The Criminal Investigation Series, series code 1811, covers federal jobs that involve investigating suspected crimes under federal law. People in these jobs plan, carry out, and manage investigations, and some supervise or lead others doing that work.
Tasks include finding and developing evidence, then presenting it to show how events unfolded, when they happened, how people and actions were connected, who was responsible, where legal liability falls, and whether conflicts of interest existed. Investigations have to be conducted in a way that meets legal and procedural requirements. Investigators also advise and help the U.S. Attorney's Office during investigations and prosecutions, both in court and outside it.
The work mainly calls for knowledge of criminal investigative methods, the rules of criminal procedure, the laws involved, and earlier court decisions that govern whether evidence can be admitted, along with constitutional rights and search and seizure questions that come up during an investigation.