Duties
Provides supervision, care and correctional treatment of inmates and guidance to lower-graded Correctional Officers. Concerned with maintenance of institution security contributing to the health and welfare of the inmates and the promotion of good public relations.
Enforces rules and regulations governing facility security, inmate accountability and inmate conduct to ensure judicial sanctions are carried out and inmates remain in custody. From time to time, may be authorized to carry firearms and to use physical force, including deadly force, to maintain control of inmates.
During institution emergencies or other periods of heavy workload or limited staff, may be required to work long and irregular hours, unusual shifts, Sundays, holidays and unexpected overtime. Senior Officer Specialist must be flexible and have a broad knowledge base to use own initiative in the resolution of problem situations.
Requirements
Conditions of Employment
- U.S. Citizenship is Required.
- See Special Conditions of Employment Section.
Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) The ICTAP provides eligible displaced Federal competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. If your agency has notified you in writing that you are a displaced employee eligible for ICTAP consideration, you may receive selection priority if: 1)this vacancy is within your ICTAP eligibility; 2) you apply under the instructions in this announcement; and 3) you are found well qualified for this vacancy. To be well qualified, you must satisfy all qualification requirements for the vacant position and score 85 or better on established ranking criteria. You must provide proof of eligibility with your application of ICTAP eligibility or a copy of your separation personnel action form. Additional information about ICTAP eligibility is at: Click Here
The Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provides eligible surplus and displaced competitive service employees in the Department of Justice with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. If your Department of Justice component has notified you in writing that you are a surplus or displaced employee eligible for CTAP eligibility, you may receive selection priority if: 1) this vacancy is within your CTAP eligibility; 2) you apply under the instructions in this announcement; and 3) you are found well qualified for this vacancy. To be well qualified, you must satisfy all qualification requirements for the vacant position and score 85 or better on established ranking criteria. You must provide a copy of your written notification of CTAP eligibility with your application. Additional information about CTAP eligibility is at: Click Here
Qualifications
To be considered for the position, you must meet the following qualification requirements:
Education:
There is no substitution of education for specialized experience for this position.
OR
Experience:
You must have at least one year of specialized experience equivalent in difficulty and complexity to the next lower grade in the normal line of progression. Specialized experience must have equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position to be filled. Experience must have been gained in a correctional facility with responsibilities in correctional treatment, care, custody, and control of inmates.
Some examples of this qualifying experience are:
- Experience with assignments made to those areas requiring the maximum skill and expertise in dealing with inmates, the public, and the security of the institution.
- Experience in supervising and instructing inmates regarding proper sanitation, personal hygiene and work habits.
- Experience in maintaining the control and discipline of inmates in such areas as the auditorium, housing units, segregation, recreation areas, dining rooms, etc.
- Experience in having responsibility for the custody and control of inmates who require special handling.
AND
Medical Requirement:
The Department of Justice, Bureau of Prisons has established the following medical requirements for Correctional Officer positions:
The duties of these positions involve unusual mental and nervous pressure and require arduous physical exertion involving prolonged walking and standing, restraining of prisoners in emergencies, and participating in escape hunts. Applicants must be physically capable of performing efficiently the duties of these positions and be free from such defects or disease as may constitute employment hazards to themselves or others. The duties of a Correctional Officer are arduous; and sound health as well as physical fitness is required.
If applicable, credit will be given for paid and unpaid experience. To receive proper credit, you must show the actual time (such as the number of hours worked per week) spent in activities.
**Your eligibility for consideration will be based on your responses to the questions in the application.**
Education
See Qualifications Section for education requirements, if applicable.
ONLY if education is a requirement/substitution for specialized experience, applicant MUST upload legible transcripts as verification of educational requirement. Transcripts MUST be uploaded and electronically linked from USAJOBS at the time you apply and MUST include identifying information to include School Name, Student Name, Degree and Date Awarded (if applicable). All academic degrees and coursework must be completed at a college or university that has obtained accreditation or pre-accreditation status from an accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. For a list of schools that meet this criteria, Click Here.
Foreign Education: For information regarding foreign education requirements, please see Foreign Diploma and Credit Recognition at the U.S. Department of Education website: Recognition of Foreign Qualifications.
If you are selected for this position and qualified based on education (i.e. basic education requirement and/or substitution of education), you will be required to provide an OFFICIAL transcript prior to your first day on duty.
Benefits
A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.
Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.
How You Will Be Evaluated
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
If your composite score exceeds the average score for this job, your resume and supporting documentation will be compared to your online assessment questionnaire responses and utilized to determine whether you meet the job qualifications listed in this announcement. If you rate yourself higher than what is supported by your application materials, your responses may be adjusted and/or you may be excluded from consideration for this job. If you are found to be among the top candidates, you will be referred to the selecting official for employment consideration.
There are several parts of the application process that affect the overall evaluation of your application:
- Your resume, which is part of your USAJOBS profile;
- Your responses to the eligibility questions;
- Your responses to the online assessment questionnaire;
- Your supporting documentation, if required.
Time-in-Grade: Federal employees must meet time-in-grade requirements for consideration. You must meet all qualification requirements upon the closing date of this announcement.
What Competencies/Knowledge, Skills and Abilities are Required for this Position?
The following Competencies/Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSA's) are required
- Stress Tolerance
- Writing
- Oral Communication
- Decision Making
- Teamwork
You may preview questions for this vacancy.
Required Documents
- Resume showing relevant experience (cover letter optional). Experience that would not normally be part of the Federal employee's position is creditable when documented by satisfactory evidence (e.g., a memorandum from the manager, Human Resource Manager, SF-52, etc.)
- To receive credit for experience contained in an application, the experience must be documented in month/year format (MM/YYYY), reflecting starting date and ending date and include the number of hours worked per week. Failure to follow this format may result in disqualification.
- Current or former Federal employees NOT employed by the Bureau of Prisons MUST submit a copy of their SF-50 Form which shows competitive service appointment, tenure group, and salary. If you have promotion potential in your current position, please provide proof. If you are applying for a higher grade, and your experience was gained at a Federal agency other than the Bureau of Prisons, you MUST provide the SF-50 Form which verifies the length of time you have been in your highest grade and supports your claim for time in grade.
- Employees applying with an interchange agreement must provide proof of their permanent appointment.
- Current federal employees NOT employed by the BOP and former federal employees MUST submit a copy of their latest yearly performance appraisal/evaluation.
- Military Spouses who meet the requirement of Executive Order 13832 -Military Spouses who meet the requirement of Executive Order 13832 - must submit a copy of their spouses’ Department of Defense (DD) Form 214 AND/OR orders verifying the military member is currently on active duty AND a copy of documentation from either the Department of Veterans Affairs or the Department of Defense indicating the service member has a disability rating of 100 percent due to a service-connected disability AND documentation verifying marriage to the service member. For more information Click Here.
- Documentation supporting eligibility for consideration under the Veterans Employment Opportunities Act (VEOA) includes a DD-214 Member 4 copy and/or VA Letter.
- ICTAP/CTAP, Click Here, if applicable.
Failure to provide these documents could possibly result in removal from consideration for this vacancy. If uploading documentation, do not identify/save your documents utilizing a special character such as %, #, @, etc. Documentation should be identified/saved as VA Letter, DD214, or Transcripts.
We cannot be held responsible for incompatible software, delays in mail service, applicant application errors, etc.
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.
How to Apply
You must apply through the online application system at www.USAJOBS.gov. Follow the prompts to register, answer a few questions and submit all required documents.
NOTE: Submission of a resume alone is not a complete application. This position may require the completion of additional forms and/or supplemental materials as described under the Required Documents section. Please carefully review the complete job announcement and the "How to Apply" instructions. Failure to provide the required information and/or materials will result in your application not being considered for employment.
Required supporting documentation must be electronically uploaded or transferred from USAJOBS (uploaded).
All required supporting documentation MUST be received by the Consolidated Staffing Unit by 11:59 p.m., Eastern Standard Time, on the closing date of the vacancy announcement. You MUST include the vacancy announcement number on your supporting documentation.
NOTE: Failure to follow these application procedures will result in the applicant losing consideration for this position.
Paper applications: If applying online is impossible, please contact the Consolidated Staffing Unit at the telephone number listed below, prior to the closing date of the announcement for the alternate application procedure.
Contact for Assistance in Applying On-Line:
DOJ, Federal Bureau of Prisons
Consolidated Staffing Unit
346 Marine Forces Drive
Grand Prairie, TX 75051
E-Mail: BOP-HRM-HRSC-ConsolidatedStaffingUnit-S@bop.gov
Phone: 972-352-4200
How do I Apply for this Position if I am a Military Spouse applying under the Special Hiring Authority?
Military Spouses who meet the requirement of Executive Order 13832 MUST include the vacancy announcement number on all supporting documentation, as well as the appointing authority used. For more information Click Here.
To be considered for this Special Hiring Authority, applicants must submit package to BOP-HRM-HRSC-ConsolidatedStaffingUnit-S@bop.gov.
- Submit resume must contain all information listed in the Qualifications Section (i.e. transcripts, certification, registration, and/or license, if applicable).
- A copy of their spouse’s Department of Defense (DD) Form 214 and/or orders verifying the military member’s current active-duty status.
- Documentation confirming marriage to the service member.
- If applicable, a copy of documentation from either the Department of Veterans Affairs or the Department of Defense indicating the service member possesses a disability rating of 100 percent due to a service-connected disability.
Your completed application packet must be submitted to the Consolidated Staffing Unit by 11:59 p.m., Eastern Standard Time (EST), on the closing date of the vacancy announcement. You must include the last four digits of your social security number and the vacancy announcement number on your application packet. DO NOT SUBMIT AN APPLICATION ON-LINE.
Next steps
We will notify you of the outcome after each step of the application process has been completed. Normally, Selecting Officials will make a selection within 90-days.
When deemed necessary, the selection process may be extended up to 180-days from the date the certificate(s), (Exception, Best Qualified Lists) is/are generated to make a selection.