Supervisory Employee Benefits Investigator

EBSA plays a vital role in protecting the retirement, health, and other job-based benefits of America's workers, retirees, and their families. We issue effective regulations, offer comprehensive education and assistance to workers, plan sponsors, fiduciaries, and service providers, and rigorously enforce the law. We serve workers, families, and the broader employee benefits community by protecting the security and integrity of the nation's benefit systems.

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The advertised salary reflects the minimum and maximum pay for the locations listed. Upon selection, the salary will be set in accordance with the selectee's assigned duty location.

The Supervisory Employee Benefits Investigator initiates, plans, coordinates, and manages extremely broad, difficult civil and criminal investigations focusing on the analysis of employee pension, health, and other welfare benefit plan operations and the business, financial, and accounting practices of a variety of related entities (e.g., major service providers, trust departments, investment managers, insurance companies, etc.).

• Plan, coordinate, and direct civil and criminal ERISA investigations by approving case openings and investigative plans, and by setting team priorities and milestones.
• Manage investigative resources by assigning or redirecting staff and reviewing completed investigations to ensure adequate evidence and appropriate case disposition (e.g., voluntary compliance, referral for litigation/prosecution, or closure).
• Provide policy, technical, and procedural leadership; resolve highly technical or sensitive issues; escalate matters with major policy impact to senior leadership; and negotiate with plan officials, service providers, attorneys, and partner agencies to secure compliance and coordinate enforcement activities.
• Oversee subpoena preparation in civil investigations, coordinate enforcement activities with U.S. Attorneys and other agencies, and refer prohibited transactions to the IRS and auditing issues to the Office of Chief Accountant.
• Lead negotiations with plan officials, fiduciaries, service providers, and their counsel to communicate significant findings, explain ERISA requirements, and obtain voluntary compliance or corrective actions in non-criminal matters.
• Provide briefings to the Regional Director and Deputy Regional Director on investigation progress, evidence sufficiency, and recommended case dispositions.
• Resolve problematic or sensitive issues through effective communication, determine when controversial matters need to be elevated to senior management, and address employee concerns by providing guidance, responding to complaints, and ensuring resolutions align with merit principles and EEO requirements.
• Apply knowledge of employee benefit plan operations and related financial practices to guide investigators, review investigative plans and case files for technical sufficiency, and determine when additional investigative steps are required.
• Initiate corrective actions, including settlements or referrals to the Office of the Solicitor, and identify deficient public accountant audit work for referral to the Office of Chief Accountant.

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• Must be a U.S. Citizen.
• Must be at least 16 years old.
• Candidate required to obtain the necessary security/investigation level.
• Requires a probationary period if the requirement has not been met.
• Requires a supervisory probationary period if the requirement has not been met.
• Subject to financial disclosure requirements.

You must meet the Specialized Experience to qualify for the Supervisory Employee Benefits Investigator as described below.

For GS-14: Applicants must have 52 weeks of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level GS-13 in the Federal Service.

Specialized Experience is the experience that equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSA's) to perform the duties of the position successfully, and that is typically in or related to the position to be filled. To be creditable, specialized experience must have been equivalent to at least the next lower grade level. Applicants must meet 3 out of the 4 examples of specialized experience below.

Examples of qualifying specialized experience are:

• Experience planning, directing, and completing broad, difficult civil and/or criminal investigations involving employee pension, health, and other welfare benefit plans, including analysis of plan operations and fiduciary conduct (and/or criminal actions) of plan officials and service providers.
• Experience evaluating compliance with ERISA reporting/disclosure requirements, health plan requirements, bonding standards, and related Federal/state laws; developing legally supportable case findings; and recommending case outcomes (e.g., voluntary compliance, case closure, or referral for litigation/prosecution).
• Experience overseeing use of investigative tools and enforcement actions such as subpoenas; initiating corrective actions (settlement and/or referral to the Office of the Solicitor); making determinations regarding ERISA civil penalties (e.g., Sections 502(l) and 502(i)); and referring prohibited transactions/excise tax matters to the IRS or other appropriate entities.
• Experience coordinating enforcement/prosecution activities with U.S. Attorneys and other Federal/State agencies and communicating/negotiating with plan sponsors, fiduciaries, attorneys, accountants, and other industry stakeholders to obtain compliance and resolve complex or sensitive issues.

N OTE: Specialized experience must be clearly documented in your resume; merely copying this statement into your application does not demonstrate that you possess the required experience.

There is no substitution of education for the required specialized experience for this position at the GS-14 level.

The mission of the Department of Labor (DOL) is to protect the welfare of workers and job seekers, improve working conditions, expand high-quality employment opportunities, and assure work-related benefits and rights for all workers.

As a condition of employment, all personnel must undergo a background investigation for access to DOL facilities, systems, information and/or classified materials before they can enter on duty: BACKGROUND INVESTIGATION

You may not be aware, but in the regulations for agency ethics programs, there are requirements for supervisors. Section 2638.103 of Title 5 of the CFR states: Every supervisor in the executive branch has a heightened personal responsibility for advancing government ethics. It is imperative that supervisors serve as models of ethical behavior for subordinates. Supervisors have a responsibility to help ensure that subordinates are aware of their ethical obligations under the Standards of Conduct and that subordinates know how to contact agency ethics officials. Supervisors are also responsible for working with agency ethics officials to help resolve conflicts of interests and enforce government ethics laws and regulations, including those requiring certain employees to file financial disclosure reports. In addition, supervisors are responsible, when requested, for assisting agency ethics officials in evaluating potential conflicts of interest and identifying positions subject to financial disclosure requirements.

Supervisory Financial Disclosure (If applicable): This position is subject to the confidential financial disclosure requirements of the Ethics in Government Act of 1978 (P.L. 95-521). Therefore, if selected, you will be required to complete a Confidential Financial Disclosure Report (OGE Form 450) to determine if a conflict or an appearance of a conflict exists between your financial interest(s) and your prospective position with DOL. This information will be required annually.

For more information, click Telework Position Information. This is not a remote work position. The selectee will report to an assigned DOL office location on a regular basis and is eligible for participation in telework as determined by management in accordance with DOL policy.

Based on agency needs, additional positions may be filled using this vacancy.

The Department of Labor may use certain incentives and hiring flexibilities, currently offered by the Federal government to attract highly qualified candidates. Click here for Additional Information.

The Fair Chance Act (FCA) prohibits Federal agencies from requesting an applicant's criminal history information before the agency makes a conditional offer of employment. If you believe a DOL employee has violated your rights under the FCA, you may file a complaint of the alleged violation following our agency's complaint process Guidelines for Reporting Violations of the Fair Chance Act.

Note: The FCA does not apply to some positions specified under the Act, such as law enforcement or national security positions.

All Department of Labor employees are subject to the provisions of the Drug-Free Workplace Program under Executive Order 12564 and Public Law 100-71.

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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.

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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 window Learn 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.