Summary
Joining the Secret Service, Office of Technical Development and Mission Support, Technical Security Division allows you to plan tactical operations and technical screening assets in support of protecting the President, Vice President, visiting foreign heads of state, domestic protectees, and other National Special Security Events, as deemed appropriate .
For more information on the Secret Service click here.
This job is open to
Clarification from the agency
All U.S. Citizens
Duties
The selectee will serve as an Electronics Engineer in the Office of Technical Development and Mission Support. Typical work assignments include:
- Assisting with researching, developing, testing and evaluating various operational systems, technologies and products
- Assisting with monitoring developments in countermeasures and biometric technologies; and assisting in the preparation and review of specifications, guides, technical program data and annual planning documents.
- Assisting with providing informational briefings for supervisors and non-technical personnel.
- Assisting with providing documentation of activities such as monthly updates, briefing books, project displays, project briefings and maintaining official files.
Requirements
Conditions of Employment
If selected for this position, you will be required to:
- You must be a U.S. citizen to apply for this position.
- One-year probationary period may be required.
- Males born after 12/31/59 must be registered or exempt from Selective Service (see http://www.sss.gov/).
- Obtain and maintain a top secret/Sensitive Compartmented Information (SCI) Tier 5 clearance. For more information visit OPM Mythbuster Page here.
- Submit to a drug test prior to your appointment and random drug testing while you occupy the position.
- Submit to a polygraph examination prior to your appointment.
- Undergo occasional travel. In rare circumstances, foreign travel may be required
- Financial disclosure report required.
- All qualification requirements must be met by the closing date of this announcement. Qualification claims will be subject to verification.
Qualifications
Applicants must demonstrate that they meet the Basic Requirements AND Specialized Experience requirements as noted below:
Basic Requirement: You must meet one of the items listed below (A or B):
A. Possess a Degree in Engineering. To be acceptable, the program must: (1) lead to a bachelor's degree in a school of engineering with at least one program accredited by ABET; or (2) include differential and integral calculus and courses (more advanced than first-year physics and chemistry) in five of the following seven areas of engineering science or physics: (a) statics, dynamics; (b) strength of materials (stress-strain relationships); (c) fluid mechanics, hydraulics; (d) thermodynamics; (e) electrical fields and circuits; (f) nature and properties of materials (relating particle and aggregate structure to properties); and (g) any other comparable area of fundamental engineering science or physics, such as optics, heat transfer, soil mechanics, or electronics.
OR
B. Have a combination of education and experience -- college-level education, training, and/or technical experience that furnished (1) a thorough knowledge of the physical and mathematical sciences underlying engineering, and (2) a good understanding, both theoretical and practical, of the engineering sciences and techniques and their applications to one of the branches of engineering. The adequacy of such background must be demonstrated by one of the following: 1. Professional registration or licensure -- Current registration as an Engineer Intern (EI), Engineer in Training (EIT), or licensure as a Professional Engineer (PE) by any State, the District of Columbia, Guam, or Puerto Rico. Absent other means of qualifying under this standard, those applicants who achieved such registration by means other than written test (e.g., State grandfather or eminence provisions) are eligible only for positions that are within or closely related to the specialty field of their registration. For example, an applicant who attains registration through a State Board's eminence provision as a manufacturing engineer typically would be rated eligible only for manufacturing engineering positions. 2. Written Test -- Evidence of having successfully passed the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) examination or any other written test required for professional registration by an engineering licensure board in the various States, the District of Columbia, Guam, and Puerto Rico. 3. Specified academic courses -- Successful completion of at least 60 semester hours of courses in the physical, mathematical, and engineering sciences and that included the courses specified in the basic requirements under paragraph A. The courses must be fully acceptable toward meeting the requirements of an engineering program as described in paragraph A. 4. Related curriculum -- Successful completion of a curriculum leading to a bachelor's degree in an appropriate scientific field, e.g., engineering technology, physics, chemistry, architecture, computer science, mathematics, hydrology, or geology, may be accepted in lieu of a bachelor's degree in engineering, provided the applicant has had at least 1 year of professional engineering experience acquired under professional engineering supervision and guidance. Ordinarily there should be either an established plan of intensive training to develop professional engineering competence, or several years of prior professional engineering-type experience, e.g., in interdisciplinary positions. (The above examples of related curricula are not all inclusive.)
AND
You qualify for the GS-09 level (starting salary $68,405) if you possess one of the following:
A. Specialized Experience GS-09: Applicant must demonstrate one full year of specialized experience comparable in scope and responsibility to the GS-07 level in the Federal service (obtained in either the public or private sectors) performing the following duties:
- Assisting in the operation, evaluation or development of specialized electronics systems;
- Contributing to engineering team-based projects; and
- Assisting with evaluating engineering plans, designs, reports or correspondence.
OR
B. Successful completion of two (2) full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a Master's degree or equivalent degree; or successful completion of a Master's degree, at an accredited college or university in a field that provided the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of the position.
OR
C. Less than one year of experience as described in A and less than 2 years of graduate level education as described in B. However, you have a combination of specialized experience and graduate level education that when combined, equals at least 100% of the total requirement. Note: Only graduate education in excess of one year [generally 18 semester hours] may be used in this calculation.
OR
D. Have one year of technical professional experience and have a Bachelor's degree in Engineering from an accredited college or university AND meet Superior Academic Achievement (SAA) based on ONE of the following:
- Class standing -- Applicants must be in the upper third of the graduating class in the college, university, or major subdivision, based on completed courses.
- Grade-point average (G.P.A.) -- Applicants must have a grade-point average of 3.0 or higher out of a possible 4.0 ("B" or better) as recorded on their official transcript, or as computed based on 4 years of education, or as computed based on courses completed during the final 2 years of the curriculum; or 3.5 or higher out of a possible 4.0 ("B+" or better) based on the average of the required courses completed in the major field or the required courses in the major field completed during the final 2 years of the curriculum. (Grade point averages are to be rounded to one decimal place. For example, 2.95 will round to 3.0 and 2.94 will round to 2.9.)
- Election to membership in a national scholastic honor society -- Applicants can be considered eligible based on membership in one of the national scholastic honor societies. Membership in a freshman honor society cannot be used to meet the requirements of this provision. (Note: Transcripts (official or unofficial) must be submitted to support your claim, otherwise you will be found ineligible).
OR
E. Have completed a 5-year program of study of at least 160 semester hours leading to a Bachelor's degree in Engineering from an accredited college or university and one year of technical professional experience.
You qualify for the GS-11 level (starting salary $82,764) if you possess one of the following:
A. Specialized Experience GS-11: Applicant must demonstrate one full year of specialized experience comparable in scope and responsibility to the GS-09 level in the Federal service (obtained in either the public or private sectors) performing the following duties:
- Contributing to team-based electronics engineering projects;
- Participating in the continued oversight of electronics engineering technologies; and
- Assisting in the development of test plans to assure reliability of system performance.
OR
B. Successful completion of three (3) full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree; or successfully completed a Ph.D., if related, at an accredited college or university in a field that provided the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of the position.
OR
C. Less than one year of experience as described in A and less than 3 years of graduate level education as described in B. However, you have a combination of specialized experience and graduate level education that when combined, equals at least 100% of the total requirement. Note: Only graduate education in excess of the master's level [generally 36 semester hours] may be used in this calculation.
Education
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). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.
This position requires specific coursework and/or a degree to meet the basic education requirement. You must submit an official transcript, unofficial transcript, or a list including courses, grades earned, completion dates, and quarter and semester hours earned. Your transcript(s) must clearly demonstrate the course(s) listed in the qualification requirement section. If the transcript(s) does not clearly demonstrate this you must submit a copy of the course description and/or other documentation demonstrating that the courses are equivalent.
If you are claiming education as any part of your qualifications for this position, you must submit an official transcript, unofficial transcript, or a list including courses, grades earned, completion dates, and quarter and semester hours earned.
Special Instructions for 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. Failure to provide such documentation with your application will result in lost consideration. For further information, visit: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/.
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.
Your application will be rated on the extent and quality of your experience, education and training relevant to the duties of the position. If you meet the minimum qualifications, a score will automatically be calculated based on your answers to the vacancy specific questions to place you in one of three categories. All answers provided in the online process must be substantiated by your resume. Upon review, your resume and/or supporting documents need to support your answer choices and reflect the one year of specialized experience requirement, in order to be considered. If the one year of specialized experience, equivalent to the next lower grade level cannot be identified in your resume, you will be considered not qualified. The competencies or knowledge, skills, and abilities needed to perform this job are:
- Research
- Technical Competence
- Written Communication
If you meet the minimum qualifications, you will be placed in one of the following categories:
- Best-Qualified: Applicants possessing experience that substantially exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position and demonstrate high proficiency in all of the critical competencies, including all Selective Placement Factors (SPF), and appropriate Quality Ranking Factors (ORF) as determined by the job analysis.
- Well-Qualified: Applicants possessing experience that exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position and demonstrates acceptable proficiency in all of the critical competencies, including all SPF's and appropriate ORFs as determined by the job analysis.
- Qualified: Applicants possessing experience that meets the minimum qualifications of the position and demonstrate basic proficiency in most of the critical competencies, including all SPFs and appropriate QRFs as determined by the job analysis.
The Category Rating Process does not add veteran's preference points but protects the rights of veterans by placing them ahead of non-preference eligibles within each category. Preference eligibles who meet the minimum qualification requirements and who have a compensable service-connected disability of at least 10 percent must be listed in the highest quality category (except in the case of scientific or professional positions at the GS-9 level or higher). This position is considered scientific/professional. Veteran preference eligibles will receive selection consideration before non-preference eligibles within each quality category.
If you are among the best qualified, you may be referred to the hiring manager for consideration.
An interview may be required for this position. If an interview is required, failure to complete the interview may result in removal from further consideration.
Required Documents
To apply for this position, you must submit a complete Application Package which includes:
1. Your resume showing a detailed description of your job-related qualifications that includes beginning and ending dates with the month and year and hours worked per week (if less than 40) for each paid and non-paid work experience job title listed.
2. Other supporting documents (only submit if applicable to you):
- Are you qualifying based on education? Submit a copy of your college transcript (unofficial is acceptable) or a list of coursework with hours completed.
- Are you qualifying based on Professional registration or licensure, or evidence of having successfully completed a written exam? Submit the appropriate documentation to support your claim.
- Are you claiming veterans' preference?
- Submit Member Copy 4 of your DD-214 or other (Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty) or other notice form
- If you are claiming 10-point veterans' preference, in addition to the DD-214, you must also submit a Standard Form 15 (Application for 10-Point Veteran Preference) and provide an official document dated 1991 or later, from the Department of Veterans Affairs or from a branch of the Armed Forces, and/or any other required documentation based on your preference.
- If applying based on eligibility under the Veterans Opportunity to Work (VOW) Act, you must submit certification from the Armed Forces that you will be discharged or released from active duty within 120 days from the date you submit your application. This must indicate your dates of service, your rank, and confirm that you will be separated under honorable conditions.
- Are you claiming special priority selection rights under the Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP/CTAP)? If so, submit:
- A copy of your RIF separation notice, notice of proposed removal for failure to relocate, notice of disability annuity termination, or certification from the National Guard Bureau or Military Department that you are eligible for disability retirement;
- A copy of your SF-50 "Notification of Personnel Action'', documenting your RIF separation, noting your positions, grade level, and duty location, and/or Agency certification of inability to place you through RPL, etc.;
- A copy of your latest performance appraisal including your rating; and
- Any documentation from your agency that shows your current promotion potential.
- Are you a current or former political Schedule A, Schedule C, Non-career SES or Presidential Appointee employee? Submit a copy of your applicable SF-50, along with a statement that provides the following information regarding your most recent political appointment:
- Position title;
- Type of appointment (Schedule A, Schedule C, Non-career SES, or Presidential Appointee);
- Agency; and
- Beginning and ending dates of appointment.
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
Please read the entire announcement and all the instructions before you begin an application. To apply for this position, you must complete the initial online application, to include the initial online assessment and submission of the required documentation specified in the Required Documents section above. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on 07/08/2024 to receive consideration.
PLEASE NOTE: If your materials are not received by the closing date, your application will be evaluated solely on the information available and you may not receive full consideration or may not be considered eligible. Also, if you do not provide a valid email address, you may not be notified of the outcome of your application.
The application process is as follows:
- To begin the application process, click the Apply Online button.
- Answer the questions presented in the application and attach all necessary supporting documentation.
- Click the Submit Application button prior to 11:59PM (ET) on the announcement closing date.
To update your application, including supporting documentation, at any time during the announcement open period, return to your USAJOBS account https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login. There you will find a record of your application, the application status, and an option to Update Application. This option will no longer be available once the announcement has closed.
To verify the status of your application both during and after the announcement open period, log into your USAJOBS account: https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login. All of your applications will appear on the Welcome page. The application record in your USAJOBS account provides an Additional Application Information page that provides information regarding the documentation you submitted and any correspondence we have sent related to this application. The Application Status will appear along with the date your application was last updated. For information on what each Application Status means, visit: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/how-to/application/status/.
Next steps
Once your complete application is received we will conduct an evaluation of your qualifications and determine your eligibility. Best-qualified applicants will be referred for further consideration and possible interview. We expect to make a selection within 45 days of the closing date of this announcement.
If you are selected, we will conduct a suitability/security background investigation. We will notify you by email after each of these steps has been completed. Your status will also be updated on USAJOBS throughout the process. To check your status, log on to your USAJOBS account, click on "Application Status," and then click "More Information".
For more information on applying for Federal employment, please click here.
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