Recent Graduate Employee Benefits Investigator

Open 10/15/2026 to 10/22/2026

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.

Open to applicants who have graduated, within the past two years, (with an associate, bachelor, master, professional, doctorate, diploma, vocational, technical degree, or certificate, etc.) from a qualifying educational institution or career or technical education program (including registered Apprenticeship Programs, Peace Corps, AmeriCorps, Job Corps, Climate Corps). Students who will meet the education requirements by January 15th, 2027 may apply.
This is an appointment under the DOL Recent Graduates program. The program duration is one year. Upon successful completion of the program and at the agency’s discretion, the appointee may be converted to a term or permanent position in the competitive service.
Major duties include but are not limited to the following:

• Plan and conduct technical civil and criminal investigations involving employee benefit plans, service providers, fiduciaries, financial institutions, and related entities to assess compliance with the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) and related laws.
• Review and analyze employee benefit plan financial records, accounting systems, transactions, investments, plan operations, and fiduciary conduct to identify violations, determine the impact on plan participants, and recommend appropriate enforcement actions.
• Initiate and arrange meetings and discussions with plan officials, service providers, and their legal and financial representatives, including at company locations.
• Develop and prepare comprehensive investigative reports, work papers, findings, legal/regulatory analyses, and recommendations for voluntary compliance, civil litigation, criminal prosecution, penalties, settlement, or case closure.
• Location Selection Limitation: Applicants may select up to two (2) duty locations when applying to this announcement. Please carefully consider and choose only the locations you can reliably and easily commute to or otherwise access, if selected.

  Locality Salary Ranges:

• The advertised salary reflects the minimum and maximum pay for the listed locations. Upon selection, the salary will be set in accordance with the selectee’s assigned duty location. Applicants may select up to two (2) duty locations. Please carefully consider and choose only the location(s) you can reliably and easily commute to on a regular recurring basis, if selected. To view the address of a specific location click here.

Conditions of employment

• Must be at least 16 years.
• Must be a U.S. Citizen.
• Candidate required to obtain the necessary security/investigation level.
• The entire duration of the Recent Graduate Appointment constitutes a trial period.
• Appointees must sign a DOL Pathways Recent Graduate Program Participant Agreement.

Qualifications

This appointment is under the DOL Recent Graduates program. The program duration is one year.
*For more information, click Pathways Programs.
The appointee must be a U.S. citizen to be eligible for conversion to a permanent position in the competitive service upon completion of the program.
Applicants must have graduated, within the past two years, (with an associate, bachelor, master, professional, doctorate, diploma, vocational, technical degree, or certificate, etc.) from a qualifying educational institution or career or technical educational program including registered Apprenticeship Programs, Peace Corps, AmeriCorps, Job Corps, Climate Corps). Students who will meet the education requirements by January 15th, 2027 may apply.
You must meet the Basic Requirements listed in the Education Requirements section and the Specialized Experience to qualify for Recent Graduate – Employee Benefits Investigator, as described below.

Applicants must have 52 weeks of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level 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.

Qualifying specialized experience for GS-09 includes the below. Applicants must meet at least two (2) of the four (4):

• Participating in investigative projects and/or audits to gather and review information to help determine whether organizations are following applicable laws and requirements.
• Conveying information to individuals and groups to formulate and present findings, recommendations and conclusions.
• Researching, reviewing and analyzing financial and accounting records, laws, regulations, court decisions, and other materials to identify important information and support the development of investigative findings.
• Writing reports, memorandum, analysis and other work products citing applicable laws and regulations.

OR – Master’s or equivalent graduate degree or 2 full years of graduate level education, or LLB. or J.D.; if related.
OR – A combination of specialized experience and graduate level education that provided the specific knowledge, skills and abilities to successfully perform the duties of this position.