NOW HIRING POSTAL INSPECTORS – United States Postal Inspection Service (2024)

WHO MAY BE CONSIDERED:
All U.S. Citizens.

Applicants must meet all the following conditions to be considered:

• Must be a U.S. Citizen.
• At least 21 at the time of application and less than 37 years of age at the time of original law enforcement appointment (age exception may be granted for preference eligible veterans).
• Possess a current valid state driver’s license with at least two years of unsupervised driving experience and a safe driving record.
• Male applicants born after December 31, 1959, must meet Selective Service registration requirements.
• Possess a conferred, four-year degree from an accredited academic institution (college or university).
• Have no felony or domestic violence convictions.
• Be in good physical condition and meet minimum physical fitness standards.
• Write and speak English clearly.
• Must be willing to relocate.*

*Applicants must be willing to relocate to all locations. While location preference(s) will be given consideration, placement will be determined based on the needs of the Postal Inspection Service at the time an offer is made. Reimbursem*nt of relocation expenses will be authorized in accordance with agency policy.

Hearing Requirements
Hearing acuity in the better ear is NOT to exceed an average loss of 30db at 500 Hz, 1000 Hz, and 2000 Hz. The loss can NOT exceed 40db in each ear, separately, at either 500 Hz or 1000 Hz or 2000 Hz. Hearing aids MAY be acceptable for meeting the USPIS hearing standard.

Vision Requirements:
Having vision in ONLY one eye is disqualifying. The ability to see using both eyes at the same time is required. Visual acuity using both eyes together, at the same time, must test 20/70 (using Snellen eye chart) WITHOUT corrective lenses. Uncorrected vision must test at least 20/100 in each eye, separately. Vision in EACH eye, separately, must be corrected to 20/20. Eye surgery MAY be acceptable for meeting the USPIS vision standard.

Special Knowledge Tracks:
There are four special knowledge tracks that make applicants more competitive for the position of Postal Inspector: language skills, postal experience, specialized non-postal skills, and academic achievement. Candidates without special knowledge will only be minimally qualified. See Special Knowledge for qualifications.

Division/Domicile Locations:
Applicants must be willing to relocate. While location preference(s) will be given consideration, placement will be determined based on the needs of the Postal Inspection Service at the time an offer is made. Reimbursem*nt of relocation expenses will be authorized in accordance with agency policy.

PLEASE READ: Before the application launches, applicants are asked, “Are you currently an Office of Personnel Management (OPM)-designated 1811 Series, Criminal Investigator (career or career-conditional)?”. The following instructions are provided to assist with a response.

OPM-designated 1811 Series, Criminal Investigators should refer to their most recent Standard Form 50, Notification of Personnel Action, Block 24, to confirm appointment status, click here to access Tenure Guidelines:

• If Tenure Block 24 indicates “1” or “2”: 1811 applicant MUST respond “YES” to confirm current status as an OPM-designated 1811 Series, Criminal Investigator in a career or career-conditional appointment.
• If Tenure Block 24 indicates “0” or “3”: 1811 applicant MUST respond “NO” to confirm current status IS NOT an OPM-designated 1811 Series, Criminal Investigator in a career or career-conditional appointment.

Applicants who ARE NOT OPM-designated 1811 Series, Criminal Investigators MUST respond “NO” to confirm current status IS NOT an OPM-designated 1811 Series, Criminal Investigator in a career or career-conditional appointment.

IMPORTANT: All requirements and conditions, as described, MUST be met for your application to be considered. If you apply and do not meet ALL criteria, you will not be considered for a position
Applications will be accepted via the Inspector Recruitment Application System (IRAS) by clicking on the Applicant Registration link above.

Please contact PIRecruitment@uspis.gov if you have questions.

There are four special knowledge tracks that make applicants more competitive for the position of Postal Inspector: language skills, postal experience, specialized non-postal skills, and academic achievement.

Language
Applicants who seek eligibility under language skills must have advanced competency in a foreign language deemed by the Postal Inspection Service as necessary to meeting its investigative mission. These languages currently include Mandarin, Haitian Creole, Russian, Spanish, and Vietnamese. Applicants must successfully complete a formal oral proficiency test administered through the Postal Inspection Service.

Postal Experience
Applicants seeking consideration under the specialized postal experience track must have been a Postal Service employee, contractor, or intern with one (1) year experience within the last five years.

Specialized Non-Postal Experience
Applicants seeking consideration under the specialized non-postal experience track must have experience in an area of expertise considered critical to the needs of the Postal Inspection Service. Applicants must also have one year of full-time work experience with the same company or firm within two years of the date of their application. Critical areas of expertise are:

• Military Experience: Applicants must have served at least two years in the military and received an honorable discharge.
• Law Degree: Applicants must have a Juris Doctorate degree and one year of full-time work experience in the law field.
• Certifications in Auditing or Investigations: Applicants with certifications in auditing, such as Certified Public Accountant (CPA), Certified Management Accountant (CMA), Certified Internal Auditor (CIA), and Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA); or investigative certifications in protection, security, or fraud examination, such as Certified Protection Professional (CPP) and Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE), are eligible under this skill track. Applicants must provide proof of certification and one year of full-time work experience in this field.
• Specialized Computer Education: Applicants with a four-year degree in computer science, computer engineering, telecommunications, management information systems, electronic commerce, decision and information science, or computer information systems and one year of full-time work experience in this field are eligible under this skill track.
• Specialized Computer Expertise: Applicants who are currently employed and have been employed for at least one year in a position specializing in computer forensics, Internet investigations, Internet security, network security, or information systems security and one year of full-time work experience in this field are eligible under this skill track.
• Certifications in Computer Systems: Applicants with a certification in one or more of the following: Microsoft Fundamentals or Role-Based Certifications, Cisco Certified Network Professional (CCNP), SANS Certifications: GCIA, GCFE, GCFA, GNFA, Security+, Network+, A+ Certified Computer Technician, Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP), Linux certification, or AWS/Azure or Google Cloud Certifications and one year of full-time work experience in this field are eligible under this skill track. Certifications not listed will be assessed for eligibility under this track.
• Law Enforcement: Applicants with at least one full year of law enforcement experience as detectives, criminalists, and polygraph examiners or as patrol, probation, correction, and parole officers are eligible under this skill track, but must provide examples of the type of work conducted. (This track excludes clerical or technical support personnel.)

Academic Achievement
Academic Achievement with work experience. Applicants with at least one year of full-time work experience with the same company or firm, within two years of the date of their application, are eligible under this skill track.

• Applicants with a bachelor’s degree (B.A. or B.S. in any field) must have two years of fulltime work experience.
• Applicants with an advanced degree (M.A., M.S., or Ph.D. in any field) must have one
  year of full-time work experience.

Academic Achievement without work experience. Applicants with a bachelor’s degree (a B.A. or B.S. in any field) and a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 or higher (on a 4.0 scale) or its equivalent, or an advanced degree (J.D., M.A., M.S., or Ph.D. in any field) are eligible under this skill track.

Applicants entitled to veterans’ preference are eligible to apply if you meet the basic eligibility and qualifications in this vacancy announcement. To claim veterans’ preference, you will be required to provide the DD Form 214, Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty (Member Copy 2, 4, 7, or 8).

Applicants claiming 10-point preference will also be required, at a minimum, to provide a completed SF-15, Application for 10-Point Veterans’ Preference, and a letter from the VA Regional Office stating the percentage of disability (documentation of the specific disabilities are not required). Additional supporting documentation (i.e., DD 1300, Report of Casualty, Purple Heart Award, etc.) may be required and requested to confirm preference status.

All OPM-designated 1811 Series Criminal Investigator applicants must apply competitively via the Inspector Recruitment Application System (IRAS), and will undergo an abbreviated applicant screening process.

You will need these computer specifications to apply for the position:

• PC running Windows 7 (touch screens are not recommended)
• High-speed internet (recommended)
• Internet Explorer 11, Chrome 51 or higher, Firefox 30 or higher
• Phone and tablet devices are not supported

RETURNING APPLICANTS: Applicants who have previously applied for the Postal Inspector position should not create a new profile.Simply:

• Log into IRAS with your original User ID and password (if you have forgotten your User ID, contact PIRecruitment@uspis.gov
• Review and update your profile information.

NEW APPLICANTS: First-time applicants must create an account with a User ID and password:

• Select Applicants Registration at the top of the page to initiate the application process.
• On the New Account page, complete all fields with an asterisk.
• Select Create User. You will be advised to check your email for further instructions. Please check your spam folder as well.
• Look for an email with the subject line: New Account Validation. It will confirm your new account and instruct you to copy and paste a URL into the web browser.
• A new message will appear: User has been validated.

You may then begin the application process:

• Select Click Here to log in. Enter all fields and select Save.
• To change information after saving, select My Profile.
• You may edit your profile on the View Profile page.

You must provide the following information in your application:

• Citizenship
• Driver’s License Information
• Post Secondary Education
• Work History
• Specialized Experience (see special knowledge tracks listed above; describe your specialized experience and skills in the text boxes of the application)
• Service in the U.S. Armed Forces and Veterans’ Preference
• Geographic availability (you must be willing to relocate to all locations)
• Basic entry qualifications

Required Documents:
Applicants will be required to provide college transcripts, birth certificate, and copy of current, valid driver’s license. If claiming Veteran’s preference (DD-214 and SF15 with VA Letter, if applicable); current federal employees (SF-50); current postal employees (PS Form 50).

Contact: Applicants with questions should email PIRecruitment@uspis.gov