Requirements
Conditions of Employment
- Must be a U.S. Citizen or National
- Males born after 12-31-59 must be registered or exempt from Selective Service (see https://www.sss.gov/Home/Registration)
- Suitable for Federal employment, determined by a background investigation
- May be required to successfully complete a probationary period
- Complete the initial online assessment and USAHire Assessment, if required
- This position is not eligible for inclusion in a bargaining unit.
Qualifications
For the GS 7: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-05 grade level in the Federal service which includes all of the following: 1) applying appropriate personnel security policies, procedures, and practices while adjudicating increasingly more complex background investigations; 2) using adjudicative factors (e.g., criminal conduct, drug usage, employment misconduct, etc.) to identify and address suitability/fitness/security requirements; and 3) reviewing security applications for adequacy and completeness.
OR
Successfully completed one full academic year of graduate-level education in a field which demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of the position. (Note: You must attach a copy of your transcripts.)
OR
Successfully completed all the requirements for a bachelor's degree and am claiming Superior Academic Achievement. In order 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. Superior Academic Achievement is based on: (1) Class Standing - You 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.) - You 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 - You may 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/). (NOTE: You must attach a copy of your transcripts and/or verification of class standing for further verification.)
OR
A combination of education and specialized experience, that together meet 100% of the qualification requirements for this position. To calculate your percentage of education, divide the number of graduate semester hours earned by 18. If your education is in quarter hours, convert to semester hours by multiplying the number of quarter hours earned by 2/3rds. To calculate your percentage of experience, divide the number of months of full-time experience by 12. If your experience was part-time, convert to full-time by dividing the number of hours worked per week by 40 then multiply by number of months worked. Add the percentages. The total must equal at least 100 percent to qualify. (Note: You must attach a copy of your transcripts.)
You must meet all qualification and eligibility requirements 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.
Benefits
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.
For Category Rating: Once the application process is complete, a review of your resume will be made and compared against your responses to the assessment questionnaire to determine if you are qualified for this job. If, after reviewing your resume, a determination is made that you have inflated your qualifications and/or experience, you may lose consideration for this position. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your eligibility. Qualified candidates will be assigned to one of the three quality categories: Qualified, Well Qualified, or Best Qualified. Qualified Category = Does not exceed the basic qualifications requirements described in the "Qualifications" section of this announcement. Well Qualified Category = Meets the basic qualifications requirements described in the "Qualifications" section of this announcement and demonstrates proficiency in the Critical Competencies defined below. (This category must be met to be considered under ICTAP procedures) Best Qualified Category = Meets the basic qualifications requirements described in the "Qualifications" section of this announcement and excels in the Critical Competencies defined below. The category assignment is a measure of the degree in which your background matches the competencies required for this position.
Your qualifications will be evaluated on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities and other characteristics):
- Accountability
- Attention to Detail
- Customer Service
- Decision Making
- Flexibility
- Integrity/Honesty
- Interpersonal Skills
- Interpersonal Skills
- Learning
- Manages and Organizes Information
- Oral Communication
- Reading Comprehension
- Reasoning
- Self-Management
- Stress Tolerance
- Teamwork
- Written Communication
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.
The Category Rating Process does not add veterans' preference points or apply the "rule of three," but protects the rights of veterans by placing them ahead of non-preference eligibles within each category. Preference eligibles who meet the minimum qualification requirements and have a compensable service-connected disability of at least 10 percent or higher will be listed in the highest quality category (except in the case of scientific or professional positions at the GS-09 level or higher).
How to Apply
Please read the entire announcement and all the instructions before you begin an application. To apply and be considered for this position, you must complete all required questionnaires, assessments, and the required documentation as specified in the How to Apply and Required Documents section. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST)on 12/06/2024 to receive consideration.
The application process is as follows:
- Click the Apply Online button.
- Answer the questions presented in the application and attach all necessary supporting documentation.
- Click the "Submit Application" button prior to 11:59pm (ET) on the announcement closing date.
- 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 at least 3 hours to take the USA Hire assessments; however most applicants complete the assessment 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 used.
For more general information, system requirements, reasonable accommodation information, and to request assistance regarding the use of USA Hire assessments, review the following resources:
https://help.usastaffing.gov/Apply/index.php?title=USA_Hire_Assessments
To update your application, including supporting documentation: During the announcement open period, return to your USAJOBS account, find your application and click Edit My Application. This option will no longer be available once the announcement has closed.
To view the announcement status or application status: Click on this:
https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/how-to/application/status/ . Your application status page is where you can view your application status, USA Hire assessment completion status, and review your notifications sent by the hiring agency regarding your application.
You may preview the assessment questionnaire by clicking here:
https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12616551
Next steps
Once referred, you may be asked to complete a structured interview, written demonstration, and/or fit interview. Deliberate attempts to falsify information may be grounds for not selecting you or for dismissing you from the position/agency during the probationary period.
Once your online application is submitted you will receive a confirmation notification by email. Your application will be evaluated. You will receive another notification about the status of your application.
We expect to make a job offer within 40 days after the closing date of the announcement. After making a tentative job offer, we will conduct a suitability/security background investigation.
Generally, an agency may not request, orally, in writing, or electronically through the USA Jobs website or other electronic means, that an applicant for appointment for a position in the civil service disclose criminal history record information before the appointing agency extends a conditional offer of employment. However, there are exceptions to this rule for positions, such as the one covered by this vacancy announcement, for which the hiring agency is required to make a criminal history inquiry before extending an offer. Accordingly, we may ask about your criminal history for this position before making a conditional job offer. We may ask you to provide or authorize us to collect your criminal history information. We will give you more details on these inquiries, including providing any required release of information form(s).