Personnel Security Specialist

Summary

Based in the Washington Headquarters Services (WHS) Security Enterprise Services Directorate, the Personnel Vetting Operations Division (PVOD) manages vetting operations. PVOD directly supports the Office of the Secretary of Defense, WHS leadership, and key clients including the U.S. Supreme Court, Federal Courts, Pentagon Force Protection, Defense Legal Services, Capitol Police, and Congress.

Duties

Incumbent typical work assignments may include the following: Serve as primary liaison with external federal agencies to secure expedited reviews and investigative file transfers for individuals holding non-DoD clearances. Implements transfer of trust for existing security clearances via accreditation/collaboration with Federal Bureau of lnvestigations, Central intelligence Agency, Department of State, Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency, as well as other agencies. Prioritizes clearances for senior leadership, including Assistant Secretaries of Defense and White House appointees. Maintains strategic, long-standing interagency relationships foundational to the Department's national security posture. Reviews and evaluates completed security documents to make temporary security clearance and CAC determinations for employees for access to sensitive information, resources, material or work sites. Makes determinations mitigating minor derogatory information. Handles, manage and be responsible for classified material when required. Participate in interorganizational working groups to resolve issues that are system wide. Perform duties with minimal oversight or direction. Demonstrate flexibility when changes occur in policy and procedures.

Qualifications

Promotion Potential: If you are selected below the full performance level, you will be placed under a career development plan and may be non-competitively promoted if performance is satisfactory, you successfully complete all requirements and are recommended by management. Promotion is not guaranteed, and no promise of promotion is implied. In order to qualify for this position, you must meet the requirements described below. You may qualify at the GS-09 level, if you fulfill the following qualification requirement: One year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-07 grade level in the Federal service (experience may have been gained in the private sector) that demonstrates your ability to assist in the processing of personnel security actions by inputting data into security systems; and Reviewing security forms for completeness; and Preparing case files for review by a senior specialist. OR Education: Master's or equivalent graduate degree or 2 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree in a field which demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of the position, such as: Criminal justice, Security Management, or Law Enforcement and Administration. OR Combination of education and experience. You may qualify at the GS-11 level, if you fulfill the following qualification requirement: One year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-09 grade level in the Federal service (experience may have been gained in the private sector) that demonstrates your ability to Perform routine personnel security case management duties (such as reviewing completed background investigations to identify minor derogatory information and drafting initial case summaries or recommendations for a senior adjudicator); and Applying security regulations and procedures to process security clearance nominations. OR Education: Ph.D or equivalent doctoral degree or 3 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree in a field which demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of the position, such as: Criminal justice, Security Management, or Law Enforcement and Administration. OR Combination of education and experience. You may qualify at the GS-12 level, if you fulfill the following qualification requirement: One year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-11 grade level in the Federal service (experience may have been gained in the private sector) that demonstrates your ability to Review and evaluate completed security investigations to make preliminary determinations on suitability and security eligibility; and Providing guidance to security managers on established personnel security policies and procedures. 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). You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. All qualifications and education requirements must be met by the closing date of this announcement and clearly documented in your resume. Your resume may not exceed two (2) pages. For qualifications determinations, it is recommended that applicants include their months and hours worked per week for each employment listed on their resume. If a determination is not able to be made about the duration of your creditable experience for qualification requirements, you will be removed from consideration. Read more about what should I include in my federal resume at https://help.usajobs.gov/faq/application/documents/resume/what-to-include ACTIVE DUTY SERVICE MEMBERS: Federal agencies treat active duty service member as veterans, disabled veterans, and preference eligible, when they submit, as part of their application package, a "certification" of active service in lieu of a DD-214, indicating the service member is otherwise eligible and will be discharged or released within 120 days from the date of submission.. A "certification" letter should be on letterhead of the appropriate military branch of the service and contain (1) the military service dates including the expected discharge or release date; and (2) the character of service. This "certification" must include your rank, dates of active duty service, type of discharge and character of service (i.e. honorable), and date any terminal leave will begin. It must be signed by, or by direction of, the adjutant, personnel officer, or commander of your unit or higher headquarters. Active duty members that fail to provide a valid "certification" of service with their initial application will be found "not eligible". Members may be appointed before the effective date of their military retirement/separation if they are on terminal leave. Current or Former Political Appointees: Agencies must seek prior approval from OPM before they can appoint a current or recent political appointee to a competitive or non-political excepted service position at any level. If you are currently or have been within the last 5 years, a political Schedule A, Schedule C, or Non-career SES employee in the executive branch, you MUST disclose that to the Human Resources Office. Time-in-grade and education requirements must be met by the closing date of this announcement and clearly documented in your resume.

Education

Education cannot be substituted for experience at the GS-12 grade level. OR ARE YOU QUALIFYING BASED ON EDUCATION or A COMBINATION OF EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE AT THE GS-09 OR GS-11 LEVEL? You must provide sufficient documentation of your education in your resume. You MUST provide a copy of official or unofficial transcripts or degrees in your application package. It may also be acceptable to document your applicable course listing in your resume (course number, credits earned, etc.). 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.