Security Specialist (Physical) Job in District of Columbia, DC

Vacancy No. 20250812-43201-7822-AKP-DE Department U.S. Coast Guard
Salary $120,579.00 to $156,755.00 Grade 13 to 13
Perm/Temp Permanent FT/PT Full-time
Open Date 9/12/2025 Close Date 9/26/2025
Job Link Apply Online Who may apply Public
Locations:
District of Columbia, DC


Summary

This vacancy is for a GS - 0080 - 13, Security Specialist (Physical) located in the Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Coast Guard, INTELLIGENCE SPECIAL SECURITY MANAGEMENT DIVISION.

This job is open to

Clarification from the agency

Open to all U.S. Citizens. This position will be filled through Direct Hire Authority (DHA) or Expedited Hiring Authority (EHA). All applicants who meet the basic qualification requirements will be forwarded to the Selecting Official for further consideration. The "Rule of Three", Category Rating, Veterans Preference, and traditional rating and ranking of applicants does not apply to this vacancy.

Duties

You will serve as a Coast Guard (CG) Physical Security Specialist for all CG Sensitive Compartmented Information Facilities (SCIFs) including land based, shipboard, and airframe facilities. Your responsibilities will include advising on all issues related to SCI physical security, its effects on intelligence operations and new security technology, designed specifically to assist in the identification and protection of critical CGIE assets.

Being a Coast Guard civilian makes you a valuable member of the Coast Guard team. Typical work assignments include:

  • Serving as SCIF physical security technical expert, developing/modifying policies and standard operating procedures adjust to changing program needs.
  • Conducting in depth reviews of pre and post SCIF construction documentation and physical assessments of SCIFs under construction to ensure compliance with ICD 705 series of policies and standards and make accreditation recommendation to the Accrediting Official (AO).
  • Conducting compliance reviews of existing SCIFs to ensure continued compliance with ICD 705 series of policies and standards. Prepares reports of findings and presents to AO for endorsement.
  • Resolve complex and unusual challenges related to physical security of SCIFs (issues could be related to emerging technologies, medical devices, construction challenges, etc.)
  • Extensive coordination with internal and external stakeholders to address the intricacies of SCIF construction and management.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

All qualification requirements must be met by the closing date of the announcement.

Key Requirements:

To ensure the accomplishment of our mission, DHS requires every employee to be reliable and trustworthy. To meet those standards, all selected applicants must undergo and successfully pass a background investigation for TS/SCI Clearance as a condition of placement into this position. This may include e.g. a credit check after initial job qualifications are determined, a review of financial issues such as delinquency in the payment of debts, child support and/or tax obligations, as well as certain criminal offenses and illegal use or possession of drugs".

  1. Must be a U.S. Citizen or National.
  2. A one-year probationary period may be required.
  3. Must be able to obtain and maintain a TS/SCI security clearance.
  4. State Driver's license is required.
  5. This not a Bargaining Unit position.
  6. This is a Drug Test Position.

Qualifications

Reviewing and assessing pre/post-construction documentation such as SCIF concept of operations, construction blueprints, construction security plans, applicable checklists and conducting site visits to ensure sufficient mitigations are in place for SCIF accreditation. Additionally, has experience inspecting SCIF construction progress at regular intervals to ensure construction is in compliance with ICD 705 requirements and engineer drawings; conducting compliance reviews of SCIFs, preparing reports of findings and ensuring corrective actions are taken where needed; maintaining appropriate records repositories for higher level reviews of USCG physical security program. Experience also involves coordination with DNI and other partner government organizations in support of achieving physical security objectives and remaining up to date on the most current SCIF security standards.

Specialized experience is experience that has equipped you with the particular ability, skill, and knowledge to successfully perform the duties of this position and is typically in or related to this line of work.

National Service Experience (i.e., volunteer 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.

The Office of Personnel management (OPM) must authorize employment offers made to current or former political appointees. If you are currently, or have been within the last 5 years, a political Schedule A, Schedule, C, Non-career SES or Presidential Appointee employee in the Executive Branch, you must disclose this information to the Human Resources Office.

This position has been identified for the Security Professional Education Development (SPeD) Certification Program. This is the Department of Defense (DoD) Security Certification Program directed by DoD Instruction 3305.13. The SPeD certification is DoD's initiative to professionalize the security workforce by establishing a common set of competencies for security practitioners that promotes interoperability, facilitates professional development and training, and develops a workforce of certified security professionals. This position requires the incumbent obtain and maintain the following core SPeD Certification: Security Fundamentals Professional Certification (SFPC) within their first two years of employment.

Education

This position does not have a positive education requirement. If you are including education on your resume, report only attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. See Required Documents section for detail. FOREIGN EDUCATION: Education completed in foreign colleges or universities may be used to meet Federal qualification requirements if you can show that your foreign education is comparable to education received in accredited educational institutions in the United States. It is your responsibility to provide such evidence with your application. See Recognition of Foreign Qualifications click here.

Additional information

Applicants will be required to complete questions contained on the Declaration for Federal Employment (OF-306) at the time a tentative job offer is made. Certain responses on the form could pose a problem with suitability for employment determinations. If you receive a conditional offer of employment for this position, you will be required to complete/make updates to the OF-306 and to sign and certify the accuracy of all information in your application, prior to entry on duty. False statements on any part of the application may result in withdrawal of offer of employment, dismissal after beginning work, or imprisonment. DHS uses E-Verify, an Internet-based system, to confirm the eligibility of all newly hired employees to work in the United States. Learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities at click here. Recruitment incentives may be authorized.

All Federal employees are required to have Federal salary payments made by direct deposit.

The Department of Homeland Security encourages persons with disabilities to apply, to include persons with intellectual, severe physical or psychiatric disabilities, as defined by 5 CFR § 213.3102(u), and/or Disabled Veterans with a compensable service-connected disability of 30 percent or more as defined by 5 CFR § 315.707. Veterans, Peace Corps/VISTA volunteers, and persons with disabilities possess a wealth of unique talents, experiences, and competencies that can be invaluable to the DHS mission. If you are a member of one of these groups, you may not have to compete with the public for federal jobs.

To determine your eligibility for non-competitive appointment and to understand the required documentation, click on the links above or contact the Servicing Human Resources Office listed at the bottom of this announcement .More than 1 selection may be made from this announcement if additional identical vacancies in the same title, series, grade, and unit occur within 45 days from the date the certificate was issued. If you need a reasonable accommodation for the application and hiring process, please contact 202-795-6262. Decisions on granting reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis. Visit Reasonable Accommodation.

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.

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.

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.

We will review your résumé and supporting documentation to ensure you meet the basic qualification requirements. If you meet the minimum qualifications, your experience, education and training will be rated using the on-line assessment to place you in one of three categories. The necessary Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities to perform this job are:

  1. Knowledge of a wide range of physical security concepts, principles, and practices to review independently, analyze, and resolve difficult and complex security problems as it relates to SCIFs.
  2. Knowledge of SCI procedures sufficient to provide advice and guidance.
  3. Knowledge of national intelligence security policy and control manuals to ensure new CG policies are appropriately coordinated and do not set unreasonable precedents.
  4. Skill in oral and written communication.

If you meet the minimum qualifications, you will be placed in one of the following categories:

  1. Best Qualified: Applicants possessing experience that substantially exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position and demonstrate high proficiency in all of the critical competencies, including all Selective Placement Factors (SPF) and appropriate Quality Ranking Factors (QRF) as determined by the job analysis.
  2. Well-Qualified: Applicants possessing experience that exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position and demonstrates acceptable proficiency in all of the critical competencies, including all SPFs and appropriate QRFs as determined by the job analysis.
  3. Qualified: Applicants possessing experience that meets the minimum qualifications of the position and demonstrate basic proficiency in most of the critical competencies, including all SPFs and appropriate QRFs as determined by the job analysis.

If you are best qualified, you may be referred to the hiring manager for consideration and may be called for an interview. Your resume and responses to the self-assessment questions are an integral part of the process for determining your qualifications for the position. Therefore, you must support your responses to the self-assessment questions by providing examples of past and present experience in your resume.

Required Documents

A complete application consists of the following:

Resume showing relevant experience; cover letter optional.
Your resume must list your educational and work experience including the dates (mm/dd/yy) of each employment along with the number of hours worked per week. If applying under CTAP/ICTAP your resume may be used to validate your responses to the scored occupational questionnaire.

Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) and Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) documentation.

CTAP applicants MUST submit the following documents: A copy of your RIF separation notice, a copy of your latest performance appraisal including your rating, a copy of your most recent SF-50 "Notification of Personnel Action", noting current position, grade level, and duty location, any documentation from your agency that shows your current promotion potential.

ICTAP applicants MUST submit the following documents: A copy of your RIF separation notice, and/or a copy of your most recent SF-50 "Notification of Personnel Action" noting your current position, grade level, and duty location, a copy of your latest performance appraisal including your rating, any documentation from your agency that shows your current promotion potential. View information about ICTAP eligibility on OPM's Career Transition Resources website.

OPM must authorize employment offers for former or current Political Appointees. If you are currently, or have been within the last 5 years, a political Schedule A, Schedule C or Non-Career SES employee in the Executive Branch, you must disclose this information. Submit proof of your former or current status, such as your SF-50. Please see here.

NOTE: You will not be considered if you fail to provide all required documents.

Are you a current or former federal employee? Submit a copy of your most recent SF-50, Notification of Personnel Action that demonstrates your eligibility for consideration, e.g., length of time you have been in your current grade; your highest grade held; your current promotion potential and proof of permanent appointment if applying based on an interchange agreement. Examples of appropriate SF-50s include promotions, within-grade increases and accessions.

Are you qualifying based on education? Submit a copy of your college transcript (unofficial is acceptable) from an accredited institution. Once selected and prior to appointment, applicants must provide an official college transcript. Education completed in foreign colleges or universities may be used to meet Federal qualification requirements if you can show that your foreign education is comparable to education received in accredited educational institutions in the United States. For example, specific courses accepted for college-level credit by an accredited U.S. college or university, or foreign education evaluated by an organization recognized for accreditation by the Department of Education as education equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. college or university. It is your responsibility to provide such evidence with your application. See Recognition of Foreign Qualifications for more information.

OPM must authorize employment offers for former or current Political Appointees. If you are currently, or have been within the last 5 years, a political Schedule A, Schedule C or Non-Career SES employee in the Executive Branch, you must disclose this information. Submit proof of your former or current status, such as your SF-50. Please see here.

If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:

Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.

How to Apply

Complete applications for this vacancy must be received on-line by 11:59p.m ET 09/26/2025. To begin your online application, click the Apply Online button and follow the prompts to register or sign in to USAJOBS, take the online questionnaire and submit the required documents to provide proof of qualifications. If you are claiming veterans' preference, you will be required to submit proof. See Required Documents section for more detail regarding a complete application package.

High self-assessment in the vacancy questions that is not supported by information in your resume and/or supporting documents may impact you or eliminate you from consideration.

If claiming eligibility under the VOW Act: The VOW Act requires Federal agencies to treat active-duty service member as veterans, disabled veterans, and preference eligibles, when they submit, at the time they apply for a Federal job, a "certification" of active service in lieu of a DD214. In order to be considered under the VOW Act, the certification must specify that the service member is expected to be discharged or released from active duty under honorable conditions not later than 120 days after the date the certification is submitted with your application package for this job announcement. The certification must be on letterhead from the appropriate military branch and include the following information: military dates of service and expected discharge or release date, character of service, military rank, type of discharge, and date when terminal leave will begin. Certifications must be signed by, or by direction of military members' military personnel offices, unit commanders or higher headquarters. Agencies are required to verify a qualifying separation from military service prior to appointment, through the DD214 or other appropriate documentation. Your preference and/or appointment eligibility will be verified prior to appointment.

It is your responsibility to verify that any information entered or uploaded is received and is accurate. Human Resources will not modify or change any part of your application. Determining your eligibility and qualifications is dependent on the supporting documentation and information provided, which may impact your referral for further consideration. If a document is not legible, you will not be able to view it in your application.

To verify the status of your application, log into your USAJOBS account (https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login), all of your applications will appear on the Welcome screen. The Application Status will appear along with the date your application was last updated. For information on what each Application Status means, visit: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/how-to/application/status/.

  • If you are unable to apply online, you must request an alternative application which is available from the Human Resources Office. Please contact Angel Patterson at Angel.K.Patterson@uscg.mil to obtain an alternative application.

Agency contact information

Angel Patterson

Next steps

Once the announcement is closed, we will conduct an evaluation of your application and qualifications to determine your ranking. The most qualified applicants will be referred to the hiring manager for further consideration. To check the status of your application, log on to your USAJOBS account, click on "Track this Application".

For more information on applying for federal employment click here.

Any offers of employment made pursuant to this announcement will be consistent with all applicable authorities, including Presidential Memoranda, Executive Orders, interpretive U.S. Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) guidance, and Office of Management and Budget plans and policies concerning hiring. These authorities are subject to change. Applying to this announcement certifies that you give permission for DHS to share your application with others in DHS for similar positions.


Note: We cannot accept applications on behalf of Federal Agencies. Application instructions are listed within the Job Description.