Police Officer (Secret Service Police) Canine Explosives Detection

Summary

The Secret Service Police (Uniformed Division) mission is to protect facilities and venues secured for U.S. Secret Service protectees. Throughout its history, the Secret Service Police has accomplished this mission through a tradition of honor, integrity, and a commitment to excellence.

Recruitment Incentive of $75,000. For more information, click here.

For more information on the Secret Service, click here.

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Duties

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During the course of their careers, Secret Service Police (Uniformed Division) Officers carry out assignments in protection.

Duties include:

• Safeguarding the White House complex, the Vice President's residence, and other designated facilities, as well as providing security for
  foreign missions and embassies.
• Traveling in support of the Presidential, Vice Presidential, and foreign heads of state/government missions.
• Enforcing mandated protective responsibilities as described under Title 18, United States Code, Section 3056A.

For more information about the Secret Service Police position, click here

SPECIAL OPERATIONS DIVISION: CANINE UNIT (K9)

The Canine Explosives Detection Team (K9) is a specialized unit within the Secret Service Police that provides full-time explosive detection support to the Presidential Protective Division. On order, K9 will also provide support to designated protectees, protected venues, and National Special Security Events (NSSEs). For more information about the K9 position, click here.

IMPORTANT: If you are unable to successfully complete the specialty team selection school or the specialty basic school required for the K9 position, you will have an opportunity to remain with the Secret Service Police in a non-tactical role.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

• U.S. Citizenship. A U.S. citizen is an individual who has acquired citizenship by birth in the United States, through U.S. citizen parents, or through the naturalization process. U.S. citizens are legally authorized to work in the United States without the need for employer sponsorship and are entitled to all the rights and protections under U.S. law.
• Possess a current valid driver's license. Must be REAL ID compliant.
• Must be at least 20 years old at the time of application. Applicants may be referred up to their 40th birthday. Referral is defined as the point at which minimum qualification determinations are completed. Exceptions may apply for those with current or prior service in federal law enforcement positions covered by special retirement provisions.The Secret Service has determined that age is essential to the performance of this position.
• Submit to a drug test prior to your appointment and random drug testing while you occupy the position.
• Disclose any prior drug use , attempted use, and/or experimentation.
• This position requires an automatic credit check after initial qualifications are met.
• Carry and use a firearm . Maintaining firearm proficiency is also mandatory. You will be ineligible to occupy this position if at any time you have been convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence, unless you received a pardon or your conviction was expunged or set aside.
• Complete 13 weeks of intensive training at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC) in Glynco, GA or Artesia, NM and 18 weeks of specialized training at the James J. Rowley Training Center in Laurel, MD. Failure to pass the standards on the first attempt may result in separation from the Secret Service. Click here for more information.
• Completion of a 17-week K9 Selection and Basic Training.
• Certify that you have registered with the Selective Service System or are exempt from having to do so, if you are a male applicant born after December 31, 1959.
• Be appointed to this position under a limited-term Schedule B excepted appointment which is 3 years and 120 days . Upon completion of this period, you will either be converted to career status or separated based on the expiration of the appointment.

Qualifications

*Requirements continued:

• Hearing loss, as measured by an audiometer, must not exceed 25 decibels (A.S.A. or equivalent I.S.O.) in either ear in the 500, 1000, and 2000 Hz ranges.
• Obtain a Top-Secret Clearance and retain it during your career.
• Use your official name on your application as it appears on your valid government identification (i.e., Real ID Driver License, State ID, Passport).

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you may be required to serve a 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 trial period your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

You qualify for the LE-01 grade level (starting salary $77,987.00) if you meet the following requirements:

• Possess, at a minimum, a high school diploma or certificate of equivalency.
• Be the age of 20 at the time of application. Must be 21 at the time of appointment.

Ideal candidates will possess ONE of the SEVEN categories listed below:

Military (current/former):

• Military working dog handler attached to a garrison or deployed unit.
• Experience with explosive detection canines.
• Successfully completed the requisite training course for a military K9 handler.

Law Enforcement (current/former):

• Certified K9 handler/trainer for state, local, or federal agency.
• Served as a member of a federal, state, or local law enforcement K9 team.
• Successfully worked a law enforcement detection canine.
• Experience with explosive/narcotics detection canines.

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; religious; 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.

Applicants must successfully complete Phase I (see below) to receive a conditional offer. In addition, applicants must successfully complete Phase II (see below) in order to receive final consideration for employment.

Phase I:

• National Crime Information Center (NCIC)
• Uniformed Division Entrance Examination (UDEE)
• Applicant Physical Abilities Test (APAT)
• Special Agent and Uniformed Division Pre-Employment Review (Super) Interview

Phase II:

• Credit Check
• Security Interview
• Polygraph examination
• Drug screening
• Medical examination
• Background investigation (a top-secret security clearance)

As part of the application process the applicant will be required to complete the United States Secret Service Applicant Physical Abilities Test (APAT). It is a physical fitness assessment which consists of four components (push-ups, sit-ups, Illinois Agility Run and a 1.5 Mile Run). The APAT is designed to measure the current level of general physical fitness of an applicant, which serves as an indicator of an applicant's ability to safely complete a vigorous physical training program. It evaluates an applicant's ability to perform the physical tasks required on the job by measuring muscular and dynamic strength, endurance, flexibility, aerobic capacity and other factors related to physical aptitude. The standards are anticipated to be the same regardless of age, gender or position.

General Medical Requirements:

As determined by the Office of Personnel Management, the duties of this position require moderate to arduous physical exertion involving walking and standing, use of firearms, and exposure to inclement weather. Manual dexterity with comparatively free motion of fingers, wrist, elbows, shoulders, hips, and knee joints is required. Arms, hands, legs and feet must function sufficiently in order for applicants to perform the duties satisfactorily. Since the duties of this position are exacting and involve the responsibility for the safety of others under trying conditions, applicants must possess emotional and mental stability. Any condition that would hinder full, efficient performance of the duties of this position or that would cause the individual to be a hazard to himself/herself or to others is disqualifying. There are also specific medical requirements for this position, and any chronic disease or condition affecting the respiratory, cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, musculoskeletal, digestive, nervous, endocrine, lymphatic, genitourinary, and other systems that would impair full performance of the duties of the position may also be disqualifying. Click here for more information.

To view the entire application process, please click here.

The Secret Service follows stringent guidelines relating to illegal drug usage. An applicant's history is reviewed and a determination for employment is made according to our guidelines. For more information regarding the U.S. Secret Service drug guidelines, please click here to view our Drug Policy.

Consideration will be given to performance appraisals and incentive awards as an indicator of quality of prior experience, no points will be assigned.

For definitions of terms found in this announcement, please click here.

Additional information

*Recruitment Incentive: Applicants may be eligible for a $75,000 recruitment incentive in accordance with regulatory requirements. The first installment of $15,000 will be paid following successful completion of the Secret Service Police (Uniformed Division) training. A second installment of $15,000 will be paid following one year of service post training and an acceptable performance rating. The third installment of $20,000 will be paid after a third year of service post training and an acceptable performance rating. The final installment of $25,000 will be paid after a fourth year of service post training and an acceptable performance rating. Provision of these payments require the execution of a four-year Continuing Service Agreement (CSA) with the agency. Newly hired employees who resign from the USSS prior to the expiration of the CSA will be required to repay the recruitment incentive. (NOTE: Eligibility is limited to "Newly appointed" Federal employees as defined by 5 CFR 575.102).

Applicants selected for this position will be required to sign a CSA before being assigned to an initial training class. The CSA will commit the applicant to a specified period of employment with the U.S. Secret Service upon the successful completion of training.

Any offers of employment made pursuant to this announcement will be consistent with all applicable authorities, including Presidential Memoranda, Executive Orders, interpretive U.S. Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) guidance, and Office of Management and Budget plans and policies concerning hiring. These authorities are subject to change.

A special needs/superior qualifications pay-setting authority may be available to applicants who have superior qualifications or whose skills and competencies fill a special need of the Secret Service. If you are deemed eligible for this pay-setting authority, you will be notified during the hiring process. Please note that the use of this authority is at the sole discretion of the Secret Service. For more information on superior qualifications, click here.

WORK SCHEDULE: Newly appointed Secret Service Police Officers normally work a 40-hour workweek on a set schedule (e.g., 6:30 am - 3:00 pm, 2:30 pm - 11:00 pm, or 10:30 pm - 7:00 am shifts). Workdays and shifts will vary depending on assignment and manpower requirements.

Applicants will be required to travel to all phases of the application process at their own expense.

The Secret Service prohibits employees from having visible body markings (including but not limited to tattoos, body art, and branding) on the head, face, neck, hand and fingers (any area below the wrist bone). Exception: a single conservative and unobtrusive tattoo in the form of a ring is authorized on one finger.

Applying to this announcement certifies that you give permission for DHS to share your application with others in DHS for similar positions.

DHS uses E-Verify, an Internet-based system, to confirm the eligibility of all newly hired employees to work in the United States. Click here to learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities.

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.

DHS offers competitive salaries and an attractive benefits package, including health, dental, vision, life, and long-term care insurance; retirement plan; Thrift Savings Plan [similar to a 401(k)]; Flexible Spending Account; Employee Assistance Program; personal leave days; and paid federal holidays.

Other benefits may include flexible work schedules; telework; tuition reimbursement; transportation subsidies; uniform allowance; health and wellness programs; and fitness centers. DHS is committed to employee development and offers a variety of employee training and developmental opportunities. For more information, go to the DHS Careers website and select "Benefits." Disabled veteran leave will be available to any Federal employee hired on or after November 5, 2016, who is a veteran with a service- connected disability rating of 30 percent or more.

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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.