The incumbent provides Personnel Security and assistance to employees, contractors, volunteers, affiliates, visitors, and others who frequent VA facilities daily. Incumbent of this position serves as a Personnel Security Specialist and performs security-related functions in support of a Network Personnel Suitability and Credentialing Program. The program assures that all appointees have the appropriate level of security/suitability clearance commensurate with their assignment.

Duties

*** Non-Bargaining Position *** Responsible for the day-to-day activities of the Personnel Security Program. Conducts security and suitability adjudications related to background investigations. Reviews completed suitability investigations with the purpose of providing recommendations on pre-employment and continued employment considerations. Determines the impact of potential adverse or derogatory information; exercises personal judgement and discretion to evaluate the nature of information received and recommends or takes appropriate action. Responsible for notifying employees in a timely manner of requirements for initiation of periodic reinvestigations. Has delegated authority to determine suitability on both non-actionable and actionable closed investigation cases. Reviews results and makes decisions concerning the adjudication of all Special Agreement Checks (SACs) and Tiered investigations received from OPM. Review personnel security investigation components for the purpose of summarizing issues and providing recommendations to the Human Resources Officer on pre-employment and continued employment considerations, and placement of personnel. Make preliminary assessments of possible material intentional falsification in examination or appointment. Processes and oversees the submission of higher-level investigations to the VA-Adjudication Center (VA-AC), and acts as a liaison with other services on security issues. Tracks the date released and follows up with the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) to ensure timely closure for all cases (SACs, NACls, MBls, and BIs). Routinely coordinates with the Information Security Officer (ISO), Medical Center Compliance Officer, and the Privacy Officer on various program audits that relate to the Personnel Security Program. Promotion Potential: The selectee may be promoted to the full performance level without further competition when all regulatory, qualification, and performance requirements are met. Selection at a lower grade level does not guarantee promotion to the full performance level. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Compressed/Flexible: Alternate schedules may be available at supervisory discretion. Remote: Authorized for highly qualified candidates. Position Description/PD#: Personnel Security Specialist/PD99950S Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized PCS Appraised Value Offer (AVO): Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

Requirements

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 10/10/2023. 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-9 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-7. For a GS-11 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-9. 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. To qualify for this position at the GS-9 level, you must meet one of the following: Specialized Experience: You must have at least one (1) year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-7 grade level in federal service that demonstrates HR management knowledge, concepts and principles and the performance of work in one or more of the HR specialty areas. Such experience may be gained in administrative, professional, technical or other responsible work positions in the public (i.e., Government or military) or private sector. Qualifying specialized experience includes: Training on and/or usage of commonly applied security principles, concepts, and methodologies; Experience gaining familiarity with criteria, equipment, or techniques for security specialization to resolve well-defined questions or conditions; Training on and/or usage of standardized applications or established variations in security criteria involving considerations such as clearance level required, adjudication of security clearances when clear-cut derogatory information is present in the investigative. ~OR~ Education: Successful completion of a Master's or equivalent graduate degree, two full years of progressively higher- level graduate education leading to such a degree, or LL.B. or J.D., if related. Such education must demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of this position. ~OR~ Combination: Combinations of successfully completed graduate level education (beyond the first year) and specialized experience, as described above, to meet the total requirements. The education portion must include graduate courses that demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do to the work of this position. To qualify for this position at the GS-11 level, you must meet one of the following: Specialized Experience: You must have at least one (1) year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-9 grade level in federal service that demonstrates HR management knowledge, concepts and principles and the performance of work in one or more of the HR specialty areas. Such experience may be gained in administrative, professional, technical or other responsible work positions in the public (i.e., Government or military) or private sector. Qualifying specialized experience includes: Training on and/or utilization of emerging federal law, a wide range of federal regulations, agency policies, management practices, and information technology procedures; Extensive experience utilizing and becoming proficient in the utilization of automated information Systems; Research and application of information security practices and facility applications; Experience utilizing spreadsheet and database software for reports, as well as Microsoft Word or other similar software for correspondence; Experience gaining familiarity with security program interrelationships, i.e., personnel and information security; Research and utilization of safety and service level risk assessment procedures. ~OR~ Education: Successful completion of a Ph.D or equivalent doctoral degree, three full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree, or LL.M., if related. Such education must demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of this position. ~OR~ Combination: Combinations of successfully completed graduate level education (beyond the first two years) and specialized experience, as described above, to meet the total requirements. The education portion must include graduate courses that demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do to the work of this position.

Education

A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education.

Note: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/. If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html.Reference: VA Regulations, specifically VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Appendix F1; Human Resources Specialist Qualification Standards GS-0201. This can be found in the local Human Resources Office.

Note: If your school has changed names, or is no longer in existence, you must provide this information in your application.

Reference: VA Regulations, specifically VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Appendix F1; Human Resources Specialist Qualification Standards GS-0201. This can be found in the local Human Resources Office.

Contacts

• Address VHA VISN 17 Human Resources 2301 E. LAMAR BLVD SUITE 650 ARLINGTON, TX 76006-7428 US
• Name: VISN 17 SSU USAS Group
• Email: [email protected]