To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements within 30 days of this announcement, 09/11/2025.
Time-In-Grade Requirement: Applicants who are current Federal employees and have held a GS grade any time in the past 52 weeks must also meet time-in-grade requirements by the closing date of this announcement. For a GS-7 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-6. The grade may have been in any occupation, but must have been held in the Federal service. An SF-50 that shows your time-in-grade eligibility must be submitted with your application materials. If the most recent SF-50 has an effective date within the past year, it may not clearly demonstrate you possess one-year time-in-grade, as required by the announcement. In this instance, you must provide an additional SF-50 that clearly demonstrates one-year time-in-grade.
Note: Time-In-Grade requirements also apply to former Federal employees applying for reinstatement as well as current employees applying for Veterans Employment Opportunities Act of 1998 (VEOA) appointment.
You may qualify based on your experience as described below:
- Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-06 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: Experience that provided extensive knowledge of a body of complex laws and regulations, law enforcement operations, practices, and techniques and involved responsibility for maintaining order and protecting life and property. Creditable 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 environment; in performing criminal investigative duties; or in other work that provided the required knowledge and skills.
You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position:
- Arrest
- Criminal Investigation
- First Response
- Interpersonal Skills
- Public Safety and Security
- Security
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.
Note:
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.
The selectee must possess a valid driver's license; and achieve and maintain qualification with the Department service pistol as conditions of employment.
Physical Requirements: The incumbent must undergo and pass an annual physical for Police Officers in accordance with VA Directive and Handbook 0730. Since the duties of this position are exacting and responsible and involve activities under trying circumstances the incumbent must possess emotional and mental stability. He/she is confronted daily with physical demands such as responding to emergency situations (i.e., fires, disturbances, alarm activation) This includes moderate to arduous physical exertion such as the ability to run, climb multiple stairs, lifting disabled or injured individuals, crawling, crouching and standing for long periods of time. The incumbent, on a recurring basis, is required to use his/her physical ability restrain violent person(s) using unarmed defensive tactics. Along with the physical demands of traditional law enforcement activities, the incumbent will routinely provide hand on training in various topics in firearms and defensive tactics.
Working Conditions: The incumbent is subject to all types of environmental factors (i.e., excessive heat, cold, rain, and snow). He/she is routinely exposed to toxic fumes, smoke and gas. The incumbent may also come in contact with biological/contaminated material. Due to the geographical location, in a high crime area, the incumbent may encounter individuals armed and unarmed that have or have intentions to commit a criminal act (i.e., auto theft, felony assaults, narcotic transactions, etc.). The encounter could easily result to violence. The incumbent is exposed to stressful situations when responding to a hostile environment. The incumbent could be required to work shifts lasting from 12 - 24 hours without relief in order to meet minimum staffing requirement, especially during an emergency situation or natural disaster.
Medical Requirements: The duties of these positions require moderate to arduous physical exertion and/or duties of a hazardous nature. The following medical requirements apply to all applicants: good near and distant vision, ability to distinguish basic colors, and ability to hear the conversational voice. Agencies may establish additional, job-related physical or medical requirements provided that the specific position(s) involves the arduous or hazardous duties to which the physical requirements relate.
Applicants and employees must have the capacity to perform the essential functions of the position without risk to themselves or others. Applicants and employees must possess emotional and mental stability. In most instances, a specific medical condition or impairment will not automatically disqualify an applicant or employee. A medical condition or impairment is disqualifying only if the condition, for good medical reason, precludes assignment to or warrants restriction from the duties of the specific position. For some positions, the loss or impairment of a specific function may be compensated for by the satisfactory use of a prosthesis or mechanical aid. Reasonable accommodation shall also be considered in determining an applicant's ability to perform the duties of a position. Reasonable accommodation may include, but is not limited to the use of assistive devices, job modification or restructuring, provision of readers and interpreters, or adjusted work schedules.
For more information on these qualification standards, please visit the United States Office of Personnel Management's website at
https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/.