748job United States

Criminal Investigator - Central Area Field Office (CAFO)

Other Agencies and Independent Organizations › Office of the Inspector General, USPS (17 current openings)

Who may apply

Limited to the following applicant groups:

  • Internal to an agency
Chicago, Illinois
Full-time Security Clearance: Top Secret
Application Deadline:
2026-08-24
Posted:
2026-08-10

4 days left to apply

Apply on usajobs.gov
Salary: $83,482 – $154,682 per year (GG-11/13)

Salary context

Based on 40 annual-salary jobs in the same occupational series. This role pays around the middle of similar positions.

Job Details

Position Overview

This announcement provides a reassignment opportunity for a current 1811 to the position of Criminal Investigator, Journey Band, in the Office of Investigations, Central Area Field Office (CAFO) located in Chicago, IL.

Duties

The successful candidate must be highly motivated and exhibit a high degree of character and demonstrate experience planning, conducting and/or leading complex federal criminal, civil and administrative investigations.

Additional Duties & Responsibilities:
  • Plans, conducts and/or coordinates criminal, civil and administrative investigations relating to alleged or suspected violations of Federal laws committed by or against Postal Service personnel or Postal Service contractors.
  • Obtains and evaluates information to support all criminal and civil investigations.
  • Applies for and serves warrants for arrests, searches and seizures as appropriate and provided by law.
  • Prepares requests and/or reviews/approves requests for subpoenas, consensual monitoring, and other requests requiring higher authority.
  • Assists Government attorneys in the preparation of grand jury presentations and court cases; serves as a witness in grand juries, criminal and civil courts and administrative forums.
  • Maintains liaison with other offices, agencies, and appropriate organizations as needed.
  • Conducts investigations using various techniques such as surveillance, interviewing and interrogating, examining files and records, obtaining physical and documentary evidence and undercover assignments.
  • Collects, evaluates and preserves physical and documentary evidence. Utilizing cameras and other electronic surveillance equipment to gather evidence.

The duties and responsibilities associated with this position may vary based upon the agency's needs at the time of hire. The preceding description of major duties and responsibilities is only intended to give applicants a general overview of the expectations.


Compensation: The USPS OIG is an Excepted Service agency and uses a Pay Banding system, which is equivalent to the Federal GS scale.

This position is being advertised at the Journey Band level, equivalent to a GS-11 to GS-13. The salary range for this position is $83,482.00 - $154,682.00. The salary figures include locality pay. For locality table specifics, visit: OPM's General Schedule (GS).

The posted salary range does not include the authorized Law Enforcement Availability Pay (LEAP) under the 1811 Series.

The job also provides coverage as a primary position under law enforcement retirement.

Qualifications & Requirements

Position Minimum Qualification Requirements
You must meet all the minimum qualifications listed below.

Eligibility & Experience Requirements
  • Current 1811 USPS OIG or USPIS employee.
  • Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university.
  • At least one (1) or more years of experience equivalent at the GS-11 level or higher grade.
  • Demonstrated experience assisting, planning, conducting and/or leading complex criminal investigations.
  • Received at least a "met expectation" rating on your two most recent performance appraisals (FY 2024 and FY 2025).

In accordance with applicable laws, the applicant selected for this position must:
  • 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
  • Must be willing to relocate at the direction of management

Desirable Qualifications
  • Knowledge of Postal Service structure, processes, operations, etc.


Evaluation Factors | How You Will Be Evaluated:

You must have the experience, knowledge, and skills as listed in each of the evaluation factors listed below. Include your major accomplishments relevant to the position requirements and factors in your resume. Failure to demonstrate that you meet all the evaluation factor requirements as listed below will result in a score of zero (0), an ineligible status, and you will not be referred for further consideration.
  • Demonstrated experience assisting, planning, conducting and/or leading complex criminal investigations.
  • Demonstrative ability to define problems, analyze alternatives and recommend solutions to difficult criminal investigative problems or issues.
  • Demonstrated ability to effectively communicate, both orally and in writing facts and circumstances of investigations and analysis which are understandable to management officials.

Education

Education must be accredited by an institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.
Applicants can verify accreditation here: www.ed.gov.

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/.

Conditions of Employment

  • Must be a current USPS OIG or USPIS 1811 employee.
  • Must be able to obtain and maintain a Top Secret (Tier-5) clearance.
  • Must be able to obtain and maintain a government-issued credit card.
  • Must be able to pass a drug screening. Note: A physical is required for 1811 Criminal Investigator positions.
  • Required to successfully complete a twelve (12) month probationary period.
  • Selectee subject to random drug screenings.

Evaluations

How You Will Be Evaluated
You will be assessed on:
  • Minimum qualifications
  • Evaluation factors
  • Quality of resume and supporting documents
  • Interview performance (if recommended/selected)

Important Application Rules (Disqualification Triggers)
You will not be considered if you:
  • Fail to attach all required documents
  • Submit a resume exceeding two pages
  • Submit materials showing you do not meet minimum qualifications
  • Receive a zero rating on any evaluation factor
  • Use AI tools during the interview (except approved accessibility tools)
  • Fail to qualify during the interview

Top-rated applicants will be referred to an interview panel or selecting official for the required interview. Ratings may be further adjusted or determined as ineligible by the interview panel or the selecting official based on interview performance. Applicants may be interviewed one or more times as part of the hiring process. Once all applicant scores are finalized, the selecting official will make a final decision.

Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) applications or virtual assistants (ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, etc.) is prohibited during interviews. An exception for accessibility tools must be submitted through reasonable accommodation. Applicants who fail to follow these rules will be disqualified from the hiring process.

NOTE: This announcement may be used to establish a pool of qualified candidates for future hiring needs. Applicants may be considered for positions in other directorates within the Office of Investigations.

Required Documents

You must submit all required documents by 11:59 PM EST on the closing date of this announcement, Vacancy Announcement 13029503, by closing date 08/24/2026.

Important Note: Make sure you submit all required documents with your application. Failure to do so will result in your disqualification.

1. Resume (Mandatory)
  • Must not exceed two (2) pages
  • 0.5" margins; recommended fonts: Calibri, Helvetica, Arial, Verdana, Open Sans, Roboto, Noto Sans
  • Upload as PDF (<=5MB)
  • Additional guidance can be found at: USAJOBS Help Center - How do I write a resume for a federal job?
2. Occupational Assessment Questionnaire (Mandatory)
  • Self-assessment questionnaire addressing the requirements, experience, and evaluation factors of the position
3. Performance Evaluation (Mandatory)
  • Two (2) most recent performance appraisals (FY 2024 and FY 2025)
  • Including rating, coaching, and review phase comments sections
  • If unavailable, a substitute document must be submitted explaining why a performance appraisal is not available
  • Form SF-50 is not acceptable as a performance appraisal
  • Applications submitted without either a performance appraisal or qualifying substitute will be considered incomplete
4. PS-50 Form (Mandatory)
  • You can access your Postal Service Form 50 by logging into liteblue.usps.gov or by submitting an HR Help Desk ticket through KCE.
5. Supporting Documents (If Applicable)
  • Certificates/Licenses

How to Apply

To apply for this position, you must complete the online application and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section below. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on the closing date, 08/24/2026, 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://secure.login.gov/, 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.
Once the Occupational Questionnaire has been received you will receive an acknowledgement e-mail that your submission was successful. After a review of your application package has been completed, you will be notified of your rating and/or referral to the Selecting Official.

If eligible, applicants to this announcement may be referred to other locations or positions in other directorates in the USPS OIG.
Source: Data sourced from USAJOBS