Educational Qualifications: The selected candidate(s) for the position must possess a bachelor's degree in either of the following areas:

• Criminal Justice Administration
• Law
• Criminology
• Political Science
• Psychology
• Sociology
• English
• Journalism/Mass Communication
• Any other related field

Other Requirements: (1) Incumbent must have a valid U.S. driver’s license; (2) incumbent must own or have ready use of an insured, reliable, and privately-owned motor vehicle, and must be insured as a driver for that vehicle (rental cars and car services are not acceptable substitutes); (3) incumbent must have no convictions as defined in D.C. Code Sec. 14.305(b)(1) (Impeachment by evidence of conviction of crime); and (4) applicant must be a US Citizen or have current authorization to work in the United States.

All candidates are subject to a criminal background check.

Highly Desirable Qualifications: Additionally, the following knowledge, skills, and abilities and/or experiences are deemed highly desirable:

• The ability to fluently speak and write Spanish.
• Training and/or internship experience in criminal defense investigations.
• Training and/or experience in criminal defense mitigation.
• The skills and ability to provide quantitative and qualitative analysis and assessment of data evidence.
• Possess computing skills and proficiency in Adobe Acrobat Pro (PDF), Criminal Justice Database usage, researching Social Media content, criminal defense related data input/analysis and/or other related proprietary software.
• Experience in organizing for and/or serving the homeless, incarcerated, underserved and/or immigrant communities.
• The willingness to learn and utilize proprietary and evolving technology as related to investigations is also desirable.
  

How you will be evaluated: Your application package includes your cover letter, resume and requested supporting documentation. Please ensure your application package includes detailed information to support your qualifications for this position. Failure to provide sufficient evidence in your application package and requested supporting documents can result in a rejection of your application package. Prior to the closing date of the announcement, PDS reserves the right to conduct rolling interviews.

Rating: Your application package will be rated and ranked among other applicants, based on your experience, education, training, and awards relevant to the duties of this position. Your rating can be lowered if your application package is not supported by the requested documents.

Referral: If you are among the top qualified candidates, your application package will be referred to a hiring manager for consideration at which time you may be invited to participate in a selection interview.

Interview Structure: Those who are selected for interviews will be required to interview via Web- X, Skype, or some other communications platform.

PDS is funded by federal appropriations, and employees are entitled to participate in federal benefits plans, federal retirement systems, and the workers compensation program. Transferring federal employees will receive recognition of creditable federal service for leave accrual and retirement (if applicable) purposes. Benefits include:

• Federal Employees Retirement Systems (retirement annuity) 
• Thrift Savings Plan (similar to a 401K program)
• Federal Employees Health Benefits (health insurance) 
• Federal Employees Group Life Insurance (life insurance) 
• Federal Employees Dental and Vision Insurance Program
• Flexible Spending Accounts (for health care and dependent care) 
• Parking Space (for Investigative Specialists).
• Employee Assistance Program
• Federal Occupational Health (access to health clinic and services)

Telework: This position requires on-site presence, both in the office and in the field as necessary to meet the demands of the role. This position is telework eligible- Investigative Specialists are currently permitted to work remotely not more than 3 days each week. Candidates must be able to balance remote work with in-person collaboration to ensure seamless operation and effective teamwork (e.g., court hearings, client visits in detention facilities).

All applicants must submit the required documents listed below. Failure to submit all required documents will result in an incomplete application, and your application may not receive consideration.  If you have trouble submitting your documents, please upload a cover letter (optional), resume, and references as one attachment; multiple transcripts should also be uploaded (separately) in one document and attached with your optional cover letter, resume and references. 
Please ensure your application package includes detailed information to support your qualifications for this position. Failure to provide sufficient evidence within your resume and required supporting documents can result in a rejection of your application package.

Required Documents:

• Cover letter and traditional résumé (with day telephone and email contact)
• Copy of college transcripts- an unofficial copy of your transcripts may be provided at the time of your application submission; however, an official copy must be provided prior to an employment offer, or employment start date.
• A list of three professional references with a brief description on how each reference is able to attest to your skills and/or experience. Please include the individual's name, email, telephone number, and their relationship to you (i.e. Direct Supervisor, Indirect Supervisor, Mentor etc.)

To submit required documents, you must click on the “APPLY NOW” button below for Vacancy Announcement Number PDS 2024-05 Investigative Specialist. 

PDS will not accept application packages by email, mail, fax, or personal delivery.

For applicants with disabilities, this organization provides reasonable accommodations which will be decided on a case-by-case basis. To request a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application or interview process, please contact Teresa Oliver, Senior HR Specialist at (202) 824-2352 or via email at [email protected].

PDS is an Equal Opportunity Employer and an E-Verify Participating Agency