Investigator

U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Texas; Houston (TX); On-site; USD 85,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Texas is seeking a highly qualified investigator to join our team.

This role involves developing and conducting thorough investigations into civil actions or administrative violations, collecting intelligence from diverse sources, and working closely with assigned attorneys to determine applicable laws and viable actions. The position requires coordinating with multiple agencies, planning investigations, and interviewing witnesses to advance

Qualifications

• To be eligible at the GS-13 level, you must have one full year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-12 level.
• Experience planning and conducting highly complex investigations and coordinating with multiple investigative entities.

Responsibilities

• Develop, initiate, and conduct thorough investigations related to civil actions or administrative violations.
• Collect and analyze intelligence from Federal, State, local law enforcement, and other sources.
• Work with assigned attorneys to determine applicable laws and identify violations or causes of action.
• Plan, schedule, and conduct investigations and identify necessary resources.
• Initiate contacts with Federal, State, and local officials and other stakeholders.
• Gather facts, obtain statements, and advance investigative objectives; conduct witness interviews.

Skills

Investigation experience

Interagency coordination

Witness interviews

Regulatory knowledge

Tools

Litigation software

Job description

Summary

For more information on the Department of Justice and the United States Attorneys' Offices, visit www.justice.gov/usao/.

Summary

For more information on the Department of Justice and the United States Attorneys' Offices, visit www.justice.gov/usao/.

For more information on the U.S. Attorney's Office, Southern District of Texas, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao-sdtx.

This position is also being announced under Merit Promotion Procedures under 27-SDTX-13093144-MP.

Duties

Help

If Selected For This Position, You Will Serve As An Investigator For The Aff…

• Developing, initiating, and/or conducting thorough and systematic investigations relating to civil actions or administrative violations;
• Collecting and analyzing operational and strategic intelligence from wide-ranging sources including Federal, State, and local law enforcement agencies, military departments, foreign governments, financial institutions, and technology companies;
• Working with assigned attorneys and/or supervisory attorneys to determine applicable administrative statutory and regulatory law, and identifying possible violations or causes of action;
• Deciding upon most efficacious methods for planning, scheduling, and conducting investigations, and identifying resources that may be required;
• Initiating contacts with Federal, State, and local officials, and other organizations and individuals related to the subject of investigation;
• Gathering facts, obtaining statements, learning sequences of events, obtaining explanations and otherwise advancing investigative objectives; and
• Conducting witness interviews.

Requirements

Help

Conditions of employment

• You must be a United States Citizen or National.
• Initial appointment is conditioned upon a satisfactory pre-employment adjudication. This includes fingerprint, credit and tax checks, and drug testing. Continued employment is subject to a favorable adjudication of a background investigation.
• If selected, you may be required to complete a one-year probationary period.
• Selective Service registration is required for males born on, or after, December 31st 1959. Those not registered should have an approved exemption on file.
• A USA Hire assessment is required. An email will be sent with additional information after you submit your application. You will have 48 hours from the closing date of this announcement to complete the assessment.
• You must meet all eligibility requirements by the closing date of this announcement and continue to meet these requirements throughout the hiring process. Offers can be rescinded if requirements are not met.

Qualifications

Help

Minimum Qualifications:

GS-13

To be eligible at the GS-13 level, you must have one full year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-12 level.

I have at least one full year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-12 level in Federal service. My qualifying experience involves performing the following types of duties: applying laws, regulations, policies, and procedures sufficient to plan and conduct highly complex investigations; actively participating in investigative teams; ensuring reports of investigations comply with applicable regulations; coordinating with other investigative entities; providing analytical advice with respect to investigations and evidence; interviewing witnesses and/or "whistleblowers", and writing interview reports; and utilizing office automation tools and applications, to include automated litigation support and trial presentation programs for meetings, trials, or settlement conferences.

Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP)-

The ICTAP provides eligible displaced Federal competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. If your agency has notified you in writing that you are a displaced employee eligible for ICTAP consideration, you may receive selection priority if: 1) this vacancy is within your ICTAP eligibility; 2) you apply under the instructions in the announcement; and 3) you are found well-qualified for this vacancy. To be well-qualified, you must satisfy all qualification requirements for the vacant position and receive a score of 85 or better on established ranking criteria. You must provide proof of eligibility to receive selection priority. Such proof may include a copy of your written notification of ICTAP eligibility or a copy of your separation personnel action form. Additional information about ICTAP eligibility is at: http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/workforce-restructuring/employee-guide-to-career-transition/.

Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP)-

The CTAP provides eligible surplus and displaced competitive service employees in the Department of Justice with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. If your Department of Justice component has notified you in writing that you are a surplus or displaced employee eligible for CTAP consideration, you may receive selection priority if: 1) this vacancy is within your CTAP eligibility, 2) you apply under the instructions in this announcement, and 3) you are found well-qualified for this vacancy. To be well qualified, you must satisfy all qualification requirements for the vacant position and receive a score of 85 or better on established ranking criteria. You must provide a copy of your written notification of CTAP eligibility with your application. Additional information about CTAP eligibility is at http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/workforce-restructuring/employee-guide-to-career-transition/.

You MUST meet all qualification requirements by the 11/27/2026 of this announcement.

Your resume must support your responses to the online questionnaire and the qualification requirements. Failure to do so may result in an ineligible rating. See the Required Documents section for important notes about what must be included in your resume.

After you submit your application, you will receive notification indicated whether or not the USA Hire assessment is required. You will have 48 hours from the closing date of this announcement 11/27/2026 to complete the assessment which is part of your application.

Additional information

Payment of relocation expenses will not be authorized.

The Department of Justice offers a comprehensive benefits package that includes, in part, paid vacation; sick leave; holidays; telework; life insurance; health benefits; and participation in the Federal Employees Retirement System.

Selective Service:

If you are a male applicant born after December 31, 1959, you must certify that you have registered with the Selective Service System, or are exempt from having to do so under the Selective Service Law. See www.sss.gov.

EEO Statement/Policy:

The United States government does not discriminate in employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, pregnancy, national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, membership in an employee organization, retaliation, parental status, military service or other non-merit factor. More information can be found here: https://www.justice.gov/jmd/media/1425556/dl?inline.

DOJ Reasonable Accommodation Policy:

Federal agencies must provide reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities where appropriate. Applicants requiring reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process should contact the hiring agency directly. Determinations on requests for reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis. The DOJ Reasonable Accommodation policy can be found here: https://www.justice.gov/jmd/reasonable-accommodation#policy.

Political Appointees (Current or Former):

The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) must authorize employment offers made to current or former political appointees. If you are currently, or have been within the last 5 years, a political Schedule A, Schedule C or Non-Career SES employee in the Executive Branch, you must disclose this information to the HR Office. Failure to disclose this information could result in disciplinary action including removal from Federal Service.

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

Review our benefits

Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.