Criminal Investigator (LEO)

About the role

This position is a Criminal Investigator Law Enforcement Officer (LEO), located in a field activity of the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Labor-Management Standards. The primary duty of this position is the investigation of individuals suspected or convicted of offenses against the criminal laws of the United States.

Pay to be set based on the locality pay area of the duty location. Final duty location will be determined upon selection. This position is inside the bargaining unit.

What you will do

• This is a career ladder progression position; the duties described below are at the full performance level (GS-12).
• Incumbents hired below the GS-12 grade level will serve in a developmental capacity, wherein the work is less complex in nature and the supervisor, or a senior level employee provides specific instruction and guidance.
• Conducts investigations of individuals suspected of violating the criminal provisions of the LMRDA and related statutes, to include highly sensitive criminal investigations and civil investigations as appropriate, and associated crimes such as conspiracy, forgery, bank fraud, mail fraud and wire fraud.
• Assumes full responsibility for planning and developing assigned cases and cases the investigator identifies for investigation, obtaining evidence, interviewing all contacts, interrogating subjects, issuing Miranda warnings as appropriate, analyzing all financial records and writing all reports.
• Serves as team member on complex criminal investigations.
• Independently conducts major segments of the investigation and prepares assistance portions of the investigative report.
• Initiates and conducts meetings, discussions and conferences with parties germane to the investigations such as union officers, employees of unions, attorneys, certified public accountants, employers, and union members.
• Coordinates joint investigations with FBI, DOL OIG, EBSA, IRS and other federal agencies by developing investigative plans and coordinating additional investigations, integrating findings and conclusions into a comprehensive report.
• Initiates contacts and maintains liaison with United States Attorneys and state prosecutors, and other federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies for the purpose of exchanging information.
• Explains LMRDA requirements and OLMS investigative procedures to gain access to records and gather pertinent facts and evidence.
• Prepares comprehensive, well-documented, sign-off quality reports of investigative findings and recommends appropriate disposition that clearly substantiate violations in accordance with elements of proof and other requirements necessary for criminal prosecution or justifies closing the case.
• Such reports are sufficient, with few or no changes, for forwarding to appropriate parties for action.
• Physical Demands: The work requires some walking, travel, and carrying of items such as brief cases, notebooks, and work papers.
• Many records are obtained from reluctant sources via administrative or grand jury subpoena.
• The work may involve considerable exertion to obtain, transport, and ultimately review records.
• The work requires interviewing witnesses or targets in remote work sites at irregular, unpredictable or unscheduled hours.
• The position may also require working for prolonged periods of time without adequate rest.
• Conducting investigations requires frequent travel to various geographic sites to locate witnesses and records, and conduct extensive, prolonged interviews at irregular hours to satisfy stress-provoking time constraints.
• Travel is sometimes necessary in severe weather on remote roads, in hazardous areas or under hazardous conditions, for up to three weeks at a time.
• Some casework may have to be done over protracted shift periods and at irregular hours.
• Interviews may be conducted in arduous circumstances with reluctant witnesses, sometimes exposing the investigator to personal risk.
• Prosecutive support work frequently requires unusually long work days and long periods away from the assigned duty station.
• Considerable endurance is often required to review voluminous records, and physical strength is required for lifting and transporting them.
• Investigators must often lift heavy boxes or equipment, categorize, store, and secure evidence.
• Work Environment: Some assignments are performed in a typical office setting, but usually require extensive additional onsite investigative work.
• This on-site work often occurs during evening or other irregular hours in work environments of union officials or other persons in unsafe, crime ridden areas, in factories, on construction sites, or at depots.
• Investigative activities bring the investigator into direct contact with the individuals facing potential criminal charges and the potential loss of their freedom and livelihood; individuals known to commit, attempt, or threaten to commit violence against union members; individuals who own weapons; or individuals alleged to have ties to organized crime.
• These contacts also expose the investigator to highly contested, hostile internal union political and power struggles.
• These and other situations described above may place the investigator in physical jeopardy.
• Protective clothing and gear and observance of safety precautions are required.
• The work sometimes involves accompany higher graded investigator during prolonged hours of interviews or records reviews in hazardous, hostile environments.

Education

Any applicant falsely claiming an academic degree from an accredited school will be subject to actions ranging from disqualification from federal employment to removal from federal service.

If your education was completed at a foreign college or university, you must show comparability to education received in accredited educational institutions in the United States and comparability to applicable minimum coursework requirements for this position. Click Evaluation of Foreign Education for more information.

How you will be evaluated

Your evaluation will be based on how well you meet the qualifications outlined in this vacancy announcement, as demonstrated through your resume and supporting documentation.

You may preview application questions for this vacancy here: *** USA Hire You will be assessed on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics): Attention to Detail Customer Service Decision Making Flexibility Integrity/Honesty Interpersonal Skills Learning Reasoning Self-Management Stress Tolerance Teamwork The information you provide may be verified by a review of your paid, unpaid, and volunteer, as it demonstrates the competencies or skills required for the position to be filled.

Your evaluation may include an interview, reference checks, or other assessment conducted by HR specialists, subject matter experts, or panel members and may include other assessment tools (ex. interview, structured interview, written test, work sample, etc.).

INFORMATION FOR CTAP ELIGIBLE(S) ONLY: If you are eligible for special priority selection under CTAP, you must be well-qualified for the position to receive consideration. CTAP eligible(s) will be considered well-qualified if they attain at least a rating score of 85 in a numerical rating scheme.

Be sure to review the eligibility questions to reflect that you are applying as a CTAP eligible and submit supporting documentation. WRITING SAMPLE: Applicants may be required to complete a writing sample during the interview process.

Documents you must provide

• The following documents must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. (ET) on the vacancy closing date.
• ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS: Applicants must meet the eligibility requirements of time-in-grade (52 weeks at the next lower grade), time-after-competitive-appointment (90 days), and minimum qualifications (52 weeks equivalent to the next lower grade in federal service).
• These requirements must be met within 30 days of 09/28/2026 the announcement closing date.
• The following documents are required from all applicants (PLEASE READ CAREFULLY): AGENCY EMPLOYEES: Please provide a copy of your last or most recent SF-50, Notification of Personnel Action, which shows your appointment eligibility for the position for which you are applying.
• Your SF-50 must identify the highest grade you held on a permanent basis, Pay Plan/Pay Schedule, Series, Grade/Pay Band, and career status.
• Multiple SF-50 may be submitted to demonstrate your highest previous rate and eligibility. *WARNING: An award SF-50 (ex. cash or time off award) may not indicate grade, step, and competitive status.
• For current DOL employees, an award SF-50 DOES NOT indicate grade and step.
• Resumes are required- provide a resume either by creating one in USAJOBS or uploading one from your profile.
• To receive full consideration for relevant and specialized experience, please list the month, year, and number of work hours worked for experience listed on your resume.
• We also suggest that you preview the vacancy questions, and confirm that your resume supports your question responses.
• Most recent performance appraisal/evaluation signed and dated within 18 months is requested by the agency, but will not disqualify candidates if not submitted.
• If not submitted during the application process, one may/will be requested at the time of the interview if the opportunity is extended. *In most cases, CTAP applicants must submit this document - see the CTAP link below for more details.
• The following documents are required (if applicable): Displaced Employee Placement Documents: Only required if requesting priority consideration under Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) Eligibility.
• Click/Review this CTAP link to confirm what must be submitted as proof that the requirement has been met.
• Unofficial Transcript(s) (in English) - If you are using education as a basis for qualifying for this position, you must submit all applicable academic transcripts demonstrating that you meet the qualifying educational requirements (ex.
• BA/BS, MA, JD, Ph.D., etc.).
• If specific coursework is required to qualify, you must supply an unofficial transcript from each academic institution in which the required courses were taken in order to receive credit.
• You may upload your unofficial transcript(s) as one document with a maximum size limit of 5 MB.
• NOTE: The OFFICIAL Transcript(s) MUST BE RECEIVED, if you are selected, and prior to receiving the firm offer with a start date.
• Cover Letters are not mandatory and will not be used to verify experience but may be submitted.
• Reference the Education Section for College Transcript and Evaluation of Foreign Education.
• Do not upload password-protected documents.
• Applicants selected for employment who are not current DOL employees will be required to provide proof of citizenship, and the E-Verify system will be used to confirm the employment eligibility of all new hires.
• As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you may be required to serve a 1-year probationary period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest.
• In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider: - your performance and conduct; - the needs and interests of the agency; - whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and - whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service.
• Upon completion of your probationary period your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

What to expect next

For more detailed information on applying for positions with DOL click here to view the U.S. Department of Labor, How to Apply website. Once your complete application is received, we will conduct an evaluation of your qualifications and refer candidates for selection consideration.

Candidates will be referred to the hiring manager for further consideration and possible interviews. You will be notified of the outcome. A selection is expected to be made within 30 calendar days of the issuance date of the certificate.

For instructions on how to check the status of your application, go to USAJOBS Help Guide. USAJOBS will no longer send status alert email notifications. You can check your application status in the TAS by logging into USAJOBS and in the Applicant Dashboard, click the hiring agency Talent Acquisition System (TAS).

If the TAS does not provide application tracking information, contact the agency's point of contact on the job announcement. To verify that your application is complete, log into your USAJOBS account, select the Application Status link, and then select the more information link for this position.

The Application page will display the status of your application, the documentation received and processed, and any correspondence the agency has sent related to this application. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process.

To return to an incomplete application, log into your USAJOBS account and click Update Application in the vacancy announcement.

You must re-select your resume and/or other documents from your USAJOBS account or your application will be incomplete.

Additional information

There is one (1) vacancy for the Cincinnati-Cleveland District, duty location to be based in either Fort Wright, KY or Cleveland, OH. The mission of the Department of Labor (DOL) is to protect the welfare of workers and job seekers, improve working conditions, expand high-quality employment opportunities, and assure work-related benefits and rights for all workers.

Refer to these links for more information: GENERAL INFORMATION, REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION, ADDITIONAL DOCUMENTATION, FORMER FEDERAL EMPLOYEES As a condition of employment, all personnel must undergo a background investigation for access to DOL facilities, systems, information and/or classified materials before they can enter on duty: BACKGROUND INVESTIGATION This position is inside the bargaining unit.

If this position is an investigator position, it falls under the National Union of Labor Investigators (NULI). For more information, Click here for Career Ladder Promotion Information 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 Fair Chance Act (FCA) prohibits Federal agencies from requesting an applicant's criminal history information before the agency makes a conditional offer of employment.

If you believe a DOL employee has violated your rights under the FCA, you may file a complaint of the alleged violation following our agency's complaint process Guidelines for Reporting Violations of the Fair Chance Act. Note: The FCA does not apply to some positions specified under the Act, such as law enforcement or national security positions.

All Department of Labor employees are subject to the provisions of the Drug-Free Workplace Program under Executive Order 12564 and Public Law 100-71.

Reasonable Accommodation (RA) Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a RA in your online application.

Requests for RA for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for RA must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for RA 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, based on your adjudication decision.

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 RA, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments.