Department: Department of Justice
Location(s): Washington, District of Columbia
Salary Range: $121785 - $158322 Per Year
Job Summary: The U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia is unique in the size and the scope of its work. It serves as both the local and the federal prosecutor for the nation's capital. On the local side, AUSAs assigned to the Superior Court Division prosecute cases ranging from misdemeanors to homicides. On the federal side, AUSAs assigned to the Criminal Division prosecute federal crimes. The Civil Division further defends the United States in civil suits brought in the District of Columbia.
Major Duties:
Qualifications: Note: In order to be considered "qualified" for this position, your specialized experience must be described in your resume. Please be sure that your resume clearly states any and all of the specialized experience that you may have. If your specialized experience is not clearly stated in your resume, you will not be considered for this position. To qualify for the GS-13 Lead Criminal Investigator, you must have one year of specialized experience at the GS-12 federal level. Specialized experience is experience that equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled. Specialized experience is defined as: using a wide range of investigative methods in planning, coordinating and conducting investigations in support of criminal prosecution; recognizing, seizing and preserving evidence; locating, handling and managing cooperative witnesses/defendants; advising and updating attorneys and management during investigations and prosecutions; preparing reports and exhibits to document the findings of investigations and testifying (including while subject to cross examination) in a variety of hearings and matters, such as before grand and petite juries. This position has law enforcement officer retirement coverage. Applicants must be at least 21 years of age and not reached their 37th birthday prior to appointment (5 U.S.C. 3307(d)). The maximum entry age limit was established under the age discrimination prohibitions contained in section 4 of the Age Discrimination in Employment Act. Maximum entry age limitations may not be waived for any applicant, except those with veteran's preference. If you have prior Federal Law Enforcement Officer coverage, you must submit appropriate SF-50s (Notification of Personnel Action) that show period of coverage. Failure to provide proof of Federal Law Enforcement Officer (LEO) coverage may result in removal from consideration. Physical Requirements: Performance of above duties require moderate to arduous physical exertion involving walking and standing, use of firearms, and exposure to inclement weather. Manual dexterity with comparatively free motion of finger, wrist, elbow, shoulder, hip, and knee joints is required. Arms, hands, legs, and feet must be intact and functioning in order that incumbent may perform the duties satisfactorily. Incumbent must possess sufficiently good vision, with or without glasses, in each eye in order that he/she may perform the duties satisfactorily. Near vision, glasses permitted, must be acute for reading of printed materials the size of typewritten characters. The ability of the incumbent to hear the conversational voice and whispered speech is required. Any hearing impairment may be compensated for by use of a hearing aid. Since the duties of the position are exacting, responsible, and involve work performed under arduous and dangerous conditions, incumbents must possess emotional and mental stability. Any physical condition, which would cause the applicant to be a hazard to himself/herself or to others, will be disqualifying. Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP)-The CTAP provides eligible surplus and displaced competitive service employees in the Department of Justice with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. If your Department of Justice component has notified you in writing that you are a surplus or displaced employee eligible for CTAP consideration, you may receive selection priority if: 1) this vacancy is within your CTAP eligibility, 2) you apply under the instructions in this announcement, and 3) you are found well-qualified for this vacancy. To be well qualified, you must satisfy all qualification requirements for the vacant position and receive a score of 85 or better on established ranking criteria. You must provide a copy of your written notification of CTAP eligibility with your application. Additional information about CTAP eligibility is at http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/workforce-restructuring/employee-guide-to-career-transition/
How to Apply: To apply for this position, you must complete the occupational questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section below. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on 05/01/2026 to receive consideration. 1. To begin, click Apply Online to create a USAJOBS account or log in to your existing account. Follow the prompts to select your USAJOBS resume and/or other supporting documents and complete the occupational questionnaire. 2. Click the Submit My Answers button to submit your application package. (It is your responsibility to ensure your responses and appropriate documentation are submitted prior to the closing date.) 3. To verify your application is complete, log into your USAJOBS account, https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login, select the Application Status link and then select the more information link for this position. The Details page will display the status of your application, the documentation received and processed, and any correspondence the agency has sent related to this application. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process. To return to an incomplete application, log into your USAJOBS account and click Update Application in the vacancy announcement. You must re-select your resume and/or other documents from your USAJOBS account or your application will be incomplete. To preview the Assessment Questionnaire, please click the following link: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12910821 You are encouraged to apply online. Applying online will allow you to review and track the status of your application. If you are unable to apply online, contactHR Operations USAO-DC at or USADC.Staffers@usdoj.gov as soon as possible to arrange an alternative application process. You must specify in your questionnaire under what authority you wish to be considered and submit appropriate documentation to verify your eligibility. Reasonable Accommodation Statement: Federal Agencies must provide reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities, where appropriate. Applicants requiring reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process should contact the hiring agency directly. Determinations on requests for reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis.
Application Deadline: 2026-05-01