Duties

Summary

This position is located in the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center , 1300 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington, DC, in the Office of Security, Personnel Security Division SEC/PSD).

Announcement 19-0184-CRC is open concurrently with this announcement and has an area of consideration of Federal Status Candidates. You must apply separately to be considered under both announcements

Learn more about this agency

Responsibilities

This position is located in the Field Investigation (FI)/Periodic Re-investigation (PR) Branch within the Office of Security, Personnel Security Division. The incumbent of this position is responsible for ensuring all Periodic Re-investigations are initiated and completed accurately. Incumbent is responsible for case intake, conducting investigative inquiries via automated record checks and scoping all portions of the periodic reinvestigation.

As a Security Specialist, you will:

• Conduct evaluations of reports of personnel security investigations which are conducted on USAID applicants for employment and employees to determine if individuals meet security standards to the extent that their employment or retention is consistent with national security.
• Determine the adequacy and completeness of the investigation and other means by which data were collected; recommend or decide whether, on the basis of the data, security clearances should be granted, downgraded, suspended, revoked or denied.
• Coordinate personnel security activities with officials of other federal departments and agencies, e.g., the Department of State, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, etc.
• Review initial clearance requests and accompanying documents for completeness.
• Prepare and send a variety of requests for information (vouchers) to educational institutions, credit bureaus, federal investigative and intelligence agencies, state and local police departments, medical practitioners and personal and other developed references to verify information provided by the subject of the investigation.
• Analyze the duties assigned to positions, relating them to established position sensitivity criteria to ensure the positions are assigned proper sensitivity levels; identify problems; recommend corrective action; and provide assistance on procedural issues.

Travel Required

Not required

Supervisory status
No

Promotion Potential
12 - Full Performance Level is GS-12

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

• United States Citizenship is required.
• Relevant experience (see Qualifications below).
• Must be able to obtain and maintain a TS/SCI clearance. security clearance.
• Direct Deposit/Electronic Funds Transfer is required.
• Males born after 12/31/1959, must be registered with the Selective Service.
• You will be required to serve a one-year probationary period.

Direct experience working with an Agency with Delegated Authority to conduct Personnel Security Background Investigations to include scoping of investigations, generating leads, conducting follow-up of outstanding inquiries, determining temporary access and clearance decisions, full issue resolution, and extensive knowledge of the 5-Tier Federal Investigative Standards. Direct and comprehensive knowledge of Executive Orders 10450, 12968, and Public Law 108-458, the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004; the Privacy Act of 1974 and Director of Central Intelligence Directive 704.

You are encouraged to read the entire announcement before you submit your application package. Your application may not receive full consideration if you do not follow the instructions as outlined.

Qualifications

GS-12: You must have one year of specialized experience at a level of difficulty and responsibility equivalent to the GS-11 level in the Federal service. One year of experience refers to full-time work; part-time work is considered on a prorated basis. Examples of qualifying specialized experience at the next lower level for this position includes: (a) knowledge of security requirements established in basic laws, Executive Orders and policy statements governing personnel security and national security information; (b) knowledge of security regulations and policies affecting employment of individuals in governmental and contractor positions; and (c) knowledge of the functions and jurisdictions of other investigative, security, law enforcement, intelligence or federal, state or local agencies.

Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community, student, social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, relevant to the duties of the position to be filled, including volunteer experience.

ICTAP candidates will be referred to the selecting official if they are found well qualified. Well-qualified means an eligible employee who possesses the knowledge, skills, and abilities which clearly exceed the minimum requirements of the position. A well-qualified employee must meet the qualification and eligibility requirements of the position, including any medical qualifications, suitability, and minimum education and experience requirements, meet all selective factors (where applicable); meet quality ranking factors and are assigned to the Silver Category or higher Category; be physically qualified with reasonable accommodation to perform the essential duties of the position; meet any special qualifying U.S. OPM-approved conditions; AND be able to satisfactorily perform the duties of the position upon entry without additional training.

A well-qualified candidate will not necessarily meet the definition of highly or best qualified when evaluated against other candidates who apply for a particular position. In the absence of selective and quality ranking factors, selecting officials will document the job-related reason(s) for qualification determinations.

Education

This position does not have a positive education requirement. Therefore, no Transcripts are required.

Additional information

This announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.

These are Testing Designated Positions (TDP's) under the Agency's approved Drug Free Work Place Program. All applicants selected for this position will be subject to random drug testing once they begin working for the Agency.

Moving and relocation expenses are not authorized.

Mythbuster on Federal Hiring Policies:

https://hru.gov/Studio_Recruitment/tools/Mythbuster_on_Federal_Hiring_Policies.pdf .

EEO Policy: EEO Policy Statement .

Reasonable Accommodation Policy: Reasonable Accommodation Policy Statement .

Veterans' Information: Veterans Information .

Telework: https://www.telework.gov/ .

Selective Service Registration: http://www.sss.gov/ .

It is the policy of the Government not to deny employment simply because an individual has been unemployed or has had financial difficulties that have arisen through no fault of the individual. Information about an individual's employment experience will be used only to determine the person's qualifications and to assess his or her relative level of knowledge, skills, and abilities. Although an individual's personal conduct may be relevant in any employment decision, including conduct during periods of unemployment or evidence of dishonesty in handling financial matters, financial difficulty that has arisen through no fault of the individual will generally not itself be the basis of an unfavorable suitability or fitness determination.

How You Will Be Evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

We will review your application package to ensure you meet the job and eligibility requirements, including the education and/or experience required for this position. If you meet the minimum qualifications stated in the vacancy announcement, we will compare your resume, optional cover letter and supporting documentation to your responses on the scored occupational questionnaire (True/False, Yes/ No, Multiple Choice questions) and place you in one of three pre-defined categories. These categories are "Gold," "Silver," and "Bronze." However, your resume and/or optional cover letter must support your responses to the scored occupational questionnaire, or your score may be lowered. Candidates placed in the "Gold" category will be identified for referral to the hiring manager and may be invited for an interview. How you will be evaluated for preference eligibility: Within each category, those entitled to veterans' preference will be listed at the top of the pre-defined category for which they are placed. Preference eligibles with a service-connected disability of 10% or more will be listed at the top of the highest quality category (Gold) depending on the position and grade level of the job. (You must provide proof of disability rating with a letter from the Veteran's Administration showing disability percentage rating).

The scored occupational questionnaire will evaluate you on the following competencies:

• Public Safety and Security
• Laws, Policies, and Regulations
• Technical Competence
• Customer Service
• Written Communication
• Oral Communication

To preview questions please click here .

Background checks and security clearance

Security clearance
Sensitive Compartmented Information

Drug test required
Yes

Required Documents

• Resume showing relevant experience.
• Veterans' documentation, if requesting consideration under any Veterans' hiring eligibilities ( veterans' preference and Veterans Employment Opportunities Act ).
• If seeking eligibility based on any other special hiring authority (e.g. disabled veteran, Schedule A, special hiring programs ).
• ICTAP Eligibles: Must submit a copy of the appropriate documentation such as a reduction-in-force (RIF) separation notice, a SF-50 reflecting your RIF separation, or a notice of proposed removal for declining a direct reassign or transfer of function to another commuting area. You MUST also submit documentation to reflect your current (or last) performance rating of record of at least "fully successful" (Level III) or equivalent, along with your application/resume package.
• If this position requires proof of higher education, you must submit a copy of your transcript(unofficial transcript) or a list of courses that includes the following information: name of accredited institution, grades earned, completion dates, and quarter and semester hours earned. Education completed in foreign colleges or universities may be used to meet the requirements. Please refer to http://www.opm.gov/qualifications/policy/ApplicationOfStds-04.asp for more information. Please be advised that an official transcript will be required if you are selected for the position.

If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:

Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education .

Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.