supporting documents. You will need to be logged into your USAJOBS account or you may need to create a new account. You will be taken to an online application. Complete the online application, verify the required documentation, and submit the application. You will receive an email notification when your application has been received for the announcement. To verify the status of your application, log into your USAJOBS account, https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login, select the Application Status link and then select the More Information link for this position. The Application Status page will display the status of your application, the documentation received and processed, and your responses submitted to the online application. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process. You are strongly urged to read and print the entire vacancy announcement.

Other information

Pay is only part of the compensation you will earn working for the USPS OIG. We offer a broad array of benefits programs: As a result of the passage of the Postal Service Reform Act of 2022 (PSRA), USPS employees (including USPS OIG) and retirees will transition from the Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) Program to the Postal Service Health Benefits (PSHB) Program effective January 1, 2025. Detailed information about eligibility and enrollment will be provided upon hiring. For more information, visit the Postal Service Health Benefits (PSHB) Program website at https://www.opm.gov/healthcare-insurance/pshb/. We offer Health, Dental, Vision, Life and Long-Term Care Insurances with Flexible Spending options as well. For more information about these programs visit: https://www.opm.gov/healthcare-insurance/Guide-Me/Federal-Employees/ Retirement and Thrift Savings. For more information about these programs see https://www.opm.gov/retirement-center/ and tsp.gov/. Flexible Work Schedules. USPS OIG offers a range of family-friendly flexibilities including flexible work schedules, telework and employee assistance programs. Leave and Holidays. In addition to eleven (11) paid holidays each year, you will earn thirteen (13) days of paid sick leave and thirteen (13) to twenty-six (26) paid vacation days each year depending on your years of service. Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) Status: Exempt (Nonexempt employees are entitled to overtime pay; Exempt employees are not). This agency provides Reasonable Accommodations to applicants with disabilities. If you require accommodations for any part of the application and/or hiring process, please send an email to jobs@uspsoig.gov. The decision on granting an accommodation request will be made on a case-by-case basis. For further information, please refer to our website at: https://www.uspsoig.gov/frequently-asked-questions