Supervisory Personnel Security Specialist-Temp NTE 1 year

Clarification from the agency

Open to current, permanent employees of VISN 19 - Station 495, VISN 19 Clinical Resource Hub, and VISN 19 Clinical Contact Center employees only serving on a Career/Career-Conditional Appointment, and Career Transition CTAP employees. This does not include temporary, term or intermittent appointments. **This position is for a Temporary Not to Exceed 1 year detail/promotion, and may be extended and/or made permanent at a later date without further competition.**

**This position is for a Temporary Not to Exceed 1 year detail/promotion, and may be extended and/or made permanent at a later date without further competition.** You may be returned at any time to the position from which you were temporarily promoted/detailed, or to a different position of equivalent grade and pay. The return is not subject to reduction-in-force (5 CFR part 351), performance-based reduction in grade and removal (5 CFR part 432), adverse (5 CFR part 752), or agency administrative grievance procedures (5 CFR part 771) action.

Major Duties Include but are not limited to:

• Performs suitability adjudications in cases of facility upper management and Network office personnel and/or subordinate organizations as applicable.
• Processes adverse actions as they relate to suitability issues up to, but not limited to, the development of suitability and employee relation case files that document contact with the applicant, appointee or employee in the processing of the request for personnel action.
• Processes agency requests to Pass-Over a Preference Eligible or Object to an Eligible as it relates to Suitability IAW: Title 5 CFR 731.202 or Title 5CFR 315.805. Communicates directly with the Delegated Examining Unit (DEU) and VACO's Personnel Security and Credential Management Office to ensure that all required documentation meets their standards involving Pass-Over Request.
• Provides expert advice to subordinate organizations when servicing affiliates, clinical trainees on time limit appointments, contractors, and without compensation employees.
• Acts as a Personal Identification Verification (PIV) card site manager, providing guidance on the interpretation of Homeland Security Presidential Directive 12 (HSPD-12).
• Conducts program planning at a major organizational level. This involves applying policy direction to specific operating requirements and developing guidance for applying personnel security and suitability policy, procedures, and techniques.
• Provides expert advice to Human Resource personnel responsible for initiating and reviewing background investigations at facilities within the Network.
• Establishes, gathers, and coordinates record of evidence in support of proposed personnel security and suitability actions and decisions. This includes submitting disposition requests to the appropriate court, law enforcement agency, or other source to obtain clarification or additional information regarding a case.
• Prepares removal cases and represents the facility before the Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB) on pre- and post-employment suitability issues.
• Considered a major authoritative source of personnel security and suitability program knowledge and is responsible for interpreting policy originating from higher organizational levels (or national policy), providing authoritative interpretations and guidance to management officials and other personnel security officers at the same and lower levels, and for resolving issues involving conflicting requirements.
• Identifies and determines training priorities regarding VA's Personnel Security and Suitability Program and is responsible for conducting and administering such training to Human Resources staff and other facility staff as necessary.
• Provides guidance and renders decisions on complex determinations unresolved by subordinates on a continuous basis through review of completed work and assessment of results obtained.
• Responsible for furthering the goals of equal employment opportunity (EEO) by taking positive steps to assure the accomplishment of affirmative action objectives and by adhering to nondiscriminatory employment practices.
• Serves as authoritative figure on eApp and PIV card issuing systems

Work Schedule: Monday-Friday, 7:30am-4:00pm
Telework: This position may be authorized for telework on an ad-hoc basis at supervisor discretion. Telework eligibility will be discussed during the interview process.
Virtual: This may be virtual on site at any of the VISN 19 station facilities only.
Position Description/PD#: Supervisory Personnel Security Specialist-Temp NTE 1 year/PD99949S
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

Conditions of employment

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959
• Subject to background/security investigation
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents). Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued identification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP)

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary period or 2-year trial period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider:

• your performance and conduct;
• the needs and interests of the agency;
• whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and
• whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service.

Upon completion of your probationary period or trial period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 07/23/2026.

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-12 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-11. 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-11 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 with a wide range of personnel security and suitability concepts, principles, and practices to independently review, analyze, and resolve difficult and complex problems.

Skilled in written and oral communication in order to provide technical advice and guidance to employees, contractors, affiliates, and volunteers with regard to matters pertaining to VA's Personnel Security and Suitability Program, OPM's e-QIP System and the PIV Program.

Experience with preparing and presenting oral and written findings, gain acceptance of difficult/sensitive actions, and develop/prepare/provide program training and/or instruction to diverse groups of people.

Skilled in applying analytical and evaluative techniques to the identification, consideration, and resolution of issues or problems of a procedural or factual nature, using qualitative and quantitative analytical techniques and conducting interviews with employees, contractors, affiliates, and volunteers to obtain information to ensure compliance with program requirements.

Skilled in, applying a wide range of personnel security and suitability theories, principles, laws, rules, regulations, and procedures to identify interrelated problems, draw conclusions, and recommend appropriate courses of action. Specialized Experience with applicable equipment and programs to include, but not limited to PIV, FTS, PIPS, VA CABS, HR SMART, QART, US ACCESS, USA STAFFING.Experience with the suitability requirements (e.g. forms, documentation, fingerprints, etc.) necessary to obtain any type of background investigation (e.g. T1/NACI, T2/MBI, T4/Bl, etc.) for Federal Employment, experience assisting employees, contractors, affiliates, and volunteers with any questions they may have about these requirements.


You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position:

• Accountability
• Customer Service
• Decisiveness
• Flexibility
• Interpersonal Skills
• Leadership
• Manages Human Resources
• Personnel Security and Safety
• Problem Solving
• Resilience
• Technical Competence

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.

Physical Requirements: The work is sedentary and is usually accomplished while the employee is comfortably seated at a desk or table. However, some walking and standing may occur in the course of a normal workday in connection with travel to, and attendance at, meetings and conferences away from the primary work site.

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/.

How you will be evaluated

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

IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE.

Narrative responses are not required at this time. If you are referred for consideration, you may be asked to submit additional job related information, which may include, but not limited to; responses to the knowledge, skills and abilities; completion of a work sample, and/or contact for an interview. Your resume and/or supporting documentation will be verified. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your rating or consideration for employment.

The Department of Veterans Affairs performs pre-employment reference checks as an assessment method used in the hiring process to verify information provided by a candidate (e.g., on resume or during interview or hiring process); gain additional knowledge regarding a candidate's abilities; and assist a hiring manager with making a final selection for a position.

For more information on the "Who may apply" eligibility requirements, please refer to the OHRM Status Candidates and Other Candidate Definitions document.

Placement Policy: The posting of this announcement does not obligate management to fill a vacancy or vacancies by promotion. The position may be filled by reassignment, change to lower grade, transfer, appointment, or reinstatement. Management may use any one or any combination of these methods to fill the position.

It is the policy of the VA to not deny employment to those that have faced financial hardships or periods of unemployment.

Veterans and Transitioning Service Members: Please visit the VA for Vets site for career-search tools for Veterans seeking employment at VA, career development services for our existing Veterans, and coaching and reintegration support for military service members.

To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package which includes:

• Supervisor approval for temporary assignment
• Resume
• SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action

*Supervisory approval must be obtained prior to expressing interest in this opportunity and attached to application documents.

The following documents are accepted, and may be required if applicable to your eligibility and/or qualifications for this position. Please make sure you have included other documents required for your application, such as a copy of your transcript (if using education to qualify), SF-50's (current/former Federal employees), documentation to support Veterans Preference claims, or ICTAP/CTAP documentation (for displaced Federal employees). You will not be contacted for additional information.

• Cover Letter
• Supervisor approval for temporary assignment
• Performance Appraisal
• Resume
• Separation Notice (RIF)
• SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action
• Transcript

SF-50, Notification of Personnel Action (if applicable for Time in Grade and/or Eligibility):

• Most recent SF-50 if you are a current or former Federal employee
• An SF-50 showing 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
• Award 50's do not provide sufficient information and will not be accepted for the purpose of verifying time-in-grade.
• Examples of appropriate SF-50's include:
  • Within grade increases at the highest grade held; or
  • Promotions with an effective date more than one year old; or
  • SF-50's at the highest grade held with an effective date more than one year old.

Veterans' Preference: When applying for Federal Jobs, eligible Veterans should claim preference for 5pt (TP), 10pt (CP/CPS/XP), or for Sole Survivor Preference (SSP) in the questionnaire. You must provide a legible copy of your DD214(s) which shows dates and character of service (honorable, general, etc.). If you are currently serving on active duty and expect to be released or discharged within 120 days you must submit documentation related to your active duty service which reflects the dates of service, character of service (honorable, general, etc.), and dates of impending separation. Additionally, disabled veterans and others eligible for 10-point preference (such as widows or mothers of eligible Veterans) must also submit an SF-15 "Application for 10 Point Veteran Preference" with required proof as stated on the form. Documentation is required to award preference. For more information on Veterans' Preference, please visit Feds Hire Vets - Veterans - Job Seekers - Veterans' Preference.

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