Supervisory Investigator - Investigations Division

About the role

In this role, you will help the Department of Veterans Affairs promote accountability by investigating allegations of misconduct, retaliation, and poor performance involving senior leaders, as well as whistleblower retaliation by VA supervisors. You will conduct investigations and provide findings and recommendations for disciplinary, non-disciplinary, and corrective actions.

You will work in the Investigations Division and report to division leadership.

What you will do

• Serve as the first line supervisor and manage the day-to-day operations of a staff of investigators in the conduct of administrative investigations and related activities.
• The incumbent supervises the case management and technical advice on matters referred to OAWP for investigation.
• The incumbent develops general investigative strategies and tactics to resolve complex investigative issues.
• The incumbent will from time-to-time investigate matters related to conduct, performance, attendance, whistleblower disclosure and retaliation.
• The incumbent will provide various functions for accomplishment of OAWP's primary mission, including but not limited to the following: Investigates allegations of misconduct, retaliation, or poor performance involving individuals in a senior executive position, individuals employed in a confidential, policy- making, policy-determining, or policy-advocating position in the Department, or a supervisory employee, if the allegation involves retaliation against an employee for making a whistleblower disclosure.
• Receives referred disclosures from the Office of Special Counsel (OSC), Medical Inspector of the Department, the Inspector General of the Department, or such other person with investigatory authority, OAWP Triage, and conducts investigation as appropriate.
• Responsible for personally conducting high priority/sensitive fact finding or investigations that require the exercise of tact, diplomacy, utilization of extensive experience, and various human resource skills as directed by the Director and provides overall guidance and technical oversight of cases.
• Makes recommendations in relation to the assignment, evaluation, and approval of the Director's investigative plan encompassing all aspects of the investigative process including appropriate investigative techniques and procedures and coordinates for collaborative expertise effort.
• Develops, reviews, approves, coordinates and distributes detailed reports as appropriate.
• May be required to participate in individual and/or group interviews to gather information and data.
• Performs the full range of supervisory functions for a staff of investigators to include directly supervising, developing performance plans, and rating the performance of their assigned staff.
• Assigns work based on priorities, difficulty of assignments, workload, and the capabilities of the employees.
• Provides leadership, mentorship, training, and administrative oversight.
• Identifies developmental and training needs of employees, provides and/or arranges for needed developmental training.
• Provides, as needed, presentations, briefings, case updates, and/or reports to the Director and Senior OAWP leadership.
• Maintains lines of communication between field personnel and the Director.
• Prepares written communication on behalf of the Director in relation to operational procedures; maintains a training program, conduct of investigative procedures and techniques.
• Assists in the oversight of the overall integrity of the data input into OAWP's electronic official system of records and helps ensure that the entries are accurate and timely reported.
• Responsible for the development and/or editing of written reports, setting forth all facts and circumstances, with a view towards substantially affecting Investigations program planning; and organizational improvements.
• Advises/briefs the Director on highly complex and sensitive investigations.
• Communicates changes to subordinate staff.
• Ensures division employees readily adapt to changes and guidance is proliferated through conduct of investigations.
• Responsible for maintaining and monitoring the case management system in SharePoint or similar case management systems for receipt and accountability of information regarding alleged misconduct or impropriety by senior leaders.
• Coordinates cases as needed with internal staff and Administrations and external offices such as Office of Special Counsel (OSC), Office of Inspector General (OIG), Merit Systems Protection Boards (MSPB), Office of Personnel Management (OPM) and others as requested.
• Administers the proper opening and closing of administrative investigations.
• Ensures that sufficient information exists to warrant opening the investigative file.
• Performs other duties as assigned.
• Work Schedule: Required to work Monday through Friday with various tours available pending supervisory approval.
• May be subjected to change based on operational needs.
• Compressed/Flexible: May be authorized by supervisor.
• Remote: Yes Position Description/PD#: 99008A Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

Requirements

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job To be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process.
• In addition to the application and questionnaire, this position requires an online assessment.
• The online assessment measures critical general competencies required to perform the job.
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959 You may be required to serve a probationary period Subject to background/security investigation Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements (***).
• Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued identification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.
• As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you may be required to serve a one year probationary period or two year trial 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 one year probationary period or two year trial period your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

Education

There is no educational substitution at this grade level.

How you will be evaluated

IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC.

WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE.

You will be evaluated based on how well you meet the qualifications listed in this vacancy announcement. Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g., resume, supporting documents), your responses on the application questionnaire, and your responses to all assessments required for this position.

You will be assessed on the following Competencies for this position: Conflict Management Influencing/Negotiating Interpersonal Skills Leadership Manages Resources Partnering Performance Management Planning and Evaluating Reasoning Technical Competence Written Communication Supervisory Situational Judgement Test.

Applicants will be required to complete a Supervisory Situational Judgment Test (SSJT) as part of the assessment process for this position.

The SSJT evaluates judgment, decision-making, and leadership competencies associated with effective supervision in a Federal work environment. Assessment results may be used as part of the evaluation, ranking and referral process. This is not a timed test, however, the assessment is expected to take approximately 45 minutes or less to complete.

Narrative responses are not required at this time. If you are referred for consideration, you may be contacted for an interview. Your resume and/or supporting documentation will be verified.

Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your rating or consideration for employment.

The Department of Veterans Affairs performs pre-employment reference checks as an assessment method used in the hiring process to verify information provided by a candidate (e.g., on resume or during interview or hiring process); gain additional knowledge regarding a candidate's abilities; and assist a hiring manager with making a final selection for a position.

Area of Consideration: Eligible applicants will be reviewed and referred in the following order: Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) eligible applicants All current, permanent VA Employees in the Office of Accountability and Whistleblower Protection All other current, permanent VA employees Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) eligible applicants.

All other applicants During the application process, you will have an option to opt-in to make your resume available to hiring managers in the agency who have similar positions. Opting in does not impact your application for this announcement, nor does it guarantee further consideration for additional positions.

Documents you must provide

• Validating Time-in-Grade and Eligibility' section below to ensure you are submitting the proper SF-50/s Notification of Personnel Actions.
• The following documents are accepted, and may be required if applicable to your eligibility and/or qualifications for this position.
• Please make sure you have included other documents required for your application, such as a copy of your transcript (if using education to qualify), SF-50's (current/former Federal employees), documentation to support Veterans Preference claims, or ICTAP/CTAP documentation (for displaced Federal employees).
• You will not be contacted for additional information.
• DD-214/ Statement of Service Disability Letter (Schedule A) Disability Letter (VA) PCS Orders Performance Appraisal Proof of Marriage Status Resume Separation Notice (RIF) SF-15 SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action Failure to submit any of the above required documents applicable to your submission may result in loss of consideration and a rating of ineligible due to an incomplete application package.
• It is the applicant's responsibility to verify that their application package (resume, supporting documents, and responses to the questionnaire) is complete, accurate, and submitted by the closing date.
• We will not contact applicants for additional documentation, nor will we accept late or missing documents after the close of the announcement.
• Current and Former Federal Employees: Validating Time-in-Grade and Eligibility Required document to demonstrate eligibility: Most recent SF-50, Notification of Personnel Action, which for current employees, must be effective the first pay period (01/11/2026 or later) of the current calendar year.
• The SF-50 should note your current position or most recently held position, tenure, type of position occupied (i.e., Excepted or Competitive), grade level and duty location.
• (Text version SF-50s or Request for Personnel Action SF-52s are not acceptable.) Non-GS employees (including Federal Wage System and pay band employees) who do not receive annual pay adjustments in January, must submit a SF-50 dated within one year of the closing date of this announcement.
• Required document/s to demonstrate Time-in-Grade (TIG): TIG requirements apply to applicants who are current Federal employees and have held a GS grade at any time in the past 52 weeks, some former Federal employees applying for reinstatement, and current employees applying for a Veterans Employment Opportunities Act of 1998 (VEOA) appointment.
• Applicants who must meet TIG, in addition to their most recent SF-50, must submit: Official SF-50 that shows you hold or held the grade (or a higher grade) for the position you are applying for, or Official SF-50/s that show you held the next lower grade for at least one year for the position you are applying for.
• (Multiple SF-50s may need to be submitted to show this.) Examples of appropriate SF-50s to include (in addition to your most recent SF-50) to meet TIG requirements include: - Within grade increases (WGI) at the highest grade held; or - Promotions to the highest grade held with an effective date that occurred more than one year from the closing date of the JOA; or - SF-50s at the highest grade held with an effective date that occurred more than 1 year from the closing date of the JOA.
• NOTE: Do not submit Award SF-50s (or other SF-50s that do not provide sufficient information to verify time-in-grade.) Veterans' Preference: When applying for Federal Jobs, eligible Veterans should claim preference for 5pt (TP), 10pt (CP/CPS/XP), or for Sole Survivor Preference (SSP) in the questionnaire.
• You must provide a legible copy of your DD214(s) which shows dates and character of service (honorable, general, etc.).
• If you are currently serving on active duty and expect to be released or discharged within 120 days you must submit documentation related to your active duty service which reflects the dates of service, character of service (honorable, general, etc.), and dates of impending separation.
• Additionally, disabled Veterans and others eligible for 10-point preference (such as widows or mothers of eligible Veterans) must also submit an SF-15 "Application for 10 Point Veteran Preference" with required proof as stated on the form.
• Documentation is required to award preference.
• For more information on Veterans' Preference, please visit ***
• IF APPLYING AS A CTAP/ICTAP ELIGIBLE: You must submit the following documentation demonstrating eligibility for CTAP/ICTAP: Resume Agency Reduction in Force notice; Most recent SF-50 noting current position, grade level, and duty location Most recent performance appraisal (must be fully successful or above)

Benefits

Receiving Service Credit or Earning Annual (Vacation) Leave: Federal Employees earn annual leave at a rate (4, 6 or 8 hours per pay period) which is based on the number of years they have served as a Federal employee. VA may offer newly-appointed Federal employee's credit for their job-related non-federal experience or active duty uniformed military service.

This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave. Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment date and is not guaranteed.

What to expect next

To view the announcement status or your application status: Click on this: *** Your application status page is where you can view your application status, USA Hire assessment completion status (if applicable), and review your notifications sent by the hiring agency regarding your application.

Once your online application is submitted you will receive a confirmation notification by email. After we receive application packages (including all required assessments and documents) and the vacancy announcement closes, we will review applications to ensure qualification and eligibility requirements are met.

After the review is complete, a referral certificate(s) is issued, and applicants will be notified of their status by email. Referred applicants will be notified as such and may be contacted directly by the hiring office for an interview. All referred applicants receive a final notification once a selection decision has been made.

If you are referred for consideration, you may be asked to submit additional job related information, which may include, but not limited to; responses to the knowledge, skills and abilities; completion of a work sample, and/or contact for an interview. Your resume and/or supporting documentation will be verified.

If initial application submission is updated and resubmitted with a new resume, only the most current resume will be reviewed for consideration. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your rating or consideration for employment.

The Department of Veterans Affairs performs pre-employment reference checks as an assessment method used in the hiring process to verify information provided by a candidate (e.g., on resume or during interview or hiring process); gain additional knowledge regarding a candidate's abilities; and assist a hiring manager with making a final selection for a position.

You may check the status of your application at any time by logging into your USA Jobs account and clicking on Applications. Information regarding your application status can be found in the USAJobs Help Center.

Additional information

Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicant's criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer. For more information about the Act and the complaint process, visit Human Resources and Administration (HRA) at The Fair Chance Act.

Special Employment Consideration: VA encourages persons with disabilities to apply, including those eligible for hiring under 5 CFR 213.3102(u), Schedule A, Appointment of persons with disabilities [i.e., intellectual disabilities, severe physical disabilities, or psychiatric disabilities], and/or Disabled Veterans with a compensable service-connected disability of 30% or more.

Contact the Agency Contact for information on how to apply under this appointment authority via the Selective Placement Coordinator. Placement Policy: The posting of this announcement does not obligate management to fill a vacancy or vacancies by promotion. The position may be filled by reassignment, change to lower grade, transfer, appointment, or reinstatement.

Management may use any one or any combination of these methods to fill the position. It is the policy of the VA to not deny employment to those that have faced financial hardships or periods of unemployment. This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.

Veterans and Transitioning Service Members: Please visit the VA for Vets site for career-search tools for Veterans seeking employment at VA, career development services for our existing Veterans, and coaching and reintegration support for military service members.

For more information on the "Who may apply" eligibility requirements, please refer to the OHRM Status Candidates and Other Candidate Definitions document.