Clarification from the agency

Open to All U.S. Citizens and U.S. Nationals. This position is located at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) in Seattle, WA. The salary range listed above includes locality pay of 28.28% and retention incentive based on 35% of basic pay. See "Requirements" section for additional salary information.

As a Security Support Assistant within Security Operations (SO), Transportation Security Administration (TSA), Department of Homeland Security (DHS), you will be engaged in activities to support Transportation Security Officers (TSOs) who provide passenger and baggage screening in aviation and other transportation modes. Duties may include but are not limited to:

• Provides assistance to superiors in the monitoring and flow of individuals through security check lane(s) to reduce wait times as much as possible, adjusts passenger traffic as necessary to ensure consistent and smooth flow of traffic.
• Moves checked baggage to and from X-ray conveyer systems during screening process.
• Ensures security check points are properly supplied with an appropriate supply of bins and organized to ensure a smooth flow of passenger traffic for screening operations. 
• Provides information and assistance to passengers divesting items into storage bins.
• Develops skills necessary to maintain situational awareness at all times in order to effectively apply appropriate response based on the situation.
• Completes logs, forms, and other paperwork applicable to assigned duties. 
• Takes appropriate steps to ensure all safety requirements are adhered to and suggests safety improvements as appropriate.
• Performs other job-related duties as assigned, to include; visitor escort, supply requisition and stocking, telephone support and area cleaning. 

NOTE: Employees occupying frontline positions, i.e., individuals occupying positions that involve contact with the traveling public on a regular and recurring basis, are required to wear TSA approved and issued personal protective equipment (PPE).  This requirement is in place to address the COVID-19 pandemic and comply with Executive Order 13991 and TSA’s Pandemic and Emerging Infectious Disease and Workforce Protection Plan.  PPE includes TSA issued surgical masks, face shields, and nitrile gloves.  At TSA, the health and safety of our employees is a top priority.

NOTE: If selected for this position, the option for a non-competitive conversion to a Transportation Security Officer position exists, if requirements are met.

Note: This is an Open Continuous announcement; the first cut-off date is 11:59 pm (EST) Monday, July 11, 2022. Additional application packages will be reviewed and issued to management on an as needed basis.  If all selections are made prior to the close date, this announcement will be closed without any further notice.

Conditions of employment

• You must possess U.S. Citizenship or be a U.S. National.
• You must complete a favorable Background Investigation (BI).
• You must have reached the minimum age (18) at the time of application.
• Selective Service registration is required.
• See additional "Conditions of Employment" and "Other Information" sections.

Salary Information:In order to recruit and retain highly qualified employees at this location, TSA has approved the payment of a bi-weekly retention incentive. The retention incentive is based on 35% of basic pay. Indefinite continuation of the incentive payment is contingent upon approved funding.

Conditions of Employment: 

• Successful background investigation.
• Must be available to work various shifts and overtime, as needed.
• Must be proficient in English (e.g., reading, writing, speaking, comprehending).
• Exposure to potentially lethal devices and dangerous chemicals is inherent in this position.

Physical Demands: Must meet and maintain physical requirements (including an assessment of physical abilities) including, but not limited to, the following:

• Maintain physical agility to ensure ability to squat and bend.
• Ability to repeatedly lift and manipulate baggage, containers, weighing approximately 50 pounds and other objects subject to security processing.
• Ability to walk up to three (3) miles during a shift and stand for prolonged periods (up to 4 hours) of time.
• Visual acuity must be better than legally blind in at least one eye.

Qualifications

To qualify for the SV-D pay band (equivalent to the GS-5/6), you must meet one of the qualification requirements (A OR B) outlined below:

A. Experience: At least one year of full-time work experience in the security industry, aviation screening, or as an X-ray technician.

OR 

B. Education: Have a high school diploma, General Educational Development (GED), High School Equivalency Test (HiSET), or Test Assessing Secondary Completion (TASC) high school equivalency certificate.

Note: Credit for experience is given based on a 40-hour workweek. Part-time experience is credited on a part-time ratio, i.e., working 20 hours per week for two months equals one month of experience. No additional credit is given for overtime. 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. 

You must meet the qualification requirements for this position no later than the closing date of the vacancy announcement.

Minimum Entry Age Requirement: To be determined eligible applicants must have reached the minimum entry age of 18 years at the time their application is submitted and, if selected for the position, will be required to provide such proof prior to appointment.

How you will be evaluated

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

You will be evaluated based on a comparison of the position requirements against the quality and extent of the experience and/or related education as reflected in your resume and supporting documentation.  You are encouraged to ensure work experiences clearly show possession of the competencies required for this position.  We will compare your resume and supporting documentation to your responses on the assessment questionnaire and determine your eligibility for referral.

**PLEASE NOTE: on the  assessment questionnaire, questions 8,9,10, & 11 are NOT an optional response and they must answered to the best of your ability. Errors or omissions may affect your consideration for employment.

If you meet the minimum qualifications, and are selected and tentatively offered this position, you will be subject to a pre-hire background investigation.

When completing the assessment questionnaire for this position, you will be prompted to elect if you wish for your application to be considered as External (where Veterans’ Preference applies), as Status (current or former Federal Employees), and/or Internal to TSA as a current permanent or competitive temporary employee.  At that time, please select the answer(s) that apply to you and your application to this position.

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 veterans’ preference .