Security Assistant

Summary

This position is located within the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), Office of Security and Preparedness (OSP), Field Operations Division, VA Police Service in Cleveland, OH. The mission of the VA Police Service is to provide law enforcement, protective services, and investigative services to the VA Community, which includes Veterans, federal employees, affiliates, contractors, visitors, and others who receive services, work, or visit VA (VHA, VBA, & NCA) facilities nationwide.

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Duties

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***THIS IS NOT A VIRTUAL POSITION, YOU MUST LIVE WITHIN OR BE WILLING TO RELOCATE WITHIN A COMMUTABLE DISTANCE OF THE DUTY LOCATION***

The major duties include but are not limited to:

• Physical Security Support: monitors and responds to alarms; traces access patterns, programming, assigns or removes user permissions, and remotely opens and secures doors during routine and emergency operations; determines when to dispatch law enforcement or other personnel to investigate; maintains radio/alarm activity records/logs to include dates, times, and results of communications and activities; prepares completed reports; issues and retrieves government issued keys and/or identification cards; and maintains accountability of Police Officer badges issued and all associated logs.
• Communications: monitors and receives routine and emergency calls from a variety of sources that need police, fire, medical, or other emergency services; maintains contact with law enforcement units; monitors and directs responses to security and life safety communications, radio dispatches, telephone calls, and other emergency communication circuits; coordinates with various federal, state, and local law enforcement officials for coordination of emergency situations; and operates a variety of communications equipment, telephones, and computer systems to support both routine and emergency operations.
• Operations Support: performs system checks on a variety of equipment used in the dispatch center; troubleshoots systems when problems arise and resolves issues whenever possible; conducts equipment inventories and completes records and other logs; enters, updates, and retrieves information from a variety of computer systems/databases; uses state and the National Crime Information Computer (NCIC) to access sensitive law enforcement information to support field operations and investigations; enters or updates regional and national records; compiles and prepares reports related to events occurring in the operation of the police control center; completes vehicle registration tasks and issues decals and permits. and,
• Performs all other duties as assigned.

Work Schedule: Rotating shifts to include evening and weekends.

Recruitment & Relocation Incentives: Not authorized

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job
• To be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. In addition to the application and questionnaire, this position requires an online assessment. The online assessment measures critical general competencies required to perform the job.
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959
• Physical Requirements: The work is typically sedentary in nature. However, there may be some walking, standing, bending, and carrying of light items such as papers, books, small parts, etc. No special physical demands are required to perform the work. Working on off-tours, rotating shifts, or regular overtime may be required.
• Subject to background/security investigation
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements ( Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued identification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP) - See "Required Documents" below for details.

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider:

• your performance and conduct;
• the needs and interests of the agency;
• whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and
• whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service.

Upon completion of your probationary, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

Qualifications

To qualify for this position at the GS-5 level, you must meet one of the following: Experience: You must have at least one (1) full year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level (GS-4) in the federal service that has given you the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities required to successfully perform the duties of a Security Assistant, and that is typically in or related to the position to be filled. Specialized experience includes: the use of various computer, automation systems; computer skills in terms of data entry, compiling information, preparing and submitting reports, and database maintenance and management; maintaining confidentiality of information, both electronic and print; and communication and interpersonal relation skills sufficient to appropriately and courteously relate to internal and external customers both verbally and in writing. NOTE: Experience must be fully documented on your resume and must include job title, duties, month and year start/end dates, AND hours worked per week.

~OR~

Education: Successfully completed four (4) years of education above the high school level in any field for which high school graduation or the equivalent is the normal prerequisite. This education must have been obtained in an accredited business, secretarial, or technical school, junior college, college, or university. One year of full-time academic study is defined as 30 semester hours, 45 quarter hours, or the equivalent in a college or university, or at least 20 hours of classroom instruction per week for approximately 36 weeks in a business, secretarial, or technical school. 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 post-high school education (beyond the second year, in excess of the first 60 semester hours) and specialized experience, as described above, which meet the total experience requirements for this grade level. This education must have been obtained in an accredited business, secretarial, or technical school, junior college, college, or university. NOTE: Transcripts (unofficial or official) must be submitted with your application materials. Education cannot be credited without documentation.

For more information on these qualification standards, please visit the United States Office of Personnel Management's website at

Education

IMPORTANT: 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: 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:

Additional information

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.

Reasonable Accommodation (RA) Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a RA in your online application. Requests for RA for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for RA must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for RA are made on a case-by-case basis. If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, based on your adjudication decision. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments if you received the link after the close of the announcement. To determine if you need a RA, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments.

Receiving Service Credit for Earning Annual (Vacation) Leave: Federal Employees earn annual leave at a rate (4, 6 or 8 hours per pay period) which is based on the number of years they have served as a Federal employee. Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior work experience or military service experience. This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave. Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment date and is not guaranteed.

This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.

Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicant's criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer. For more information about the Act and the complaint process, visit Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP) at The Fair Chance Act.

The Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) and Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provide eligible displaced Federal competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. To be qualified you must submit appropriate documentation and be found well-qualified (have a final rating of 80 or more before any Veterans preference points) for this vacancy. Information about ICTAP and CTAP eligibility is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website at

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

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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.

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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.