Duties

Summary

This position is located in the Health Resources and Services Administration, Office of Operations, Office of Administrative Management, Division of Security Services, Personnel Security Branch. The duty location for this position is in Rockville, Maryland.

**Applicants please note: Additional selections may be made across the Department of Health and Human Services through this vacancy announcement.**
Learn more about this agency

Responsibilities

As a Supervisory Personnel Security Specialist, you serve as the Branch Chief for the Personnel Security Branch providing the full range of first level supervisory duties for the HRSA personnel security program.

Specifically, you will:

• Oversee and supervise all aspects of the background investigations pertaining to personnel security investigations to ensure investigations are processed in a consistent manner that follows all governing Federal laws and policies, as well as relevant HHS and HRSA regulations and procedures.
• Supervise identity proofing and registration services for Homeland Security Presidential Directive 12 (HSPD-12) for all applicable HRSA employees and contractors.
• Identify areas of concern and recommend measures to correct problems or initiate improvements.
• Draft revisions to policies and procedures that may be needed to improve operations.
• Prepare letters to HRSA, other government offices, and Congressional offices to provide explanations of actions taken on cases processed within the Branch, interpretation of regulations, or general information on personnel suitability or personnel security matters.
• Provide the designation and ensure that the OF-8 reflects the correct position information to OHR for all new positions.

Travel Required

Occasional travel - You may be expected to travel for this position.

Supervisory status
Yes

Promotion Potential
None

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

• U. S. Citizenship is required.
• All qualifications and time-in-grade requirements must be met by the closing date of the announcement. Federal applicants must submit an SF-50 to show status and time-in-grade.
• Males ages 18 through 25 must be registered with the Selective Service.
• PHS Commissioned Corps applicants must submit current personnel orders.
• A one year supervisory probationary period may be required.
• Position is not in the Bargaining Unit.
• Recruitment incentives are not authorized.
• Student loan repayment incentive is not authorized.
• Employment is subject to the successful completion of the pre-appointment process (i.e., background investigation, verification of qualifications and job requirements, completion of onboarding forms, submission of required documents, etc.)
• The Drug Testing Program covers this position.
• THIS POSITION IS SUBJECT TO THE COVID-19 VACCINE MANDATE AS A CONDITION OF EMPLOYMENT. REFER TO THE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION SECTION FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THIS MANDATE.

Qualifications

THESE QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS MUST BE MET BY THE CLOSING DATE: 10/19/2021

Do not cut and paste the duties, specialized experience, or occupational assessment questionnaire from this announcement into your resume as that will not be considered a demonstration of your qualifications for this position.

Specialized Experience is experience that has equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position and is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled. To be creditable, an applicant's one full year of specialized experience must demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary for successful job performance.

In order to qualify for thisposition at the GS-14, your resume must clearly demonstrate that you have one full year of specialized experience comparable in difficulty and responsibility to at least the GS-13 level in the federal service.

Examples of qualifying experience equal to the GS-13 include performing the following types of tasks on a regular and recurring basis:

• Adjudicating decisions in accordance with OPM standards articulated in the Suitability Processing Handbook; and,

• Conducting or participating in projects/studies to assess an organizations overall personnel security operations and future requirements based on operations to ensure compliance with government directives.

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; community; student; social). If such experience is on a part-time basis, you must provide the average number of hours worked per week as well as the beginning and ending dates of the experience so it can be fully credited.

Your qualifications will be evaluated on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities and other characteristics):

LEADERSHIP - Inspires, motivates & guides others toward goal accomplishment; coaches & mentors subordinates; adapts leadership styles to a variety of situations; models high standards of honesty, integrity, trust, openness, & respect for the individual by applying these values to daily behaviors.
PERSONNEL SECURITY AND SAFETY- Knowledge of methods and controls of personnel, public safety, and security operations; investigation and inspection techniques; or rules, regulations, precautions, and prevention techniques for the protection of people, data, or property.
TECHNICAL WRITING - Prepares written documentation to transfer technical information about concepts, situations, products, services, or results to audiences with varying levels of technical knowledge.

TO PREVIEW THE OCCUPATIONAL ASSESSMENT QUESTIONNAIRE, please click on the following link: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/11236074

Current status candidates must meet Time-in-Grade (TIG) by the closing date of this announcement.

Please Note: Current year pay adjustments are not acceptable for verifying TIG (ex. 2021 general increases cannot be used to verify TIG).

To allow us to verify that you meet TIG requirements, provide any of the following SF-50s:

• Competitive or Career-ladder promotion to your highest grade (this does not include 120 day temporary promotions)
• Regular Within Range Increase (WRI) or With In Grade (WGI) increase at your highest grade (this does not include quality step increases (QSIs).
• Competitive career/career-conditional appointment to your highest grade.
• SF-50 at your highest grade held, that is at least one year older than the announcement closing date of 10/19/2021.

Not sure which SF-50 to submit? Check out our video... Go here to watch the video on the SF50s to submit in your application package .

Education

This job does not have an education qualification requirement.

Additional information

IMPORTANT NOTE: THIS POSITION IS SUBJECT TO THE COVID-19 VACCINE MANDATE AS A CONDITION OF EMPLOYMENT.

Vaccination Mandate :

• In accordance with Executive Order 14043 , Federal employees are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 regardless of the employee's duty location or work arrangement (e.g., telework, remote work, etc.), subject to exceptions that may be required by law. If selected, you will be required to submit proof of vaccination by November 22, 2021 or before your entrance on duty if you are selected after the compliance date. Your HR Consultant will provide a list of documents acceptable as proof of vaccination and instructions for how to submit a request for a legally required exception, if needed, to comply with vaccination requirement.

Expanded/Maximum telework Posture :

Due to COVID-19, the agency is currently in a maximum telework posture. If selected, you may be expected to telework upon your appointment. As employees are permitted to return to the office, you may be required to report to the duty station listed on this announcement within 30 calendar days of receiving notice to do so, even if your home/temporary telework site is located outside the local commuting area. Your position may be eligible for workplace flexibilities which may include remote work or telework options, and/or flexible work scheduling. These flexibilities may be requested in accordance with the HHS Workplace Flexibilities policy.

Security and Background Requirements: If not previously completed, a background security investigation will be required for all appointees . Appointment will be subject to the applicant's successful completion of a background security investigation and favorable adjudication. False representation may be grounds for non-consideration, non-selection and/or appropriate disciplinary action.

E-Verify: HRSA participates in the USCIS Electronic Employment Eligibility Verification Program (E-Verify). E-Verify helps employers determine employment eligibility of new hires and the validity of their social security numbers.

Direct Deposit: All Federal employees are required to have Federal salary payments made by direct deposit to a financial institution of their choosing.

Creditable Service: A newly appointed or reappointed employee may receive service credit for annual leave for prior work experience directly related to the duties of the position being filled. The use of this service credit is at the discretion of the selecting official and must be finalized prior to selectee's entrance on duty. For more information, please click here .

If you are a veteran with preference eligibility and you are claiming 5-points veterans' preference, you must submit a copy of your DD-214 (Member 4 Copy), or other proof of eligibility. If you are claiming 10-point veterans' preference, you must also submit an SF-15, "Application for 10-Point Veterans' Preference" plus the proof required by that form. Click here for more information on veterans' preference .

Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP)/Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP): Click here

HRSA supports the use of telework as a way to help attract and retain talented individuals in public service, increase worker productivity, and better prepare the agency to operate during emergencies. Telework eligibility may be discussed during the interview process.

How You Will Be Evaluated

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

Additional selections may be made for similar positions across the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) within the local commuting area(s) of the location identified in this announcement. By applying, you agree to have your application shared with interested selecting official(s) at HHS. Clearance of CTAP/ICTAP will be applied for similar positions across HHS.

To determine your qualifications and referral status, we may review your resume and supporting documentation and compare it against your responses to the vacancy questionnaire. Ensure you support your self-ratings by the information you provide in your application. We may verify or assess your qualifications at any time. Inflated or unsupported qualifications may affect your rating. Any misrepresentation or material omission of facts may be sufficient cause to end further consideration of your candidacy. Persons listed as having knowledge of your past accomplishments or experience in your application may be contacted for verification purposes at any time. Verification may, but need not, begin prior to receiving an offer.

To be considered well qualified for the purposes of the Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP) and the Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP) , you must substantively exceed the basic qualifications by scoring at least an 85 on the assessment and meet all eligibility, physical, medical, suitability, and all other requirements.

Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your eligibility.

Background checks and security clearance

Security clearance
Other

Drug test required
Yes

Position sensitivity and risk
Critical-Sensitive (CS)/High Risk

Trust determination process
National security

Required Documents

This agency provides reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process, please contact either HRSA's Office of Human Resources at (301) 443-3780 or by email: askhr@hrsa.gov or HRSA's Reasonable Accommodation programs at (301) 443-2538 or by email: RA-Request@hrsa.gov . You must contact the Reasonable Accommodations Program prior to the closing date of this announcement to receive assistance. The decision on granting reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis. Hours of operation: Monday through Friday 7:30AM to 4:00PM EST (except Federal holidays).

Submission of a resume alone is not a complete application. To apply for this position, you must provide a complete online Application Package which includes:

1. A current Resume - For resume writing guidance, please visit USAJOBS Resources Center or view their video tutorial. Your resume must thoroughly describe how your skills and experiences align to the criteria defined in the "Qualifications" section of this announcement and it must support your responses to the assessment questionnaire. We cannot assume you have performed the necessary experience required for this position regardless of your employment history or academic career. To ensure all of the essential information is in your resume, we encourage you to use the USAJOBS online Resume Builde r.
If you choose to use your own resume, curriculum vitae, or any other written form you choose, then you must ensure it contains all of the required information and you organize it so we can associate the following information for each experience/position:

Job title

Name of employer

Beginning and ending dates of employment (month/day/year format)

Hours worked per week. We will assume full-time unless otherwise stated. We will prorate part-time employment in crediting experience.

Detailed description of job duties, accomplishments, related skills, and responsibilities to include any supervisory/managerial responsibilities and number of staff supervised (if applicable)

Your resume must show the series and grade or equivalent for all federal positions you have held (if a federal position).

You must also ensure that the duties performed are clearly matched to each period of employment.
Do not include a photograph or video of yourself, or any sensitive information (age, date of birth, marital status, protected health information, religious affiliation, social security number, etc.) on your resume or cover letter. We will not access web pages linked on your resume or cover letter to determine your qualifications.

2. A complete Assessment Questionnaire

3. Other supporting documents to be submitted with application:

• Veterans' Preference Documentation, if applicable, a DD-214 Member 4 copy, which shows type of discharge. If still active, provide an official Statement of Service. Any other documentation such as VA letter documenting disability, SF-15, and any other required supporting documentation based your veterans' preference claim.
• SF-50: Federal applicants must submit an SF-50 (Notification of Personnel Action) that shows status and time-in-grade, and its full performance level. If you are an HHS employee you may obtain a copy of your SF-50 from eOPF. If you have separated from Federal Government employment, you may obtain a copy of your SF-50 via: National Personnel Records Center, Annex, 1411 Boulder Boulevard, Valmeyer, IL, 62295; FAX (618) 935-3014 ; Email CPR ; or visit the National Archives Website .
• Personnel Orders: PHS Commissioned Corps Officers must submit a copy of latest personnel orders in lieu of SF-50.
• Peace Corps volunteers must submit a copy of your "Description of Service (DOS)" in lieu of the SF-50. If you do not have one you should email the Peace Corps Office of Volunteer and PSC Financial Services at certify@peacecorps.gov .
• If you are currently serving in a pay banded position, please include a copy of your pay band chart with your application.
• College transcripts (if the position has a positive education requirement, or you are qualifying on the basis of education).

For Résumé and Application Tips visit the USAJOBS Resource Center .

The complete Application Package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on 10/19/2021.