Personnel Security Specialist

U.S. Agency for Global Media

Office of Security

Summary

This position is located in the U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM), Office of Security, Personnel Security Division. The incumbent serves as a Personnel Security Specialist to process and adjudicate suitability of candidates for public trust and national security positions; handles cases involving questions of utmost sensitivity and complexity. The position requires a Top Secret - Sensitive Compartmented Information (TSSCI) clearance to attend meetings requiring that level of clearance.

This job is open to

The public

U.S. Citizens, Nationals or those who owe allegiance to the U.S.

Clarification from the agency

Career transition (CTAP, ICTAP, RPL), the public, Veterans; All U.S. Citizens.

Duties

Duties include, but are not limited to:

Performs personnel security, vetting determinations for public trust and national security related positions. Adjudicates the most complex personnel security issues covering significant derogatory information that require extensive experience and personal judgment to resolve. Incumbent is responsible for the personnel security vetting determinations of individuals for entry and retention in non-sensitive, noncritical sensitive, critical sensitive, and special sensitive positions.
Analyzes and resolves personnel security problems for situations involving conflicting or insufficient data, evidence, or testimony. As a technical authority for personnel security vetting, develops standard operating procedures and internal policies that support federal personnel security guidelines and authorities.
Processes personnel security inquiries (i.e. letters of inquiries) and reviews the information to determine if cases should be forwarded to the proper investigative authority. Creates Position Designation Record that assesses the duties and responsibilities of a position to determine the degree of potential damage to the efficiency or integrity of the service from misconduct of an incumbent of a position as outlined in Parts 1400 and 731 of Title 5, Code of Federal Regulations.
Serves as a Proposing Official and drafts personnel security vetting administrative and adverse actions in accordance with the appropriate federal regulations relating to suitability/fitness and national security eligibility determinations. Drafts decision letters for the Deciding Official and a wide variety of other correspondence to agency management officials and applicant/employee attorneys and other representatives.
Reviews personnel security, vetting investigations for accuracy and ensures interviews capture relevant information. Proposes the re-opening of investigations that lack the required information needed to make a personnel security vetting determination.
Orders investigative actions as needed to ensure personnel remain eligible to maintain their suitability/fitness and/or national security eligibility. Maintains associated personnel security records and prepares reports. Assures all personnel have all requiredpersonnel security vetting.

Requirements

Conditions of employment

You must be a U.S Citizen or U.S. National.
This is a national security position. If selected, this position requires the completion of the 86.
Suitability Determination: If selected, you will be subject to a background investigation to establish your suitability for federal employment. The background investigation may include, among other aspects, a review of your credit and legal history.
This position is not covered by a Union Agreement.
This position may require serving a one-year probationary period.
The full performance grade level for this position is 13.
Top Secret - Sensitive Compartmented Information (TSSCI) clearance.
If you are a male applicant who is born after 12/31/59, you are required to be registered for the Selective Service.

Qualifications

For the GS-13: You must have one year of specialized experience at a level of difficulty and responsibility equivalent to the GS-12 level in the Federal service. One year of experience refers to full-time work; part-time work is considered on a prorated basis. Examples of qualifying specialized experience at the next lower level for this position includes:

Expert knowledge of the theories and practical applications of personnel security to analyze and resolve the most difficult and most complex security problems, involving conflicting testimony or sources and degrees of significant information in clearance adjudication cases;
Adjudicating complex personnel suitability and security clearances and to developing guidelines for applying general criteria covering derogatory information that requires extensive experience and personal judgment to resolve; and
Expert knowledge of practices and procedures for reviewing suitability for employment of non-U.S. citizens and other individuals with special language skills and foreign backgrounds.

Education

Education is not required for this grade level. It cannot be used for qualification purposes.

Additional information

Applicants who are interested in applying under Delegated Examining (DE) procedures must apply to vacancy announcement ST-13058661-26-AG .
Applicants must meet all qualification requirements by closing date of the announcement to be considered.
1. If you are a male applicant who was born after 12/31/59 and are required to register under the Military Selective Service Act, the Defense Authorization Act of 1986 requires that you be registered or you are not eligible for appointment in this agency. For Military Selective Service Act requirement information, please visit Selective Service
2. Your application to this vacancy announcement will only allow consideration for this announcement. We cannot electronically or manually move your application to corresponding announcements, if applicable.
3. Additional vacancies not reflected in the announcement that occur after the opening date of the vacancy announcement for position(s) identical (same grade, series and title) to the original vacancy may be filled from the selection certificate during the validity of the certificate.
4. Budgetary conditions may delay or otherwise affect filling this vacancy. However, all interested candidates should apply now.

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.

Once your application package has been received, a review of your qualifications will be made to ensure you meet the job requirements and competencies required for this position.
Competencies:

Accountability
Decision Making
Problem Solving
Security
Written Communication

Possession of competencies must be addressed in a resume and/or cover letter. To determine if you are qualified for this job, a review of your resume and supporting documentation will be made and compared against your responses to the occupational questionnaire. The numeric rating you receive is based on your responses to the questionnaire. If, after reviewing your resume and or supporting documentation, a determination is made that you have inflated your qualifications and or experience, your score can and will be adjusted to more accurately reflect your qualifications. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your rating. You will be placed in one of three rating categories:

Qualified Category-Applicants possessing experience that meets the minimum qualifications of the position, a numeric rating below 79.
Well Qualified Category-Applicants possessing experience that exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position, a numeric rating of 80-89.
Best Qualified Category-Applicants possessing experience that substantially exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position, a numeric rating of 90 and above.

Application of Veterans' Preference: Category Rating does not add veterans' preference points, but protects the rights of veterans by placing them ahead of non-preference eligibles within each category. Preference eligibles with a compensable service-connected disability of 10 percent or more will be placed at the top of the highest quality category (except in the case of scientific or professional positions at the GS-09 level or higher). Preference eligibles who do not have a service-connected disability of 10 percent or more will be assigned to the appropriate quality category based upon the job-related assessment and will be listed ahead of non-preference eligibles within the appropriate quality category.

Fair Chance Act: Under the Fair Chance Act, agencies are not allowed to request information about an applicant's criminal history until a conditional offer of employment has been made, except as allowed for access to classified information; assignment to national security duties or positions; or recruitment of a Federal law enforcement officer. An applicant may submit a complaint or any other information related to an organization's alleged noncompliance with the Fair Chance Act. The complaint must be submitted within 30 calendar days of the date of the alleged noncompliance. To make a Fair Chance Act inquiry or complaint, send an email with the appropriate information to HROperations@usagm.gov, subject line: Fair Chance Act.

Required Documents

The following documents are required by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) on the closing date for your application package to be complete. Encrypted or ineligible documents may result in loss of consideration.

Resume (2 page only): Include contact information, education, and detailed work experience (including work schedules, employment dates, and position titles).
Veteran Preference: If you are a veteran with preference eligibility, you must submit the member 4 copy of your DD-214 or other proof of eligibility stating character of service. If you are claiming 10-point veterans' preference, you must also submit a VA letter and an Application of 10-Point Veterans' Preference (SF-15). Applicants seeking widow or other special veterans' preference must submit a SF-15 form and all documents indicated for their specific form of preference. If you are still on active duty, you may submit a statement of service from your Personnel Command which states the date you entered active duty, the date you are separating, and the campaign medals you have received.
ICTAP: If you are an eligible Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP) applicant, you may apply for selection priority. To be well-qualified and exercise selection priority for this vacancy, displaced Federal employees must be rated at 80 or above on the rating criteria for this position. ICTAP eligibles must submit one of the following as proof of eligibility for the special selection priority: a separation notice; a "Notice of Personnel Action" (SF-50) documenting separation; an agency certification that you cannot be placed after injury compensation has been terminated; an OPM notification that your disability annuity has been terminated; OR a Military Department or National Guard Bureau notification that you are retired under 5 U.S.C. 8337(h) or 8456.

How to Apply

You are encouraged to apply online. Applying online will allow you to review and track the status of your application. If you cannot complete the Application Package online, please contact the Human Resource Specialist listed in this vacancy announcement.

To apply for this position, you must complete the occupational questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents and any appropriate Accepted Documents.
To begin, click Apply in the announcement; then, choose to create a new USAJOBS account or Sign-in into your existing account.
Follow the prompts to select your resume and/or other supporting documents to be included with your application package.
You will have the opportunity to upload additional documents to include in your application before submitting it. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process.
Click the following link to pre-view and print the occupational questionnaire https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/13055513.
After completing the questionnaire and uploading appropriate documents, click the Submit Application to submit your application package.
It is applicant's responsibility to verify that information entered in the profile is accurate and all required documents are uploaded and submitted before 11:59 PM (ET) on 09/29/2026 of the announcement to receive consideration.
Human Resources will not modify or change any part of your application. If a document is not in legible format, applicant will not be able to view it in Application Manager which means applicant must again upload the documentation to the system by the closing date of this announcement.
To verify your application is complete, log into your USAJOBS account. The page will display the positions for which you've applied as well as the status of each application.
To return to an incomplete application, log into your USAJOBS account and click on the plus sign (+) next to the job title to expand information about the job. Next click on Update Application to complete the application process.
Note: Submission of a resume alone IS NOT a complete application. This position requires the completion of additional forms and/or supplemental materials as described previously. Please carefully review the complete job announcement, including the Required Documents, Other Information, and How to Apply sections of the announcement.
Application packages will NOT be accepted via mail or e-mail. All resumes/applications received at the addresses listed in the Contact Information or Agency Information will be destroyed and will not be considered for this vacancy announcement.
This agency provides reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities on a case-by-case basis; contact HROperations@usagm.gov or 202-920-2400 to request this.

Agency contact information

Arlene Green-Bell

Phone: 202-920-2400
Email: AGreen-Bell@usagm.gov

Next steps

Once the online questionnaire and application package is received, you will receive an acknowledgement email that your submission was successful. After a review of your complete application is made, you will be notified of your rating and/or referral to the hiring official. If further evaluation or interviews are required, you will be contacted.

Personnel Security Specialist Job in Washington, DC