Clarification from the agency

ALL US CITIZENS. DIRECT HIRE AUTHORITY: This position is being filled using Direct-Hire Authority (5 CFR 337.201) for this occupation.

Duties for this position include, but are not limited to the following:

• Leads a team of Police Officers and other administrative staff.
• Directs day-to-day lead and non-lead policing assignments.
• Provides staff guidance on how to preserve what is needed for crime scenes.
• Leads and initiates investigative contacts/stops.
• Assigns, distributes, reviews, approves and disapproves employees' assignments.
• Monitors and reviews the status/progress of the work and makes workload adjustments to ensure the workload is balanced.
• Provides information/feedback to the supervisor concerning promotions, reassignment, recognition of outstanding performance, and personnel needs.
• Resolves simple, informal complaints of employees and refers more complex complaints to the supervisor.
• Receives, reviews and revises reports from staff, before forwarding to the supervisor for final review.
• Determines whether situations are criminal or civil and takes appropriate legal steps for each crime committed.
• Interviews witnesses and other persons involved, determines whether facts warrant an arrest or lesser action.
• Keeps abreast of policing best practices, the latest policing technology, and the latest criminal and policing laws, rules, and regulations to provide advice and guidance as needed.
• Provide assistance to citizens in emergencies, including the protection of civil rights.
• Conducts investigations, apprehensions/detention of individuals suspected or convicted of offenses against the criminal laws of the United States.
• Advises individuals of their (Miranda, Weingarten, Garrity, etc.) rights, and protects the constitutional and civil rights of persons.
• Conducts investigations with a nexus to on organization, prisoner transport, patient search and recovery.
• Responds to calls for police assistance, irregularities, and unusual or suspicious circumstances.
• Detains witnesses and apprehends suspects, makes arrests and performs booking procedures.
• Executes arrest warrants issued by federal and local courts.
• Seeks, detects, seizes, and protects evidence and witnesses at the scene of an incident.
• Intervenes when necessary to deescalate situations and determines when and how much force must be applied.
• Provides emergency response coordination as needed.
• Makes independent decisions and takes/coordinate immediate steps to preserve life and property.
• Intervenes to deescalate active suicidal behavior and/or prevents suicides, when needed.
• Provides and/or coordinates staff training during shift briefing or designated training days.
• Ensures instruction on work sequence, procedures, methods, and deadlines are met.
• Coaches and mentors current and new police officers to ensure employees obtain the necessary training.
• Provides on-the-job training in accordance with established procedures and practices.

Leads, initiates and guides staff regarding how to proceed with investigative stops on suspicious and potentially dangerous persons and suspicious vehicles independently.


Work Schedule: 1 vacancy for Missoula location; Various tours, to be discussed during interview. 2 vacancies for Fort Harrison location; Various tours of 7:00am to 7:00pm to be discussed during interview.
Position Description Title/PD#: Lead Police Officer - Sergeant/PD14625A, PD14625A, and PD14625A
Physical Requirements: The work requires, on a regular and recurring basis, considerable and strenuous physical exertion such as frequent climbing of multiple flights of stairs and carrying items weighing over 50 pounds. It requires stamina, physical agility, dexterity, and the strength to pursue, apprehend or detain. The work involves both moderate and high risks and possible endangerment of life or serious injury that requires the exercise of safety precautions and use of personal protective equipment The work is performed in settings in which there is regular and recurring exposure to moderate to severe discomforts and unpleasantness, such as high temperatures in confined spaces, high temperatures due to mandatory protective personal equipment, or adverse weather conditions during extended periods of traffic and patrol duties. The work involves moderate risk requiring exercise of safety precautions when working around hazardous materials such as toxic gases, explosives, infectious biological materials, and others that pose a moderate risk.

Conditions of employment

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.

• You must be a U.S. citizen to apply for this job
• Subject to a background/suitability investigation
• All applicants tentatively selected for VA employment in a testing designated position are subject to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment. Applicants who refuse to be tested will be denied employment with VA.
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959
• A complete application package; Resume, Transcripts, etc
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents).
• Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued dentification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel
• Must possess a valid state driver's license (in the state of residence)
• Must successfully complete the VA Police Officer Standards and Training (POST) Academy course and other mandatory training requirements set-forth by VA.
• Authorized use of a firearm, must meet the standards prescribed in the Lautenberg Amendment (PL 104-208) to the Gun Control Act of 1968 (18 USC 922).
• Required to achieve and maintain qualifications with agency approved weapons commensurate with assigned duties and responsibilities.
• Must pass pre-employment physical examination, which includes standardized Color blindness test (Ishihara test).
• Successful completion of the 10 week VA Police Training at LETC.

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement.

NOTE: Military Police Officer, to include having arrest authority in the performance of your duties. When Military service is used to meet the GS-083 minimum Qualification Requirements the applicant must have one of these Qualifying Specialties listed on their DD-214: ARMY- 95B, 95C, 31A, 31B, 31D; MARINE CORPS-5803, 5805, 5811, 5812, 5813, 5814, 5821; AIR FORCE-08111-114, 81110, 81170, 81172, 81130, 81150, 81112, 81132, 81152, 81199, 3P1-4, 3P011, 3P031, 3P051, 3P071, 3P091, 75011, 75031, 75051, 75071, 75091; NAVY- 9545, 0000MA.

You may qualify based on your experience as described below:

GS-07 grade level: One (1) full year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-7 grade level in the Federal service (or equivalent pay band), that provided a knowledge of a body of basic laws and regulations, law enforcement operations, practices, and techniques and involved responsibility for maintaining order and protecting life and property. Specialized experience includes: leading and directing employees in their duties in response to potential threats of violence, detecting criminal activity, fire and other emergencies; enforcing federal, state, and local laws; making arrests; conducting foot and vehicle patrol; maintaining control of a scene or incident; taking statements from witnesses/suspects and advising them of their rights; preparing detailed reports of criminal offenses, violations, incidents, and citations issued; interrogating suspects; and applying all correct rules of search and seizure; knowledge in teaching or instructing in police and security matters related to Federal, State, County, Municipal statutes, laws and ordinances, and rules and regulations pertaining to law enforcement. Creditable specialized experience may have been gained in work on a police force; through service as a military police officer; in work providing visitor protection and law enforcement in parks, forests, or other natural resource or recreational environments; in performing criminal investigative duties; or in other work that provided the required knowledge and skills. Note: Experience must be fully documented on your resume and must include job title, duties, month and year start/end dates AND hour worked per week.

Experience as a security guard or corrections officer is generally NOT qualifying.

NOTE: You must provide detailed information of your experience performed. Information such as "I was a Patrolman", "I was a Police Officer for a number of years," or "I enforced Federal, State, county, and laws" is insufficient to determine your qualifications. Experience must be fully documented in your resume and must include job title, duties, month & year start/end dates AND hours worked per week.

CONTINUED SERVICE AGREEMENT (CSA) REQUIREMENT:
Before attending training, an employee subject to VA's continued service agreement must sign an agreement to continue in service after training is completed. The period of service will be equal to at least three times the length of the training. With a signed agreement, the agency has a right to recover training costs, except pay or other compensation, if the employee voluntarily transfers to another VA, Federal Agency or voluntarily separates from Government service.

Driver's License Requirement: This position requires a current, valid, state-issued driver's license. NOTE: We cannot accept photographs, therefore; please do not submit a copy of your driver's license with your application package. If an interview is requested, you may be required to provide a copy of your valid state-issued driver's license.

IMPORTANT NOTES: (1) As a condition of employment, must qualify to be issued a firearm and semi-annually with assigned firearm, annually with an expandable Straight Baton (MEB), maintain a valid State or Commonwealth Driver's License and pass annual physical and psychosocial assessment. Applicants must be able to possess firearms under the terms of the Gun Control Act of 1968, as amended (18 U.S.C. 922(g)(9).

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; religions; 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.

How you will be evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. Applicants will be referred in the order in which they were received.

Documents Accepted:

• Cover Letter
• DD-214/ Statement of Service
• Disability Letter (Schedule A)
• Disability Letter (VA)
• License
• Other (1)
• PCS Orders
• Performance Appraisal
• Professional Certification
• Resume
• Separation Notice (RIF)
• SF-15
• SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action
• Transcript

Documents Required:

• Resume

Please review the above list(s) to ensure you have included all necessary documents required for your application. Not every applicant will require the same documents, therefore it is the applicants responsibility to ensure that their application package includes all necessary documents to determine qualifications and eligibility for appointment, such as a copy of your SF-50, transcript, ICTAP/CTAP documentation (for displaced Federal employees).You will not be contacted for additional information. Applicants will be deemed ineligible if supporting documentation is not submitted.

Veterans' Preference: Since the Direct-Hire Recruitment Authority is being used, traditional Veterans' Preference rules do not apply. Qualified veterans will, however, be given full consideration for this position.

Applications are accepted online. Applying online will allow you to review and track the status of your application.

Next steps