Police Officer

Clarification from the agency

This position is open to all U.S. Citizens or U.S. Nationals. Note: Federal employees with permanent status or individuals eligible for special appointing authorities may also apply to Job Announcement #26R-SB-314245-MPA-OPS. More than one selection may be made from this announcement.

The Police Officer executes law enforcement and security functions involved in the protection of life and property within the boundaries of the Smithsonian.  

In this position, you will:

• Serve diverse communities. 
• Interpret laws, make arrests, conduct traffic stops, and manage emergency and crowd control situations.
• Testify in court proceedings, prepare felony charging documents, conduct interviews and interrogations,
  initiate and lead criminal investigations, and gather evidence through victim and witness interviews.
• Lead community policing efforts. 

Conditions of employment

• Pass Pre-employment Background Investigation
• May need to complete a Probationary Period
• Maintain a Bank Account for Direct Deposit/Electronic Transfer
• Males born after 12/31/59 must be registered with Selective Service.

Conditions of Employment

Qualification requirements must be met by the closing date of the announcement.

For information on qualification requirements, see Qualification Standards Handbook for General Schedule Positions on OPM website.

Additional Requirements:

• Requires annual qualifications (at a minimum) with the standard security force firearm and ASP Baton. Failure to re-qualify will result in removal from the position.
• Requires annual qualifications with the official side arms weapon and OC Spray, and familiarization with authorized shoulder held weapons.
• Must possess a valid motor vehicle operator's permit from the District of Columbia, Virginia or its immediate adjacent states.
• Pre-Employment Drug-Screening
• Pre-Employment Medical Examination and routine recurring medical examination.

Qualifications

Selective Placement Factor: Successful completion of law enforcement/basic police training courses at an accredited law enforcement academy with a Federal, state, municipal, or military police force equivalent to the basic training at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC).

A selective placement factor refers to a knowledge, skill, ability, or other characteristic that is essential for satisfactory performance in a specific job, in addition to the basic qualification standards. Applicants MUST attach their law enforcement training certificate and/or transcripts to verify successful completion of law enforcement/basic police training. Applicants who do not meet the selective placement factor or do not attach law enforcement/basic police training certificate(s) and/or transcripts to their application will be eliminated from consideration. 

In addition to the Selective Placement Factor:

Experience: You qualify for this position if you have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the NZ-06 level in the Federal Service.  For this position, specialized experience is defined as:

1. providing protection of property and valuable objects against the following hazards: fire, theft, damage, accident, trespass
2. maintaining order and 
3. protecting the lives of staff, animals and/or visitors. 

Your resume must be no more than two (2) pages and should clearly demonstrate how your experience aligns with the responsibilities and specialized experience required for this position. Do not copy language directly from the vacancy announcement, as you will be deemed ineligible for consideration. Instead, provide detailed, descriptive information about your actual experience.

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.

Part-time and/or unpaid experience related to this position will be considered to determine the total number of years and months of experience. Be sure to note the number of paid or unpaid hours worked each week. 

Quality Ranking Factor - Possession of an active police commission or one that expired in the past 5 years. 

A Quality Ranking Factor (QRF) is a job-related skill, knowledge, or ability that can enhance an applicant’s rating but is not essential for basic qualification. Applicants who possess the quality ranking factor may be ranked above those who do not; however, no applicant may be eliminated from consideration for not possessing the Quality Ranking Factor. 

Investigation of Fitness

A character investigation may be conducted on applicants selected for employment. The purpose of such an investigation is to secure evidence of the candidate's honesty, integrity, general character, and loyalty to the U.S. Government. Such investigations will be conducted under the security requirements of the hiring agency.

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.

How you will be evaluated

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

Applicants for this position may be evaluated in multiple stages. The first stage is an evaluation of your responses to the online multiple-choice questions that assess your experience, education, and/or training for the job related competencies below:

• Ability to provide foot and motor patrol in a public environment. 
• Knowledge and experience with Federal, state, or municipal criminal laws, rules and regulations to carry out the procedures and law enforcement practices of the unit.
• Knowledge of laws, rules and regulations sufficient to apply to practical law enforcement situations.

Applicants who meet or exceed minimum qualifications will be assigned to one of three category groups based on job-related criteria:

• Best Category - Meets the minimum qualification requirements and excels in most of the job related competencies above.
• Better Category - Meets the minimum qualification requirements and satisfies most of the job related competencies above.
• Good Category - Meets the minimum qualification requirements, but does not satisfy most of the job related competencies above to a substantive degree.

This 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. A selecting official may make selections from the highest quality category (Best Category) provided no preference eligible in that category is passed over to select a non-preference eligible in that category unless the requirements of 5 U.S.C. 3317(b) or 3318(b) are satisfied. Preference eligibles who meet minimum qualification requirements and who have a compensable service-connected disability of at least 10 percent must be listed in the highest quality category, except when the position being filled is scientific or professional at the GS-9 grade level or higher. Applicants who have not submitted a resume in the USAjobs system and/or have not answered all of the vacancy questions will not be considered for this position.

Important Note:

Your resume and supporting documentation will be compared to your responses to the occupational questionnaire or other assessment tool for consistency. If a determination is made that you have rated yourself higher than is supported by your resume, you will be assigned a rating commensurate to your described experience. Your resume should provide sufficient information regarding how your education and experience relate to this position, including the major duties and qualifications criteria listed.

Your application package should include the following documents:

• Resume - Your resume can be uploaded and attached to your application or created using the USA Jobs on-line resume builder. Ensure your resume contains the job title (including the occupational series and grade if it is Federal), job-related qualifications, starting and ending dates (month and year), and hours worked per week, for each employment period. It is your responsibility to ensure all information is submitted. Failure to include this information may result in disqualification for the position.

  For assistance with creating a resume, please click USAJOBS Help Center - How do I write a resume for a federal job?
• Proof of Veteran's Preference - DD214 (Member 4 Copy), if you are a veteran. Additionally, applicants claiming 10-point preference must complete Standard Form (SF) 15, Application for 10-Point Veteran Preference, as well as additional documentation required by the SF-15, such as a VA letter.
• Unofficial school transcripts, if the position has an education requirement or if you are using education to qualify. If selected for the position, you must provide an official transcript before appointment.
• Proof of U.S. accreditation for foreign study, if applicable.
• Law enforcement training certificate and/or transcripts to verify successful completion of law enforcement/basic police training.

Next steps