Forensics Investigative Specialist (Computer Forensics)


Job Details

Summary

This position is located at Department of Housing and Urban Development AIG, Office of Investigation. As a Forensics Investigative Specialist (Computer Forensics), you will serve as a senior level non-supervisory Forensics Investigative Specialist for the Office of Investigation within the Headquarters Investigations Division (HQ Ops), Digital Forensics Unit (DFU).

This job is open to

  • Career transition (CTAP, ICTAP, RPL)

    Federal employees who meet the definition of a "surplus" or "displaced" employee.
  • Family of overseas employees

    Family members of a federal employee or uniformed service member who is or was, working overseas.
  • Federal employees - Competitive service

    Current or former competitive service federal employees.
  • Individuals with disabilities
  • Land & base management

    Certain current or former term or temporary federal employees of a land or base management agency.
  • Military spouses
  • Peace Corps & AmeriCorps Vista
  • Special authorities

    Individuals eligible under a special authority not listed above, but defined in the federal hiring regulations.
  • Veterans


Clarification from the agency

All candidates who are: Current or former federal employees qualifying as Status Candidates, Federal employees currently serving on a VRA, VEOA eligibles, CTAP/ICTAP eligibles, eligible for special hiring authorities (e.g., the Schedule A appointment for persons with disabilities, or covered by an Interchange Agreement), or Land Management employees eligible under Public Law 114-47.

Duties

The following are the duties of this position at the GS-14 . If you are selected at a lower grade level, you will have the opportunity to learn to perform all these duties, and will receive training to help you grow in this position.As a Forensics Investigative Specialist (Computer Forensics), you will:

  • Serve as a technical expert in the development of investigative methods.
  • Apply specialized forensic knowledge in developing processes to acquire, analyze and identify digital evidence in criminal, civil, or administrative investigations involving the use of computers, network technology, and digital information in the commitment of crimes.
  • Conduct investigations into extremely difficult, complex, highly technical, and sensitive investigations of interregional and national dimensions, particularly as they relate to computer and computerized evidence used in the commission of crimes.
  • Analyze evidence provided by investigators stationed in multiple regions throughout the nation.


Requirements

Conditions of Employment

The experience may have been gained in either the public, private sector or volunteer service. One year of experience refers to full-time work; part-time work is considered on a prorated basis. To ensure full credit for your work experience, please indicate dates of employment by month/day/year, and indicate number of hours worked per week on your rsum.

Key Requirements:

  1. Click "Print Preview" to review the entire announcement before applying.
  2. Must be U.S. Citizen or U.S. National.

To ensure compliance with an applicable preliminary nationwide injunction, which may be supplemented, modified, or vacated, depending on the course of ongoing litigation, the Federal Government will take no action to implement or enforce the COVID-19 vaccination requirement pursuant to Executive Order 14043 on Requiring Coronavirus Disease 2019 Vaccination for Federal Employees. Therefore, to the extent a Federal job announcement includes the requirement that applicants must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 pursuant to E.O. 14043, that requirement does not currently apply. Federal agencies may request information regarding the vaccination status of selected applicants for the purposes of implementing other workplace safety protocols, such as protocols related to masking, physical distancing, testing, travel, and quarantine.

Qualifications

You must meet the following requirements within 30 days of the closing date of this announcement.

Specialized Experience:

For the GS-14, you must have one year of specialized experience at a level of difficulty and responsibility equivalent to the GS-13grade level in the Federal service. Specialized experience for this position includes:

  • Demonstrated experience utilizing applicable principles, procedures, and techniques to ensure digital evidence is collected, transported, and stored properly; AND
  • Demonstrated experience processing and analyzing digital evidence; AND
  • Demonstrated experience using automated databases to manage information.


For the GS-13, you must have one year of specialized experience at a level of difficulty and responsibility equivalent to the GS-12grade level in the Federal service. Specialized experience for this position includes:

  • Demonstrated experience utilizing applicable principles, procedures, and techniques to ensure digital evidence is collected, transported, and stored properly; AND
  • Demonstrated experience processing and analyzing digital evidence.


Time-in-Grade: In addition to the above requirements, you must meet the following time-in-grade requirement, if applicable:

For the GS-14, you must have been at the GS-13level for 52 weeks.

For the GS-13, you must have been at the GS-12level for 52 weeks.

Time After Competitive Appointment: Candidates who are current Federal employees serving on a non-temporary competitive appointment must have served at least three months in that appointment.

Additional information

Other Information:

- We may select from this announcement or any other source to fill one or more vacancies.

- This is a non-bargaining unit position.

- A recruitment incentive may be offered.

- We offer opportunities for telework. HUDOIG's telework is a hybrid model-2 days telework (Monday & Friday) AND 3 days in the office (Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday.

- 100% remote may be considered for this position based on your proximity to a HUDOIG duty location and/or HUDOIG duty location space availability.

- We offer opportunities for flexible work schedules.

CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT (CONTINUED):

- A one year probationary period may be required.

- Background Investigation will be required.

- Complete a Declaration for Federal Employment to determine your suitability for Federal employment, at the time requested by the agency.

- If you are a male applicant born after December 31, 1959, certify that you have registered with the Selective Service System or are exempt from having to do so.

- Have your salary sent to a financial institution of your choice by Direct Deposit/Electronic Funds Transfer.

- Go through a Personal Identity Verification (PIV) process that requires two forms of identification from the Form I-9. Federal law requires verification of the identity and employment eligibility of all new hires in the U.S.

- Obtain and use a Government-issued charge card for business-related travel.

- File a Confidential Financial Disclosure Report within 30 days of appointment and annually from then on.

- Pass a detailed background investigation.

- Be willing to travel an average of 1-5 days per month.

  • Benefits

    A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal 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.


How You Will Be Evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

Your application includes your rsum, responses to the online questions, and required supporting documents. Please be sure that your rsum includes detailed information to support your qualifications for this position; failure to provide sufficient evidence in your rsum may result in a "not qualified" determination.

Applicants that are in the top tier will then be referred for an additional review.

Rating: Your application will be evaluated in the following areas: Communication, Analytical, and Technical.

Your application will be rated and ranked among others, based on your responses to the online questions, regarding your experience, education, training, performance appraisals and awards relevant to the duties of this position. Your rating may be lowered if your responses to the online questions are not supported by the education and/or experience described in your application.

Referral: If you are among the top qualified candidates, your application may be referred to a selecting official for consideration. You may be required to participate in a selection interview.

If you are a displaced or surplus Federal employee (eligible for the Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP)/Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP)) you must receive a score of 85 or better to be rated as "well qualified" to receive special selection priority.

  • Benefits

    A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal 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.
  • Required Documents

    As a new or existing federal employee, you and your family may have access to a range of benefits. Your benefits depend on the type of position you have - whether you're a permanent, part-time, temporary or an intermittent employee. You may be eligible for the following benefits, however, check with your agency to make sure you're eligible under their policies.

    A complete application includes 1. A rsum, 2. Vacancy question responses, and 3. Submission of any required documents. Please note that if you do not provide all required information, as specified in this announcement, you may not be considered for this position (or may not receive the special consideration for which you may be eligible).

    It is anticipated that there will be significant interest in the announcement. As a result, the announcement will close at 11:59 p.m. ET on the date of receipt of the 150th application or at 11:59 p.m. ET on 05/28/2024; whichever occurs first. Any required documents should be submitted at the time that you apply as documents will not be accepted after the vacancy closes.

    All applicants
    are required to submit a rsum either by creating one in USAJOBS or uploading one of their own choosing. (Cover letters are optional.) To receive full credit for relevant experience, please list the month/date/year and number of hours worked for experience listed on your rsum. We suggest that you preview the online questions, as you may need to customize your rsum to ensure that it supports your responses to these questions. Please view rsum tips.

    CURRENT AND FORMER FEDERAL EMPLOYEESDocumentation Relating to Your Federal Employment:- Submit a copy of your SF-50, Notification of Personnel Action, which shows your current (or most recent) grade and competitive service status. (The "position occupied" block on the SF-50 should show a "1" and your "tenure" block should show a "1" or "2".)If you are 37 years of age or older and have been previously covered under the special law enforcement retirement plan, please submit a SF-50 which reflects this coverage in addition to your current SF-50.

    -If you are currently on a Veterans Recruitment Appointment (VRA), submit a copy of an SF-50 showing that. Also, you must submit a copy of your DD214 or other documentation showing dates of service and type of discharge and any other applicable documents such as SF-15, VA letters, etc.

    - Indicate on your application the highest permanent grade you have held; if this grade is different from your current grade, submit a copy of an additional SF-50 showing this grade.

    PERFORMANCE APPRAISAL: Submit a copy of your most recent performance appraisal, including the evaluation/rating. If you have not received this documentation for any reason (not employed, current employer does not give a performance appraisal, etc.) you must explain why in your application.

    CAREER TRANSITION ASSISTANCE PLAN (CTAP) OR INTERAGENCY CAREER TRANSITION ASSISTANCE PLAN (ICTAP) DOCUMENTATION: If you are a displaced or surplus Federal employee, click CTAP/ICTAP for eligibility and a detailed list of required documents.

    REINSTATEMENT: If you are a former federal employee that has been separated for at least one year, and wish to be non-competitively reinstated for a higher grade or full performance level than which you left federal employment, you MUST provide a copy of your separation SF50 (the "position occupied" block on the SF-50 should show a "1" and your "tenure" block should show a "1" or "2") AND the last performance appraisal you received from your federal employment which shows at least a fully successful rating.

    If you are applying under a special hiring authority (e.g. Military Spouses, Interchange Agreement, VEOA, VRA, Schedule A Disability, etc.), please see applicant guide for required documentation. In order to be eligible under one of these authorities, you must submit all required documentation as outlined in the applicant guide.

    EDUCATION DOCUMENTATION: For positions with an education requirement, or if you are qualifying for this position by substituting education or training for experience, submit a copy of your transcripts or equivalent. An official transcript will be required if you are selected. A college or university degree generally must be from an accredited (or pre-accredited) college or university recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. For a list of schools which meet these criteria, please refer to Department of Education Accreditation page. If you are qualifying based on foreign education, you must submit proof of creditability of education as evaluated by a credentialing agency. Refer to the OPM instructions.

    If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:

    Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from
    schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

    Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.
  • How to Apply

    HUD OIG has partnered with the Treasury's Bureau of the Fiscal Service to provide certain personnel services to its organization. Fiscal Service's responsibilities include advertising vacancies, accepting and handling applications, and extending job offers.

    The following instructions outline our application process. You must complete this application process and submit any required documents by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) on the closing date of this announcement. We are available to assist you during business hours (normally 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. ET, Monday - Friday). If applying online poses a hardship, please contact us by noon ET on the announcement's closing date.

    The Bureau provides reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities on a case-by-case basis. Please contact us if you require this for any part of the application and hiring process.
    • 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 rsum 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 in order 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 (USAJOBS Login)

    -Under "application status," click "Track this application" and you will be taken to the agency website where you can check your application status. For more information regarding the job and applicant status, please refer to If you wish to make changes/updates to your application and the vacancy is still open, you can click on the job announcement and "Update Application" to be taken back to your application. No updates can be made once the announcement has closed. Please notify us if your contact information changes after the closing date of the announcement. Also, note that if you provide an email address that is inaccurate or if your mailbox is full or blocked (e.g., spam-blocker), you may not receive important communication that could affect your consideration for this position.

    For additional information on how to apply, please visit the Partnership for Public Service's Go Government website.

    To preview the assessment questionnaire:

    Agency contact information

    Applicant Call Center

    Phone

    304-###-####

    Email

    ...@fiscal.treasury.gov

    Address

    AIG, Office of Investigation

    Administrative Resource Center

    Parkersburg, WV 26101

    US

    Next steps

    Once the online questionnaire is received, you will receive an acknowledgement email that your submission was successful. We will review your rsum and transcript(s) (if appropriate) to ensure you meet the basic qualification requirements. We will evaluate each applicant who meets the basic qualifications on the information provided and may interview the best-qualified applicants. After making a tentative job offer, we will conduct any required suitability and/or security background investigation.

    To check the status of your application for this position, please follow these steps:

    1. Login to your USAJOBS account, select the "Applications" section and click on the vacancy you would like to view and have already applied for.

    2. Under "application status," click "Track this application" and you will be taken to the agency website where you can check your application status. For more information regarding the job and applicant status, please refer to

    If you wish to make changes/updates to your application and the vacancy is still open, you can click on the job announcement and "Update Application" to be taken back to that portion of the application. No updates can be made once the announcement has closed. Please notify us if your contact information changes after the closing date of the announcement. Also, note that if you provide an email address that is inaccurate or if your mailbox is full or blocked (e.g., spam-blocker), you may not receive important communication that could affect your consideration for this position.
  • Fair and Transparent

    The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.

    • Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Policy
    • Criminal history inquiries
    • Reasonable accommodation policy
    • Financial suitability
    • Selective Service
    • New employee probationary period
    • Signature and false statements
    • Privacy Act
    • Social security number request


Required Documents

A complete application includes 1. A rsum, 2. Vacancy question responses, and 3. Submission of any required documents. Please note that if you do not provide all required information, as specified in this announcement, you may not be considered for this position (or may not receive the special consideration for which you may be eligible).

It is anticipated that there will be significant interest in the announcement. As a result, the announcement will close at 11:59 p.m. ET on the date of receipt of the 150th application or at 11:59 p.m. ET on 05/28/2024; whichever occurs first. Any required documents should be submitted at the time that you apply as documents will not be accepted after the vacancy closes.

All applicants
are required to submit a rsum either by creating one in USAJOBS or uploading one of their own choosing. (Cover letters are optional.) To receive full credit for relevant experience, please list the month/date/year and number of hours worked for experience listed on your rsum. We suggest that you preview the online questions, as you may need to customize your rsum to ensure that it supports your responses to these questions. Please view rsum tips.

CURRENT AND FORMER FEDERAL EMPLOYEESDocumentation Relating to Your Federal Employment:- Submit a copy of your SF-50, Notification of Personnel Action, which shows your current (or most recent) grade and competitive service status. (The "position occupied" block on the SF-50 should show a "1" and your "tenure" block should show a "1" or "2".)If you are 37 years of age or older and have been previously covered under the special law enforcement retirement plan, please submit a SF-50 which reflects this coverage in addition to your current SF-50.

-If you are currently on a Veterans Recruitment Appointment (VRA), submit a copy of an SF-50 showing that. Also, you must submit a copy of your DD214 or other documentation showing dates of service and type of discharge and any other applicable documents such as SF-15, VA letters, etc.

- Indicate on your application the highest permanent grade you have held; if this grade is different from your current grade, submit a copy of an additional SF-50 showing this grade.

PERFORMANCE APPRAISAL: Submit a copy of your most recent performance appraisal, including the evaluation/rating. If you have not received this documentation for any reason (not employed, current employer does not give a performance appraisal, etc.) you must explain why in your application.

CAREER TRANSITION ASSISTANCE PLAN (CTAP) OR INTERAGENCY CAREER TRANSITION ASSISTANCE PLAN (ICTAP) DOCUMENTATION: If you are a displaced or surplus Federal employee, click CTAP/ICTAP for eligibility and a detailed list of required documents.

REINSTATEMENT: If you are a former federal employee that has been separated for at least one year, and wish to be non-competitively reinstated for a higher grade or full performance level than which you left federal employment, you MUST provide a copy of your separation SF50 (the "position occupied" block on the SF-50 should show a "1" and your "tenure" block should show a "1" or "2") AND the last performance appraisal you received from your federal employment which shows at least a fully successful rating.

If you are applying under a special hiring authority (e.g. Military Spouses, Interchange Agreement, VEOA, VRA, Schedule A Disability, etc.), please see applicant guide for required documentation. In order to be eligible under one of these authorities, you must submit all required documentation as outlined in the applicant guide.

EDUCATION DOCUMENTATION: For positions with an education requirement, or if you are qualifying for this position by substituting education or training for experience, submit a copy of your transcripts or equivalent. An official transcript will be required if you are selected. A college or university degree generally must be from an accredited (or pre-accredited) college or university recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. For a list of schools which meet these criteria, please refer to Department of Education Accreditation page. If you are qualifying based on foreign education, you must submit proof of creditability of education as evaluated by a credentialing agency. Refer to the OPM instructions.

If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:

Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from
schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.

How to Apply

HUD OIG has partnered with the Treasury's Bureau of the Fiscal Service to provide certain personnel services to its organization. Fiscal Service's responsibilities include advertising vacancies, accepting and handling applications, and extending job offers.

The following instructions outline our application process. You must complete this application process and submit any required documents by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) on the closing date of this announcement. We are available to assist you during business hours (normally 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. ET, Monday - Friday). If applying online poses a hardship, please contact us by noon ET on the announcement's closing date.

The Bureau provides reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities on a case-by-case basis. Please contact us if you require this for any part of the application and hiring process.
  • 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 rsum 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 in order 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 (USAJOBS Login)

-Under "application status," click "Track this application" and you will be taken to the agency website where you can check your application status. For more information regarding the job and applicant status, please refer to If you wish to make changes/updates to your application and the vacancy is still open, you can click on the job announcement and "Update Application" to be taken back to your application. No updates can be made once the announcement has closed. Please notify us if your contact information changes after the closing date of the announcement. Also, note that if you provide an email address that is inaccurate or if your mailbox is full or blocked (e.g., spam-blocker), you may not receive important communication that could affect your consideration for this position.

For additional information on how to apply, please visit the Partnership for Public Service's Go Government website.

To preview the assessment questionnaire:

Agency contact information

Applicant Call Center

Phone

304-###-####

Email

...@fiscal.treasury.gov

Address

AIG, Office of Investigation

Administrative Resource Center

Parkersburg, WV 26101

US

Next steps

Once the online questionnaire is received, you will receive an acknowledgement email that your submission was successful. We will review your rsum and transcript(s) (if appropriate) to ensure you meet the basic qualification requirements. We will evaluate each applicant who meets the basic qualifications on the information provided and may interview the best-qualified applicants. After making a tentative job offer, we will conduct any required suitability and/or security background investigation.

To check the status of your application for this position, please follow these steps:

1. Login to your USAJOBS account, select the "Applications" section and click on the vacancy you would like to view and have already applied for.

2. Under "application status," click "Track this application" and you will be taken to the agency website where you can check your application status. For more information regarding the job and applicant status, please refer to

If you wish to make changes/updates to your application and the vacancy is still open, you can click on the job announcement and "Update Application" to be taken back to that portion of the application. No updates can be made once the announcement has closed. Please notify us if your contact information changes after the closing date of the announcement. Also, note that if you provide an email address that is inaccurate or if your mailbox is full or blocked (e.g., spam-blocker), you may not receive important communication that could affect your consideration for this position.

Fair & Transparent

The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.

  • Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Policy
  • Reasonable accommodation policy
  • Criminal history inquiries
  • Financial suitability
  • Selective Service
  • New employee probationary period
  • Signature and false statements
  • Privacy Act
  • Social security number request





 Office of Inspector General

 05/25/2024

 Washington,DC