Security Specialist

Duties

The Security Specialist position works within the Office of Safety and Security and reports to the Chief of the Emergency Management and Physical Security unit. The incumbent will be expected to support more senior leaders in the management of physical security, occupant emergency, and continuity of operations programs.

The Security Specialist performs the following major duties:

• Develop and implement strategies to secure a federal facility.
• Implement a federal occupant emergency program to include the development of plan components, training of staff members, and performance and evaluation of exercises.
• Assist overseas staff in the identification and implementation of locally-appropriate physical security strategies.
• Develop guidance for agency personnel on topics related to physical security and emergency management that require clear explanations of regulations and procedures.
• Collect information, interview staff members, observe physical conditions, and related activities concerned with violations and compromises.
• Perform established procedures related to sponsorship and issuance of Personal Identity Verification (PIV) Cards.
• Determine eligibility for access to classified or sensitive information and locations and granting accesses based upon established standards.
• Serve as a contracting officer representative (COR) for contracts related to the performance of functions within the scope of this position.
• Other duties as assigned within the PD.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

Please read this announcement in its entirety prior to submitting your application.

• You must be a U.S. Citizen.
• You must be at least 18 years of age.
• All Federal employees are required to have federal salary payments made by direct deposit to a financial institution of their choosing.
• If you are a male applicant born after December 31, 1959, certify that you have registered with the Selective Service System or are exempt from having to do so. For additional information, see www.sss.gov.
• You must complete a Declaration for Federal Employment to determine your suitability for Federal employment, at the time requested by the agency.
• You must go through a Personal Identity Verification (PIV) process that requires two forms of identification from the Form I-9. Federal law requires verification of the identity and employment eligibility of all new hires in the U.S. These documents must be unexpired originalor certified copies.
• You must successfully complete a background security investigation with favorable adjudication. Failure to successfully meet this requirement will be grounds for employment termination.
• Prior to employment, and in compliance with statutes 5 USC 3322 and 22 USC 2507b, Peace Corps will conduct a check of Peace Corps records for both Returned Peace Corps Volunteers and former Peace Corps employees.
• All new employees are required to certify and submit a state of understanding acknowledging adherence to the Peace Corps condition of employment prior to day 1 of employment with the Peace Corps.
• This position requires you to obtain and maintain a Top-Secret Clearance.
• This job has been identified as a testing designated position under our Drug-Free Workplace Program. Therefore, you must satisfactorily complete a drug test prior to being hired. As an employee, you will be subject to random drug testing.
• This is not a bargaining unit position.
• A one-year probationary period is required.
• This position is eligible for additional reappointments, per 22 USC §2506 (a)(8). The initial appointment is a term of five years and subsequent reappointments are in terms of up to five years.

Qualifications

All qualification requirements must be met by 11/08/2024 (the closing date of the announcement). You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. To ensure full credit for your experience, please indicate the start and end dates (month, day, and year) of employment, the number of hours worked per week, and the location of employment in your resume. Qualification claims will be subject to verification.

Specialized Experience:

This vacancy is being announced at two grade level a:

Specialized Experience at the FP-04:

To be minimally qualified for this position at the FP--04 level, you must have at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower level in the normal line of progression, FP-05 or GS-09 level which is in or directly related to the line of work of the position to be filled and which has equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position. Specialized experience includes: Experience implementing elements of an established security or emergency management programs, experience writing documents that easily convey information on complex topics to individuals who are not subject matter experts; experience coordinating the participation of individuals from different work units to accomplish work-related objectives.

~OR~

FP-05

Specialized Experience at FP-05:

To be minimally qualified for this position at the FP- 05 level, you must have at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower level in the normal line of progression, FP-7 or GS-07 level which is in or directly related to the line of work of the position to be filled and which has equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position. Specialized experience is experience at the lower grade level participating in, exercising or, updating security or emergency response plans or procedures; experience clearly communicating information to individuals to achieve work-related objectives.

~AND~

Time-in-Grade (TIG) Requirements:

Current or Formal Federal employees, including current Peace Corps employees, must meet applicable TIG requirements to be considered eligible. To meet TIG for positions above the FP-09 (GS-05) grade level, you must have served at least one year (52 weeks) at the next lower grade (or equivalent) in the normal line of progression for the position to which you are applying.

All current or former Federal employees (including internal employees) must provide a copy of their SF-50 (you may need to submit more than one), "Notice of Personnel Action" that indicates proof of status and time-in-grade eligibility. The SF-50 must include your position, title, series, grade, step, tenure, and type of service (Competitive or Excepted).

Please note:

• Past experience that satisfies the Specialized Experience MUST be well documented within your resume. Failure to provide this information in your resume with corresponding start and end dates (month, day, and year) of employment, the number of hours worked per week, and location of employment may result in disqualification from further consideration.
• Specialized Experience may have been gained in the public sector, private sector, or through volunteer work done with National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) or other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community, student, social).
• One year of experience refers to full-time work; part-time work is considered on a prorated basis.
• Additional information on qualification requirements is outlined in the OPM Qualifications Standards Handbook of General Schedule Positions. It is available for your review on the OPM web site.
• Peace Corps employees are employed using the Foreign Personnel (FP) pay scale. The FP pay plan does not follow the same structure as the GS pay plan. In the FP pay plan, as the grade-level numbers decrease the level/pay for the position increases. The FP-09 is the lowest entry-level grade and the FP-01 is the highest senior-level grade.

How You Will Be Evaluated

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

Applications will be reviewed once the vacancy announcement closes. We use a multi-step process to review and evaluate applicants:

1. Eligibility and Minimum Qualifications
   • We will review your submitted resume and documents to determine if you meet the eligibility and minimum qualification requirements, including any required education, experience, and/or selective placement factors. You will be rated as ineligible if you are outside of the area of consideration (i.e., who may apply) or your application is missing any required documents. If, after reviewing your resume and/or supporting documentation, a determination is made that you have inflated or falsified your qualifications, education, eligibility claims, and/or experience, this is cause for disqualification. Please follow all instructions carefully when applying, errors or omissions may affect your eligibility. You will be rated as not qualified if you do not possess the minimum qualification requirements.
2. Rating and Ranking
   • If you are found to meet both the eligibility and minimum qualification requirements, we will assess the quality of your experience and the extent to which you possess the required experience by comparing your submitted resume and documents against your responses to the occupational questionnaire and the specialized experience at the grade level(s) for which you are applying. The occupational questionnaire is the list of questions in the automated system that you will have an opportunity to answer once you apply for the position. Based on the outcome of this evaluation, you will be assigned a numerical score (out of 100 possible). If your responses to the occupational questionnaire are not substantiated by your submitted resume, you may be disqualified from receiving further consideration.
3. Referral and Selection
   • If you are found to be amongst the most highly qualified applicants, you will be referred to the selecting official. As part of the assessment and selection process, the selecting official may invite you to participate in a structured interview, check your references, and/or request that you submit a writing sample or complete a written assessment or exercise to further evaluate your qualifications for this position.

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

• Emergency Management
• Physical Security
• Risk Assessment

You may preview the questionnaire for this vacancy here: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12573155

Help

Required Documents

Your complete application includes your resume, your responses to the online questionnaire, and documents which establish your eligibility to apply. If you fail to provide any of these documents, your application will be marked as incomplete and disqualified from further consideration.

All required documents listed below, that are applicable to you, must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) on 11/08/2024 (the closing date of this announcement).

Resume:

All applicants must submit a detailed resume showing all relevant work experience (paid and unpaid) including job title and duties performed. Your resume must show complete information for each job entry to support your qualifications. The following information must be provided in your resume:

• Full name and address of the employer;
• Official position titles;
• Start and end dates of your prior employment (including month, day, and year);
• Work schedule (part-time, full-time, number of hours if intermittent);
• Number of hours worked per week;
• Salary;
• If you are a current Federal employee or former Federal employee, provide your pay plan, series, and grade level (e.g. GS-0201-09);
• A detailed list of duties & accomplishments; and
• Any completed education and training (program title, subject area, number of hours completed, and completion date).

TIP: A good way to ensure you include all essential information is to use the Resume Builder in USAJOBS to create your resume. If your resume does not contain this information, your application may be marked as incomplete and disqualified from further consideration.

If your resume includes a photograph or other inappropriate material or content, you will not be considered for this vacancy.

Proof of Eligibility to Apply:

Your application must include the documents which prove you are eligible to apply for the vacancy. You must meet the requirements of at least one of the authorities listed in the "Who May Apply" section of this announcement to receive further consideration.

• SF-50(s): If you are a current or former federal employee (including current Peace Corps employees), you are required to submit a legible copy/copies of a recent SF-50, Notification of Personnel Action.
  • Time-in-grade documentation: If you are applying for a higher grade and your SF-50 has an effective date within the past year, it may not clearly demonstrate you meet the one year time-in-grade requirement so you will need to provide an SF-50 which clearly demonstrates you meet the time-in-grade requirements. Award 50's do not provide sufficient information and will not be accepted for the purpose of verifying time-in-grade. Examples of appropriate SF-50s include:
    • Within grade increases at the highest grade held; or
    • Promotions with an effective date more than one year old; or
    • SF-50s at the highest grade held with an effective date more than one year old.
• Individuals with Disabilities (IWD): If you are applying using IWD eligibility must provide a Proof of Disability Documentation Letter (commonly referred to as a Schedule A Letter). This letter must be on official stationery/letterhead with an official signature. The letter should clearly state your full name and that you are a person with a disability or targeted disability and are eligible for appointment under Schedule A hiring authority as outlined in 5 CFR Section 213.3102(u). The letter must have been provided by, one of the follow:
  • a licensed medical professional; or
  • a licensed rehabilitation professional; or
  • a federal, state, District of Columbia, or U.S. territory agency that issues or provides disability benefits.
• Peace Corps Eligibility (PCE) documentation of qualifying volunteer service: Applicants claiming PCE are required to submit documentation verifying that you are eligible.
  • In most cases, this will be your Description of Service (DOS). Please include this under the "Proof of Volunteer with PC, VISTA, ACTION etc." document place holder.
  • The following statement must be included in the final paragraph of the signed DOS: This is to certify in accordance with Section 6.0 of Peace Corps Manual Section 285 that (NAME) served satisfactorily as a Peace Corps (Response) volunteer for a full term of service under an appointment of (X) months.
  • PCRVs should also include their Verification of Service letter, which is important retirement and leave documentation.