Clarification from the agency

U.S. Citizens and Status Candidates (this includes Merit Promotion, Status Candidates, Former Overseas Employees, CTAP, ICTAP, VRA, VEOA, 30% or More Disabled, EVHO, Schedule A, Military Spouses, Americorps, Peace Corps, Vista, Interchange Agreement Eligibles, Land Management, and National Guard).

Joining CISA means being part of the team focused on securing the Nation's physical and cyber infrastructure against threats to public health and safety, economy, and national security; we Defend Today, Secure Tomorrow. Within CISA, the Integrated Operations Division (IOD) coordinates, collaborates, and executes CISA's operational activities to ensure seamless support and expedited response to critical needs. IOD enhances mission effectiveness and situational awareness by unifying the conduct and reporting of CISA operations through a single channel to provide CISA leadership with a common operational picture and ensure cross-divisional coordination in the implementation of CISA programs. IOD delivers intelligence products and context to support all missions. The division also conducts continuity and internal exercises to improve operational readiness throughout CISA. IOD serves as the primary service delivery function for CISA customers, operating under the direction of the ten regional directors. IOD standardizes and expands CISA's presence in the regions to adapt to evolving requirements and coordinates with other divisions on implementation of programs in the field.

Visit www.cisa.gov to learn more about CISA and how you can be part of the team to Defend Today; Secure Tomorrow.

In this position, you will serve as a Protective Security Advisor, and in this capacity you will:

• Lead the DHS effort in developing strategies to identify and inspect/assess key critical infrastructure through high level coordination with Federal, State, Local, Tribal, Territorial (FSLTT) executive level officials responsible for critical infrastructure protection.
• Serve as the principal advisor to executive level FSLTT and private sector officials on security and resilience policies, surveys/assessments, and measures to protect nationally and regionally significant critical infrastructure.
• Lead and develop complex, three-year-long, multi-sector Regional Resilience Assessment Program (RRAP) projects that examine physical and cyber resilience and inform long-term DHS, CISA strategic goals, as well as national policy.
• Lead the DHS effort to conduct complex surveys/assessments; analyze and identify dependencies, gaps, interdependencies, and vulnerabilities; and determine the cyber-physical nexus of critical infrastructure during planning and event execution for NSSE and SEAR events.
• Coordinate and collaborate with high-level FSLTT executives in response to, and recovery from, natural or man-made incidents, both physical and cyber, in accordance with the National Response Framework.
• Identify and develop strategies for DHS training based on needs analysis.

Conditions of employment

• You must be a U.S. citizen to apply for this position.
• You must successfully pass a background investigation.
• Selective Service registration required.
• You must be able to obtain and hold a Secret security clearance.
• Employees who are initially appointed to supervisory positions must serve a supervisory probationary period for one year.
• You must submit to a drug test and receive a negative test result prior to appointment to this position. After appointment, you may be subject to periodic random drug testing.
• Relocation expenses are not authorized. Other recruitment incentives may be authorized.
• This position has been designated exempt from bargaining unit representation under the national security provision of 5 U.S.C. § 7112(B)(6).
• All employees are required to participate in Direct Deposit/ Electronic Funds Transfer for salary payments.
• Applying to this announcement certifies that you give permission for DHS to share your application with others in DHS for similar positions.
• This position may be designated as essential personnel. Essential personnel must be able to serve during continuity of operation events without regard to declarations of liberal leave or government closures due to weather, protests, and acts of terrorism or lack of funding. Failure to report for or remain in this position may result in disciplinary or adverse action in accordance with applicable laws, rules, and regulations (5 U.S.C. § 7501-7533 and 5 CFR Part 752, as applicable).
• Interviews may be required for this position. Failure to complete the interview may result in removal from further consideration. The interview process may consist of a in-person or phone panel interview.

Qualifications

You qualify for the GS-13 grade level (starting salary $92,389.00) if you have at least one full year of experience, equivalent to at least the GS-12 level in the Federal service, in performing the following duties:

1) implementing policies, procedures, and directives related to the protection of Critical Infrastructure;
2) evaluating critical infrastructure security methods and procedures;
3) reviewing and interpreting new directives and guidelines concerned with security activities affecting Critical Infrastructure;
4) serving as a liaison to other organizations on Critical Infrastructure Security matters.

You qualify for the GS-14 grade level (starting salary $109,176) if you have have at least one full year of experience, equivalent to at least the GS-13 level in the Federal service, in performing the following duties:

1) developing and implementing policies, procedures, and directives related to the protection of Critical Infrastructure;
2) developing new critical infrastructure security evaluation methods based on new policies;
3) reviewing and interpreting new directives and guidelines concerned with security activities affecting Critical Infrastructure;
4) serving as a liaison to other organizations on a regional or national scale as an advisor and expert concerning Critical Infrastructure Security matters.

National Service Experience (i.e., volunteer experience): 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.

Current or Former Political Appointees: The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) must authorize employment offers made to current or former political appointees. If you are currently, or have been within the last 5 years, a political Schedule A, Schedule C, Non-career SES or Presidential Appointee employee in the Executive Branch, you must disclose this information to the Human Resources Office.

Qualifications Must Be Met
The qualification requirements listed above must be met by the closing date of this announcement.

NOTE: Your resume must support your responses to the online questionnaire, the qualification and time-in-grade requirements. Failure to do so will result in an ineligible rating.

Time-in-Grade Requirements: Under competitive merit promotion procedures, any individual who is currently holding, or who has held within the previous 52 weeks, a General Schedule position under a non-temporary appointment in the competitive or excepted service, must meet "time-in-grade" requirements (have served 52 weeks at the next lower grade of the grade for which you are applying).

NOTE: Current and former employees MUST submit a copy of their SF-50 Form which shows competitive service appointment ("position occupied" block 34 on the SF-50 should show a "1"), tenure group (block 24 should show a 1 or 2), grade, and salary. If you are applying for a higher grade, please provide the SF-50 Form which shows the length of time you have been in your current/highest grade (examples of appropriate SF-50s include appointment, reassignment, with-in grade/range increase and promotion actions). Please note: Pay adjustments and awards do not include the length of time in your current position, therefore, they are NOT acceptable. If you have promotion potential in your current position, please provide proof. Employees applying with an interchange agreement must provide proof of their permanent appointment.

You MUST meet all qualification requirements, including Time-in-Grade, by the closing date of this announcement. Qualification AND time-in-grade claims will be subject to verification.

How you will be evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

Applicants will be evaluated on their resume and supporting documentation to ensure you meet the basic qualification requirements. If you meet the minimum qualifications, your experience, education and training will be rated using an Assessment Questionnaire that is based on the following competencies or knowledge, skills, and abilities needed to perform this job:

• Critical Infrastructure Security and Resilience
• Oral Communication
• Security
• Writing

Category Rating Procedures: If you meet the minimum qualifications, you will be placed in one of the following categories:

1. Best-Qualified: Applicants possessing experience that substantially exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position and demonstrate high proficiency in all of the critical competencies, including all Selective Placement Factors (SPF) and appropriate Quality Ranking Factors (QRF) as determined by the job analysis.
2. Well-Qualified: Applicants possessing experience that exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position and demonstrates acceptable proficiency in all of the critical competencies, including all SPFs and appropriate QRFs as determined by the job analysis.
3. Qualified: Applicants possessing experience that meets the minimum qualifications of the position and demonstrate basic proficiency in most of the critical competencies, including all SPFs and appropriate QRFs as determined by the job analysis.

Veterans: Qualified veterans who have a compensable service-connected disability of at least 10% are listed in the best-qualified category, except when the position being filled is scientific or professional at the GS-09 grade level, or higher. This position is not considered scientific/professional. Other 10-point preference eligibles and veterans with 5-point preference who meet the eligibility and qualification requirements are placed above non-preference eligibles within the category in which they qualify. View information on www.fedshirevets.gov

Candidates who apply under Competitive Merit Promotion procedures will undergo a quality review to determine if they are best qualified based on the content of their resume and their responses to the questionnaire. Best qualified candidates will be referred if all required supporting documentation has been provided.

Candidate who apply under Noncompetitive and Special Hiring Authorities procedures will undergo a quality review to determine if they are minimally qualified based on the content of their resume, supporting documentation submitted and their responses to the assessment questionnaire.

If you are determined qualified, you may be referred to the hiring manager for consideration and may be called for an interview. Preview the Assessment Questionnaire, click https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/11106971

Interagency/Career Transition Assistance Program (I/CTAP) Eligibles: If you have never worked for the federal government, you are not I/CTAP eligible. View information about I/CTAP eligibility on OPM's Career Transition Resources website. To be considered well qualified under I/CTAP, you must be rated at a minimum score of 85 for this position. In addition, you must submit the supporting documents listed under the required documents section of this announcement.