Duties

Summary

If you are interested in a career where you will be a valued team member who provides administrative and technical support to PSA's Office of Human Capital Management, Personnel Security Team, this job is for you!

A candidate appointed at a lower grade level may be promoted up to the full performance level without further competition.

Bargaining Unit Status: Not Covered

This announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.

Learn more about this agency

Responsibilities

As a Personnel Security Specialist, you will:

1. Manage the HSPD-12 program for the Agency, ensure that employee PIV cards are ordered, issued, and kept up-to-date. Schedule appointments with employees and applicants to complete initiation and activations processes and to update certificates.

2. Ensure that applicant and employee fingerprints are submitted through the required systems and review and submit results.

3. Perform work as assigned by Personnel Security Officer, enter information into automated systems to initiate investigations and ensure proper documentation is submitted by applicants for public trust investigations.

4. Support the Personnel Security Officer in developing, evaluating, maintaining, and/or operating systems, policies, devices, procedures and methods used for the processing of public trust investigations.

5. Suppors the Personnel Security Officer with executing security reports and other security requirements.

6. Explain personnel security policies and procedures to employees and managers. Train and update the OHCM employees as needed on personnel security processes.

7. Coordinate the issuance of Agency credentials, communicate and implement established procedures.

8. Identify the need for new or revised procedures. Recommend approaches and draft proposed new or revised procedures. Assure accuracy, adequacy and consistency with other agency-wide procedures through coordination with OHCM and other cognizant PSA staff.

9. Use a variety of automated systems to process actions, track and control information and produce reports. Define system problems or improvements and work with information technology staff to resolve problems, or upgrade or implement new systems.

Travel Required

Not required

Supervisory status
No

Promotion Potential
12

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

• Must be a U.S. Citizen
• Males born after 12-31-59 must be registered for Selective Service
• Suitable for Federal employment, determined by a background investigation
• May be required to successfully complete a probationary period, if not already completed
• All applicants are subject to a comprehensive criminal background investigation, and required to submit to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment
• All Federal employees are required to have Federal salary payments made by direct deposit to a financial institution of their choice

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, you must meet the specialized experience or basic education requirement listed below.

To qualify at the GS-9 level: You must have one year of specialized experience providing credentialing services that includes enrollment, certificate updates, maintaining, and terminating HSPD-12 credentials in support of personnel security programs; OR

Substitution of Education for Experience: Two (2) full years of graduate level education, master's or equivalent graduate degree OR LL.B or J.D, if related.

Education

There is education substitution at this grade level.

ARE YOU USING YOUR EDUCATION TO QUALIFY? You MUST provide transcripts or other documentation to support your educational claims. Unless otherwise stated: (1) official or unofficial transcripts are acceptable, or (2) you may submit a list with all of your courses, grades, semester, year, and credit for the course. All materials must be submitted by the closing date of the announcement.

PASS/FAIL COURSES: If more than 10 percent of your undergraduate course work (credit hours) was taken on a pass/fail basis, your claim of superior academic achievement must be based upon class standing or membership in an honor society.

FOREIGN EDUCATION: If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show that the education credentials have been evaluated by a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign education programs and such education has been deemed equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program; or full credit has been given for the courses at a U.S. accredited college or university. For further information, visit: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html

Additional information

1. If you are an eligible Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP) applicant, you may apply for special selection over other applicants for this position. Individuals who have special priority selection rights under the ICTAP must be well-qualified for the position. To be well qualified, applicants must satisfy all qualification requirements for the position and meet the well-qualified level (mid-level) of the crediting plan for all factors. ICTAP eligibles must submit one of the following as proof of eligibility for the special selection priority: a separation notice, SF-50, Notice of Personnel Action, documenting separation, an agency certification that you cannot be placed after injury compensation has been terminated, an OPM notification that your disability annuity has been terminated, OR a Military Department or National Guard Bureau notification that you are retired under 5 U.S.C. Section 833(h) or Section 8456.

2. If you are a veteran with preference eligibility and you are claiming 5-point veterans' preference, you should attach a copy of your DD-214 (unedited long version) or other proof of eligibility. If you are claiming 10-point veterans' preference, you must attach an SF-15, "Application for 10-point Veterans' Preference" plus the proof required by that form.

3. If you are a male applicant who was born after 12/31/59 and are required to register under the Military Selective Service Act, the Defense Authorization Act of 1986 requires that you be registered or you are not eligible for appointment in this agency.

4. Reasonable Accommodation, this agency provides reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of this application and hiring process, please notify the agency. The decision on granting reasonable accommodation is made on a case-by-case basis.

5. All qualification requirements must be met by the closing date of this announcement. Additional information on the qualification requirements is outlined in the OPM Qualifications Standards Handbook of General Schedule Positions. It is available for your review in our office, in other Federal agency personnel offices, and on OPM's web site at http://www.opm.gov/qualifications.

6. Equal Opportunity Employer: The Pretrial Services Agency is an equal opportunity employer. Selection for this position will be based solely on merit without regard to race, color, religion, age, gender, national origin, political affiliation, disability, sexual orientation, marital or family status or other non-merit based factors.

How You Will Be Evaluated

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

Your rating will be based on your responses to the job specific information provided in your resume. Your resume must clearly show how you possess the knowledge, skills, and abilities listed below. Failure to demonstrate how you possess the knowledge, skills, and abilities will result in a rating of "Qualified" by the rating panel.

1. Knowledge of the principles, concepts, and techniques of security programs relating to the administration of HSPD-12 in the Federal sector.

2. Experience utilizing automated systems for HSPD-12 and personnel security.

3. Skill in oral and written communications required to collect and provide information relating to HSPD-12.

Once the application process is completed, your application will be reviewed to ensure you meet the job requirements. You will be evaluated on the extent and quality of your experience, education and training. If you meet the basic qualification requirements, your resume will be forwarded to a panel for rating. Category Rating will be used to evaluate applicants using the following categories to further determine which applicants will be referred to the selecting official for final consideration.

Best Qualified: Applicants possessing a background that demonstrates a superior level on all evaluation criteria.

Well Qualified: Applicants possessing a background that demonstrates a satisfactory level on evaluation criteria.

Qualified: Applicants possessing the specialized experience described above.

Application of Veterans' Preference: Category rating and selection procedures place those with veterans' preference above non-veterans within each category. Veterans who meet the eligibility and qualification requirements, and who have a compensable service-connected disability of at least 10% are listed in the highest quality category (Best Qualified), except when the position being filled is scientific or professional at the GS-9 grade level or higher.

Background checks and security clearance

Security clearance
Other

Drug test required
No

Position sensitivity and risk
Noncritical-Sensitive (NCS)/Moderate Risk

Trust determination process
Suitability/Fitness

Required Documents

To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package which includes:
1. Your resume listing work schedule, hours worked per week, dates of employment, duties performed and salary information.
2. Other supporting documents:

• Cover Letter, optional
• College transcript(s), if qualifying based on education
• DD-214, SF-15 Form and VA letter, or certification of expected discharge or release from active duty from Veterans for consideration under Veteran hiring authorities
• Career Transition Assistance Program/Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program Documentation, if applicable (e.g. Certification of Expected Separation, Reduction-In-Force Separation Notice, or Notice of Proposed Removal; SF-50 that documents the RIF separation action; and most recent performance appraisal.)
• Only send documentation as requested/required by this announcement and that directly supports your qualifications for this 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.