Physical Security Specialist

Summary

Lead proactive counterintelligence and security activities across the United States government, integrating the instruments of national power to detect, report, deter, disrupt, investigate, exploit, and defeat foreign intelligence threats.

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Duties

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The NCSC/Security Directorate (SD) protects the nation's security interests by providing comprehensive security solutions. SD develops and implements policies, guidance, and standards for personnel security, IC-wide and SCI security-relevant issues, and security clearance reform. SD also engages with government and industry partners to protect national security equities against foreign intelligence and security threats and advance the U.S. Government's risk management environment to safeguard against adversarial and insider threats. The NCSC/SD directly supports the DNI's responsibilities as the Security Executive Agency (SecEA) across the Executive Branch and serves as the DNI's designee for oversight of national security programs across the Intelligence Community (IC).

The Center for Security Evaluation (CSE) is embedded within NCSC/SD. CSE assesses physical and technical security risks to diplomatic posts and facilities worldwide. This includes: reviewing construction security plans, overseeing and setting standards for SCIFs, identifying and preventing technical vulnerabilities, driving R&D of countermeasures to address technical threat, and supporting modernization of the Technical and Signals Security Countermeasures (TSCM) mission to introduce new technologies securely.

The Physical Security Specialist will:

Plan and manage the construction of United States (US) diplomatic facilities abroad in critical threat environments and for domestic facilities requiring high levels of security to ensure that technical, physical, procedural, and transit security elements are successfully addressed.

Plan, coordinate, and provide direction to Department of State (DoS) planning and construction teams, domestic construction teams, technical security staffs and general contractor security staffs to ensure adherence to construction plans.

Develop, coordinate, and prepare Office of the Director of National Intelligence's (ODNI) strategic and tactical planning efforts and use the developed plans to ensure the sound security of construction projects in critical threat environments.

Plan and direct the development and review of security plans, procedures, and countermeasures for on-going and proposed projects in the areas of domestic and overseas building construction and transportation issues.

Oversee the identification, analysis, and mitigation of risks in dynamic and unpredictable construction projects.

Plan and execute construction security plans in compliance with DoS, Intelligence Community (IC), and the Overseas Security Policy Board (OSPB) security requirements.

Plan, participate, and facilitate construction coordination and issue resolution meetings to ensure that IC best-practice methodologies are implemented in the construction of US diplomatic facilities abroad.

Plan, coordinate, and facilitate meetings with senior ODNI officials to provide security status reports and structured recommendations for improving ODNI's effectiveness in providing security for current facility construction projects in critical threat environments.

Initiate, cultivate, and maintain productive working relationships with security colleagues, IC security experts, senior Foreign Service staff, construction personnel, and ODNI management to provide security briefings, status reports and structured recommendations regarding the security of construction projects.

Other duties, as assigned.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

• Must be a U.S. Citizen residing in the United States
• Appointment is subject to a suitability or fitness determination, as determined by a completed background investigation.
• Must be able to obtain and maintain a Top Secret security clearance based on an SBI with eligibility for sensitive compartmented information (SCI)
• Male applicants born after December 31, 1959, must complete a Pre-Employment Certification Statement for Selective Service Registration.
• A two-year trial period is required for all new permanent appointments to the ODNI.

Qualifications

FREE RESPONSE ESSAY QUESTIONS

All applicants must answer the following four short, free response essay questions. The responses cannot exceed 200 words per question. By submitting your responses to the following questions, you certify that you are using your own words and did not use a consultant or AI (such as a large language model [LLM]).

1. How has your commitment to the Constitution and the founding principles of the United States inspired you to pursue this role within the Federal government? Provide a concrete example from professional, academic, or personal experience.
2. In this role, how would you use your skills and experience to improve government efficiency and effectiveness? Provide specific examples where you improved processes, reduced costs, or improved outcomes.
3. How would you help advance the President's Executive Orders and policy priorities in this role? Identify one or two relevant Executive Orders or policy initiatives that are significant to you and explain how you would help implement them if hired.
4. How has a strong work ethic contributed to your professional, academic or personal achievements? Provide one or two specific examples and explain how those qualities would enable you to serve effectively in this position.

Mandatory Requirements:

Extensive knowledge of domestic IC and DoS overseas building operations and diplomatic security systems, standards, and requirements, including technical, physical, procedural, transit security elements, and technical security countermeasures.

Extensive knowledge of construction security policies related to domestic and DoS overseas facilities, including demonstrated ability to manage, analyze, and synthesize classified material regarding security standards, policies and procedures.

Extensive foreign field experience in security, program management, and/or other IC security activities as well as availability for foreign and domestic travel.

Demonstrated ability to communicate, both verbally and in writing, complex information in a clear, concise manner that is targeted to and meets the needs of varied audiences with different perspectives and objectives.

Demonstrated ability to work effectively both independently and in a team or collaborative environment, mentor junior colleagues, and utilize strong organizational and interpersonal problem-solving skills.

Extensive knowledge of physical security in an overseas diplomatic environment and of overseas construction security standards (OSPB, Director of Central Intelligence Directive, and IC Directives).

Extensive knowledge of IC components, security programs, processes, practices, and methodologies, as well as extensive knowledge of how physical and technical security is incorporated into US facilities both domestic and overseas.

Demonstrated ability to establish regular contact with high-level internal and external resources and customers, supplying or seeking information on security programs and issues; demonstrated ability to tactfully express ideas or opinions to senior leaders, customers, contractors, and other stakeholders.

Education

Bachelor's degree

Additional information

JOB INTERVIEW TRAVEL

Candidates from outside the Washington Metropolitan Area (WMA) may be selected for a telephone, teleconference, or in-person interview.

SALARY DETERMINATION

The ODNI uses a rank-in-person system in which rank is attached to GS employees on the basis of individual qualifications, experience, and performance. Individuals whose current GS grade is equivalent to the grade of the advertised position will retain their current grade and step. Individuals who transfer to the ODNI from a non-GS pay scale will have base pay converted to the appropriate GS grade and step as determined by the Chief of Human Resource Management.

In some cases when a current federal civilian employee applies for an ODNI position that is a lower grade than his or her personal grade, the candidate's personal grade will be downgraded to the grade of the advertised ODNI position and pay will be set at the step that is closest to, and not less than, the employee's current annual base rate of pay, not to exceed the maximum step rate of the GS grade to which assigned.

RELOCATION EXPENSES

For new ODNI employees, reimbursement for relocation is discretionary based on availability of funds.

REASONABLE ACCOMMODATIONS

The ODNI provides reasonable accommodations to otherwise qualified applicants with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process, please notify the Reasonable Accommodations Office Representative by email at View email address on click.appcast.io, by telephone at View phone number on click.appcast.io or by FAX at View phone number on click.appcast.io. Your request for reasonable accommodations will be addressed on a case-by-case basis. PLEASE DO NOT SUBMIT YOUR APPLICATION TO THE REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION EMAIL ADDRESS. THIS EMAIL IS FOR REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION REQUESTS ONLY.

The ODNI is an equal opportunity employer and abides by applicable employment laws and regulations.

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.