Historian

Immigration and Customs Enforcement • Washington, DC

4d • Onsite

About The Position

The selected historian will join the Human Rights Violators Law Division (HRVLD) as a regional specialist and be part of a team that investigates and prosecutes human rights violators and war criminals. HRVLD historians are experts on the history of twentieth century conflicts or regimes in which human rights abuses were perpetrated and have broad knowledge of relevant historical literature and of domestic, foreign, and international archives, and similar repositories containing records pertinent to the investigations of human rights violations and war crimes. HRVLD is recruiting a Middle East expert; candidates with desired expertise in Africa, the Balkans/Europe, and Latin America are also encouraged to apply. HRVLD historians conduct case-related investigative research as part of regionally focused teams at the Homeland Security Investigations led Human Rights Violators and War Crimes Center. The teams work to identify, investigate, and prosecute criminal and immigration cases against individuals in the U.S. who have been involved in persecution, genocide, extrajudicial killing, torture, severe violations of religious freedom, female genital mutilation, the use or recruitment of child soldiers, war crimes or other human rights violations, as well as to seek the subsequent removal of these individuals from the United States.

Requirements

• Must be a U.S. citizen to apply for this position.
• Must successfully pass a background investigation.
• Must successfully pass a drug screen.
• Males born after 12/31/59 must certify registration with Selective Service.
• Degree: history; or related field that included at least 18 semester hours in history.
• OR Combination of education and experience: courses equivalent to a major in history, or a major in a related field that included at least 18 semester hours in history, as shown in A above, plus appropriate experience or additional education.
• Graduate study in the social sciences or humanities may also be credited when such study included training in historical research methodology; or the thesis approached the subject from an historical viewpoint and used professional historical research methodology and techniques in its preparation.
• Conducting academic research or similar field research in the Middle East, Africa, the Balkans/Europe, or Latin America; Conducting research in archives or repositories that house foreign records, documents, and materials and/or oral history interviews related to twentieth century conflicts where human rights violations were perpetrated; Assembling detailed research findings and recommending next steps to be taken to further a research project; and Presenting research findings for varying audiences.

Nice To Haves

• If applying as a Middle East specialist, proficiency in Arabic is highly desirable for completing research-related tasks and may enhance the applicant's ability to perform the duties of this position.
• If applying as a specialist in other geographic regions (Africa; Balkans/Europe; Latin America), proficiency in relevant language(s) is highly desirable for completing research-related tasks and may enhance the applicant's ability to perform the duties of this position.
• Applicants who possess language skills are encouraged to include relevant details in their application.

Responsibilities

• Demonstrate a high degree of resourcefulness, ingenuity, tenacity and creative thinking in conducting research.
• Synthesize and contextualize research findings for varying audiences.
• Organize, track, and account for documents and sources reviewed or collected on a large-scale research project.
• Analyze primary source materials to prepare status reports detailing progress in investigative research.

Benefits

• health, dental, vision, life, and long-term care insurance
• retirement plan
• Thrift Savings Plan [similar to a 401(k)]
• Flexible Spending Account
• Employee Assistance Program
• personal leave days
• paid federal holidays
• flexible work schedules
• telework
• tuition reimbursement
• transportation subsidies
• uniform allowance
• health and wellness programs
• fitness centers
• Disabled veteran leave will be available to any Federal employee hired on or after November 5, 2016, who is a veteran with a service-connected disability rating of 30 percent or more.
• A student loan repayment incentive may be available, in which case a service agreement will be required.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior
• Education Level: Associate degree