The Personnel Security Specialist position is in the Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA), Office of Mission Support (OMS). Specialist serves on the Personnel Security PIV & Credentials, Investigation, and Adjudication Team within the Emergency Preparedness Division (EP) in the Office of Mission Support (OMS), Chief of Staff, Veterans Benefit Administration (VBA) within the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) located in Washington, DC.

Duties

Performs initiation and adjudication of the major issue and complex background investigation cases involving VBA employee Security Clearances, VBA employee Public Trust positions, and for all VBA Contractors, within delegated authority, adjudicates security clearances and forwards recommendations for security clearance denials. Documents findings, make security and suitability determinations, and formulate case disposition recommendations for various actions, including retention in sensitive positions, and inputs to national databases the granting, denying, reducing or revoking of security clearances, as well as represent the Administration in meetings related to security clearance, suitability, and fitness appeals. Conducts adjudicative reviews and determinations are accomplished in an accurate, though, appropriate, and efficient manner pursuant to the most current statutes and regulations governing personnel suitability and security eligibility. Maintains liaison with the department's Contracting Officer Representatives (COR), Office of Human Resources, the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), and the DCSA to ensure suitability and security matters are resolved and appropriate investigative requirements are met. Facilitates and coordinates timely OPM directed removal actions with the contracting officer representative's (COR) as appropriate. Conducts independent analyses, evaluations, and internal inspections of personnel files for a nationwide VBA security clearance and suitability program centered at the PSC. Analyzes needs for security controls, recommends systems, methods, and procedures to increase physical security of personal information. Performs technical reviews, evaluates, and adjudicates personnel security investigations to include National Security Materials conducted by the Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency (DCSA), Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and other investigative agencies. 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. The grade progression for this position is GS-12. Work Schedule: Full time, Monday through Friday Compressed/Flexible: At discretion of Agency. Telework: Yes; At discretion of Agency. Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Personnel Security Specialist; 38764-A Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not Required

Requirements

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959
• You may be required to serve a probationary period
• Subject to background/security investigation
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process
• This position requires the employee to be able to obtain and maintain a Top-Secret Security Clearance.
• Must be certified by the Defense Security Service (DSS) or the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) to perform Security Adjudications.
• Must be certified by the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) to perform Suitability Adjudications.

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement: 01/02/2024. TIME-IN-GRADE REQUIREMENT: Applicants who are current Federal employees, former Federal employees applying for reinstatement, or a current federal employee applying for Veterans Employment Opportunities Act of 1998 (VEOA) appointment must meet time in grade requirements. 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. NOTE: This does not apply to Non-Federal Applicants, or applicants applying for consideration under Non-Competitive Authority (i.e.... "30% or more Disability", VRA, and/or Schedule A). To verify your eligibility, you must submit a copy of your most recent Notification of Personnel Action, Standard Form 50 (SF-50). You must provide a copy of your most recent SF-50 that indicates proof of status, and shows Time in Grade (for example, you were a career or career-conditional employee) and identifies your position title, series, grade, step, salary, tenure, and type of service (Competitive or Excepted). 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 also submit your most recent promotion or within-grade increase in addition to your recent SF-50. If you previously held a higher grade, you must also submit any SF-50 showing that grade. DO NOT submit Award SF-50's and/or General Adjustment SF-50's as they cannot be used to prove time-in-grade. For a GS-11 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-09. AND GS-11: Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-09 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. specialized experience includes: Administering personnel security clearance principles, suitability concepts, and procedures. Conducting analyses, evaluations, and internal inspections of personnel files for a nationwide security clearance and suitability program. Examining background investigations to identify and resolve security clearance and suitability issues. Establishing and maintaining requirements and procedures for security clearance and suitability files within a public or private organization. OR, Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience at the GS-11 grade level ONLY. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have: A Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree or 3 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree or LL.M., Transcripts (official or unofficial) must be submitted when using any part of education to qualify. OR, Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at the GS-11 grade level. Equivalent combinations of Specialized Experience and Graduate level education. (To compute, divide your total months of qualifying experience by 12. Then divide your semester hours of graduate education beyond two years by 9. Add the two percentages. The total percentage must equal at least 100 to qualify). A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education. Combining Education & Experience: If you do not fully meet the length of experience and education described for a specific grade level (e.g. have six months of experience and some coursework but not a degree), the two can be combined to total 100% of the requirement. Click here for more information. Volunteer Experience: 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. Full vs. Part-Time Employment: Full-time employment is considered to be at least 35 hours per week. Part-time experience will be credited on a pro-rated basis; when including part-time employment in your resume you must specify the average hours worked per week. Physical Requirements: This work is primarily sedentary. There may be period of standing, bending, lifting, and other requirements as requested. For more information on these qualification standards, please visit the United States Office of Personnel Management's website at http://://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/.

Education

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

Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education to be credited towards qualifications. Provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

All education claimed by applicants will be verified upon appointment. If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript to receive credit.

Contacts

• Address VBA Human Resources Center - Central Office 810 Vermont Ave NW Washington, DC 20420 US
• Name: Yvonda Price
• Phone: 4102304400
• Email: [email protected]