Criminal Investigator (Special Agent)

Company: Internal Revenue Service
Location: Saint Petersburg
Posted on: January 19, 2023

Job Description:

Duties

WHAT IS THE CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION (CI) DIVISION?

A description of the business units can be found at:



IRS-CI Special Agents (SAs) are duly sworn federal law enforcement officers throughout all 50 states and US territories including special agent attaches located in 11 countries. As a SA, you will combine your accounting skills with law enforcement skills to investigate financial crimes. SAs fill a unique niche in the federal law enforcement community due to IRS-CI's broad jurisdiction of Title 18 and Title 31 crimes, in addition to our primary tax enforcement mission. SAs are known for their financial investigative expertise in areas, such as, tax fraud, public corruption, cybercrimes, narcotics, terrorism, and much more. Today's sophisticated schemes demand the analytical ability of financial investigators to trace transactions through complex financial records.



The following are the duties of this position at the full working level. If this vacancy includes more than one grade and you are selected at a lower grade level, you will have the opportunity to learn to perform these duties and receive training to help you grow in this position.

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• The Special Agent plans and conducts investigations relative to criminal statutes of tax administration, financial crimes, and other related offenses, which vary in levels of complexity and scope. The majority of the time is spent on investigations involving most or all of the following characteristics:
  
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  • Indirect accounting methods to establish evidence
    
  • Precedent setting legal or investigative questions
    
  • Highly complex or unusual accounting problems
    
  • Information obtained from diversified sources gathered over a wide section of the country
    
  • Interrelationship of facts and evidence that are difficult to identify because of numerous holding companies, entities, etc.
    
  • A mixture of legal and illegal activities
    
    
    
  • Performs other investigative and enforcement duties such as:
    
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    • Testifying as a Government witness
      
    • Assisting the U.S. Attorney during the preparation of case for trial
      
    • Conducting collateral inquiries
      
    • Providing protection to persons and property
      
      
      
    • Obtains, evaluates, integrates, and recommends actions on information items to identify larger areas of noncompliance (e.g., major profession, occupation, industry, or wide geographic area).
      
    • May serve as a team leader and/or expert consultant in the information gathering function.
      
    • Conducts or participates in surveillance, armed escorts, dignitary protection, undercover operations, execution of search and arrest warrants, seizures, etc.
      
    • Protects the government's interest in enforcement activities.
      
    • Maintains good physical condition in order to conduct criminal investigations, surveillance, protective assignments, undercover assignments, etc.
      
      
      
      
      Requirements
      Conditions of Employment
      
      
      
      
      

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      • To ensure compliance with an applicable preliminary nationwide injunction, which may be supplemented, modified, or vacated, depending on the course of ongoing litigation, the Federal Government will take no action to implement/enforce the COVID-19 vaccination requirement pursuant to Executive Order 14043 on Requiring Coronavirus Disease 2019 Vaccination for Federal Employees. Federal agencies may request information regarding the vaccination status of selected applicants for the purposes of implementing other workplace safety protocols, such as protocols related to masking, physical distancing, testing, travel, and quarantine.
        
      • If you are in a telework eligible position, you may be directed to temporarily telework on a full-time basis due to COVID 19. Employees must be within a 200-mile radius of their official assigned post-of-duty (POD) while in a telework status. Once normal operations resume, employees may be directed back to the office to perform the duties of their position. Telework eligibility does not guarantee telework; employees must meet and sustain IRS telework eligibility requirements and supervisor's approval to participate in the IRS Telework Program. As a reminder - If you are selected for a position, you are responsible for reporting to your designated POD (location) on the negotiated start date or as directed by management.
        
      • Must be a U.S. Citizen or National and provide proof of U.S. Citizenship. (Birth certificate showing birth in the U.S; Unexpired U.S. Passport; Certificate of Citizenship or Naturalization; or Report of Birth Abroad of a U.S. Citizen (Form FS-240))
        
      • Undergo an income tax verification and review of prior performance/conduct.
        
      • Must successfully complete a background investigation, including a FBI criminal history record check (fingerprint check).
        
        
        
        
        
        Qualifications
        
        Federal experience is not required. The experience may have been gained in the public sector, private sector or One year of experience refers to full-time work; part-timework is considered on a prorated basis. To ensure full credit for your work experience, please indicate dates of employment by month/year, and indicate number of hours worked per week, on your resume.
        
        
        
        You must meet the following requirements by the closing date of this announcement:
        
        
        
        GS-07 SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: You must have one year of specialized experience at a level of difficulty and responsibility equivalent to the GS-5 grade level in the Federal service. Specialized experience for this position includes experience in or related to investigation of criminal violations that provided the specific knowledge, skills, and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the IRS Special Agent. Experience must have required: (1) the exercise of tact, initiative, ingenuity, resourcefulness and judgment in collecting, assembling, and developing facts, evidence and other pertinent data through investigative techniques which included personal interview; (2) the ability to make oral and written reports and presentations of personally conducted or personally directed investigations, examinations, or inspections; AND (3) the ability to analyze and evaluate evidence and arrive at sound conclusions. To be qualifying, this experience must have been acquired in investigative work related to the ACCOUNTING OR AUDITING OF BUSINESS OR COMMERCIAL PRACTICES OF SUBJECTS INVESTIGATED.
        
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        EDUCATION: You may substitute education for specialized experience as follows:
        
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        • One full year of graduate level education which included or was supplemented by at least 15 semester/23 quarter hours in accounting plus an additional 9 semester/14 quarter hours from among the following fields: business law, economics, finance, tax law or money and banking. OR
          
        • Superior Academic Achievement - A bachelor's degree, with one of the following: A GPA of 3.0 or higher on a 4.0 scale for all completed undergraduate courses or those completed in the last 2 years of study, or a GPA of 3.5 or higher on a 4.0 scale for all courses in the major field of study or those courses in the major completed in the last 2 years of study, or rank in the upper one third of the class in the college, university, or major subdivision, or membership in a national scholastic honor society recognized by the Association of College Honor Societies.
          
          NOTE: Superior Academic Achievement is credited only if you have completed all the requirements for a bachelor's degree which included or was supplemented by at least 15 semester/23 quarter hours in accounting plus an additional 9 semester/14 quarter hours from among the following fields: finance, economics, business law, tax law, or money and banking.
          
          
          
          GS-09 SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: You must have one year of specialized experience at a level of difficulty and responsibility equivalent to the GS-7 grade level in the Federal service. Specialized experience for this position includes: experience in or related to investigation of criminal violations that provided the specific knowledge, skills, and abilities needed to successfully perform the duties of this position. The experience must have been acquired in investigative work related to the ACCOUNTING OR AUDITING OF BUSINESS OR COMMERCIAL PRACTICES OF SUBJECTS INVESTIGATED. Experience must be sufficient to demonstrate the ability to gather intelligence, analyze and evaluate raw investigative data, prepare comprehensive written investigative reports, and investigate complex claims involving suspected crimes or alleged fraud. Examples of qualifying experience include: Investigating criminal cases requiring the use of recognized investigative methods and techniques and that may have included appearing in court to present evidence; Supervising or conducting interviews or interrogations that involved eliciting evidence, data, or surveillance information; Investigating computerized business and/or accounting systems and forming sound conclusions as to related criminal business practices and compliance with Federal laws and regulations.
          
          OR
          
          EDUCATION: You may substitute education for specialized experience as follows:
          
          
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          • Two 2 full years of progressively higher-level graduate education. OR
            
          • a master's degree or equivalent graduate degree (i.e., L.L.B. or JD) AND All of the above education requirements must be supplemented by at least 15 semester hours (or 23 quarter hours) in accounting, AND an additional 9 semester hours 14 quarter hours) from among the following or closely related fields: finance, economics, money and banking, tax law, and business law. OR
            
            COMBINATION OF EXPERIENCE AND EDUCATION: You may qualify by a combination of experience and education. Options for qualifying based on a combination will be identified in the online questions.
            
            
            
            For examples of specialized experience, click .
            
            
            
            You must also meet the following special requirements:
            
            
            
            MAXIMUM ENTRY AGE: Provisions of Public Law 93-950 and Public Law 100-238 allow the imposition of a maximum age for original appointments to a law enforcement officer position within the Federal government. The date immediately preceding your 37th birthday is the final date of referral for selection. This age restriction does not apply to those who have previously served in a Federal civilian (not military) law enforcement position covered by Title 5 U.S.C. Section 8336 (c) provisions and preference eligible veterans.
            
            
            
            You must pass a medical examination prior to being appointed. This position requires moderate to arduous physical exertion involving walking and standing, use of firearms, and exposure to inclement weather. Manual dexterity with free motion of fingers, wrists, elbows, shoulders, hips, and knee joints is required. Arms, hands, legs, and feet must function sufficiently in order for applicants to perform the duties satisfactorily.
            
            
            
            Vision: Near vision, corrected or uncorrected, must be sufficient to read Jaeger type 2 at 14 inches. Normal depth perception, peripheral vision, and the ability to distinguish shades of color-by-color plate tests are required. If you have undergone refractive surgery, you must meet Treasury approved requirements, including documentation that you have passed exam and protocol testing. Visual acuity requirements are expressed in terms of the Snellen vision test. Uncorrected distant vision must test 20/200, and corrected vision must test 20/20 in one eye, and 20/30 in the other.
            
            
            
            Hearing: Hearing loss, as measured by an audiometer, must not exceed 30 decibels (A.S.A. or equivalent I.S.O.) in either ear in the 500, 1000, and 2000 Hz ranges. You must be able to hear the whispered voice at 15 feet with each ear without the use of a hearing aid.
            
            
            
            Other Medical Requirements: You must possess emotional and mental stability. Any condition that would hinder full, efficient performance of the duties of this position or that would cause an individual to be a hazard to himself/herself or to others is disqualifying.
            
            
            
            All of the medical requirements MUST be met at the time of initial examination/test. Applicants failing to meet the medical requirements at the time of their initial examination/test will be considered ineligible for the position.
            
            
            
            For more information on qualifications please refer to .
            
            
            
            Education
            
            For positions with an education requirement, or if you are qualifying for this position by substituting education or training for experience, submit a copy of your transcripts or equivalent. An official transcript will be required if you are selected.
            
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            • Note: If substituting Superior Academic Achievement (SAA) for experience at the GS-7 level, please note that grade-point averages are rounded to one decimal place. For example, 2.95 will round to 3.0 and 2.94 will round to 2.9. The Qualifications requirements above will reflect if SAA is accepted for this position and the online questionnaire will offer the option to select SAA as a qualifying response.
              
              A college or university degree generally must be from an accredited (or pre-accredited) college or university recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. For a list of schools which meet these criteria, please refer to .
              
              
              
              FOREIGN EDUCATION: Education completed in foreign colleges or universities may be used to meet the requirements. You must show proof the education credentials have been deemed to be at least equivalent to that gained in conventional U.S. education program. It is your responsibility to provide such evidence when applying. Click for Foreign Education Credentialing instructions.
              
              
              
              Additional information
              
              
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              • A 3 year probationary period with limited appeal rights is required.
                
              • This is a non-bargaining unit position.
                
              • Have salary sent to a financial institution of your choice by Direct Deposit/Electronic Funds Transfer.
                
                
              • We may select from this announcement or any other source to fill one or more vacancies.
                
                
              • Work irregular and recurring overtime on evenings, nights, and weekends resulting in an average of 50 hours per week over the calendar year, per Law Enforcement Availability Pay (LEAP) regulations.
                
              • Commuting distance for Law Enforcement Availability Pay (Required). IAW Title 5 CFR 550.182(D) the agency must determine that a criminal investigator is generally/reasonably accessible to perform unscheduled duty based on the needs of the agency. The provisions of Treasury Directive 74-06 Home-to-Work Transportation Controls paragraph 3(d) require that special agents reside within 50 miles of their official duty station to be considered for Home-to-Work transportation (only granted/waived by Treasury).
                
              • Drug test with negative result is required prior to appointment and subject to random drug testing.
                
              • Possess/maintain a valid state motor vehicle operator's license on appointment.
                
              • File a Confidential Financial Disclosure Report w/i 30 days of appointment and annually afterward.
                
              • Sign a mobility agreement.
                
              • Carry/use a firearm. Maintaining firearm proficiency is mandatory. Ineligible for this position if ever convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence, unless pardoned or conviction was expunged/set aside.
                
              • Complete/previously completed the Criminal Investigation Training Program (CITP) course(s) at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC) in Glynco, GA.
                
              • Complete a pre-employment medical examination by an authorized Government physician; be determined physically fit to perform strenuous physically demanding duties.
                
              • Undergo regular physical examinations to maintain a level of physical fitness IAW the standards/policies of this agency.
                
              • Employment of any candidate selected for this position may be conditional on classification and/or audit of federal tax returns (may include up to 2 years of returns).
                
              • Employment of any candidate selected for this position will be conditional on obtaining/maintaining a High-Risk Security Clearance.
                
              • Obtain/use Government-issued charge card for business-related travel.
                
                You will be limited to a maximum of five (5) location choices. If selected, one of your selected locations will become your official post of duty.
                
                
                
                This is an open continuous announcement. The IRS anticipates filling approximately 300 vacancies. Applicants may apply at any time during the open period. However, applicants are referred on a first-in first-out basis. Qualified applicants applying early and successfully completing the assessment process will be referred before those applying later. Contingent upon funding and space requirements, one or more vacancies may be filled at the locations listed in this announcement as they become available. If sufficient applicants are received prior to the closing date, this announcement may be closed early.
                
                
                
                
                
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                  Benefits
                  
                  
                  
                  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. .
                  
                  
                  
                  
                  
                  
                  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.
                  
                  
                  
                  
                  
                  
                  
                  Required Documents
                  
                  
                  The following documents are required and must be provided with your application. All application materials, including transcripts, must be in English.
                  
                  
                  
                  
                • Online Application - Questionnaire
                  
                • Proof of Enrollment or Education (See Education Section above) - For positions with an education requirement, or if you are qualifying for this position by substituting education or training for experience, you MUST submit a copy of your transcripts or equivalent. An official transcript will be required if you are selected.
                  
                • Registration/License (if applicable) - active, current registration/license
                  
                  
                • Current and Former Federal Employees Documentation (if applicable) - It is recommended that you submit a copy of your most recent SF-50 (Notification of Personnel Action) or equivalent personnel action form which shows your current grade and competitive service status (Position Occupied/Block 34 should reflect "1" and Tenure/Block 24 should reflect "1" or "2").
                  
                  Please note that if you do not provide all required information, as specified in this announcement, your application will be determined incomplete, and you will not be considered for this position (or may not receive the special consideration for which you may be eligible).
                  
                  
                  
                  If you are requesting a reasonable accommodation to the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, submit documentation to support your request, including the Reasonable Accommodation Request Form found .
                  
                  
                  
                  If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:
                  
                  
                  Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from
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                  Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.
                  
                  
                  
                  
                  
                  How to Apply
                  
                  The following instructions outline our application process. You must complete this application process and submit any required documents by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) on 01/31/2023 and/or cut-off dates in this announcement. We are available to assist you during business hours (normally 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. ET, Monday - Friday). If applying online poses a hardship, please contact us by noon ET on 01/31/2023.
                  
                  
                  
                  To preview the Application Questionnaire, please click the following link:
                  
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                  • To begin the application process, click the "Apply Online" button.
                    
                  • Answer the online questions and attach all necessary supporting documentation.
                    
                  • To complete, you must click the "Submit Application" button prior to 11:59 PM (ET) on 01/31/2023.
                    
                  • After submitting an online application, you will be notified whether or not you are required to take additional online assessments through the USA Hire Competency Based Assessment system. This message will be delivered to you via email notification. The email may be routed to your "Spam" or "Junk" folder.
                    
                    
                  • Note, set aside adequate time to take these assessments. If you need to stop the assessments and continue at a later time, you can re-use the URL sent to you via email and also found in your USAJOBS account under Track my application link for the corresponding application.
                    
                  • Online assessments are pass/fail and include a Realistic Job Preview video and a job simulation. Qualified candidates who pass this phase may be invited for a third phase of testing at a proctored test site where additional tests: Special Agent Knowledge and Skill Examination and Writing Sample test are conducted. If you pass this phase you may be invited for an interview.
                    
                    To update your application, including supporting documentation, at any time during the announcement open period, return to your USAJOBS account (). There you will find a record of your application, the application status, and an option to Edit my application. This option will no longer be available once the announcement has closed.
                    
                    
                    
                    To verify the status of your application both during and after the announcement open period, log into your USAJOBS account at . On the Home page, scroll down and locate your job application. Once the job has been located, click the "Track this application" link on the right under the application date. The page will refresh to display the Agency's Application Information page where you can scroll down and review any notifications the agency has sent you. The Application Status will appear along with the date your application was last updated. For information on what each Application Status means, visit:
                    
                    
                    
                    Reasonable Accommodation (RA) Requests (USA Hire Competency Based Assessments): If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended and Americans with Disabilities Act 1990 as amended, that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a reasonable accommodation in your online application. Requests for Reasonable Accommodations for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for Reasonable Accommodation must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for Reasonable Accommodations 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. 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 Reasonable Accommodation, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments here:
                    
                    
                    
                    Agency contact information
                    
                    
                    (ERC) Employee Resource Center
                    
                    
                    
                    Phone
                    
                    
                    
                    Email
                    
                    
                    
                    Website
                    
                    
                    
                    
                    
                    Address
                    
                    
                    CI - Criminal Investigation
                    
                    1111 Constitution Ave NW
                    
                    Washington, DC 20224
                    
                    US
                    
                    
                    
                    
                    
                    
                    Next steps
                    
                    
                    Treasury believes in a working environment that supports inclusion; please view our reasonable accommodation policies and procedures at . We provide reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities on a case-by-case basis; contact us if you require this for any part of the application and hiring process.
                    
                    
                    
                    Based on your application and your responses to the application questionnaire, you may be presented with instructions on how to access the USA Hire system to complete the online assessments. The online assessments must be completed within 48 hours following the close of this announcement. You will have the opportunity to request a testing accommodation for the assessment should you have a disability covered under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
                    
                    
                    
                    Your assessment results will be kept on record for three years and used toward future positions for which you might apply that require the same assessments. If you fail any part of the assessment you will need to wait 12 months from your test date to retake it. Due to a change in testing requirements, scores rendered prior to 12/1/2021 will no longer be valid.
                    
                    
                    
                    Please notify us if your contact information changes after the closing date of the announcement. If your email mailbox is full or blocked (SPAM) you may not receive important communication that could affect your consideration for this position.
                    
                    
                    
                    Fair & Transparent
                    
                    The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
                    
                    
                    
                    
                    
                    
                    
                    
                    
                    
                    
                    
                    

Keywords: Internal Revenue Service, St. Petersburg , Criminal Investigator (Special Agent), Sales , Saint Petersburg, Florida