Criminal Justice Career Option: IRS Criminal Investigation Special Agent
As an IRS Criminal Investigation (CI) Special Agent, you will not only be given the badge to bring criminals to justice, you will also have the collective resources of a highly respected federal agency behind you.
As a duly sworn law enforcement officer, you will leverage your accounting and law enforcement skills like never before. In addition, you will benefit from elite federal training that includes the most sophisticated financial investigative techniques such as: tracking criminal transactions through cyberspace; self-defense; firearms; and arrest techniques. And since many financial crimes do not stop at U.S. borders, your expertise may also be required to track criminals internationally. You may even find yourself assuming special assignments: on multi-agency task forces with other federal agencies (e.g., DEA, FBI, and ATF); presidential campaign protective assignments; or undercover assignments.
Basic Requirements
Applicant must be a United States citizen. This is a Federal Law Enforcement Position. Applicants may not have reached their 37th birthday at the time of certification. Applicants must be available to work anywhere in the US.
Qualifications
GS-5/7 GRADE LEVELS
GS-5 Grade Level Applicants must have completed a four year course of study or bachelor's degree in any field of study that included or was supplemented by at least 15 semester hours/23 quarter hours in accounting, plus an additional 9 semester hours/14quarter hours from among the following or closely related fields: finance, economics, business law, tax law, or money and banking.
OR
Combinations of education and experience may be used to meet total qualification requirements.
OR
Certificate as Certified Public Accountant (CPA). Proof of possession of a CPA certificate (certificate number and date of issuance) obtained through written examination in a state, territory, or the District of Columbia.
GS-7 Grade Level
Applicants must have completed one full year of graduate level education supplemented by at least 15 semester/23 quarter hours in accounting plus an additional 9 semester/14 quarter hours form among the following fields: Business law, economics, finance, tax law or money and banking.
OR
Meet one of the following Superior Academic Achievement provisions: A GPA of 3.0 or higher on a 4.0 scale for all completed undergraduate courses or those completed in the last 2 years of study, or a GPA of 3.5 or higher on a 4.0 scale for all courses in your major field of study or those courses in your major completed in the last 2 years of study, or rank in the upper third of your class in the college, university, or major subdivision, or membership in a national honor society recognized by the Association of College Honor Societies. NOTE: Superior Academic Achievement is credited only if applicant has completed all the requirements for a bachelor's degree which included or was supplemented by at least 15 semester/23 quarter hours in accounting plus an additional 9 semester/14 quarter hours from among the following fields: finance, economics, business law, tax law, or money and banking.
OR
1 year of specialized experience in or related to investigation of criminal violations that provided the specific knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position. Experience must have required the exercise of tact, initiative, ingenuity, resourcefulness and judgement in collecting, assembling and developing facts, evidence and other pertinent data through investigative techniques which included personal interview; the ability to make oral and written reports and presentations of personally conducted or personally directed investigations, examinations or inspections; and the ability to analyze and evaluate evidence and arrive at sound conclusions. This experience must have been acquired in investigative work related to the accounting, auditing, business or commercial practices of subjects investigated.
OR
A combination of education and experience may be used to meet total qualification requirements.
GS-9 GRADE LEVEL
Applicants must possess one of the following four education and/or experience requirements:
A course of study that includes 2 full years of progressively higher level graduate education.
A Master's Degree.
An equivalent graduate degree (i.e., L.L.B. or JD).
NOTE: All of the above three educational requirements must be supplemented by at least 15 semester hours (or 23 quarter hours) in accounting, AND an additional 9 semester hours (14 quarter hours) from among the following or closely related fields: finance, economics, money and banking, tax law and business law
OR
At least one year of specialized investigative experience directly related to this position at the GS-7 level. Specialized experience is defied as experience in or related to the investigation of criminal violations that provided the specific knowledge, skills, and abilities needed to successfully perform the duties of this position. The experience must have been acquired in investigative work related to the accounting, auditing, business, or commercial practices of subject (s) investigated.
Examples of Qualifying Specialized Experience for the GS-1811-9 Level
The following are examples of qualifying specialized experience (ONLY) if they were performed while doing investigative work related to the accounting, auditing, business, or commercial practices of subject(s) investigated.
Leadership or membership of a military intelligence or criminal investigative team or component in which the principal duties consisted of financial investigation, intelligence gathering, or criminal tax prosecution.
Analyzing or evaluating raw investigative financial data and preparing comprehensive written investigative reports.
Investigating complex financial claims involving suspected crimes or alleged fraud. Investigative accounting work that required the use of recognized investigative methods and techniques and that might have included appearing in court to present evidence.
Investigating criminal cases requiring the use of recognized investigative methods and techniques and that might have included appearing in court to represent evidence. Supervising or conducting interviews or interrogations that involved eliciting evidence, data or surveillance information related to accounting.
Law enforcement work in which 50 percent or more of the time involved criminal investigations requiring the use of surveillance, undercover or other criminal detection methods or techniques. The experience must have been related to the accounting, auditing, business or commercial practices of subjects investigated.
Investigating computerized business and/or accounting systems and forming sound conclusions as to related criminal business practices and compliance with Federal laws and regulations.
Combinations of education and experience may be used to meet total qualification requirements.
NOTE: Applications will be accepted from students who expect to complete qualifying education within the next twelve months from the date of application.
Interview
Highly Qualified candidates will be required to demonstrate their job-related abilities in an oral interview.
Motor Vehicle Operation
Tentative selectees must possess a valid automobile driver's license at the time of appointment. Candidates must qualify after appointment for authorization to operate motor vehicles in accordance with applicable Office of Personnel Management (OPM) regulations and related requirements of the Department of the Treasury.
Mobility
Applicants must agree to nationwide availability (including Puerto Rico) for their first Post of Duty (POD). Specific POD assignments will be announced prior to training in Glynco, Georgia. Special Agents must be available for both temporary assignments and permanent reassignments as the workload and needs of IRS dictate.
Applicants are required to sign a condition of employment indicating their awareness that they may be assigned throughout their careers to any location within the Service's jurisdiction based on the needs of the Service.
Temporary Post of Duty
The Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC) located in Glynco, Georgia is the temporary POD during the approximate 26-week training period. Pay entitlements will be based on the rates applicable to Glynco. New agents receive relocation information during orientation.
www.irs.gov