Personnel Security Specialist

Summary

The Personnel Security Specialist is located in the Department of Veterans Affairs, Central Office (VACO) Human Resources Service Center (HRSC) that focuses on the establishment and transition of human capital services for VACO staff offices from VHA, VBA, and NCA. This position serves as a Personnel Security Specialist for the HRSC and performs security-related functions in support of a HRSC Personnel Suitability and Credentialing program.

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Duties

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Major Duties:

• Responsible for the Department's nationwide adjudication of the minor and no-issue background investigation cases and fingerprint results involving VA employee Security Clearances, VA employee Public Trust positions and for all suitability investigations for VA Contractors. Within delegated authority, adjudicates security clearances and forwards recommendations for security clearance denials.
• Maintains associated personnel suitability records.
• Contacts subject(s) of investigation regarding inconclusive or derogatory information developed to resolve disputed information.
• Incumbent must have the judgement and ability to recognize sensitive, personal issues and to avoid unwarranted concern or emotional responses in eliciting required additional information. To accomplish the mitigation, incumbent must have the judgement and ability to recognize sensitive, personal issues and to avoid unwarranted concern or emotional responses in eliciting required additional information.
• Documents findings, makes security and suitability determinations, and formulates case disposition recommendations or varies actions, including approval of employment, denial of employment, or retention in sensitive public trust positions.
• Ensures that adjudicative reviews and determinations are accomplished in an accurate, thorough, appropriate, and efficient manner pursuant to the most statutes and regulations governing personnel security clearances and personnel suitability.
• Recommends or takes action on cases where the facts are not completely ascertained or where there is contradictory evidence that is incomplete or inconclusive.
• Maintains associated personnel suitability records for VA employees in Public Trust positions and all contractor personnel.
• Performs work concerned with physical protection of documents, automation equipment and facility to protect them against espionage, sabotage, damage and theft.
• Analyzes needs for security controls, recommends systems, method, and procedures to increase physical security of personal information.

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 7:00am - 3:30pm

Compressed/Flexible: Available

Telework: Adhoc- May be authorized per agency policy

Virtual: This is not a virtual position

Position Description/PD#: PD41397A, PD41396A, and PD00067A

Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not authorized

Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

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.

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
• 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
• 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.

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you may be required to serve a one year probationary period or two 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/trial 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, 07/07/2026.

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 GS09 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS07 .

For a GS11 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS09 .

For a GS12 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS11 .

Time-In-Grade Requirement : 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 some former Federal employees applying for reinstatement, as well as current employees applying for Veterans Employment Opportunities Act of 1998 (VEOA) appointment. See the Required Document section below for more information regarding the SF-50s needed to verify time-in-grade.

In order to qualify for the GS-9 , you must meet the following: You must demonstrate in your resume at least one year (52 weeks) of qualifying specialized experience equivalent to the GS-7 grade level in the Federal government, obtained in either the private or public sector, to include:

• Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade (GS-07) in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: Performing High Risk, moderate and low risk adjudications; Applying policy direction to specific operating requirements and developing guidance for applying personnel security and suitability policy, procedures, techniques, and methods; Interpreting policy and providing authoritative interpretations and guidance to management officials and other personnel security officers at the same and lower levels.

OR,

Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have a master's or equivalent graduate degree; OR 2 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree; OR a LL.B. or J.D., if related. This education must demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of this position. Note: TRANSCRIPTS MUST BE SUBMITTED WITH APPLICATION PACKAGE .

OR,

• Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have an combination of specialized experience and education as shown above. Applicants with Superior Academic Achievement on their Bachelor's Degree may use all graduate level education when combining education and experience to qualify for this position. NOTE: Both the Bachelor's and Graduate Degree Transcripts must be submitted with the application package. Otherwise, ONLY Graduate education in excess of the first full year may be used to qualify applicants for positions at grades GS-9.

GS-11 Qualifications:

• 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 include: knowledge of personnel security and suitability to ensure Position Risk/Sensitivities by analyzing duties and relating them to established position sensitivity criteria; determining the appropriate position risk/sensitivity level designed by OPM's Position Designation Tool (PDT) and investigation required for the position; serving as a PIV coordinator; initiating, addressing questions, and reviewing information submitted in e-QIP.

OR,

• Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree or three full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree or a LL.M, if related. Such education demonstrates the knowledges, skills, and abilities to perform the duties of this position.

OR,

• Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have an combination of specialized experience and education beyond a masters or 2 full years of graduate level education. For example, an applicant has 9 months of specialized experience equivalent to GS-9 and 2 1/2 years of creditable graduate level education. The applicant meets 75 percent of the required experience and 50 percent of the required education, i.e., the applicant has 1/2 year of graduate study beyond that required for GS-9. Therefore, the applicant exceeds the total requirement and is qualified for the position. (The applicant's first 2 years of graduate study are not qualifying for GS-11.)

GS-12 Qualifications:

• Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade (GS-11) in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience include: knowledge of personnel security and suitability to serve as an expert advisor in personnel and suitability issues; applying and interpreting personnel security and suitability policy; establishing personnel security and suitability policies and procedures; preparing removal cases and representing the agency before the Merit Systems Protections Board (MSPB) on pre and post-employment suitability issues.

You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position:

• Customer Service
• Quality Management
• Personnel Security
• 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: Work is primarily sedentary and requires no special physical demands. 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: Recognition of Foreign Qualifications | International Affairs Office.

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 (HRA) at The Fair Chance Act.

It is the policy of the VA to not deny employment to those that have faced financial hardships or periods of unemployment. T

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

Veterans and Transitioning Service Members : Please visit the VA for Vets site for career-search tools for Veterans seeking employment at VA, career development services for our existing Veterans, and coaching and reintegration support for military service members. For more information on the "Who may apply" eligibility requirements, please refer to the OHRM Status Candidates and Other Candidate Definitions document.

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 here:

The Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) and Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provide eligible displaced Federal/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 found well qualified , applicants must meet the following qualifications: To be found well qualified, applicants must meet the following qualifications: Performing High Risk, moderate and low risk adjudications; Applying policy direction to specific operating requirements and developing guidance for applying personnel security and suitability policy, procedures, techniques, and methods; Interpreting policy and providing authoritative interpretations and guidance to management officials and other personnel security officers at the same and lower levels.

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.

VA supports the use of telework as a way to help attract and retain talented individuals in public service, increase worker productivity, and better prepare the agency to operate during emergencies. This position may be authorized for telework. Telework eligibility will be discussed during the interview process.

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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.