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Criminal Investigator


Job Location:

Washington, DC - USA

Yearly Salary: USD 121785 - 121785
Posted: 6 October 2026 (4 days ago)
Application Deadline: 3 January 2027
Vacancies: 1 Vacancy

Job Summary

Summary

The Smithsonian Institution is the worlds largest museum education and research complex with 21 museums and the National Zoo. This position is located in the Office of the Inspector General (OIG) created to detect and prevent fraud waste and abuse; to promote economy and efficiency; and to keep the head of the Smithsonian and Congress fully and currently informed of problems at the Smithsonian.

More than one selection may be made from this announcement.


Duties

The Criminal Investigator is responsible for conducting investigations into violations of federal laws regulations and SI policies to safeguard the integrity of SI programs and operations.
In this position you will:
  • Investigate violations or noncompliance with legislative or administrative requirements relating to Smithsonian programs.
  • Investigate alleged violations of other provisions of federal state and local statutes affecting labor laws Smithsonian Institution (S.I.) grants contracts and contractors and their employees criminal statutes relating to falsification of contractors payroll collusive bidding practices and deviations from or failure to comply with contract specifications.
  • Review and respond to inquiries into alleged violations of S.I. Standards of Conduct by Smithsonian employees.

Requirements
Conditions of employment
  • Pass Pre-employment Background Investigation
  • May need to complete a Probationary Period
  • Maintain a Bank Account for Direct Deposit/Electronic Transfer
  • Males born after 12/31/59 must be registered with Selective Service.

Conditions of Employment

Qualification requirements including one year time-in-grade at the next lower grade level for promotion candidates must be met within 30 days of the job announcement closing the Required Documents section for additional information.

Please note the following:

The selecteemust meet the requirements to be sworn in as a Special Deputy U.S. Marshal. The position is eligible for 6(c) law enforcement retirement.

Law Enforcement Availability Pay (LEAP) is notauthorized.

For information on qualification requirements see Qualification Standards Handbook forGeneral Schedule Positionsviewable on OPM Website.

Qualifications

Qualifications:

Medical Requirements:The duties of these positions require moderate to arduous physical exertion and/or duties of a hazardous nature includingwalking and standing use of firearms and exposure to inclement weather. The following medical requirements apply to all applicants: manual dexterity with comparatively free motion of finger wrist elbow shoulder hip and knee joints; sufficiently good vision in each eye with or without correction; hearing loss as measured by an audiometer must not exceed 35 decibels atand 3000 Hz the duties of these positions are exacting and responsible and involve activities under trying conditions applicants must possess emotional and mental stability. Any physical condition that would cause the applicant to be a hazard to himself/herself or others is disqualifying. Agencies may establish additional job-related physical or medical requirements provided that the specific position(s) involves the arduous or hazardous duties to which the requirements relate.

Additional Requirements:

  • Applicant must have successfully completed the Criminal Investigator Training Program (CITP) at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Academy (FLETC) or equivalent training at a federal law enforcement training academy. Please provide proof of successful completion of such law enforcement training with your application.
  • Applicant must be able to qualify semi-annually with a 9mm semi-automatic pistol and meet the requirements to be sworn in as a Special Deputy U.S. Marshal.
  • Applicant must possess a valid motor vehicle operators permit from their state of residenceto conduct field investigations
  • This position is subject to drug testing.

MAXIMUM ENTRY AGE LIMIT: The maximum entry-age for this position shall not exceed age 37 unless you have sufficient prior Federal civilian law enforcement or firefighter if applicable experience or you are a preference eligible veteran. If you are a preference eligible veteran you may be eligible for this position after your 37th birthday. You must supply a copy of your Defense Department Form 214 (DD-214) along with Standard Form 15 (if applicable) and any associated documentation in accordance with the instructions in this vacancy announcement. Failure to provide this documentation with your application will result in the loss of eligibility to receive a waiver of the maximum entry age requirement.

In addition to the requirements above:

Experience:You qualify for this position if you have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-12 level in the Federal Service. For this position specialized experience is defined as conducting sensitive and complex criminal investigations involving fraud financial crimes and integrity-related offenses.

Your resume must be no more than two (2) pages and should clearly demonstrate how your experience aligns with the responsibilities and specialized experience required for this position. Do not copy language directly from the vacancy announcement as you will be deemed ineligible for consideration. Instead provide detailed descriptive information about your actual experience.

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.

Part-time and/or unpaid experience related to this position will be considered to determine the total number of years and months of experience. Be sure to note the number of paid or unpaid hours worked each week.

Additional information

This position is not included in the bargaining unit.

Recruitment Incentive: Recruitment incentive(s) may be authorized for this position. However approval for incentives are contingent upon various availability. If authorized certain incentives will require the incumbent to sign a service agreement to remain in the Federal government for a certain time period.

Note: This statement does not imply nor guarantee an incentive will be offered and paid.

Selections may be made for vacancies across the Smithsonian Institution (SI). By applying to this position you agree to allow your application and other personal information to be shared with one or more SI hiring officials for employment consideration for same/similar positions within the location(s) identified in this announcement.

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.