Personnel Security Specialist

Department of Homeland Security

Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency

Office of the Chief Security Officer

Summary

Who May Be Considered:

Pathways Recent Graduate eligible

This job is open to

Recent graduates

Individuals who have graduated from an accredited educational institute or certificate program within the last 2 years or 6 years for Veterans.

Clarification from the agency

Open to individuals who will receive a qualifying associate, bachelors, master's, professional, doctorate, vocational or technical degree or certificate from a qualifying educational institution within nine (9) months from the date of application, graduates who received their degree within the past two (2) years, and veteran's unable to apply within two (2) years of receiving their degree, due to military service obligation, have up to six (6) years after degree completion to apply.

Duties

Typical work assignments at the GS-09 level include, but are not limited to:

Interprets and applies suitability factors and security adjudicative guidelines to make adjudicative decisions for unique and varied situations.
Knowledge of personnel security techniques, and procedures to advise agency officials and make recommendations to senior leadership regarding the planning, organizing, and directing of work or studies.
Ability to apply security principles, concepts, and methodologies in independently reviewing, analyzing, and resolving difficult and complex security problems.

Typical work assignments at the GS-11 level include, but are not limited to:

Represents the organization in customer service and personnel security matters at security briefings, conferences or other negotiations.
Formulates, implements, and enforces personnel security policies, procedures and standards for evaluating the character, background, and history of employees, candidates for employment and other persons proposed to be granted access to classified or other sensitive information, materials or work sites.
Identifies when reciprocity applies or not due to complex and unique adjudicated background investigative histories. Provides a thorough analysis of the merits of each case and articulates the reasons for adverse actions.

PROGRAM COMPLETION AND CONVERSION:
Pathways Recent Graduates may be converted to a permanent position (or, in some limited circumstances, to a term position lasting 1-4 years) within 180 days of successful completion of the internship program. Eligibility for conversion does not guarantee that CISA will offer conversion.

To be eligible for conversion, Recent Graduates must:

Complete one (1) year of continuous service.
Complete 40 hours of training.
Meet the qualification standards for the position to which the Recent Graduate will be converted.
Demonstrate successful job performance.
Receive a recommendation for conversion.

If Recent Graduate successfully completes the program requirements and converts to competitive service, time spent in trial period will count towards the required one-year probationary period.

Requirements

Conditions of employment

You must be a U.S. citizen.
Complete the initial online assessment and USA Hire Assessment, if required.
Selective Service - Males born after 12/31/59 must be registered or exempt from Selective Service see http://www.sss.gov/
All Federal employees are required to participate in Direct Deposit/Electronic Funds Transfer for salary payments.
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.
You must be able to obtain and maintain a security clearance suitable for Federal employment as determined by a background investigation. This may include a credit check, a review of financial issues, as well as certain criminal offenses and illegal use or possession of drugs.
This position may be designated as essential personnel. Essential personnel must be able to serve during continuity of operation events without regard to declarations of liberal leave or government closures due to weather, protests, and acts of terrorism or lack of funding. Failure to report for or remain in this position may result in disciplinary or adverse action in accordance with applicable laws, rules, and regulations (5 U.S.C. 7501-7533 and 5 CFR Part 752, as applicable).
This position has been identified as a drug testing designated position (TDP) for purposes of the CISA's Drug-Free Workplace Program. All applicants tentatively selected for this position will be required to submit to a drug test to screen for illicit/illegal drug use prior to receiving a final offer of employment. A final offer of employment is contingent upon a negative drug test result. After appointment, you may be subject to periodic random drug testing.

Qualifications

BASIC ELIGIBILITY

Applicants must:

Have completed, within the previous two years, a qualifying career or technical education program (which may include Registered Apprenticeship Programs, Job Corps, Climate Corps, AmeriCorps, and Peace Corps); associate's, bachelor's, master's, professional, doctorate, vocational or technical degree or certificate from a qualifying educational institution or intended graduation is no more than 9 months from the date of application; OR
As a veteran (as defined in 5 USC 2108), who, due to military service obligations, were precluded from applying to the Program during the two-year eligibility period described above. These individuals have a full two-year period of eligibility upon their release or discharge from active duty. In no event, however, may this eligibility period extend beyond six years from the date on which the individual completed their academic requirements.

IN ADDITION TO MEETING THE BASIC ELIGIBILITY ABOVE, YOU MUST ALSO MEET THE FOLLOWING MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

Do NOT copy and paste the duties, specialized experience, or occupational assessment questionnaire from this announcement into your resume as that will not be considered a demonstration of your qualifications for this position. Your resume must describe your work and experience, in your own words.

To be considered minimally qualified for this position, you must demonstrate that you have the required education and/or experience for the respective grade level in which you are applying.

You qualify at the GS-09 grade level, if you have:
EXPERIENCE: At least one (1) year of specialized experience at the GS-07 grade level (or equivalent) performing all the following duties:

Preparing, reviewing, tracking, and signing correspondence necessary for completing personnel security tasks;
Applying quality assurance practices in support of personnel security vetting requirements; AND
Applying security principles while communicating security concerns to senior leadership, congressional Staff, contractors, and applicants.

OR
EDUCATION:
A. Master's or equivalent graduate degree from an accredited institution that included major study in any field of study.
OR
B. Two (2) full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a master's degree from an accredited institution that included major study in the field of study described in statement "A" above. (NOTE: Two (2) academic years of graduate education is defined as the number of credit hours that the school attended has determined to represent two (2) academic years of full-time study. If that information cannot be obtained from the school transcript(s), then 36 semester hours or 54 quarter hours is considered as satisfying the two (2) years of full-time study requirement.)
OR
C. LL.B. (Bachelor of Laws) or J.D. (Juris Doctor) degree, if related
OR
COMBINATION OF EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE: An equivalent combination of education and experience as described above may be used to substitute for the specialized experience requirement. Only graduate education in excess of the first year (determined by the institution) or 18 semester hours or 27 quarter hours (i.e., beyond the first year) is creditable toward meeting the specialized experience requirement.

You qualify at the GS-11 grade level, if you have:
EXPERIENCE: At least one (1) year of specialized experience at the GS-09 grade level (or equivalent) performing all the following duties:

Developing and delivering briefings, project papers, reports, and correspondence to managers, employees and applicants to convey findings and recommendations;
Managing personnel security vetting program position descriptions and contracts to determine the level of security access required for the incumbent; AND
Tracking assigned subdivision tasks, to include program review schedules, contract invoice payments, monthly, quarterly, and annual performance metrics.

OR
EDUCATION:
A. Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree from an accredited institution that included major study in any field of study.
OR
B. Three (3) full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree from an accredited institution that included major study in the field of study described in statement "A" above.
OR
COMBINATION OF EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE: An equivalent combination of education and experience as described above may be used to substitute for the specialized experience requirement. Only graduate education in excess of the second year (determined by the institution) or 36 semester hours or 54 quarter hours (i.e., beyond the second year) is creditable toward meeting the specialized experience requirement.

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.

All qualification requirements must be met by the closing date of this announcement.

Education

This position has an education requirement. You MUST submit a copy of your transcripts or equivalent (e.g., letter from the registrar, unofficial transcripts) showing completion or intended completion (not to exceed 9 months from the date of application) of all educational requirements by the closing date of the announcement. Unofficial transcripts will be accepted that includes your name, the name of the educational institution, course title(s), number of credits, grade, and date of completion. An official transcript will be required if you are selected.

Education must be from an accredited 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.

Graduate Education: One academic year of graduate education is the number of credits hours your graduate school has determined to represent one academic year of full-time study. Such study may have been performed on a full-time or part-time basis. If you cannot obtain your graduate school's definition of one year of graduate study, 18 semester hours (or 27 quarter hours) should be considered as satisfying the requirement for one year of full-time graduate study.

Foreign Education: Education completed in foreign colleges or universities may be used to meet the qualification requirements. You must show the education credentials have been evaluated by a private U.S. organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign educational credentials and such education has been deemed equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program. It is your responsibility to provide such evidence with your application. See Recognition of Foreign Qualifications for more information.

Additional information

Other incentives may be authorized.
If you receive a conditional offer of employment for this position, you will be required to complete an Optional Form 306, Declaration for 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.
Additional vacancies may be filled with this announcement.
The duration of a Pathways appointment is a trial period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued 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 trial period your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.
If selected below the full performance level, you may be noncompetitively promoted to the next higher grade level after meeting all regulatory requirements, and upon the recommendation of management. Promotion is neither implied nor guaranteed.

Reasonable Accommodation (RA) Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a RA in your online application. Requests for RA for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for RA must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for RA are made on a case-by-case basis. If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, based on your adjudication decision. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, if you received the link after the close of the announcement. To determine if you need a RA, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments.

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.

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

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.

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
Integrity/Honesty
Interpersonal Skills
Learning
Reading Comprehension
Reasoning
Self-Management
Stress Tolerance
Teamwork

The USA Hire Assessment 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.

Category Rating Procedures: 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 SPFs 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.

Veterans' Preference:

Veterans' preference points are not added to the passing score of candidates eligible for either 10-point or 5-point preference.
Qualified disabled veterans with a 10% or more service-connected disability are placed ahead of non-preference eligibles in the best-qualified category regardless of score (except for scientific and professional positions at GS-9 or above grade levels). This position is not considered scientific/professional.
Other qualified preference eligibles (10-point, 5-point, or 0-point) who meet the requirements are placed ahead of non-preference eligibles within their qualifying category. View information on https://www.fedshirevets.gov

To preview the application questionnaire, click here: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/13028949

Required Documents

All documents, including transcripts, must be in English.

1. 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. Be clear and specific in describing your job-related qualifications, as HR cannot make assumptions regarding your experience. Include dates (month and year) and hours worked per week. For military or Federal civilian service, you MUST include your pay plan/band, series, and/or rank/grade (e.g., Captain, E-5, GS-0301-9). Do NOT include photographs, social media links (e.g., LinkedIn), inappropriate content, or other personal or sensitive information such as date of birth, social security number, gender, religious affiliation. IF INCLUDED YOUR RESUME WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED.

2. EDUCATION: Submit a copy of your transcripts from an accredited institution. Unofficial transcripts will be accepted that includes your name, name of the educational institution, declared degree program, course title(s), credits completed, grade, date of completion, Grade Point Average (GPA), and date of degree conferral. If selected, an official transcript will be required.

3. COMPLETE APPLICATION QUESTIONNAIRE AND ONLINE USA HIRE ASSESSMENTS

If you are requesting a reasonable accommodation to the USA Hire Assessments, submit documentation to support your request, including the Reasonable Accommodation Request Form found here.

4. OTHER SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS (only submit if applicable):

CURRENT OR FORMER FEDERAL CIVILIAN EMPLOYEE: Submit a copy of your most recent SF-50, Notification of Personnel Action which shows the grade, step, tenure (block 24) "1" (Career) or "2" (Career-Conditional), and position occupied (block 34) "1" (Competitive Service). Schedule Policy/Career employees submit a copy of your initial appointment SF-50 and proof of competitive status. Provide proof of permanent appointment if applying based on an Interchange Agreement. If applying for a higher grade, provide a SF-50 which shows the length of time you have been in your current/highest grade or promotion potential held. You may need to provide more than one (1) SF-50,if your SF-50 does not clearly demonstrate that you meet the one-year time-in-grade requirement(examples of appropriate SF-50s include Appointment/Conversion, Within-Grade/Range Increases and Promotion actions). NOTE: Pay adjustments and awards are NOT acceptable.
VETERAN DOCUMENTATION: Submit a copy of your DD-214, Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty (Member Copy 4 or equivalent).
- ACTIVE DUTY SERVICE MEMBERS: 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 active service, rank/grade, expected character of service (i.e., honorable or general) and type of separation (i.e., separation or retirement). NOTE: The VOW Act provides tentative preference. If selected, a DD-214 must be provided prior to appointment.
- 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
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.

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 all required questionnaires, assessments, and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section below.

A complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on 08/19/2026 to receive consideration. It is your responsibility to ensure all required documents have been submitted.

The application process is as follows:

To begin, click Apply to access the online application. You will need to be logged into your USAJOBS account to apply. If you do not have a USAJOBS account, you will need to create one before beginning the application.
Answer the questions presented in the application and attach all necessary supporting documentation. Only resumes up to a total of two pages will be accepted. Applicants with resumes exceeding two pages will be removed from consideration. If you submit multiple versions of your resume, only the most recent version, based on the submission date and/or time, will be reviewed for qualification determinations.
Click Submit Application prior to 11:59 PM (EST) on 08/19/2026.
If you are required to complete any USA Hire Assessments, you will be notified after submitting your application. The notification will be provided in your application submission screen and via email. The notification will include your unique assessment access link to the USA Hire system and the completion deadline. Additionally, in USAJOBS you can click "Track this application" to return to your assessment completion notice.
Access USA Hire using your unique assessment link. Access is granted through your USAJOBS login credentials.
Review all instructions prior to beginning your assessments. You will have the opportunity to request a testing accommodation before beginning the assessments should you have a disability covered under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended.
Set aside about two (2) hours to take the USA Hire assessments; however, most applicants complete the assessments in less time. If you need to stop the assessments and continue later, you can re-use your unique assessment link.
Your responses to the USA Hire Assessments will be reused for one year (in most cases) from the date you complete an assessment. If future applications you submit require completion of the same assessments, your responses will be automatically reused.

Visit the USA Hire Applicant Resource Center for practice assessments and assessment preparation resources.

To update your application, including supporting documentation: You may update your application documents, and some questions related to your personal information at any time during the announcement open period. However, you will not be able to make changes to questions related to assessing the minimum qualifications and competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities and other characteristics) mentioned in the "How You Will Be Evaluated" section above. To make an allowed update to your application, return to your USAJOBS account. There you will find a record of your application, the application status, and an option to Edit my application. This option will no longer be available once the announcement has closed.

To verify the status of your application, log into your USAJOBS account at https://usajobs.gov, all your applications will appear on the Welcome screen. The Application Status will appear along with the date your application was last updated. For information on what each Application Status means, visit: https://help.usajobs.gov/how-to/application/status.

Shared Certificate: After CISA completes its hiring, the resumes of the remaining candidates referred for selection consideration may be shared with other DHS Components. During the application process, you may choose to opt-in if you would like your name, application material, and assessment results to be shared. There is no guarantee of further consideration, and you continue to explore other job opportunity announcements.

Agency contact information

CISA Early Career and Fellowships

Email: cisa.ochco_earlycaeerandfellowship@cisa.dhs.gov

Address: Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency
1110 N Glebe Rd
Arlington, VA 22201
US

Next steps

Your status will be updated on USAJOBS throughout the process. We expect to make a job offer within 30-60 days after the deadline for applications. If you are determined qualified, you may be referred to the hiring manager for consideration and may be called for an in-person or phone panel interview. If you are selected, we will conduct a suitability/security background investigation.

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.

Notice to Applicants - The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) is subject to the provisions of the Fair Chance to Compete for Jobs Act of 2019. Unless excluded by law, all CISA hiring officials and agency representatives are statutorily prohibited from asking applicants to disclose their criminal history record information prior to receiving a conditional offer of employment. Applicants may submit a complaint, or any other information, to the CISA Office of the Chief Human Capital Officer Human Capital Policy and Programs Subdivision at email cisa.ochco.hcp@cisa.dhs.gov within 30 calendar days of the date of the alleged non-compliance by a CISA hiring manager or agency representative.

Thank you for your interest in the Department of Homeland Security, Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency!

Personnel Security Specialist Job in Arlington, VA