SECURITY SPECIALIST (OPSEC)

Clarification from the agency

This announcement is open to: All U.S. Citizens. Includes Retained Grade Preference (PPP-RGP) eligible, and Military Reserve and National Guard Technician (PPP MRNG) eligible may also apply.

As a SECURITY SPECIALIST (OPSEC) you will be responsible for the following duties:The incumbent will support the Center for Development of Security Excellence (CDSE) Operation Security Support Element program which provides education, assessment, advisory and program support to Defense Agencies and Field Activities (DAFAs).

• Directs and/or advice on the integration of personnel, physical, and information security measures into comprehensive OPSEC programs, and ensuring all direction, advice, assistance, and assessment activity is tailored to the unique operational environments and mission requirements of the supported organizations.
• Collaborates with OPSEC Program Managers (OPMs) to establish and sustain OPSEC programs that address organizational vulnerabilities and align with DoW standards, beginning each engagement with structured pre-visit coordination and preparation.
• Develops tailored assessment and program-improvement plans based on risk analysis and organizational priorities.
• Interviews organizational leaders, OPMs, and personnel to assess the effectiveness of OPSEC measures, advise on the integration of personnel, physical, and information security measures, and identify vulnerabilities.
• Prepares detailed reports summarizing assessment findings, including identified vulnerabilities and recommended corrective and alternative mitigation measures.
• Delivers OPSEC training courses to DoW personnel, contractors, and other stakeholders using various platforms, including in-person instruction, virtual instructor-led training (VILT), and eLearning.

Conditions of employment

• Must be a US citizen
• Selective Service Requirement: Males born after 12-31-59 must be registered for Selective Service. For more information http://www.sss.gov
• Resume and supporting documents received by 11:59PM EST will be considered
• This is a Drug Testing designated position
• Position is a (DCIPS) position in the Excepted Service under U.S.C. 1601
• Work Schedule: Full Time
• Overtime: Occasionally
• Tour of Duty: Flexible
• PCS (Permanent Change of Station): Not Authorized
• Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA): Exempt
• Financial Disclosure: Not Required
• Telework Eligibility: Supervisors may approve situational telework on a case-by-case, temporary basis for limited situations.
• If selected, the incumbent must obtain and maintain appropriate security clearance as indicated in job announcement.
• The employee must complete the CDSE Instructor Certification Program during the initial 6 to 24 months after appointment to the position.
• The employee must obtain and maintain a Top Secret/Sensitive Compartmented Information (TS/SCI) security clearance. The position requires access to the JWICS system in order to communicate with 4th Estate partners.

Qualifications

The experience described in your resume will be evaluated and screened from the Office of Personnel Management's (OPMs) basic qualifications requirements. See: Security Administration Series - 0080 for OPM qualification standards, competencies and specialized experience needed to perform the duties of the position as described in the MAJOR DUTIES and QUALIFICATIONS sections of this announcement by 09/14/2026 .

Applicant must have directly applicable experience that demonstrates the possession of the knowledge, skills, abilities and competencies necessary for immediate success in the position. Qualifying experience may have been acquired in any public or private sector job, but will clearly demonstrate past experience in the application of the particular competencies/knowledge, skills and abilities necessary to successfully perform the duties of the position.

You must have specialized experience sufficient to demonstrate that you have acquired all the competencies necessary to perform at a level equivalent in difficulty, responsibility, and complexity to the next lower grade GS/GG-11 in the Federal service and are prepared to take on greater responsibility.
Generally, this would include one year or more of such specialized experience.

Specialized experience for this position includes: Based on their skill and knowledge, the incumbent supports the DCSA, the Security Training (ST) Directorate, and other DCSA security programs in the implementation, oversight, and enhancement of OPSEC requirements across the Department of War (DoW) enterprise. The applicant should have the:

1. Analytical skills to interpret new and existing OPSEC related policies, procedures and regulations,
2. Experience to identify vulnerabilities and provide actionable recommendations
3. Conduct OPSEC assessments
4. Develop and deliver OPSEC training content in various learning platforms
5. Possess oral/written communication skills to appropriately brief diverse stakeholders.

Specifically you will be evaluated on the following competencies:

1. Operations Security: Analyzes unclassified, highly sensitive, and close-hold information to identify sensitive information that could adversely affect mission if revealed to those without a need to know. Advises on the protection of the unclassified, highly sensitive, and close-hold information.
2. Security: Knowledge of the laws, regulations, and guidelines related to securing personnel, facilities, and information, including the requirements for handling, transporting, and protecting classified information and proper reporting of security incidents.
3. Teaching: Helps others learn through formal or informal methods; identifies training needs; provides constructive feedback; coaches others on how to perform tasks; acts as a mentor.
4. Vulnerabilities & Management: Conducts assessments on threats and vulnerabilities, determines the level of risk, and develops and recommends appropriate mitigation countermeasures in operational and nonoperational situations. Conducts assessments in a counterintelligence context to protect against espionage, other intelligence activities, and sabotage conducted for or on behalf of foreign powers, organizations or persons, or international terrorist activities.
5. Writing: Recognizes or uses correct English grammar, punctuation, and spelling; communicates information (for example, facts, ideas, or messages) in a succinct and organized manner; produces written information, which may include technical material, that is appropriate for the intended audience

How you will be evaluated

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

You will be evaluated based on how well you meet the qualifications listed in this vacancy announcement. Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g., resume, supporting documents), the responses you provide on the application questionnaire, and the result of the SME Resume Panel review.

EXCEPTED SERVICE PILOT REVIEW: Once the application process is complete, a review of your application will be made to ensure you meet the qualification requirements listed on this announcement. All applicants who meet the basic qualification requirements will be forwarded to the Selecting Official for consideration.

You should list any relevant performance appraisals and incentive awards in your resume as that information may be taken into consideration during the selection process. If selected, you may be required to provide supporting documentation.

Top ranked candidates will be referred to the selecting official for further review and consideration.

A review of your resume and supporting documentation will be made and compared against your responses to the Assessment Questionnaire to determine if you are qualified for this job. If your resume is incomplete or does not support the responses provided in the Assessment Questionnaire, or if you fail to submit all required documentation, you will be rated 'ineligible', 'not qualified'.

Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your rating or consideration for employment.

All eligibility and qualifications requirements must be met by the closing date of this announcement.

The documents you are required to submit vary based on the authority you are using to apply (i.e., applying as a veteran, applying as a current permanent Federal employee, applying as a reinstatement, etc.). Your complete application includes your COMPLETE resume, your responses to the online questionnaire, and documents which prove your eligibility to apply. If you fail to provide these documents, you will be marked as having an incomplete application package and you will not be considered any further.

The following documents are REQUIRED:

1. Your resume:

• IMPORTANT UPDATE: Your resume must not exceed two (2) pages. If your resume exceeds the two-page limit, you will be removed from consideration for this announcement. The resume and required supporting documentation should provide the minimum qualifications and relevant experience for the announced position. Must include the work schedule, hours worked per week, dates of employment, and duties performed. If multiple resumes are submitted by an applicant, only the last resume submitted will be reviewed for qualifications and referred for selection consideration, if eligible. The resume must not be more than 5MB and should be saved and uploaded as a PDF to maintain formatting and number of pages. We also accept GIF, JPG, JPEG, PNG, RTF, TXT, PDF, ODT or Word (DOC or DOCX). We do not accept PDF portfolio files. Page margins should be 0.5 inches, and font styles must be legible. Consider using 14-point size font for titles and 10-point for the main text. We recommend using a font like Lato, if available. Other widely available options are Calibri, Helvetica, Arial, Verdana, Open San Source Sans Pro, Roboto or Noro Sans.
• Additional guidance on writing a federal resume can be found at: USAJOBS Help Center - How do I write a resume for a federal job? The resume builder can help you create a resume using these recommendations and uses the information in your USAJOBS profile to help you get started.
• If you submit more than one copy of your resume, only the most recent version will be reviewed. The latest timestamp will be used to determine which version of your resume is "most recent."
• If your resume includes a photograph or other inappropriate material or content, it will not be used to make eligibility and qualification determinations and you will not be considered for this vacancy.
• Narrative responses in the assessment questionnaire do not replace content in your resume or vise a versa. Experience must be described in both places for qualification determinations.
• Resumes should NOT include: Classified information/SSN/Photo of yourself/personal information (gender, religion, affiliation etc., Encrypted digitally signed docs). Resumes with this prohibited information will be automatically ineligible for consideration.
• For qualifications determinations your resume must contain the dates of employment (i.e., Month/Year to present. Hours per Week).
• If your resume does not clearly outline details for each position as noted, you may be deemed "not referred" for this position.
• Additional guidance on writing a federal resume can be found at: USAJOBS Help Center - How do I write a resume for a federal job? The resume builder can help you create a resume using these recommendations and uses the information in your USAJOBS profile to help you get started.

2. SF50

• All current and former civilian Federal employees must submit a copy of your MOST RECENT SF50 (Notification of Personnel Action) showing your tenure, grade and step, salary, and type of position occupied (i.e., Excepted or Competitive); or similar Notification of Personnel Action documentation, i.e., Transcript of Service, Form 1150, etc. Failure to provide latest SF50 may result in you being rated ineligible for this position.

3. Veteran's Documents:

• If applying using veteran's preference or under a Veteran's hiring authority you must submit the following documents: DD214 showing character of service, SF-15 Form and VA letter showing final percentage, or certification of expected discharge or release from active duty.

PLEASE REVIEW THE BELOW LINK FOR OTHER SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS needed for proof of eligibility:
https://www.dla.mil/Portals/104/Documents/Careers/downloads/DODCustomersRequiredSupportingDocumentation.pdf

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