Investigative Specialist

Investigative Specialist Open Date:

Apr 20, 2026

Close Date:

May 17, 2026

Position Type:

Permanent Excepted Service Job Vacancy #:

PDS 2026-05

Location:

633 3rd St, NW Washington, District of Columbia 20001

About The Job PDS Overview:

The Public Defender Service (PDS) is a federally funded, independent organization governed by an eleven-member Board of Trustees. PDS provides legal representation to individuals who are facing a loss of liberty in criminal, delinquency, and mental health legal matters in the local District of Columbia legal system but who are financially unable to obtain adequate representation. PDS's attorneys, social workers, investigators, and administrative and technical staff collaborate to advance the PDS mission. PDS is funded by federal appropriations, and employees are entitled to participate in federal health and life insurance plans, federal retirement plans, and the Thrift Savings Plan. Employment at PDS is neither federal nor District of Columbia government employment, and all employees are at-will.

Major Duties:

The incumbent works in concert with legal defense counsel to investigate allegations of suspected violations of criminal statutes and possible defenses to those allegations. An investigative specialist, under the supervision of the assigned attorney, plans and conducts complete investigations of criminal cases as assigned. This is accomplished by interviews with witnesses, researching records, contacting various sources for the purpose of obtaining facts, signed statements, etc. The investigative specialist verifies and corroborates all information obtained, analyzes findings, and presents findings in comprehensive reports for use by attorneys. Investigations can require overnight or multi-day travel. The Investigative Specialist performs other related duties as assigned.

Required Qualifications:

Educational Requirements:

The selected candidate(s) must possess a bachelor's degree in either of the following fields: Criminal Justice Administration Law Criminology Political Science Psychology Sociology English Journalism/Mass Communication Any other related field

NOTE:

Education must be from an accredited institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Applicants can verify accreditation at the following website: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/search.aspx . All education claimed by applicants will be verified by PDS.

Special Instructions For Foreign Education:

Applicants who are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, must show that the education credentials have been evaluated by a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign education programs and such education has been deemed equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program; or full credit has been given for the courses at a U.S. accredited college or university. For further information, visit: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus- forrecog.html

Qualifications:

The incumbent must demonstrate knowledge and/or experience of the following: Ability to work with a team, including the ability to plan and schedule work, define and streamline processes and produce results. Excellent written and verbal communication skills (for report writing, witness interviews, and court testimony). Strong analytical, critical thinking, and problem-solving abilities. Demonstrated skill in building and maintaining effective relationships with other employees, customers, community members, and stakeholders e.g., attorneys, agency managers.

Highly Desirable Qualifications:

The following knowledge, skills and abilities and/or experience are not required, but 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.

Eligibility Requirements:

Eligibility required for the AD Grade 7 level All candidates must possess the above noted educational requirement and the above qualifications. Eligibility required for the AD Grade 9 level Candidates who possess the following may receive consideration at the AD grade 9 level upon appointment- the candidate must have: The above noted educational requirement and the above qualifications. At least one year of continuous demonstrated specialized experience as a criminal defense staff investigator or criminal defense staff investigator or criminal defense investigative specialist (investigating felony level cases), including experience with word processing, criminal justice database usage, social media usage, data input, and criminal defense related data analysis.

Promotion Eligibility Requirements:

This position is advertised at the AD-7/9 grade level (equivalent to a GS-7/9), with a position full performance level at the AD-12 grade level (equivalent to the GS-12). Promotion from the AD grade 9 to the AD grade 11 requires the following: Candidate must possess the aforementioned educational requirement. Must possess at least 2 years of exemplary performance at the AD grade 9 level. Must have at least three years of specialized experience as a criminal defense staff investigator or criminal defense investigative specialist (investigating felony level cases), including experience with word processing, criminal justice database usage, social media usage, data input, and criminal defense related data analysis. Promotion from the AD grade 11 to the AD grade 12 requires the following: Candidate must possess the aforementioned educational requirement. Must possess at least 3 years of exemplary performance at the AD grade 11 level. Must have at least six years of specialized experience as a criminal defense staff investigator or criminal defense investigative specialist (investigating felony level cases), including experience with word processing, criminal justice database usage, social media usage, data input, and criminal defense related data analysis.

Note:

The incumbent may be promoted without further competition upon exemplary performance of the preceding grade level and with the required experience of each respective grade. All promotions are subject to final approval of the PDS Director.

Key Requirements:

Applicant must be a US Citizen or have current authorization to work in the United States. Incumbent must have no convictions as defined in D.C. Code Sec. 14.305(b)(1) (Impeachment by evidence of conviction of crime). Incumbent must have a valid U.S. driver's license. 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). All candidates are subject to a criminal background check.

Application Evaluation:

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.

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.

Note:

PDS reserves the right to interview prior to the closing date.

Number of vacancies:

Few Vacancies Pay Series:

1801

Compensation:

Minimum Starting Salary:

$55,924 per annum

Promotion Potential:

AD-12 (equivalent to GS-12)

Grade Range:

AD-1801-Grades 07 thru 12 (Full Performance Level (FPL)

AD-1801-12

)

Benefits:

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) Employee Assistance Program Parking Space (for Investigative Specialists) 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 eligible for telework in accordance with the organization's policy.

Who May Apply:

U.S. Citizens and those authorized to work in the United States. How to

Apply:

For consideration applicants must submit the required documents listed below. Failure to submit will result in an incomplete application. Please upload the required documents as one PDF attachment. 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. Your application package should include the following: For consideration, you must provide a complete application package, which includes: A cover letter A résumé with an email address, with current and previous employers, dates of employment, position status as full- or part-time, and position title and scope of duties A list of three professional references with a brief description on how each reference is able to attest to your skills/experience. Please include the name, email and telephone number, and the relationship (i.e. Direct Supervisor, Indirect Supervisor, Mentor etc.) Please send your application package in one PDF document. All applications MUST be emailed to HR@pdsdc.org . To ensure your application receives proper consideration, the subject line of your application email MUST include the job announcement number and the position title (i.e.

PDS-2026-05

Investigative Specialist). All application materials become property of PDS and will not be returned. PDS will not accept application packages by postal 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 the Office of Human Resources at HR@pdsdc.org .