Level 4-5: Equal Opportunity Investigator, GS-1860
Nature of Assignment Work consists of conducting atypical investigations of
highly sensitive cases that have significant national impact and have characteristics such as:
- factually contested and legally complex issues;
- respondents are large, national or international companies or unions whose
employment policies and practices are difficult to investigate;
- issues are important because they may be precedent-setting or they impact on a
sizeable number of persons;
- charges are picked up by media and receive critical attention; and
- the respondent is known from past experience to be difficult or uncooperative.
What Needs To Be Done The employee selects the appropriate method from many
alternatives and resolves conflicting data to:
- determine the laws and precedents under which to proceed;
- prepare an investigative plan to manage large, sensitive cases;
- analyze statistical information required to advance the theory of the case;
e.g., who would be included in the labor market and recruitment area; and
- coordinate the geographic dispersion of employees of the company for testimony
and evidence.
Difficulty and Originality Involved - Exercises judgment in investigating cases
that have:
- national impact;
- are precedent-setting involving agency personnel policy, and practices of major
private sector employers or Federal executive branch departments;
- evidence that is often circumstantial or conflicting; or
- proof of violations that is very difficult to establish; e.g., lack of good faith.
BACK
Level 4-5: Criminal Investigator, GS-1811
Nature of Assignment Work consists of investigating multi-level criminal
operations in which:
- subjects cannot be clearly identified with the operation;
- subjects frequently use legal operations to hide illegal operations;
- subjects may be prominent in the local area, which may intimidate potential
witnesses; and
- premature media coverage of the subjects' alleged involvement could:
- damage the agency's case;
- constrain administrative options;
- appear to libel the subject; and
- embarrass the agency.
What Needs To Be Done The employee selects the appropriate method from many
alternatives and resolves conflicting data to:
- use the full range of investigative techniques such as surveillance, undercover
work, monitoring, and others;
- conduct extensive record review and analysis, obtained by subpoenas to establish
evidence of involvement; and
- coordinate with local, State, and other Federal law enforcement groups.
Difficulty and Originality Involved - Exercises judgment in:
- corroborating evidence that is usually circumstantial to link the subject with
the crime;
- conducting investigations that proliferate into several other cases; and
- establishing criminal involvement and evidence to indict all the offenders or
prove violations of several laws.
BACK
Level 4-5: Criminal Investigator, GS-1811
Nature of Assignment Work consists of conducting terrorism investigations
involving organizations that have these complicating characteristics:
- extremely large (nationwide or international) and highly complex in structure
with many operating levels;
- operational identities for members that are different from their true identities; and
- state sponsorship (e.g., Al Qaeda, Hammas, Hezbollah) with effective hostile
foreign intelligence services comprised of well-organized structures that utilize
extremely sophisticated methods of operations.
What Needs To Be Done The employee selects the appropriate method from many
alternatives and resolves conflicting data to:
- determine the extent of espionage conducted by members of the organizations and
gain critical information relative to the perpetrators' U.S. and foreign-based
contacts;
- develop leads that may cross into lawful businesses and cast suspicions over
seemingly respected and legitimate political and business leaders; and
- plan and coordinate investigations that cross several States and result in
large-scale or simultaneous raids that the employee also coordinates.
Difficulty and Originality Involved - Exercises judgment in conducting
investigations that are wide-ranging and complex and involve:
- a variety of overt felony criminal violations such as firearms, ammunition,
explosives, and alien and documents smuggling;
- sensitive national security-related classified matters that could impact
significantly on foreign policy and national security;
- potential domestic terrorist groups composed of aliens and naturalized U.S.
citizens who have:
- sophisticated and extensive networks; and
- strong fundamentalist beliefs giving them momentum to achieve their goals.
BACK
Level 4-5: Criminal Investigator, GS-1811
Nature of Assignment Work consists of investigations based on information
received from U.S. Postal Inspectors concerning quantities of anabolic steroids and other
controlled substances being shipped to the United States from a foreign country via Internet
marketing.
What Needs To Be Done The employee selects the appropriate method from many
alternatives and resolves conflicting data to:
- establish national and international liaison with law enforcement authorities in
the country of shipment as well as several European countries and Drug Enforcement
Agency (DEA) field offices throughout the United States;
- coordinate information to identify potential criminal targets involved in
illegally shipping steroids and other controlled substances throughout the United
States, Europe, and Australia; and
- coordinate parcel seizures containing illegally imported controlled substances
with the U.S. Customs Service at ports of entry in several American cities.
Difficulty and Originality Involved - Exercises judgment in:
- researching and becoming familiar with laws, rules, and regulations of foreign
countries regarding controlled substances;
- coordinating the activities of Federal, State, and local law enforcement
departments around the country and internationally as they:
- make undercover buys via the Internet and the use of an undercover mailbox;
- make arrests and serve search warrants; and
- coordinating with U.S. Customs, DEA and the U.S. Attorneys in different States.
BACK
Level 4-5: Criminal Investigator, GS-1811
Nature of Assignment Work consists of serving as the lead advance agent
responsible for:
- setting up and establishing a secure environment for domestic and international
travel;
- serving as the lead coordinator for high level protectees; e.g., President, Vice
President, high profile, high-risk foreign leaders, or heads of government; and/or
- overseeing major events with visible participants.
What Needs To Be Done The employee selects the appropriate method from many
alternatives and resolves conflicting data to:
- represent the agency in meetings with representatives of other countries
regarding protective missions;
- select motorcade routes, deploy local and State or foreign law enforcement
entities and decide on secure routes, perimeters, and contingency plans;
- plan for the use of technical devices and equipment and be responsible for
personnel planning and staffing; and
- ensure that proper weapons and radio frequency authorization is secured in all
host countries, as well as the provision of weapons clearance for Federal criminal
investigators.
Difficulty and Originality Involved - Exercises judgment in:
- establishing a secure environment for a protectee or event with minimum impact on
the event or the public;
- convincing and negotiating with local State and foreign law enforcement and
government officials to cooperate;
- directing all advance surveys, including establishing medical and emergency
evacuation plans;
- conducting routine vulnerability studies, physical surveys, and defining threat
areas; and
- conducting rehearsals of the contingency plans for emergencies and for national
emergencies throughout the countries visited.
BACK
Level 4-5: Criminal Investigator, GS-1811
Nature of Assignment Work consists of conducting investigations that involve:
- previously developed sources within the aircraft industry providing information; and
- overseas buyers wanting to purchase military aircraft parts and controlled technology.
What Needs To Be Done The employee selects the appropriate method from many
alternatives and resolves conflicting data to:
- set up a Web site as an undercover storefront operation to make contact with the
overseas buyer;
- use an industry source as a go-between to set up an undercover meeting with the
respondent;
- conduct negotiations that result in the purchase and export of technology to a
known trans-shipment country;
- coordinate with U.S. Customs officials and local foreign law enforcement agencies; and
- set up meetings using technological surveillance and recording equipment.
Difficulty and Originality Involved - Exercises judgment in:
- establishing and maintaining industry contacts to obtain aircraft parts and
re-manufactured technology to make inoperable substitute shipments;
- tracing wire transfers;
- obtaining subpoenas for bank records and seizure warrants for proceeds;
- obtaining shipment, import, and export information from the foreign government;
- coordinating the tracking of equipment with locator devices and a team of
investigators that includes foreign law enforcement agents; and
- luring the foreign exporter to the United States for arrest by setting up
follow-up meetings with the trans-shipper and the overseas buyer.
BACK
Level 4-5: Criminal Investigator, GS-1811
Nature of Assignment Work consists of conducting complex criminal investigations
of highly organized criminal syndicates requiring:
- long term, multi-jurisdictional efforts that include coordinating and directing
support from within the agency and numerous other agencies; and
- identifying and developing multiple targets of investigations and negotiation of
jurisdictional issues that may impact the final disposition of the case.
What Needs To Be Done The employee selects the appropriate method from many
alternatives and resolves conflicting data to:
- coordinate with other Federal, State and local law enforcement agencies;
- direct an undercover operation that requires establishing credible fictitious
identities or businesses;
- conduct undercover surveillance;
- debrief and develop informants who provide intelligence on the activities of the
subjects; and
- set up meetings using technological surveillance and recording equipment;
Difficulty and Originality Involved - Exercises judgment in:
- planning and directing other law enforcement personnel in the investigations,
which involves questioning and arresting numerous subjects;
- tracing wire transfers;
- obtaining subpoenas for business and financial records and search warrants for
evidence; and
- working with U.S. Attorneys and prosecuting attorneys to establish jurisdictional
boundaries.
BACK
Level 4-5: Mine Safety and Health Inspector, GS-1822
Nature of Assignment Work consists of:
- conducting exceedingly complex on-site inspections and investigations presenting
unique situations or a variety of complicating factors to include serious mining
accidents; and
- preparing reports of findings identifying specific safety problems and other
contributing factors.
What Needs To Be Done The employee selects the appropriate method from many
alternatives and resolves conflicting data to:
- coordinate actions with other agencies, technical specialists, or engineers;
- conduct on-site inspections and investigations of mine conditions;
- measure the presence of gas, dust, toxins, or other ventilation, roof, or support hazards;
- review a company's safety and health programs or critical incidents data;
- analyze incidence reports;
- debrief or interview miners and other potential witnesses to determine sequence of events;
- determine underlying factors or failures; and
- identify whether Federal laws and regulations were violated.
Difficulty and Originality Involved - Exercises judgment in considering such
factors as:
- injuries or loss of life sustained within the mining workforce;
- the nature and location of the mine accident;
- the history of physical problems in the mine and the prospect for future hazards; and
- whether findings of violation or Orders of Withdrawal could cease or otherwise
affect production.
BACK
Level 4-5: Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives Inspector, GS-1854
Nature of Assignment Work consists of conducting exceedingly complex inspections
presenting unique situations and a variety of complicating factors such as numerous
interrelationships within or among the organization/business and its activities or operations.
What Needs To Be Done The employee selects the appropriate method from many
alternatives and resolves conflicting data to:
- plan and coordinate the inspection working with other inspectors or agency personnel;
- determine accuracy and credibility of data from interviews and a variety of records;
- adapt techniques and methods to overcome obstacles; and
- develop, explore, and identify possible violations.
Difficulty and Originality Involved - Exercises judgment in:
- linking information encountered to other information to establish trends in the
alcohol, tobacco, firearms, and explosives industries;
- addressing new patterns or approaches in emerging or innovative industry
strategies for avoiding compliance;
- resolving highly complex or unusual problems that are precedent-setting or may
impact the policies or practices of the agency and the industry;
- identifying situations of willful regulatory violations; and
- preparing findings for use in prosecution actions.
BACK
