Technical Investigative Forensic Specialist
Who may apply
Limited to the following applicant groups:
- Federal employees - Competitive service
2 days left to apply
Salary context
Based on 100 annual-salary jobs in the same occupational series. This role pays above most similar positions.
Job Details
Position Overview
This position is located in the Office of Inspector General, Office of Investigations. The Office of Inspector General is an independent office within EPA that helps the agency protect the environment in a more efficient and cost-effective manner. We consist of auditors, program analysts, investigators, and others with extensive expertise. Although we are a part of EPA, Congress provides us with our funding separate from the agency, to ensure our independence.Duties
As a Technical Investigative Forensic Specialist GS-1801-13 your typical work assignments may include the following under supervision:
- Serves as a Technical Investigative Forensic Specialist by providing technical investigative support to OI special agents.
- Provide computer forensic support for investigations, evidence seizure, forensic analysis, data recovery, and conduct both mobile device and computer forensic investigations using proprietary methods and advanced forensic tools.
- Uses forensic tools and techniques to crack passwords, detect steganography, and recover deleted, fragmented, or corrupted data from all types of digital media.
- Uses software to collect, search, recover, sort, and organize electronic information throughout all phases of investigations or litigation for written reports on acquisitions, lab activities, and investigative findings.
- Provides guidance to investigators and attorneys regarding computer crimes and forensic data recovery, including search, seizure, and preservation of electronic evidence.
Qualifications & Requirements
All applicants must have 52 weeks of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level in the Federal Service.
You may qualify for the GS-13 grade level, if you possess at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-12 grade level in the federal sector, or the equivalent in the private sector. Specialized experience is experience that has equipped the candidate with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position. For this position your specialized experience must demonstrate the following:
- Extensive experience conducting mobile device investigations, including the successful recovery of deleted messages in a high-profile case
- Proven expertise in computer forensic investigations and electronic discovery requests, with a strong track record in digital evidence acquisition, data protection, and advanced forensics analysis
- Developing forensic tools and software to increase password cracking efficiency and specialized in detecting stenography through custom-developed algorithms
- Certified in advanced digital forensics analysis and regularly lead training sessions for new investigators
- Skilled in recovering deleted, fragmented, and corrupted data from all types of digital media, setting myself apart through unique techniques and leadership roles in the field
Evidence of the above specialized experience must be supported by detailed documentation of duties performed in positions held. Your resume is the key means we have for evaluating your skills, knowledge, and abilities as they relate to this position. Therefore, we encourage you to be clear and specific when describing your experience. We will not make assumptions regarding your experience or based on job titles alone. If your resume does not support your questionnaire answers, we will not allow credit for your response(s).
Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community, student, social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.
Applicants must meet the qualifications for this position within thirty (30) days of the closing date of this announcement.
Education
ARE YOU USING YOUR EDUCATION TO QUALIFY? You MUST provide transcripts or other documentation to support your educational claims. Unless otherwise stated: (1) official or unofficial transcripts are acceptable, or (2) you may submit a list with all your courses, grades, semester, year, and credit for the course. All materials must be submitted by the closing date of the announcement.PASS/FAIL COURSES: If more than 10 percent of your undergraduate course work (credit hours) were taken on a pass/fail basis, your claim of superior academic achievement must be based upon class standing or membership in an honor society.
GRADUATE EDUCATION: One academic year of graduate education is the number of credits hours your graduate school has determined to represent one academic year of full-time study. Such study may have been performed on a full-time or part-time basis. If you cannot obtain your graduate school's definition of one year of graduate study, 18 semester hours (or 27 quarter hours) should be considered as satisfying the requirement for one year of full-time graduate study.
FOREIGN EDUCATION: If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show the education credentials have been evaluated by a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign education programs and such education has been deemed equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program; or full credit has been given for the courses at a U.S. accredited college or university. For further information, visit: https://www.ed.gov/laws-and-policy/higher-education-laws-andpolicy/college-accreditation.
Conditions of Employment
- Must be a U.S. Citizen or National
- Males born after 12-31-59 must be registered for Selective Service
- Résumé and supporting documents (See How To Apply)
- Suitability for Federal employment, as determined by a background investigation
- You must be available at all times, to include holidays. You may also be sent on extended temporary duty station assignments away from your assigned office.
- You may be reassigned to different duty locations throughout the U.S. based on the needs of the Agency.
- Applicants must possess a valid state driver's license or be able to operate a Government-owned or leased motor vehicle.
- Must not have been convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence from being appointed to this position unless such conviction was expunged, set aside, or the applicant received a pardon
Evaluations
All applicants: Your application will be reviewed in three phases to determine how you move forward in the hiring process.
Phase I: Your resume will be reviewed to determine your technical qualifications for this position based on the required specialized experience. ONLY two (2) pages of your resume will be reviewed. Additional information beyond your resume (e.g., cover letter, links embedded in your resume) will not be reviewed.
Applicants passing "Phase I" will move on to the "Phase II" of the assessment process where your application will be reviewed and rated based on the competencies listed in the vacancy announcement by a Subject Matter Expert (SME). Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g., resume, supporting documents). Applicants who do not respond to the application questions may be rated ineligible.
Applicants passing "Phase II" of the assessment process will be invited to participate in a structured interview, as part of "Phase III". A SME panel will conduct the structured interview and assign a score for each of the required competencies listed below, based on your responses to the interview questions.
You will be assessed on the following competencies:
- Knowledge and Conduct of Digital Forensics
- Knowledge of computer networking and configurations
- Written and Oral Communication
- Technical Investigations
- Evidentiary Integrity & Litigation Support
- Advanced Artifact Interpretation
If you are referred for consideration, you may be subject to additional assessments by the selecting official (e.g., technical writing sample or other work sample, job knowledge test, case scenario analysis, scientific data assessment, structured interview, etc.).
NOTE: If you exaggerate or falsify your experience, education and/or your responses to questions, your ratings are subject to change, or you may be removed from employment consideration.
Applicants who apply under this job opportunity announcement agree to have their application, associated documents and applicable personal information shared with other Offices within the OIG community who have vacancies with the same occupational series, grade, full performance level and in the same geographic location(s). Applying to this announcement does not replace the need to apply to other job opportunity announcements for which you wish to receive consideration. You may choose to opt in of having your information shared with other agencies when applying for this position. If an agency requests a copy of a certificate, you are on, you will be notified.
Required Documents
Documents to be submitted online:
NOTE: You should ensure your social security number, date of birth, and any other personal information are redacted.- Your resume must not exceed two (2) pages. If your resume exceeds the two-page limit, you will be removed from consideration for this announcement. The resume and required supporting documentation should provide the minimum qualifications and relevant experience for the announced position. Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional, philanthropic, religious, spiritual, community, student, and social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.
- Other supporting documents:
- Cover Letter, optional
- College Transcript(s), if qualifying based on education
- Most recent SF-50 (Showing Within Grade Increase or Promotion)
- Most recent Performance Evaluation/Appraisal
- FLETC Certificate (or equivalent)
- Veterans' Preference documentation, if applicable (e.g., DD-214 Member Copy 4 showing type of discharge/character of service, SF-15 Form and related documentation, VA letter, etc.)
- Career Transition Assistance Program/Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program documentation, if applicable (e.g., Certification of Expected Separation, Reduction-In-Force Separation Notice, or Notice of Proposed Removal; SF-50 that documents the RIF separation action noting position, grade level, tenure, and duty station; and most recent performance appraisal.)
How to Apply
To apply for this position, you must complete the online application and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section above.A complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on 08/21/2026 to receive consideration.
- To begin, click Apply to access the online application. You will need to be logged into your USAJOBS account to apply. If you do not have a USAJOBS account, you will need to create one before beginning the application.
- Follow the prompts to select your résumé and/or other supporting documents to be included with your application package. You will have the opportunity to upload additional documents to include in your application before it is submitted. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process.
- After acknowledging you have reviewed your application package, complete the Include Personal Information section as you deem appropriate and click to continue with the application process.
- You will be taken to the online application which you must complete to apply for the position. Complete the online application, verify the required documentation is included with your application package, and submit the application.
To verify the status of your application, log into your USAJOBS account (https://www.usajobs.gov/), all your applications will appear on the Welcome screen. The Application Status will appear along with the date your application was last updated. For information on what each Application Status means, visit: https://help.usajobs.gov/how-to/application/status.If you are unable to apply online, you must request an alternative application which is available from the Human Resources Office. Please contact EPA OIG Recruiting at [email protected] to obtain an alternative application.
REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION
EPA welcomes applications from persons with disabilities. Through the reasonable accommodation process, we provide persons with disabilities an equal opportunity to enjoy the benefits and privileges of employment that persons without disabilities enjoy. A reasonable accommodation is any change in the work environment or in the way things are customarily done. An accommodation removes workplace barriers and enables an applicant with a disability to have an equal opportunity to participate in the application process, be considered for a position, and, if hired, perform the essential functions of their job.
The EPA National Reasonable Accommodation Coordinators will provide assistance to you, the Human Resources Office, and/or the hiring official as needed. For more information, refer to EPA's Reasonable Accommodation website. Below is more detailed information about how to request a reasonable accommodation during the application, selection, and hiring process:
- If you require reasonable accommodation for any part of the application process (submitting the application or completing the application process), contact the Human Resources Office listed below no later than two business days prior to the closing date of this announcement, and the Human Resources Office will work directly with you.
- If you are referred to the hiring official for consideration and need an accommodation during the selection process, including the interview, notify the person who contacted you from the hiring official's office. If you do not hear back within three days about your reasonable accommodation request for the selection process, please notify EPA's National Reasonable Accommodation Coordinators via email at [email protected].
- If you are selected and need an accommodation during the hiring process up to orientation, notify the HR Specialist who made the job offer to you.
- Please note: Determinations on requests for reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis.