Intelligence Operations Specialist Job in Washington, DC

Vacancy No. DE-12603192-24-IA Department Office of Intelligence and Analysis
Salary $99,200.00 to $153,354.00 Grade 12 to 13
Perm/Temp Permanent FT/PT Full-time
Open Date 12/16/2024 Close Date 12/20/2024
Job Link Apply Online Who may apply Public
Locations:
Washington, DC


Summary

This position is located in the Department of Homeland Security, Office of Intelligence and Analysis, Counterintelligence Division.

The incumbent serves as a Counterintelligence Officer and is responsible for conducting counterintelligence activities to identify, deceive, exploit, disrupt, or protect against espionage against other intelligence activities, sabotage, or assassinations conducted for or on behalf of foreign powers, organizations.

Non-BU: This is a non-bargaining unit position.

This job is open to

Clarification from the agency

All U.S. Citizens

Duties

As a Intelligence Operations Specialist, GS-0132-12/13, your typical work assignments may include:

  • Serves as a Counterintelligence Officer in the Counterintelligence Program Division, and applies knowledge of concepts and terminology, policies, directives, with respect to intelligence capabilities.
  • Develops and maintains collaborative information and knowledge sharing networks and builds alliance with colleagues and counterparts within area of responsibility.
  • Conducts defensive counterintelligence training and awareness for DHS Personnel, partners, and stakeholders. Independently, develops, plans, coordinates, and evaluates counterintelligence training events specific to addressing customer's needs and requirements.
  • Applies expert techniques of debriefing, interviewing, and elicitation in a systematic manner through direct and indirect questioning to obtain information of security, counterintelligence, investigatory and/or intelligence value.
  • Applies techniques for gathering information necessary to make legal determinations, develops new sources of information where appropriate, analyzes facts, and frames allegations to determine compliance with laws, regulations and policies. Determines scope, methodology and criteria to accomplish investigations in accordance with investigative standards and investigative policies.

All DHS-HQ announcements have a 5 business day open period due to the number of applications received. This announcement will be open for 5 business days OR until the first 100 applications have been received, whichever happens first.

View common definitions of terms found in this announcement: Common Definitions.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

  • You must be a U.S. citizen to apply for this position.
  • Males born after 12/31/1959 must be registered for Selective Service.
  • You must successfully pass a background investigation.
  • You must submit to a pre-employment drug test. This is a Testing Designated Position (TDP) and is subject to random testing.
  • You may be required to serve a two-year trial period.
  • Acceptance of an excepted service appointment from applicants in the competitive service will require a written statement of understanding when voluntarily leaving the competitive service.
  • Applying to this announcement certifies that you give permission for DHS to share your application with others in DHS for similar positions.
  • Must be able to obtain and maintain a Top-Secret security clearance.

Qualifications

Specialized Experience GS-12
You qualify for the GS-12 grade level if you possess the specialized experience equivalent to the GS-11 grade level in Federal service or equivalent private/public sector experience. For this position, specialized experience is defined as:
  • Using automated systems, national level databases, hard copy studies, and open-source information to conduct counterintelligence investigations.
  • Assessing potential threats and vulnerabilities to determine the level of risk and develop recommendations for appropriate mitigation countermeasures.
  • Interpreting specialized datasets or other intelligence regarding a target's capabilities.
  • Developing intelligence information reports and documents to explain the target's impact on national operations.
  • Coordinating with internal and external stakeholders to develop new sources of intelligence information and foster cooperation in exploiting targets.
NOTE: Your resume must explicitly indicate how you meet this requirement, otherwise you will be found ineligible.

Substitution of education in lieu of specialized experience may not be used for this grade level.

Specialized Experience GS-13
You qualify for the GS-13 grade level if you possess the specialized experience equivalent to the GS-12 grade level in Federal service or equivalent private/public sector experience. For this position, specialized experience is defined as:
  • Graduated from an accredited counterintelligence training school (i.e., Defense Counterintelligence Agent Course (DCAC), Counterintelligence Special Agent Course (CISAC) or equivalent.
  • Leading counterintelligence investigations and intelligence gathering activities.
  • Using automated systems, national level databases, hard copy studies, and open-source information to conduct counterintelligence investigations.
  • Assessing potential threats and vulnerabilities to determine the level of risk and develop recommendations for appropriate mitigation countermeasures.
  • Interpreting specialized datasets or other intelligence regarding a target's capabilities.
  • Developing intelligence information reports and documents to explain the target's impact on national operations.
  • Leading coordination activities with internal and external stakeholders to develop new sources of intelligence information and foster cooperation in exploiting.
NOTE: Your resume must explicitly indicate how you meet this requirement, otherwise you will be found ineligible.

Substitution of education in lieu of specialized experience may not be used for this grade level.

All qualifications and eligibility requirements must be met by the closing date of the announcement.

Note: Current or former Federal employees MUST submit a copy of their SF-50 Form which shows competitive or excepted service appointments ("position occupied" block 34 on the SF-50 should show a "1"), tenure group (block 24 should show a 1 or 2), grade, and salary. If you are applying for a higher grade, please provide the SF-50 Form which shows the length of time you have been in your current/highest grade (examples of appropriate SF-50s include promotions, With-in Grade/Range Increases, and SF-50s dated a year apart within the same grade/job). If you have promotion potential in your current position, please provide proof. Employees applying with an interchange agreement must provide proof of their permanent appointment.

IF YOU DO NOT SUBMIT ALL OF THE REQUIRED DOCUMENTATION, YOU WILL NOT RECEIVE CONSIDERATION AS A STATUS CANDIDATE.

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.

Current or Former Political Appointees: The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) must authorize employment offers made to current or former political appointees. If you are currently, or have been within the last 5 years, a political Schedule A, Schedule C, Non-career SES or Presidential Appointee employee in the Executive Branch, you must disclose this information to the Human Resources Office.

Education

Not Applicable

Additional information

The Department of Homeland Security encourages persons with disabilities to apply, to include persons with intellectual, severe physical or psychiatric disabilities, as defined by 5 CFR 213.3102(u), and or Disabled Veterans with a compensable service-connected disability of 30 percent or more as defined by 5 CFR 315.707. Veterans, Peace Corps, VISTA volunteers, and persons with disabilities possess a wealth of unique talents, experiences, and competencies that can be invaluable to the DHS mission. If you are a member of one of these groups, you may not have to compete with the public for federal jobs. To determine your eligibility for non-competitive appointment and to understand the required documentation, click on the links above or contact the servicing Human Resources Office listed at the bottom of this announcement.

Pursuant to Executive Order 12564 and DHS policy, DHS is committed to maintaining a drug-free workplace and, therefore, conducts random and other drug testing of its employees in order to ensure a safe and healthy work environment. Headquarters personnel in safety- or security-sensitive positions are subject to random drug testing and all applicants tentatively selected for employment at DHS Headquarters are subject to drug testing resulting in a negative test result.

This position may be filled at the GS-12 or GS-13 level. If selection is made at the GS-12 level, promotion to the GS-13 level may occur without further competition.

If you receive a conditional offer of employment for this position, you will be required to complete an Optional Form 306, Declaration of Federal Employment, and to sign and certify the accuracy of all information in your application, prior to entry on duty. False statements on any part of the application may result in withdrawal of offer of employment, dismissal after beginning work, fine, or imprisonment.

Background Investigation: To ensure the accomplishment of our mission, DHS requires every employee to be reliable and trustworthy. To meet those standards, all selected applicants must undergo and successfully pass a background investigation for Top Secret/SCI clearance as a condition of placement in this Special Sensitive Level position. This review may include financial issues such as delinquency in the payment of debts, child support and/or tax obligations, as well as certain criminal offenses and illegal use or possession of drugs.

This is a permanent appointment in the Excepted Service and will be filled on a full-time permanent basis. Employees hired under an Excepted Service appointment may be required to serve a two (2) year trial period.

This position does not confer non-competitive conversion to the competitive service. Acceptance of an excepted service appointment from applicants in the competitive service will require a written statement of understanding when voluntarily leaving the competitive service.

Veterans Preference: Veterans preference does not apply under Title 50 appointment authority.

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.

Review our 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.

We will review your resume and supporting documentation to ensure you meet the basic qualification requirements. If you meet the minimum qualifications, your experience, education and training will be rated using a job questionnaire that is based on the following competencies or knowledge, skills and abilities needed to perform this job: Problem Solving, Reasoning, Strategic Thinking, Team Building, and Technical Competence

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 (QRF) 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 QRFs 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.

If you are amongst the best qualified, you may be referred to the hiring manager for consideration and may be called for an interview. To preview the job questionnaire and application, click https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12603192

Interviews are required for this position. Failure to complete the interview may result in removal from further consideration.

If, after reviewing your resume and/or supporting documentation, a determination is made that you have overstated your qualifications and/or experience, you may be removed from consideration or your score may be lowered.

Consideration may be given to performance appraisals and incentive awards as an indicator of quality of prior experience.

Required Documents

  1. Your resume (click the link for information on what to include). If you are a current or former Federal employee, your resume must indicate the GS or pay band level for each position held. Please limit your resume to 5 pages. If more than 5 pages are submitted, only the first 5 pages will be reviewed to determine your eligibility/qualifications.
  2. Your responses to the job questionnaire. https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12603192
  3. 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.

  4. You may be asked to provide a copy of your recent performance appraisal and/or incentive awards.
  5. Are you an IC CAE Scholar? Information on the IC CAE program can be found at https://www.dni.gov/index.php/iccae To verify you are a IC CAE Scholar, you must submit a copy of your transcript that shows you are current student at an active or legacy IC CAE institution, or an individual who has graduated from such an institution, who has successfully completed at least one course in IC CAE study areas, such as Intelligence, National Security, Critical Technologies, STEM, languages, or other areas of study as determined by the Director of National Intelligence (DNI) to meet Intelligence Community needs.

How to Apply

To begin your online application, click "Apply Online" to create a USAJOBS account and follow the prompts or log in to your existing account. Your application packet must include a completed assessment questionnaire, a resume, and any applicable and or required supporting documentation. Please see the "Required Documents" section for additional information. All application materials, including transcripts, must be in English.

Applications and supporting documentation will not be accepted by mail or email. The address below is for inquiries only. You may apply more than once, but the most recent application is the only one that will be used. You must submit your resume, your online questionnaire, and any supporting documents by 11:59 PM eastern standard time on the closing date of the announcement.

It is your responsibility to verify that any information entered or uploaded is received and is accurate. Human Resources will not modify or change any part of your application. Determining your eligibility and qualifications is dependent on the supporting documentation and information provided, which may impact your referral for further consideration. If a document is not legible, you will not be able to view it in your application.

To verify your application is complete, log into your USAJOBS account, select the Application Status link and then select the more information link for this position. The Details page will display the status of your application, the documentation received and processed, and any correspondence the agency has sent related to this application. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process.

To return to an incomplete application, log into your USAJOBS account and click Update Application in the vacancy announcement. You must re-select your resume and/or other documents from your USAJOBS account or your application will be incomplete.

Applicants must submit all required documentation to properly qualify for this position.

Agency contact information

Melinda Redmond
Phone
000-000-0000
Address
IC - DHS Office of Intelligence and Analysis Customers
3801 Nebraska Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20016
US
Learn more about this agency

Next steps

Once you submit your application, we will assess your experience and training, identify the best-qualified applicants, and refer those applications to the hiring manager for further consideration and interviews. 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." We expect to make a job offer with 60 days after the deadline for applications. If you are selected, we will conduct a suitability/security background investigation. View more information on applying for federal employment.

Note: If you receive a final job offer to onboard, please complete the onboarding forms and submit them electronically in an expeditious manner. Your start date may be delayed if the action above is not completed.

DHS uses e-Verify, an Internet-based system, to confirm the eligibility of all newly hired employees to work in the United States. Learn more about e-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities.

Any offers of employment made pursuant to this announcement will be consistent with all applicable authorities, including Presidential Memoranda, Executive Orders, interpretive U. S. Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and U. S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) guidance, and Office of Management and Budget plans and policies concerning hiring. These authorities are subject to change.

Multiple selections may be made from this announcement.


Note: We cannot accept applications on behalf of Federal Agencies. Application instructions are listed within the Job Description.


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