VA Birmingham Healthcare System is seeking full-time Police Officers in Birmingham and Huntsville, Alabama locations. Salary range listed incorporates both areas; actual salary will vary based on location. A $5,000.00 relocation incentive is authorized ONLY for CURRENT GS-6 VA POLICE OFFICERS who have already completed the VA Law Enforcement Training Center program and are performing satisfactorily. This is an Open & Continuous Announcement (see "Next Steps" below for details).

Duties

The incumbent enforces Federal and appropriate State and City criminal codes (and VA Directives and Regulations originating in Federal statute) in the physical protection of patients, visitors and employees; the protection of property of the United States (U.S.) Government and personal property on VA controlled property; the protection of the civil rights of all individuals while on VA controlled property; and in the preservation of peaceful environment requisite to the· operation of medical treatment programs. As a "Condition of Employment", the VA Police Officer must be able to be issued a firearm and then qualify semi-annually with his or her assigned departmental issued firearm, annually with his or her departmental issued intermediate weapons, and maintain a valid State or Commonwealth Driver's License. Police Officers must meet the standards as outlined in the Lautenberg Amendment (PL 104- 208) to the Gun Control Act of 1968 (18 USC 922). NOTE: The Lautenberg Amendment prohibits people convicted of certain domestic violence crimes from buying or owning guns. Federal law prohibits purchase and possession of firearms and ammunition by people who have been convicted in any court of a "misdemeanor crime of domestic violence", and/or who are subject to certain domestic violence protective orders. Work Schedule: Shifts will fall between the hours of 6:00am-6:00pm or 6:00pm-6:00am. All shifts have rotating weekends and holidays. The work scheduled for this position may require that you work an irregular tour of duty including weekends and/or holidays. May be called upon to work on a regularly scheduled day off when and if needed. Compressed/Flexible: Not available Telework: Not available Virtual: This is not a virtual position Relocation Incentive: Authorized for eligible candidates (current GS-6 VA Police Officers who have completed LETC and have satisfactory rating) Position Description/PD#: Police Officer/PD99925-S, PD99925-A, and PD99925-S and A Financial Disclosure Report: Not required NOTIFICATIONS: This position is an AFGE bargaining unit position. This position is covered by locality based comparability pay in Huntsville, and at the GS-5 level in Birmingham. This position is covered by a special salary rate at the GS-6 level in Birmingham only. Selectee may be required to work at any VA Birmingham Healthcare System campus, as needed. Current and former Federal employees must submit copies of their most recent SF-50, (Notice of Personnel Action). The SF-50 must identify the position title, series, grade, step, tenure and type of service (Competitive or Excepted). In some cases, more than one SF-50 may be required to show a higher grade previously held. Time-in-Grade Restriction: 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. The grade may have been in any occupation but must have been held in the Federal service. Interchange Agreements with Other Merit System: Employees who occupy medical or medical-related positions and were appointed under 38 U.S.C. 4701(1) or (3) [formerly 38 U.S.C. 4104 (1) and (3)] must be serving in a full-time position without time limit and have served continuously for at least one year in this other merit system to be eligible to convert to the Title 5 System. Some exceptions to this rule may apply if you have previously acquired tenure under a Title 5 appointment. Veterans' preference does not apply for current permanent Federal agency employees.

Requirements

• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP)
• Participation in the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination program is a requirement for all Veterans Health Administration Health Care Personnel (HCP) - See "Additional Information" below for details.
• You must be a U.S. citizen to apply for this job
• Subject to a background/suitability investigation
• Designated and/or random drug testing required
• May serve a probationary period
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 09/29/2024. 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-5 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-4; for a GS-6 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-5. 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. You may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below: GS-5: Successful completion of a full 4-year course of study leading to a bachelor's degree in Police Science or a comparable degree program related to the work of the position. NOTE: Transcripts must be submitted with your application. OR Successful completion of one year of specialized experience to at least the GS-4 grade level (or equivalent pay band) in the Federal service that has provided the candidate with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities required to successfully perform the duties of a Police Officer. Specialized experience is work that provided knowledge of a body of basic laws and regulations, law enforcement operations, practices, and techniques and involved responsibility for maintaining order and protecting life and property. Creditable specialized experience may have been gained in work on a police force; through service as a military police officer; in work providing visitor protection and law enforcement in parks, forests, or other natural resource or recreational environments; in performing criminal investigative duties; or in other work that provided the required knowledge and skills. At this level, police work must have included patrolling assigned area(s) to enforce laws and ordinances, regulate traffic, control crowds, prevent crimes and/or arrest violators. Experience as a security guard or corrections officer is generally NOT qualifying. NOTE: Examples of this specialized experience must be documented within your resume. OR Equivalent combinations of education and specialized experience. NOTE: Successful completion of a Federal, State, county, or municipal police academy or comparable training course that included at least 40 classroom hours of instruction in police department procedures and methods, and local law and regulations, may be substituted for a maximum of 3 months of specialized experience. Documentation of completion of such a program must be submitted with the application in order to receive credit. GS-6: Successful completed one year of specialized experience to at least the GS-5 grade level (or equivalent pay band) in the Federal service that has provided the candidate with knowledge of a body of basic laws and regulations, law enforcement operations, practices, and techniques and involved responsibility for maintaining order and protecting life and property. Specialized experience includes maintaining order to protect life and property; taking initial complaints; interviewing witnesses; securing a crime scene and conducting limited searches; responding to emergency situations; gathering information and preparing reports; conducting routine patrol, traffic control, and traffic accident investigations. Experience as a security guard or corrections officer is generally not qualifying. You must provide detailed information of your experience performed. Information such as "I was a Patrolman", "I was a Police Officer for a number of years," or "I enforced Federal, State, county, and laws" is insufficient to determine your qualifications. NOTE: Examples of this specialized experience must be documented within your resume. 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: Routine patrol requires regular and recurring physical exertion, long hours of standing, walking, driving and similar activities. Responds to alarms, pursues suspects, participates in training activities, climbs stairs and walks during assigned foot patrols in and around the large buildings. Agility, dexterity and strength are needed to pursue, apprehend and detain uncooperative suspects. On a regular and recurring basis, the work requires strenuous exertion physically restraining disorderly individuals to prevent harm to others or the individual. Police work is performed both indoors and outdoors in all types of weather. Police Officers may work prolonged hours, especially during inclement weather or during a disaster situation. The incumbent is expected to maintain a high standard of physical fitness and hand and eye coordination in order to maintain his or her semi-annual qualification with his or her assigned firearm and annual qualification with his or her assigned departmental issued intermediate weapons. 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/. Additional Requirements: Must possess a valid driver's license. Must successfully complete the VA Law Enforcement Training Center (LETC) Academy. Must successfully complete a physical agility test (one mile run, push ups, and sit-ups) using the VA LETC standards prior to appointment. Must achieve and maintain qualification on agency-approved firearms, intermediate weapons, and CPR.

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.

There is no educational substitution at the GS-6 grade level.

Contacts

• Address Birmingham VA Medical Center 700 South 19th Street Birmingham, AL 35233 US
• Name: June Borsari
• Phone: 508-944-6804
• Email: [email protected]