Intelligence Research Specialist (Protective)

Clarification from the agency

U.S. Citizens, Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP), and lnteragency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP) eligibles.

The selectee will serve as an Intelligence Research Specialist (Protective) in the Office of Strategic Intelligence and Information, Protective Intelligence and Assessment Division. Typical work assignments include:

• Researching, reviewing, interpreting, evaluating, and integrating all-source intelligence data, and other sources of classified and unclassified data, plans, or products pertaining to intelligence matters.
• Maintaining contact and close working relationships with employees and counterparts in other intelligence and law enforcement agencies.
• Preparing incident and situation reports and conducting briefings with the intelligence coordinator.
• Preparing a variety of speculative-estimative finished intelligence products based on comprehensive analysis and evaluation of current intelligence information received from multiple sources.

Apply for this exciting opportunity to impact the agency's ability to perform protective intelligence research impacting the Secret Service's mission of protection and investigation. This Intelligence Research Specialist (Protective) position starts at a salary of $57,736.00, GS -7, step 1, with promotion potential to $158,322.00, GS-13 step 10.

Conditions of employment

• U.S. Citizenship is required.
• Males born after 12/31/1959 must be registered for Selective Service.

If selected for this position, you will be required to:

• Obtain and maintain a Top Secret/SCI Tier 5 clearance. For more information visit OPM Mythbuster Page.
• Submit a credit check after a conditional offer of employment has been accepted.
• Submit to a drug test prior to your appointment and random drug testing while you occupy the position.
• Submit to a Full-Scope polygraph examination prior to your appointment.
• Subject to work shifts, holidays, weekend days, and/or nights as dictated by branch assignment and protective operational needs.

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider:

• your performance and conduct;
• the needs and interests of the agency;
• whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and
• whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service.

Upon completion of your probationary period your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

Qualifications

To be considered qualified for this position you must meet the following qualification requirements for the respective grade level in which you are applying.

You qualify for the GS-07 level (starting salary $57,736) if you possess one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-05 level performing duties such as:

• Collecting information from various sources to input into databases.
• Researching information to generate reports.
• Assisting in the drafting of intelligence products.

OR
One full year of graduate level education in a field which demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of the position.

OR
Superior Academic Achievement. To be creditable under this provision, Superior Academic Achievement must have been gained in a curriculum that is qualifying for the position to be filled, such as that identified Education above. Superior Academic Achievement is based on:

1. Class Standing - Applicants must be in the upper third of the graduating class in the college, university, or major subdivision, such as the College of Liberal Arts or the School of Business Administration, based on completed courses, OR
2. Grade-Point Average (G.P.A.) - Applicants must have a grade-point average of either (a) 3.0 or higher out of a possible 4.0 ("B" or better) as recorded on your 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 (b) 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, OR
3. Honor Society Membership - Applicants must be considered eligible based on membership in one of the approved national scholastic honor societies listed by the Association of College Honor Societies (https://www.achsnatl.org/).

OR

A combination of education and experience may be used to qualify for this position if the computed percentage of the requirements is at least 100%. To compute the percentage, divide your total months of qualifying experience by 12. Then, divide your semester hours of graduate education by 18. Add the two percentages.

You qualify for the GS-09 level (starting salary $70,623) if you possess one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-07 level performing duties such as:

• Performing preliminary research, review or evaluation of classified and sensitive intelligence information;
• Preparing incident and situation reports based on reviewing open-source intelligence research;
• Drafting a variety of intelligence products based on analysis and evaluation of current intelligence information received from multiple sources.

OR

Master's or equivalent graduate degree, LLB., or J.D. 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.

OR

A combination of education and experience may be used to qualify for this position if the computed percentage of the requirements is at least 100%. To compute the percentage of the requirements, divide your total months of experience by 12. Then divide the total number of completed graduate semester hours (or equivalent) by 18. Add the two percentages.


The qualification requirements listed above must be met by the closing date of this announcement.

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.

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 minimum qualification requirements. If you meet the minimum qualifications, we will your responses on the application questionnaire, and your responses to all assessments required for this position to place you in one of three categories based on your experience, education, and training. The competencies or knowledge, skills, and abilities needed to perform this job are:

• Attention to Detail
• Computer Skills
• Customer Service
• Flexibility
• Integrity/Honesty
• Interpersonal Skills
• Knowledge Management
• Oral Communication
• Reading Comprehension
• Self-Management
• Stress Tolerance
• Teamwork
• Written Communication

If you meet the minimum qualifications, you will be placed in one of the following categories:

1. 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.

2. 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.

3. 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 best qualified, you may be referred to the hiring manager for consideration and may be called for an interview.

Veterans: Qualified veterans who have a compensable service-connected disability of at least 10% are listed in the best-qualified category, except when the position being filled is scientific or professional at the GS-09 grade level, or higher. (This position is not considered scientific/professional.). Other 10-point preference eligibles and veterans with 5-point preference who meet the eligibility and qualification requirements are placed above non-preference eligibles within the category in which they qualify. View information on veterans' preference.

Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP/CTAP) Eligibles: If you have never worked for the Federal government, you are not ICTAP/CTAP eligible. View information about ICTAP/CTAP eligibility on OPM's Career Transition Resources website. To be considered well qualified under ICTAP/CTAP, you must be rated at a minimum score of 85.0 for this position. In addition, you must submit the supporting documents listed under the required documents section of this announcement.

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.

In addition to addressing the vacancy specific questions, you must also submit the following documentation:

• Resume - Limit your resume to no more than two pages. The USAJOBS database will not allow an applicant to submit an application that includes a resume over two pages. In order to receive credit for experience contained in an uploaded resume, your employment history should show relevant work experience in month/year format (MM/YYYY), reflecting starting date and ending date, and include the number of hours worked per week. To learn how to format and submit a two-page resume, please visit the USAJOBS Help Center.
• Are you qualifying based on education or you are qualifying based on a combination of education and experience? Submit a copy of your college/university transcript (unofficial is acceptable) it must show school name, student's name, credit earned, degree, and date awarded. Education must be obtained from an accredited institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Education completed in foreign colleges or universities may be used to meet Federal qualification requirements if you can show that your foreign education is comparable to education received in accredited educational institutions in the United States. For example, specific courses accepted for college-level credit by an accredited U.S. college or university, or foreign education evaluated by an organization recognized for accreditation by the Department of Education as education equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. college or university. It is your responsibility to provide such evidence with your application. See Recognition of Foreign Qualifications for more information.
• Are you a veteran? Submit Member Copy 4 of your DD-214 or other (Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty) and/or documentation of service-connected disability. If claiming 10-point preference, you will need to submit a Standard Form (SF-15), Application for 10-point Veterans' 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 on the certification. This must indicate your dates of service, your rank, and confirm that you will be separated under honorable conditions. View VEOA information on Feds Hire Vets.
  • 10-Point Veterans' Preference: If claiming 10-point Veterans' Preference, you will need to submit a SF-15 and provide an official document from the Department of Veterans Affairs or from a branch of the Armed Forces certifying your overall compensable service-connected disability rating (NOTE: Your overall percentage must be clearly shown), and/or any other associated documentation based on your preference.


• Are you claiming special priority selection rights under the Interagency/Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP/CTAP)? Submit a copy of your agency notice, a copy of your most recent performance appraisal (with at least a satisfactory rating), and a copy of your most recent SF-50, Notification of Personnel Action, noting your current position, grade level, and duty location.
• 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, Notification of Personnel Action, 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, Beginning and ending dates of appointment.

Next steps