Security Assistant

Summary

The incumbent of this position serves as a Security Assistant in the Personnel Security Unit (PSU), and the position is to perform security-related functions in support of a Network Personnel Suitability and Credentialing Program within a shared services unit. The Personnel Security Program assures that all appointees have the appropriate level of security/suitability clearance commensurate with their assignment. The incumbent serves as an Assistant to the Personnel Security Specialist.

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Duties

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This position involves a multi-grade career ladder. The major duties listed below represent the full performance level of GS-7. At the GS-5 and GS-6 grade levels, you will perform assignments of a more limited scope and with less independence. You will progressively acquire the background necessary to perform at the full performance level of GS-7. Promotion is at the discretion of the supervisor and is contingent upon satisfactory performance, availability of higher level work, and availability of funds. This position entails Personal Identity Verification Program (PIV) responsibility, which is a Government-wide identification standard for secure and reliable identity credentials issued by the Federal Government to its employees, contractors, affiliates, and volunteers. The PIV Program is required by Homeland Security Presidential Directive (HSPD) 12 and outlined in Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS) 201-2. Work assigned is of a very confidential and highly sensitive nature. The work of the Security Assistant has a direct impact on the accomplishment of national and local performance measures with regard to timeliness of actions and following are the major duties of this position:

• Collection, organization and/or tracking of information in support of the Personnel Security Program. The Personnel Security Program includes the processes of initiating, reviewing, and approving background cases for release to the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) in compliance with policies relating to completion of suitability investigations for Federal employees and others requiring background investigations for non-sensitive and public trust positions.
• Assist the Personnel Security Specialist in collecting appropriate background information, tracking and reviewing data, completion of reports, maintaining databases and processing follow-up actions on various security related matters and assisting with suitability adjudications.
• Review position risk sensitivity levels as full assistant to the Personnel Security Specialist.
• Assemble position descriptions and functional statements for the Personnel Security Specialist for review.
• Track electronically the level assigned and the appropriate background investigation needed.
• For pre-employment processes, serves as the initial point of contact for new appointees including but not limited to paid or without compensation employees, volunteers, students, residents, and contractors.
• Initiates, reviews and releases appointees background investigations in the Office of Personnel Managements Electronic Questionnaires for Investigations Processing (e-QIP) system or in conjunction with the VA- Adjudication Center (VA-AC).
• Regularly monitors the status of specific pending items, compiles data to produce reports, follows up to determine status and records results.
• Maintains logs of current employees who are in public trust positions and ensures reinvestigations are initiated, reviewed and released using e-QIP within the required timeframe as per policy.
• Works with applicants who may be experiencing difficulties with completion of electronic forms related to the background screening process.
• Works with Recruitment and Staffing to assure required background documents are complete and accurate as per policy (OF-306, SF-85, SF-85P, etc.).
• Takes and transmits electronic fingerprints for appointees or when the FBI returns fingerprints unclassifiable for various reasons.
• Support the programming of PIV cards after being manufactured.
• Perform minor PIV troubleshooting of the PIV System during malfunctions and resolve system issues.
• Performs administrative tasks associated with the authorization and issuance of the PIV card, a standardized identification badge designed to increase security related with physical access to Federal facilities and networks and logical access to computer systems.
• Performs other related duties as assigned.

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, 8AM-4:30PM. Work schedule subject to change based on agency needs.

Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Position Description/PD#: Security Assistant/ PD99952S, PD99653S, and PD995952S

Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized

Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved

Permanent Change of Station (PCS): 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 required does not inherently include any physical requirements essential for successful job performance that could not otherwise be performed with accommodation or workplace adjustment. A pre-placement physical examination is not 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 dentification 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)

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you may be required to serve a 1-year probationary period or 2-year trial 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 period, 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, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 07/13/2026.

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-6 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-5. For a GS-7 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-6. 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:

At the GS-5 level:

• Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-4 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: knowledge of regulations, policies, procedures, principles and concepts that govern the Personal Identity Verification Program (to include HSPD-12); ability to use 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. OR,
• Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have successfully completed four (4) years of education above the high school level. 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 must be submitted with application. Education cannot be credited without documentation. OR,
• Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have an an equivalent combinations of successfully completed post-high school education and experience to meet the total experience requirements at the GS-5 level. This education must have been obtained in an accredited business, secretarial or technical school, junior college, college or university. Only education in excess of the first 60 semester hours (i.e., beyond the second year) is creditable toward meeting the specialized experience requirement. One full academic year of study (30 semester hours) beyond the second year is equivalent to 6 months of specialized experience. NOTE: Transcripts must be submitted with application. Education cannot be credited without documentation.

At the GS-6 level

• Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-5 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: knowledge of the regulations, policies, procedures, principles and concepts that govern the Personal Identity Verification Program, to include HSPD-12; ability to provide technical advice and guidance to internal and external customers both verbally and in writing; ability to enter, extract, and evaluate employee information via access to various computer databases; : utilization of security objectives and programs; following established procedures or instructions for carrying out support tasks related to security administration; maintaining reports and logs on the status of security and/or background related information; handling access request for access cards (i.e. PIV or CAC) and researching applicable regulations.

At the GS-7 level:

• Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-6 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: ability to recognize and resolve discrepancies in documentation submitted by sponsors or customers; ability to work calmly and effectively in sensitive, stress-producing situations; use of automated systems for the issuance of access cards (i.e. PIV or CAC); properly obtaining and entering required background information into automated systems; utilizing proper regulations for the adjudication process; working with individuals to obtain required information for the same; performing audits of security programs; and providing consultative services to managers regarding security programs and regulations.

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

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: 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:

Photos of degrees will not count as a transcript. Transcripts must clearly show your degree is pending or the degree was conferred with a conferred date and the degree obtained.

• Transcript that includes your coursework and date of graduation. A diploma is NOT sufficient to determine eligibility/qualifications.
• 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.

Additional information

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.

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.

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

The Career Transition Assistance Plan provide eligible displaced VA competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. To be qualified you must submit appropriate documentation (a copy of the agency notice, your most recent performance rating, and your most recent SF-50 noting current position, grade level, and duty location) and be found well-qualified for this vacancy. To be well-qualified: applicants must possess experience that exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors, and who are proficient in most of the required competencies of the job. Information about 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.