Summary
Joining the U.S. Secret Service's Office of Technical Operations Directorate in either the Technical Security Division or the Aviation and Airspace Security Division will allow you to conduct and coordinate a variety of highly technical security functions at the White House and other United States Secret Service facilities.
For definitions of terms found in this announcement, please click here.
This job is open to
Clarification from the agency
This announcement is open to Civil Service Retirees from the Federal Employee Retirement System (FERS) and Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) who are eligible for reemployment as a federal annuitant; and Federal Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP) eligibles in the local commuting area.
Duties
The selectee will serve as a Security Specialist within the U.S. Secret Service's Office of Technical Operations Directorate, assigned to either the Technical Security Division or the Aviation and Airspace Security Division. Typical work assignments include:
- Consulting with agency personnel and contractors to review proposals, plans and specifications for property renovations and office relocation, to ensure compatibility with technical security policies and standards.
- Developing, enhancing and/or modifying existing database storage, collection and dissemination processes.
- Inspecting office electronic security systems on an annual basis for compliance with established and approved U.S. Secret Service (USSS) standards.
- Instructing non-technical office personnel specifically on proper usage of office electronic security systems.
Apply for this exciting opportunity to ensure a secure technical environment for the President and Vice President of the United States, provide limited technical security for other protectees, and technical assistance for investigative support. This Security Specialist position starts at a base salary of $90,925 (GS-13, Step 1) with potential to $118,204 (GS-13, Step 10). The locality adjustment will be added to the base salary of the selected location.
Applicants will only be considered for one (1) location based on the duty station selected at the time of application.
Requirements
Conditions of employment
- Be a U.S. citizen
- Males born after 12/31/1959 must be registered for Selective Service.
If selected for this position, you will be required to:
- Obtain and maintain a Top-Secret Tier 5 clearance. For more information visit: OPM Mythbusters Page.
- Submit to a drug test prior to your appointment and random drug testing while you occupy the position.
- Submit a credit check after a conditional offer of employment has been accepted.
- Possess a valid U.S. state motor vehicle operator's license and maintain a valid license while you occupy the position.
- Submit a financial disclosure report.
Dual Compensation Offset Waiver Approved for Rehires: This announcement is being used to recruit CSRS and FERS annuitants on a limited basis with a waiver of salary offset (if a dual compensation waiver is requested) under certain specified circumstances not to exceed 12/31/2028.
Annuitants who are reemployed with a salary offset waiver (dual compensation) are eligible for:
- Full annuity and full Federal salary.
- Annual and sick leave (not applicable for an intermittent work schedule)
- Full-time, part-time, or intermittent work schedules.
- Receive overtime (on a full schedule). Overtime hours are counted towards maximum hour limitations.
- New hires under this authority will be offered a 4-year, non-status, term appointment in the competitive service.
- Appointments that continue past December 31, 2028, may be subjected to salary offset (reduced) if the OPM dual compensation salary offset waiver is not renewed.
Annuitants who are reemployed with a salary offset waiver (dual compensation) are NOT eligible for:
- Additional retirement coverage (other than Social Security coverage).
- TSP Contributions.
- Annual, sick leave or holiday pay (applicable to an intermittent work schedule only).
Reemployed annuitants may only receive one appointment per job series.
Qualifications
To be considered qualified for this position you must meet the following qualification requirements for the respective grade level in which you are applying.
GS-13:
Specialized Experience: You qualify for the GS-13 grade level (starting base salary $90,925) if you possess one (1) year of specialized experience at the GS-12 grade level or equivalent performing duties such as:
- Recommending solutions to detection regarding installation, and maintenance and lifecycle replacements.
- Conducting security surveys for recommendations to leadership.
- Training non-technical office personnel on the proper use of electronic security systems, addressing questions and ensuring effective system operation.
- Developing and/or modifying database processes for storage, collection, and dissemination to improve data management and support security operations.
The qualification requirements listed above must be met 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.
Current or Former Political Appointees: The U.S. 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.
Education
Some federal jobs allow you to substitute your education for the required experience in order to qualify. For this job, you must meet the qualification requirement using experience alone--no substitution of education for experience is permitted.
Additional information
Re-employed annuitants are at-will employees and can be separated at any time for any reason. There are no notice requirements and annuitants have no Reduction-in-Force (RIF) protections.
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.
If you receive a conditional offer of employment for this position, you will be required to complete an Optional Form 306, Declaration for Federal Employment, 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, fine, or imprisonment.
The Fair Chance to Compete for Jobs Act prohibits the Department of Homeland Security and its Components from requesting an applicant's criminal history record before that individual receives a conditional offer of employment. In accordance with 5 U.S. Code § 9202(c) and 5 C.F.R § 920.201 certain positions are exempt from the provisions of the Fair Chance to Compete Act. Applicants who believe they have been subjected to a violation of the Fair Chance to Compete for Jobs Act, may submit a written complaint to HRsupport@usss.dhs.gov.
More than one selection may be made from this announcement if additional identical vacancies in the same title, series, grade and unit occur.
The Secret Service prohibits employees from having visible body markings (including but not limited to tattoos, body art, and branding) on the head, face, neck, hand and fingers (any area below the wrist bone) (exception: a single conservative and unobtrusive tattoo in the form of a ring is authorized on one finger).
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.
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.
Your application will be rated on the extent and quality of your experience, education and training relevant to the duties of the position. Upon review, your resume and/or supporting documents need to reflect one year of specialized experience, in order to be considered. If one year of specialized experience, equivalent to the next lower grade level cannot be identified in your resume, you will be considered not qualified. The competencies or knowledge, skills, and abilities needed to perform this job are:
- Accountability
- Attention to Detail
- Customer Service
- Decision Making
- Flexibility
- Influencing/Negotiating
- Integrity/Honesty
- Interpersonal Skills
- Learning
- Operations Support
- Program Management
- Reading Comprehension
- Reasoning
- Self-Management
- Stress Tolerance
- Teaching Others
- Teamwork
Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP) Eligibles: If you have never worked for the Federal government, you are not ICTAP eligible. View information about
ICTAP eligibility on OPM's Career Transition Resources website. To be considered qualified, you must meet the specialized experience and OPM's Individual Occupational Requirements as listed in the qualifications section.
Interviews may be required for this position. Failure to complete the interview may result in removal from further consideration.
After the U.S. Secret Service completes its hiring, the resumes of the remaining candidates referred for selection consideration may be shared with other DHS Components. During the application process, you may choose to opt-in if you would like your name, application material, and assessment results to be shared. There is no guarantee of further consideration, and you can continue to explore other job opportunity announcements.
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 Personnel Management (OPM) guidance and U.S. Office of Management and Budget (OMB) plans and policies concerning hiring. These authorities are subject to change.
Required Documents
In addition to addressing the vacancy specific questions, you must also submit the following documentation:
- Resume - Limit your resume to no more than two pages. The USAJOBS database will not allow an applicant to submit an application that includes a resume over two pages. In order to receive credit for experience contained in an uploaded resume, your employment history should show relevant work experience in month/year format (MM/YYYY), reflecting starting date and ending date, and include the number of hours worked per week. To learn how to format and submit a two-page resume, please visit the USAJOBS Help Center.
- If tentatively selected for the position, you may be required to provide additional documentation (SF-50s) to validate their eligibility for the position.
- Are you claiming special priority selection rights under the Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP)? Submit a copy of your agency notice, copy of your most recent performance appraisal (with at least a satisfactory rating) and your most current SF-50 noting position, grade level, and duty location.
- Are you a federal annuitant? Submit a copy of your retirement SF-50, Notification of Personnel Action, showing your tenure code, position occupied and highest grade and step. In addition, if you have or had service in a Federal Law Enforcement position covered by law enforcement or firefighter retirement provisions, including early or mandatory retirement, the SF-50 must show the retirement code. An award SF-50 does not contain the required information. You may be asked to provide a copy of your recent performance appraisal and or incentive awards. Instructions for obtaining your SF-50: If you need assistance with obtaining your SF-50 showing your retirement, please contact the National Records Center website at https://www.archives.gov/personnel-records-center/civilian-non-archival. You must submit the SF-50 associated with your retirement for consideration.
- Are you a Veteran? Veterans' preference does not apply to selections made under this announcement. However, if you would like to submit your military records for benefits you may receive after selection, please submit the following: copy of your DD-214, Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty (Member Copy 4). If a DD-214, Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty (Member Copy 4) is not available, other documentation listing the beginning and ending dates of active service and the type of discharge must be submitted to verify eligibility.
- 10-Point Veterans' Preference: If claiming 10-point Veterans' Preference, you will need to submit a SF-15 and provide an official document from the Department of Veterans Affairs or from a branch of the Armed Forces certifying your overall compensable service-connected disability rating (NOTE: Your overall percentage must be clearly shown), and/or any other associated documentation based on your preference.
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
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 required documentation as specified in the How to Apply and Required Documents section. PLEASE NOTE: Only resumes up to a total of two pages will be accepted. Applicants with resumes exceeding two pages will be removed from consideration. If your materials are not received by the closing date, your application will be evaluated solely on the information available, and you may not receive full consideration or may not be considered eligible. Also, if you do not provide a valid email address, you may not be notified of the outcome of your application. The application process is as follows:
- Click the Apply Online button
- Answer the questions presented in the application and submit the required documents.
- 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 to 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 assessments 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 reused.
To view the required online questionnaire please visit
https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/13062609. The online questionnaire is required in addition to the USA Hire assessments.
For more general information, system requirements, reasonable accommodation information, and to request assistance regarding the USA Hire Assessments, review the following resources:
USA Hire Help.
Reasonable Accommodation (RA) Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a RA in your online application. Requests for RA for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for RA must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for RA are made on a case-by-case basis. If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, based on your adjudication decision. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, if you received the link after the close of the announcement. To determine if you need a RA, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments here: USA Hire Reasonable Accommodation.
We strongly encourage you to apply online. If you cannot apply online, you may contact Ronneshia Briscoe at ronneshia.briscoe@usss.dhs.gov OR by calling (202) 406-6420 between the hours of 9:00 am and 5:30 pm EST (excluding Federal holidays) prior to the closing date of this announcement to receive assistance.
The Secret Service provides reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities, on a case-by-case basis. Please contact us if you require this for any part of the application and hiring process.
Next steps
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 update your application, excluding External Assessment responses, during the announcement open period, return to your USAJOBS account. Find your application record, and click edit my application. This option will no longer be available once the announcement has closed. For information on what each Announcement Status means, visit: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/how-to/application/status/.