Duties

Summary

As a Security Specialist, you will be responsible for providing assistance in supporting comprehensive agency wide security management policies and plans

Location of position: General Services Administration, Office of Mission Assurance, Personnel Security Branch in Washington, D.C.

We are currently filling one vacancy, but additional vacancies may be filled through this announcement in this or other GSA organizations within the same commuting area.

Learn more about this agency

Responsibilities

As a Security Specialist, you will perform the following duties:

• Serves as a security specialist working in multiple functional areas including personnel security, physical security, information security, and industrial security. Manages assigned program areas and may concentrate on one or more functional areas on a project basis. Projects may include developing, evaluating, maintaining, and/or operating systems, policies, devices, procedures, and methods used for safeguarding information, property, personnel, operations, and materials.
• Assist in the development, dissemination, and implementation of security policies, procedures, and internal directives and guidelines for personnel, industrial, information, and physical security programs.
• Prepares analytical memoranda setting forth investigatory findings showing a logical and orderly development of pertinent and significant loyalty information or specific facts of favorable information as required, evaluations of significant evidence, as well as reliability of sources and the authenticity of the information; and a conclusion with respect to action necessary.
• Initiates requests for background investigations in the Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency (DCSA) Electronic Questionnaires for Investigations Processing (e-QIP) system. Receives, reviews, schedules and initiates follow-up action on requests for special inquiries, personnel security investigation/clearance actions received in the Personnel Security Branch from various personnel and administrative offices within GSA, Commissions and Boards, and external agencies.

Travel Required

Occasional travel - Travel may be required for meetings, conferences and training.

Supervisory status
No

Promotion Potential
11

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

• US Citizenship or National (Residents of American Samoa and Swains Island)
• Meet all eligibility criteria within 30 days of the closing date
• Meet time-in-grade within 30 days of the closing date, if applicable
• Register with Selective Service if you are a male born after 12/31/1959
• Applicant must provide college transcript(s)

If selected, you must meet the following conditions:

• Receive authorization from OPM on any job offer you receive, if you are or were (within the last 5 years) a political Schedule A, Schedule C or Non-Career SES employee in the Executive Branch.
• Serve a one year probationary period, if required.
• Undergo and pass a background investigation (Tier 5 investigation level). You must be granted this clearance before you can start the job.
• Have your identity and work status eligibility verified if you are not a GSA employee. We will use the Department of Homeland Security's e-Verify system for this. Any discrepancies must be resolved as a condition of continued employment.

Qualifications

For each job on your resume, provide:

• the exact dates you held each job (from month/year to month/year)
• number of hours per week you worked (if part time).

If you have volunteered your service through a National Service program (e.g., Peace Corps, Americorps), we encourage you to apply and include this experience on your resume.

For a brief video on creating a Federal resume, click here .

The GS-07 salary range starts at $49,157 per year. If you are a new federal employee, your starting salary will likely be set at the Step 1 of the grade for which you are selected.

To qualify, you must have at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-5 level or higher in the Federal service. Specialized experience isexperience supporting an agency and applying principles of Security functional programs, as they revolve around Personnel Security. OR Education: Applicant must have completed one full year of Graduate level education (18 semester hours or the equivalent) in an area that provided the knowledge, skills and abilities necessary to do the work of the position. OR Combination of Education & Specialized Experience: Applicants must have a combination of graduate level education (beyond the Bachelor's Degree) and specialized experience (as described above) that together meet the qualification requirements of this position. OR Superior Academic Achievement (SAA) at the baccalaureate level is fully qualifying at the GS-7 level. To claim SAA, submit documentation of one of the following:

1. Class standing -- You must be in the upper third of your graduating class in the college, university, or major subdivision, such as the College of Liberal Arts or the School of Business Administration, based on completed courses.
2. Gr ade-point average (rounded to one decimal point) of :

3.0 or higher out of a possible 4.0 ("B" or better) as recorded on your official transcript, or as computed based on 4 years of education, or as computed based on courses completed during the final 2 years of your curriculum; or

3.5 or higher out of a possible 4.0 ("B+" or better) based on the average of the required courses completed in your major field or the required courses in your major field completed during your final 2 years of the curriculum.

3. Election to membership in a national scholastic honor society in one of the national scholastic honor societies listed by the Association of College Honor Societies.

Education

Note: If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit: https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html

Additional information

Bargaining Unit status: Not Applicable

Relocation-related expenses are not approved and will be your responsibility.

Travel expenses associated with interviews are not approved and will be your responsibility.

Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual based on prior non-Federal work experience or uniformed service experience.

How You Will Be Evaluated

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

You will be evaluated on the questions you answer during the application process, which will measure your overall possession of the following competencies or knowledge, skills, and abilities. Your responses to these questions must be supported by your resume or your score may be lowered.

• Knowledge of standard security concepts, principles, and practices to review, analyze, and resolve fundamental security problems in the functional areas of personnel, physical, information, and industrial security.
• Knowledge of policies and regulations regarding personnel, physical and information security.
• Ability to communicate in writing in order to develop recommendations and procedures on new security developments and changes.
• Ability to document testimony and evaluate information in routine clearance adjudication cases.

Additional assessments may be used, and, if so, you will be provided with further instructions.

If you are eligible under Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan or GSA's Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP/CTAP) , you must receive a score of 85 or higher to receive priority.

To preview questions please click here .

Background checks and security clearance

Security clearance
Top Secret

Drug test required
Yes

Position sensitivity and risk
High Risk (HR)

Trust determination process
National security

Required Documents

ALL required documents must be submitted before the closing date. Review the following list to determine what you need to submit. Note: If required to submit an SF-50 (Notice of Personnel Action), an equivalent agency Notice of Personnel Action form is acceptable. Such document(s) must show all of the following: effective date, position, title, series, grade, and rate of basic pay, tenure group 1 (career) or 2 (career-conditional), position occupied group, and name of agency. If you are a GSA employee (except in the OIG), you are not required to submit an SF-50.

• If you are a 30% or more disabled veteran, VEOA or VRA applicant or qualified spouse, widow/widower, or parent:
• Copy of your Certificate of Release or Discharge From Active Duty, DD-214 that shows the dates of your active duty service. If selected, a DD-214 showing your type of discharge (member 4 copy) will be required prior to appointment.
• If you are a disabled veteran, or are applying under VRA or VEOA as a spouse, widow/widower, or parent of a veteran, submit both of the following in addition to the DD-214: (1) completed SF-15 form; and (2) proof of your entitlement (refer to SF-15 for complete list).
• If you are active duty military- Certification on a letterhead from your military branch that includes your rank, character of service (must be under honorable conditions) & military service dates including discharge/release date (must be no later than 120 days after the date the certification is submitted).
• If you are a current Federal employee or Reinstatement Eligible: Submit your latest SF-50.
• If you are eligible under an Interchange Agreement: Submit your latest SF-50.
• If you are a former Peace Corp or VISTA volunteer: Submit your Description of Service.
• If you are a current or former Land Management Agency Employee - Submit a and b:
• one or more SF-50s, including your most recent one that shows you were on a competitive time-limited appointment(s) with a Land Management Agency and served on the appointment for a period(s) totaling more than 24 months without a break of 2 or more years.
• Copy of your agency's annual performance appraisal(s) or written reference(s) from a supervisor at the agency verifying satisfactory performance during your appointment(s).
• If you have a disability: Submit proof of eligibility. For information on eligibility and required documentation, refer to USAJOBS's People With Disabilities page.
• If you are applying under another special appointment authority: Submit proof of your eligibility under the appropriate appointment authority. See USAJOBS's Resource Center for more information.
• If you are ICTAP / CTAP eligible - submit a, b, and c: (a) proof of eligibility including agency notice; (b) SF-50, and (c) most recent performance appraisal.
• Current or Former Political Appointees: Submit SF-50.
• College transcripts: If you are using some or all of your college education to meet qualification requirements for this position, you must submit a photocopy of your college transcript(s). If selected, an official transcript will be required prior to appointment. For education completed outside the United States, also submit a valid foreign credential evaluation that substantiates possession of the required education.
• Superior Academic Achievement: Submit transcripts as described above. If you qualify based on your class rank or honor society membership, submit documentation of it.

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.