The uniformed Senior Physical Security Specialist ensures a safe and secure environment across VHA within various settings, including a variety of jurisdictional environments, such as VHA VISNs, Medical Centers and facilities, Inpatient Clinics, Outpatient Clinics, and domiciliaries throughout the United States. This position serves as a vital part of the VA Police Services often serving as the face of the VA and as the first person a Veteran or visitor encounters when entering a VA facility.

Duties

The uniformed Senior Physical Security Specialist ensures that all stakeholders safely enter any VA facility across the country with the confidence that they receive a consistently high level of protection and customer service without bias from VA Police Officers. This is accomplished through crime prevention activities, typical law enforcement actions, emergency response capabilities, special training and tactics, weapons, and equipment and systems utilization. This position uses a Veteran Centered Policing (VCP), VA-specific law enforcement model in which the VA police force serves and protects Veterans, employees, and all others who access VA care and services. The incumbent of this position is expected to empathize, engage, and communicate with all individuals they encounter to ensure a positive outcome and the safety of the facility and all its occupants. Duties for the position include but are not limited to: Assist in evaluating risk and developing procedures and physical security measures designed to safeguard personnel, property, and operations from unauthorized access, espionage, terrorism, sabotage, damage and theft. Serves on focused groups regarding physical security policy, doctrine, utility and implementation. Provides input in discussions and drafts changes for higher leadership's review and approval. Ensures security requirements, including appropriate safeguards, cameras, panic and intrusion alarms are implemented. Monitors and evaluates existing present and planned security projects to ensure timely and quality service conforms to statutory, contractual and technical requirements. Collects information and prepares reports on the facilities compliance with VA operations, regulations Physical Security and Physical Access Control Systems (PACs). Identifies conflicts between VHA and OIT Security requirements/regulations during security surveys. Conducting system audits and evaluates reports of alleged security violations. Analyzes facts and performs appropriate research and prepares detailed responses. Researches and recommends appropriate courses of action to correct physical and industrial security issues that impact an assigned area or facility. Meets with key customers and coordinates with officials to assess customer satisfaction, explain organization policy and procedures, and resolve problems that arise. Serves as a Senior Physical Security participant on special projects and initiatives and performs special ad hoc assignments between VHA/VBA/NCA/VARO installations. Attends security meetings and gathers new or changed security program information to provide security personnel and others in attendance. Develops various physical security-related documents, spreadsheets, graphs, reports and presentations using various automated systems and software packages, including the Veterans Health Information and Technology Architecture (VistA) System, Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint to enter, access and retrieve information in the medical center computer system. Maintains a Physical Security Tracking report to ensure physical security surveys are followed up promptly. Maintains a high state of physical condition and keeps abreast of law enforcement techniques and appropriate field station regulations. Performs law enforcement work involved in the preservation of the law, the arrest or apprehension of violators and aids citizens in emergencies, including the protection of civil rights. Books the accused; takes the accused before the appropriate District Court or magistrate; confers with the prosecutors; appears before the grand jury upon request; appears at preliminary hearings; and/or testifies at trial, if needed. Responds to reports of a crime in progress and/or calls for police assistance. Coordinates physical security program across the VISN by coordinating efforts or functions that impact multiple Medical Centers and sites of care. Participates and leads in community of practice (COP) across Medical Centers and VISNs with VHA Police Services. Develops and leads implementation of VISN-wide initiatives on behalf of VHA Police Services and VISN Leadership. Acts on behalf of VISN Police Services leadership and VHA Police Services leadership as needed to coordinate and manage a multi-Medical Center physical security program. Serves as a physical security consultant to VISN leaders, Medical Center Leadership, and Police Services as needed. Other duties as assigned Work Schedule: Monday through Friday, 8:00am - 4:30pm. Tour of duty subject to change to meet the needs of the agency Compressed/Flexible: NotAvailable Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Physical Security Specialist/PD99797S Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: 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, 06/14/2024. 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-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. 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 and/or education as described below: Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-9 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: providing physical security and assistance to groups and individuals; ensuring compliance with security procedures designed to safeguard personnel and property; applying knowledge of security and protection regulations, policies, procedures, and practices; utilizing various security equipment and devices; making recommendations to improve security processes; providing physical security consultation services to an organization. Applicants must possess excellent communication skills. NOTE: 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.. OR, Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have Successfully completed a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree OR three (3) full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree OR LL.M. in field a directly related to this position being filled (i.e., criminal law, criminal justice, etc.). This education must include courses that demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of this position. Education must have been obtained in an accredited college, or university. NOTE: Transcripts (unofficial or official) must be submitted with your application materials. Education cannot be credited without documentation. . OR, Combination: Equivalent combinations of successfully completed graduate level education (beyond a master's degree) and specialized experience as described above to meet total experience requirements. NOTE: Transcripts (unofficial or official) must be submitted with your application materials. Education cannot be credited without documentation. Firearm Requirement: VA Police Officers are required to carry agency-approved firearms while on duty on VA property. Officers must achieve and maintain qualification/certification with the agency-approved firearms as condition of gaining and continuing employment as a Police Officer. Applicants must be able to possess firearms under the terms of the Gun Control Act of 1968, as amended (18 U.S.C. 922(g)(9). You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position:Computer SkillsInternal Controls/IntegrityInterpersonal SkillsPersonnel Security and SafetyPublic Safety and Security 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 requires full use of extremities, normal hearing, and vision to conduct on-site security surveys, inspections, and assessments. The duties require prolonged standing, walking, crouching, bending, lifting, reaching, pushing, stooping, and climbing stairs and ladders both indoors and outdoors. On-site surveys, inspections, and assessments require exposure to a wide variety of working elements, both indoors and outside, and in general and specialized office space. Clothing is subject to being soiled when checking basements, crawl space, attics and other similar areas. Wearing of safety clothing and equipment when in construction or industrial areas is required. 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/.

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.

Contacts

• Address Ralph H Johnson Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center 109 Bee Street Charleston, SC 29401 US
• Name: Juan Cruz
• Phone: (860) 938-7296
• Email: [email protected]