Supervisory Physical Security Specialist (Branch Chief) Job in Washington, DC

Vacancy No. TLE-TEC-TSD-MP015-25-INT Department U.S. Secret Service
Salary $142,488.00 to $185,234.00 Grade 14 to 14
Perm/Temp Permanent FT/PT Full-time
Open Date 4/16/2025 Close Date 4/23/2025
Job Link Apply Online Who may apply Status Candidates
Locations:
Washington, DC


Summary

Joining the Secret Service, Office of Technical Development and Mission Support, Technical Security Division will allow you to provide specialized technical expertise and operational support to develop and implement countermeasures to threats against protected persons and facilities, and to support criminal investigations which the Secret Service conducts.

Administratively Uncontrollable Overtime is additional compensation which may be paid up to 25% of the base salary.

This job is open to

Clarification from the agency

Who may apply: Qualified US Secret Service employees on a competitive appointment and are currently occupying or previously held the specified positions of Technical Security Investigator or Physical Security Specialist.

Duties

This Supervisory Physical Security Specialist (Branch Chief) position starts at $$142,488.00 (GS-14, Step-1), with potential to $$185,234.00(GS-14, Step-10).

The selectee will serve as Supervisory Physical Security Specialist (Branch Chief) in the Office of Technical Development and Mission Support, Technical Security Division, Technical Security Division. Typical work assignments include:

  • Serving as a subject matter expert for large scale protective activities in various technical security specialized programs; developing and implementing technical investigative programs for protective advances and activities.
  • Identifying and implementing procedures and logistical planning in preparation for various types of countermeasures; overseeing and conducting the full range of law enforcement activities as it related to protection, surveillance, and undercover investigations.
  • Directing the work of employees engaged in protective, investigative, technical and administrative work and planning and providing technical direction for projects.
  • Coordinating security requirements with internal and external law enforcement stakeholders; participating in meetings with other management officials.

Apply for this exciting opportunity to impact the Secret Service's security initiatives in support of our protective and investigative missions.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

  • US Citizenship is required.
  • Be at least age 21 at the time of application and less than age 37 at the time of referral (unless currently employed in a law enforcement provision of the FERS/Civil Service Retirement System or previous service in a Federal Civilian Law Enforcement position covered by special civil service retirement provision, including early/mandatory retirement). Applicants eligible for veterans' preference must be less than 40 years of age at the time of referral.
  • Obtain and maintain a Top-Secret Clearance.
  • Possess and maintain a current valid driver's license.
  • Certify registration or exemption with the Selective Service if you are a male applicant born after 12/31/59.
  • Submit to a drug test prior to your appointment and random drug testing during employment.
  • Carry and use a firearm. Maintaining firearm proficiency is also mandatory. You will be ineligible to occupy this position if at any time you have been convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence, unless you received a pardon, or your conviction was expunged or set aside.
  • Complete or secure an appropriate waiver for a 12-week Uniformed Police Training Program (UPTP) at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC) AND a 10-week Mixed Basic Training Course (MBTC) at the Agency's James J. Rowley Training Center (RTC) Click here to review the required Fitness Standards. If you are removed (voluntarily or involuntarily) from training based on your inability to meet training standards, you will be returned to your previous position at the same grade and step you held before you accepted the LIPO position. This may result in a downgrade and/or a change to your salary.
  • Possess uncorrected visual acuity of no worse than 20/100 binocular. Possess corrected visual acuity of 20/20 or better in each eye. Lasik, ALK, RK, and PRK corrective eye surgeries are acceptable eye surgeries for applicants, and you will be considered eligible for this position provided specific visual tests are passed. Waiting periods are Lasik-2 months after surgery, PRK-6 months after surgery, and ALK/RK-1 year after surgery.
  • Hearing loss, as measured by an audiometer, must not exceed 25 decibels (A.S.A. or equivalent I.S.O.) in either ear in the 500, 1000, and 2000 Hz ranges.
  • Submit to a polygraph examination prior to your appointment.
  • Complete a pre-employment and post-employment medical examination and be determined physically fit to perform strenuous and physically demanding duties.

Qualifications

To qualify for the grade GS-14 level you must possess one year of specialized experience at the grade GS-13 level performing duties such as: planning and directing a technical staff in work involving at least one of the following areas: physical security, intrusion detection, access control, video assessment, surveillance systems, technical surveillance countermeasures, chemical, biological and radiological hazard countermeasures, fire protection, network security, cyber security; or providing technical guidance for investigative and surveillance purposes; or providing or developing training programs related to any of the above specific subject matter areas.

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.

ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS:

Time-in-Grade Requirement: Current Federal employees must have served 52 weeks at the GS-13 grade level or equivalent pay band in the Federal service on a non-temporary appointment. Applicants must provide a copy of their SF-50 (Notification of Personnel Action), that should include their position, title, series, grade, step, tenure (1 or 2), and type of service (Competitive or Excepted).Please note: If you are applying for a higher grade than the grade that you currently hold and the SF-50 you submit to support your eligibility claim has an effective date within the past year, it will not clearly show that you meet the one-year time-in-grade requirement. Be sure to provide an additional SF-50 which clearly demonstrates you meet the time-in-grade requirements (appropriate SF-50s include Promotions, Within Rate/Grade Increases (WRI/WGI), and appointment/conversion SF-50s with an effective date more than one-year old).

Qualification AND Eligibility Requirements Must Be Met: The qualification and eligibility requirements listed above must be met by the closing date of this announcement.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.

Education

This job does not have an education qualification requirement.

Additional information

The work performed in protective service is high-paced and may involve a high risk of exposure to potentially dangerous situations and hazardous environments impacting the lives of internal and external stakeholders and properties protected. The work requires long and irregular hours including holidays, weekends and evenings, shift work, physical exertion (lifting heavy objects, crouching/crawling under or in automobiles, self-protection in harm's way and defending internal and external stakeholders against a physical harm and/or attack(s).All Applicable Authorities Statement: 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. Fair Chance Act: 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 Equal.Opportunity@usss.dhs.gov. 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.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. Applying to this announcement certifies that you give permission for DHS to share your application with others in DHS for similar positions.

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).View common definitions of terms found in this announcement.

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.

Your application will be rated on the extent and quality of your experience, education and training relevant to the duties of the position. If you meet the minimum qualifications, a score will automatically be calculated based on your answers to the vacancy specific questions to place you in one of three categories. All answers provided in the online process must be substantiated by your resume. Upon review, your resume and/or supporting documents need to support your answer choices and reflect the one year of specialized experience requirement, in order to be considered. If the 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:

  • Knowledge of the missions, functions, operations, policies, rules, regulations, and procedures of the agency sufficient to independently handle complex problems in performing protective activities, investigations, inspections and other law enforcement activities.
  • Knowledge of a wide range of physical security concepts, principles and practices.
  • Ability to brief senior-level management and other stakeholders on complex issues in protective services and investigative activities.

An interview may be required for this position. If an interview is required, failure to complete the interview may result in removal from further consideration. Due weight will be given to performance appraisals and incentive awards in merit promotion selection decisions in accordance with 5 CFR 335.103(b)(3).To preview the assessment questionnaire, click the following link:https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12710584

Required Documents

In addition to addressing the vacancy specific questions, you must also submit the following documentation:

  • Resume - In order to receive credit for experience contained in an uploaded resume, your employment history should show work experience in month/year format (MM/YYYY), reflecting starting date and ending date, and include the number of hours worked per week. If the position is/was in the Federal government, you should provide the position series and grade level. Be specific about the skills you have that directly relate to the position. Support your skills with specific examples such as accomplishments or results from your career or education.
  • Are you a current U.S. Secret Service Employee? Submit a copy of your SF 50, Notification of Personnel Action, showing your tenure code, position occupied and highest grade and step. An award SF-50 does not contain the required information. PLEASE NOTE: If you are applying for a higher grade than the grade that you currently hold and the SF-50 you submit to support your eligibility claim has an effective date within the past year, it will not clearly show that you meet the one-year time-in-grade requirement. Be sure to provide an additional SF-50 which clearly demonstrates you meet the time-in-grade requirements (appropriate SF-50s include Promotions, Within Rate/Grade Increases (WRI/WGI), and appointment/conversion SF-50s with an effective date more than one-year old).
  • Are you a current or former political Schedule A, Schedule C, Non-career SES or Presidential Appointee employee? Submit a copy of your applicable SF-50, along with a statement that provides the following information regarding your most recent political appointment: Position title, Type of appointment (Schedule a, Schedule C, Non-career SES, or Presidential Appointee) Agency, beginning and ending dates of your appointment.

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

To apply for this position, you must complete the initial online application, to include submission of the documentation specified in the Required Documents section above.The application process is as follows:

  1. To begin your online application, click the Apply Online button and follow the prompts to register or sign into USAJOBS,
  2. Complete the online questionnaire and submit the required documents. See Required Documents section for more detail.

To update your application at any time during the announcement open period, return to your USAJOBS account. There you will find a record of your application, the application status, and an option to Update Application. This option will no longer be available once the announcement has closed.To verify the status of your application both during and after the announcement open period, log into your USAJOBS account (https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login). All of your applications will appear on the Welcome page. The application record in your USAJOBS account provides the Announcement Status and a "You applied on" date. This information does not confirm the agency application status. Use the "Track this Application" link for additional information regarding the agency application status, the documentation you submitted, and any correspondence sent related to this application. The Announcement Status will appear along with the date your application was last updated. For information on what each Announcement Status means, visit: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/how-to/application/status/.You must complete the application process and submit any required documents no later than 11:59 p.m. Eastern Standard Time (EST) on the closing date of this announcement. Instructions outlining the application process can be found at http://www.secretservice.gov/join/apply/. If you cannot apply online, you may contact the Technical Law Enforcement Support Branch at TLEHRSupport@usss.dhs.gov 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.

Applications and supporting documentation will not be accepted by mail or email. The address below is for inquiries only. You may apply more than once, but the most recent application is the only one that will be used. You must submit your resume, your online questionnaire, and any supporting documents by 11:59 PM Eastern Standard Time (EST) on the closing date of this announcement. 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.

Agency contact information

TLE Support Branch
Address
United States Secret Service
Please read entire announcement
Please apply online
Washington, DC 20223
US

Next steps

Once your complete application is received we will conduct an evaluation of your qualifications and determine your eligibility. Best-qualified applicants will be referred for further consideration and possible interview. We expect to make a selection within 45 days of the closing date of this announcement. You may check the status of your application for this position by going to www.usajobs.gov. Click on the "My USAJOBS" tab, enter your user id and password, and click on "My Applications". You will also receive an email notification regarding your application status.


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


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