Clarification from the agency

Status candidates and non-competitive eligibles; Current federal employees who hold or held a non-temporary career or career-conditional appointment; Persons eligible for reinstatement; Persons eligible for non-competitive appointment under special hiring authorities; Veterans' preference eligibles or veterans who have been separated from the Armed Forces under honorable conditions after substantially completing at least 3 consecutive years of active duty; Military Spouses

• Coordinate personnel vetting activities with the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) and Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency (DCSA), ensuring an efficient, compliant process.
• Develop and manage relevant policies and procedures to ensure compliance with current personnel vetting initiatives.
• Foster a security-aware culture by educating staff on their roles and responsibilities in identifying and reporting personnel vetting issues — empowering employees to protect people, property, information, and mission.
• Serve as FRTIB's Personnel Security technical advisor for staff and external partners, properly addressing inquires, and handling unfavorable determinations regarding suitability or eligibility to access national security information.
• Evaluate and adjudicate reports of investigation. Conduct additional inquiries to gather all information needed to assess suitability or eligibility to access national security information — applying sound judgment to uphold security standards.

Conditions of employment

U.S. citizenship is required.

All qualification requirements must be met by 03/28/2026. Your application package will not be considered if it is missing any of the required documents listed under the "Required Documents" tab. Failure to submit required documentation will impact your eligibility for this position. If you have any concerns or questions regarding required documents, please contact FRTIB Operations (contact information is noted below in this announcement) prior to the closing date of this announcement.

Probationary Period. One-year probationary period may be required.

Selective Service. If you are a male applicant born after December 31, 1959, you must certify that you have registered with the Selective Service System, or are exempt from having to do so under the Selective Service Law.

Background Investigation. Continued employment is contingent upon satisfactory completion of a background investigation and ability to remain eligible for access to national security information. If selected, you may be offered tentative employment until the background investigation has been fully adjudicated.

Applicants must meet time-in-grade requirements by the closing date of the announcement in accordance with 5 CFR part 300, subpart F. You must have at least one year of experience at the next lower grade level for each grade you wish to be considered for (e.g., GS-11 for the GS-12). This requirement applies if you have held a permanent federal General Schedule (GS) position within the past year.

Qualifications

Specialized Experience:

GS-12: Applicants must have at least one year of full-time specialized work experience comparable in scope and responsibility to the next lower level (GS-11) in the federal government. Specialized experience is defined as: a) reviewing background investigation reports to determine whether the information is complete, accurate, and sufficient to support suitability, fitness, credentialing, or national security determinations; b) adjudicating personnel vetting cases across multiple domains to apply federal standards and make initial trust determinations; c) updating and maintaining personnel vetting information in automated systems (such as NBIS, eAPP, CVS, or USAccess) to ensure accurate processing and documentation of cases; and d) coordinating with relevant stakeholders to gather required documentation and support onboarding and continuous vetting activities.

GS-13: Applicants must have at least one year of full-time specialized work experience comparable in scope and responsibility to the next lower level (GS-12) in the federal government. Specialized experience is defined as: a) managing complex personnel vetting programs or case work to interpret federal vetting standards, resolve unusual or high-risk issues, and make independent trust determinations with minimal supervision; b) developing or updating personnel vetting policies, procedures, or quality controls to ensure compliance with requirements for the Suitability and Security Executive Agents and improve program effectiveness; c) configuring or overseeing personnel vetting system workflows (such as NBIS initiation, review, authorization, or continuous vetting functions) to support agency-wide vetting activities; d) representing the agency in meetings, workgroups, or interagency engagements to provide expert advice, coordinate personnel vetting activities, and support shared security initiatives.

*Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations. 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.

A full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week. Part-time experience will be credited on the basis of time actually spent in appropriate activities. Applicants wishing to receive credit for such experience must indicate clearly the nature of their duties and responsibilities in each position and the number of hours a week spent in such employment.

How you will be evaluated

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

You will be evaluated based on how well you meet the qualifications listed in this vacancy announcement. Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g., resume, supporting documents), your responses on the application questionnaire, and your responses to all assessments required for this position.

You will be assessed on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics):

• Accountability
• Attention to Detail
• Customer Service
• Decision Making
• Flexibility
• Influencing/Negotiating
• Integrity/Honesty
• Interpersonal Skills
• Learning
• Reading Comprehension
• Reasoning
• Self-Management
• Stress Tolerance
• Teamwork

• Personnel Security
• Technology Application
• Information Management
• Writing
• Oral Communication
• Problem Solving
• Planning and Evaluating
• Project Management
• Partnering

The USA Hire Assessments includes a cut score based on the minimum level of required proficiency in these critical general competencies. You must meet or exceed the cut score to be considered. You will not be considered for the position if you score below the cut score or fail to complete the assessment.

Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or application questionnaire may result in your removal from consideration. Cheating on an assessment may also result in your removal from consideration.

To preview the application questionnaire, click the following link: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12904565

Please be advised, the following documents are required even if you are already a current federal employee or employee of the FRTIB:

1. Federal Resume Information: Your resume may be longer than two pages; however, only the first two pages will be reviewed when we evaluate your qualifications. Anything beyond page two will not be considered. Be sure the first two pages of your resume clearly show the relevant experience you want us to consider, including the start and end dates for each job (month, day, and year) and the number of hours you worked each week (for example, 40 hours/week). If your resume does not include this information, we may not be able to determine whether you qualify, and you may not be considered for this position. If you submit more than one resume, only the most recent version will be used to evaluate your application.

2. Responses to the occupational questionnaire.

3. You must submit supporting documents verifying your eligibility to apply to this vacancy, selection priority eligibility, or any preference eligibility along with your application package. Omitting these documents may result in no preference being adjudicated for you. These documents may include, but are not limited to:

• SF-50 If you are a current or former federal employee, you must submit a SF-50 showing the highest grade level held in the position for which you are using to qualify. Your SF-50 must also include the Position Title and Series, Step, Salary, Tenure, Position Occupied, and promotion potential (if applicable) to verify your status and eligibility. If you are unable to provide your most recent SF-50, you should submit a written statement explaining why it was not obtainable. This explanation should include your Position Title and Series, Step, Salary, Tenure, Position Occupied, and promotion potential. Failure to submit the required SF50 document or statement of explanation will result in an ineligible rating under merit promotion procedures.
• Veteran's documentation
  • DD-214 - If you are claiming Veterans' Preference, provide a copy of your DD-214 (Member Copy 4) Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty, or other equivalent documentation to prove your entitlement and to verify your type of discharge. Failure to provide this information may result in your application not receiving preference.
  • VA Letter and SF-15 - If you are claiming Veterans' Preference based on a Compensable Disability, Widow or Spouse Entitlement, or as a Purple Heart recipient, you must submit your DD-214 or other proof of entitlement as described above; and SF-15, and the required proof of disability, i.e., Department of Veterans Affairs letter dated 1991 or later. Failure to provide this documentation may result in your application not receiving preference. (Please see veteran eligibility documentation for more information on veterans' preference in federal hiring).
  • Veterans Employment Opportunities Act (VEOA) documentation, if applicable. For more information, please go to https://www.fedshirevets.gov/hire/hrp/vetguide/index.aspx.
  • Preference eligible documentation. If claiming 10-point preference you must submit the final VA letter including percentage (please do not include letter from VA noting specific private medical information), as well as the DD-214 Member Copy 4. The SF-15 will be requested if selected.
• ICTAP documentation. RIF separation notice along with your last performance rating or appraisal.
• Schedule A documentation. A qualifying letter from a doctor's or vocational rehabilitation office indicating you are eligible for hire under the Schedule A hiring authority.

4. College transcripts. Transcripts must be legible and possess the school name imprinted on the transcript or be on school letterhead; you may be asked to submit official transcripts upon selection.

5. A copy of your most recent performance appraisal/evaluation which you have received in the last 3 years. If you do not have a current performance appraisal you must submit a statement as to why it is not available, and if your performance was at an acceptable level. In this explanation you should include your final rating. Failure to submit your current Performance Appraisal or a written statement explaining why it was not obtainable you will be deemed ineligible from further consideration.

Next steps