What are the responsibilities and job description for the Investigative Analyst position at US Secret Service?
Summary
Joining the Secret Service, Office of Field Operations, Chicago Field Office will allow you to plan, conduct, and coordinate complex analytical assignments and research projects in support of diverse investigations to include financial crimes, cybercrime, and protective intelligence activities.
For definitions of terms found in this announcement, please click here.
This job is open to
- Federal employees - Competitive service
Current or former competitive service federal employees.
Federal employees who meet the definition of a "surplus" or "displaced" employee.
Individuals eligible under a special authority not listed above, but defined in the federal hiring regulations.
Certain current or former term or temporary federal employees of a land or base management agency.
Clarification from the agency
Current competitive service Federal employees with career or career-conditional tenure, Agency / Interagency Career Transition Assistance a Program eligibilities (CTAP / ICTAP), Reinstatement, Land and Base Management, Schedule A (Persons with Disabilities), 30% or More Disabled Veterans, Military Spouses, OPM Interchange Agreements, Veterans' Recruitment Appointment, and Veterans Employment Opportunities Act.
Duties
The selectee will serve as an Investigative Analyst in the Office of Field Operations, Chicago Field Office. Typical work assignments include :
Apply for this exciting opportunity to impact the Secret Service's ability to successfully complete its investigative mission. This Investigative Analyst position starts at a salary of $68,315, GS-9, step 1 with promotion potential to $153,151, GS-13, step 10.
Requirements
Conditions of Employment
If selected for this position, you will be required to :
NOTE : The person selected for this position may be subject to a one-year probationary period.
Qualifications
To be considered qualified for this position you must meet the following qualification requirements for the respective grade level in which you are applying.
You qualify for the GS-9 level (starting salary $69,923) if you possess one of the following :
One year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-7 level performing duties such as :
You qualify for the GS-11 level (starting $82,655) if you possess one of the following :
Once year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-09 level performing duties such as :
Time-in-Grade Requirements : Under competitive merit promotion procedures, any individual who is currently holding, or who has held within the previous 52 weeks, a General Schedule position under a non-temporary appointment in the competitive or excepted service, must meet "time-in-grade" requirements (have served 52 weeks at the next lower grade of the grade for which you are applying). Time-In-Grade requirements also apply to current competitive service employees applying for a Veterans Employment Opportunities Act of 1998 (VEOA) appointment. NOTE : All current or former Federal employees must provide a copy of their SF-50, "Notice of Personnel Action" that indicates proof of status and time-in-grade eligibility. The SF-50 must include your position, title, series, grade, step, tenure (1 or 2), and type of service (Competitive or Excepted). You may need to submit more than one SF-50 to comply.
The qualification requirements listed above must be met by the closing date of this announcement.
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.
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, Non-career SES or Presidential Appointee employee in the Executive Branch, you must disclose this information to the Human Resources Office.
Education
For positions with an education requirement, or if you are qualifying for a position by substituting education or training for experience, you MUST submit a copy of your transcripts or equivalent. Unofficial transcripts will be accepted that includes your name, the name of the educational institution, course title(s), number of credits, grade, and date of completion. An official transcript will be required if you are selected.
Additional information
DHS uses E-Verify, an Internet-based system, to confirm the eligibility of all newly hired employees to work in the United States. Learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities.
If you receive a conditional offer of employment for this position, you will be required to complete an Optional Form 306, Declaration for Federal Employment, and to sign and certify the accuracy of all information in your application, prior to entry on duty. False statements on any part of the application may result in withdrawal of offer of employment, dismissal after beginning work, fine, or imprisonment.
The Fair Chance to Compete for Jobs Act prohibits the Department of Homeland Security and its Components from requesting an applicant's criminal history record before that individual receives a conditional offer of employment. In accordance with 5 U.S. Code § 9202(c) and 5 C.F.R § 920.201 certain positions are exempt from the provisions of the Fair Chance to Compete Act. Applicants who believe they have been subjected to a violation of the Fair Chance to Compete for Jobs Act, may submit a written complaint to HRsupport@usss.dhs.gov.
More than one selection may be made from this announcement if additional identical vacancies in the same title, series, grade and unit occur. Applying to this announcement certifies that you give permission for DHS to share your application with others in DHS for similar positions.
The Department of Homeland Security encourages persons with disabilities to apply, to include persons with intellectual, severe physical or psychiatric disabilities, as defined by 5 CFR 213.3102(u), and or Disabled Veterans with a compensable service-connected disability of 30 percent or more as defined by 5 CFR 315.707. Veterans, Peace Corps, VISTA volunteers, and persons with disabilities possess a wealth of unique talents, experiences, and competencies that can be invaluable to the DHS mission. If you are a member of one of these groups, you may not have to compete with the public for federal jobs. To determine your eligibility for non-competitive appointment and to understand the required documentation, click on the links above or contact the servicing Human Resources Office listed at the bottom of this announcement.
The Secret Service prohibits employees from having visible body markings (including but not limited to tattoos, body art, and branding) on the head, face, neck, hand and fingers (any area below the wrist bone) (exception : a single conservative and unobtrusive tattoo in the form of a ring is authorized on one finger).
DHS offers competitive salaries and an attractive benefits package, including health, dental, vision, life, and long-term care insurance; retirement plan; Thrift Savings Plan [similar to a 401(k)]; Flexible Spending Account; Employee Assistance Program; personal leave days; and paid federal holidays.
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 will be rated on the extent and quality of your experience, education and training relevant to the duties of the position. A score will automatically be calculated based on your answers to the vacancy specific questions. All answers provided in the online process must be substantiated by your resume. Upon review, your resume and / or supporting documents need to support your answer choices and reflect the one year of specialized experience requirement, in order to be considered. If the one year of specialized experience, equivalent to the next lower grade level cannot be identified in your resume, you will be considered not qualified. The competencies or knowledge, skills, and abilities needed to perform this job are :
Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP) Eligibles : If you have never worked for the Federal government, you are not ICTAP eligible. View information about ICTAP eligibility on OPM's Career Transition Resources website. To be considered well qualified under ICTAP, you must be rated at a minimum score of 85.0 for this position. In addition, you must submit the supporting documents listed under the required documents section of this announcement.
Veterans Employment Opportunities Act (VEOA) : To be eligible for a VEOA appointment, the veteran must be 1) be a preference eligible; or 2) be a veteran separated after 3 or more years of continuous active service performed under honorable conditions. In addition, you must submit the supporting documents listed under the required documents section of this announcement. (Note : Veteran's preference does not apply under Merit Promotion procedures. View VEOA information on Feds Hire Vets.
An interview may be required for this position. If an interview is required, failure to complete the interview may result in removal from further consideration.
Due weight will be given to performance appraisals and incentive awards in merit promotion selection decisions in accordance with 5 CFR 335.103(b)(3).
Any offers of employment made pursuant to this announcement will be consistent with all applicable authorities, including Presidential Memoranda, Executive Orders, interpretive U.S. Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) guidance, and Office of Management and Budget plans and policies concerning hiring. These authorities are subject to change.
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.
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.
In addition to addressing the vacancy specific questions, you must also submit the following documentation :
Resume - In order to receive credit for experience contained in an uploaded resume, your employment history should show work experience in month / year format (MM / YYYY), reflecting starting date and ending date, and include the number of hours worked per week.
You may be asked to provide a copy of your recent performance appraisal and or incentive awards.
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.
To apply for this position, you must complete the initial online application, to include submission of the documentation specified in the Required Documents section above. The complete application package must be submitted by 11 : 59 PM (ET) on 02 / 27 / 2025 to receive consideration. The application process is as follows :
To begin your online application, click the Apply Online button and follow the prompts to register or sign into USAJOBS,
To view the required online assessment questionnaire please visit https : / / apply.usastaffing.gov / ViewQuestionnaire / 12689970
To update your application, excluding External Assessment responses, at any time during the announcement open period, return to your USAJOBS account. There you will find a record of your application, the application status, and an option to Update Application. This option will no longer be available once the announcement has closed.
To verify the status of your application both during and after the announcement open period, log into your USAJOBS account (https : / / my.usajobs.gov / Account / Login). All of your applications will appear on the Welcome page. The application record in your USAJOBS account provides the Announcement Status and a "You applied on" date. This information does not confirm the agency application status. Use the "Track this Application" link for additional information regarding the agency application status, the documentation you submitted, and any correspondence sent related to this application. The Announcement Status will appear along with the date your application was last updated.
It is your responsibility to verify that any information entered or uploaded is received and is accurate. Human Resources will not modify or change any part of your application. Determining your eligibility and qualifications is dependent on the supporting documentation and information provided, which may impact your referral for further consideration. If a document is not legible, you will not be able to view it in your application.
We strongly encourage you to apply online. If you cannot apply online, you may contact theAPT Talent Management Division at HRSupport@usss.dhs.gov OR by calling (202) 406-6420 between the hours of 9 : 00 am and 5 : 30 pm EST (excluding Federal holidays) prior to the closing date of this announcement to receive assistance.
The Secret Service 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.
Agency contact information
APT Talent Management Division
HRSupport@usss.dhs.gov
Next steps
Once you submit your application, we will assess your experience and training, identify the best- qualified applicants, and refer those applications to the hiring manager for further consideration and interviews. We will notify you by email after each of these steps has been completed. Your status will also be updated on USAJOBS throughout the process. To check your status, log on to your USAJOBS account, click on "Application Status," and then click "More Information." We expect to make a job offer within 45 days after the deadline for applications. If you are selected, we will conduct a suitability / security background investigation.
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
Criminal history inquiries
Required Documents
In addition to addressing the vacancy specific questions, you must also submit the following documentation :
You may be asked to provide a copy of your recent performance appraisal and or incentive awards.
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
To apply for this position, you must complete the initial online application, to include submission of the documentation specified in the Required Documents section above. The complete application package must be submitted by 11 : 59 PM (ET) on 02 / 27 / 2025 to receive consideration. The application process is as follows :
To view the required online assessment questionnaire please visit https : / / apply.usastaffing.gov / ViewQuestionnaire / 12689970
To update your application, excluding External Assessment responses, at any time during the announcement open period, return to your USAJOBS account. There you will find a record of your application, the application status, and an option to Update Application. This option will no longer be available once the announcement has closed.
To verify the status of your application both during and after the announcement open period, log into your USAJOBS account (https : / / my.usajobs.gov / Account / Login). All of your applications will appear on the Welcome page. The application record in your USAJOBS account provides the Announcement Status and a "You applied on" date. This information does not confirm the agency application status. Use the "Track this Application" link for additional information regarding the agency application status, the documentation you submitted, and any correspondence sent related to this application. The Announcement Status will appear along with the date your application was last updated.
It is your responsibility to verify that any information entered or uploaded is received and is accurate. Human Resources will not modify or change any part of your application. Determining your eligibility and qualifications is dependent on the supporting documentation and information provided, which may impact your referral for further consideration. If a document is not legible, you will not be able to view it in your application.
We strongly encourage you to apply online. If you cannot apply online, you may contact theAPT Talent Management Division at HRSupport@usss.dhs.gov OR by calling (202) 406-6420 between the hours of 9 : 00 am and 5 : 30 pm EST (excluding Federal holidays) prior to the closing date of this announcement to receive assistance.
The Secret Service 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.
Agency contact information
APT Talent Management Division
HRSupport@usss.dhs.gov
Next steps
Once you submit your application, we will assess your experience and training, identify the best- qualified applicants, and refer those applications to the hiring manager for further consideration and interviews. We will notify you by email after each of these steps has been completed. Your status will also be updated on USAJOBS throughout the process. To check your status, log on to your USAJOBS account, click on "Application Status," and then click "More Information." We expect to make a job offer within 45 days after the deadline for applications. If you are selected, we will conduct a suitability / security background investigation.
Fair & Transparent
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
Salary : $68,315 - $82,655