Clarification from the agency

Current Federal employees serving under a career or career-conditional appointment in the competitive service; former Federal employees with reinstatement eligibility; Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP)/Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) eligibles; applicants eligible under special hiring authorities; veterans who are preference eligible, or separated from the U.S. Armed Forces under honorable conditions after 3 years or more of continuous active service (VEOA).

As a Police Officer, you will perform the following duties:

• Enforces federal/state laws, ordinances, and regulations, including criminal, civil, and traffic; executes misdemeanor and felony warrants of arrest. Appear in federal, state, or local courts of law to testify.
• Interview witnesses to gather statements. Write reports of preliminary investigations which may be used in court.
• Write citations for clear-cut, observed violations of laws and rules.
• Monitor closed circuit television (CCTV) systems to detect illegal activities.
• Utilize standard operating procedures and checklists to enforce laws, ordinances, and regulations.
• Provide security patrol/physical presence to promote a sense of security. Respond to alarms and calls for service and reports observations with regard to environmental health, safety, and fire code hazards/violations.
• Operates weapons properly and qualifies at the range (passing required weapons qualifications), demonstrates proper officer safety techniques and procedures, and uses less than lethal weapons properly.

Order of Referral: This is an open continuous announcement. Eligible and Qualified applicants that apply from the opening of the announcement through the first cut-off date, Monday, February 27, 2023, will be on the first certificate referred to the hiring manager. Eligible applications received after this date will be referred at regular intervals (monthly), or as additional vacancies occur on an as-needed basis until the closing date of the announcement.


This Job Opportunity Announcement may be used to fill other Police Officer GS-0083-5/6/7 Full Performance Level (FPL) GS-7 positions within the Office of the Secretary in the same geographical location with the same qualifications and specialized experience.

Conditions of employment

• You must be a U.S. citizen to apply for this position.
• You must successfully pass a background investigation. This may include a credit check, a review of financial issues, as well as certain criminal offenses and illegal use of possession of drugs.
• A probationary or trial period may be required.
• If you receive a conditional offer of employment for this position, you will be required to complete an Optional Form 306, Declaration for Federal Employment, and to sign and certify the accuracy of all information in your application.
• All Federal employees are required to have Federal salary payments made by direct deposit to a financial institution of their choosing.
• License required: Yes; will be required to operate a motor vehicle, and must possess and maintain a valid state operator's license.
• Selective Service: Males born after 12/31/59 must be registered or exempt from Selective Service (see https://www.sss.gov/).
• You must obtain and maintain a Critical Sensitive Secret security clearance.
• This position is subject to pre-employment drug testing and random drug testing thereafter.
• This position may be assigned to any shift, and is responsible for the protection of life and property through the enforcement of laws, ordinances, and regulations.
• All Office of Security employees are considered Emergency Employees and may be called upon to assist in providing essential services during an emergency, weather, or COOP event at the worksite, an alternate location, or by teleworking.
• Bargaining Unit Position: Yes
• Confidential Financial Disclosure Report (OGE form 450): No
• Permanent Change of Duty Station (PCS) Expense: Will not be paid
• Time-in-grade/band requirements must be met by the closing date of the announcement unless eligible for special hiring authority, reinstatement eligible, non-current Federal employee applying as a VEOA eligible which do not require time-in-grade/band.
• Medical Exam/Drug Testing: All applicants tentatively selected for this position will be required to submit to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use and satisfactorily pass all required pre-placement physical/medical examinations prior to appointment. Selectee must be able to successfully pass, as applicable, annual and periodic physical/medical examinations, drug screenings, and psychological screenings to maintain a level of physical fitness in accordance with the standards and policies of this agency.

Qualifications

Qualification requirements in the vacancy announcements are based on the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Qualification Standards Handbook, which contains federal qualification standards. This handbook is available on the Office of Personnel Management's website located at: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/

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 possess one year of specialized experience equivalent in difficulty and responsibility to the next lower grade level in the Federal Service. Specialized experience is experience that which equipped you with the particular knowledge of a body of basic laws and regulations, law enforcement operations, practices, and techniques and involved responsibility for maintaining order and protecting life and property.

Applicants must demonstrate that they meet the Minimum Qualification requirements as noted below.

To qualify at the GS-5 level:
Applicants must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower grade (GS-04) or equivalent band in the Federal service. Specialized experience is defined as experience applying laws and regulations, law enforcement operations, practices, and techniques and involved responsibility for maintaining order and protecting life and property;

OR

Have successfully completed at least four years of education above the high school level leading to a bachelor's degree in Police Science or a comparable degree program related to police officer work;

OR

Equivalent combinations of experience and education.

NOTE: Successful completion of a Federal, State, County, or Municipal Police Academy or comparable training course that include at least 40 classroom hours of instruction in police department procedures and methods, and local law and regulations, may be substituted for a maximum of 3 months of specialized experience. Please provide certificate of completion at the time of your application.


To qualify at the GS-6 level:
Applicants must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower grade (GS-05) or equivalent band in the Federal service.

This experience must include at least 2 of the following types of duties:

• Responding to calls or alarms concerning reports of violations or complaints;
• Issuing citations for personally observed violations of laws, rules, or regulations;
• Performing traffic patrol and emergency response duties to include enforcing speed limits, assisting at accident scenes, taking statements from principals and witnesses, and/or directing traffic/controlling the movement of vehicles and pedestrians at worksites.

To qualify at the GS-7 level:
Applicants must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower grade (GS-06) or equivalent band in the Federal service.

This experience must include at least three of the following types of duties:

• Interviewing and questioning witnesses to prepare detailed reports of incidents;
• Coordinating emergency responses between security, fire, and/or other emergency units;
• Taking charge of a crime or accident scene and restricting access as necessary;
• Conducting long and short term investigations when solutions cannot be achieved during the course of a normal patrol shift.

Selective Placement Factor(s): Selective placement factors are applied in the same manner as minimum qualification requirements. Failure to meet a selective placement factor will result in you not receiving further consideration. In addition to the minimum qualifications described above, you must meet the following selective placement factor(s):

You must have successfully graduated from one of the following training courses with the Department of Homeland Security's Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC), and submit a copy of your training certificate with your application.

• FLETC Uniformed Police Training Program (UPTP)
• FLETC Mixed Basic Police Training Program (MBPTP)
• FLETC Criminal Investigator Training Program (CITP)
• FLETC Land Management Police Training Program (LMPT)

NOTE(s):

• Education: You must submit a copy of your college transcripts (official or unofficial) to document education.
• Experience: Your resume must support your claim of experience or you will be found ineligible.
• Training: You must submit a copy of your FLETC training certificate or you will be found ineligible.

All qualification requirements must be met by the closing date of this announcement. Qualification claims will be subject to verification.

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). Time-In-Grade requirements also apply to current employees applying for a Veterans Employment Opportunities Act of 1998 (VEOA) appointment.

NOTE: All current or former Federal employees must provide a copy of their SF-50 (you may need to submit more than one), "Notice of Personnel Action" that indicates proof of status and time-in-grade eligibility. The SF-50 must include your position, title, series, grade, step, tenure (1 or 2), and type of service (Competitive or Excepted).

NOTE: 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. For work in the federal service, include the grade level for the position(s).

Firearms: Selectee will be required to carry and use a firearm, demonstrate proficiency on a recurring basis, and not be in violation of 18 USC 922 (Lautenberg Amendment). NOTE: Lautenberg Amendment: This position authorizes the incumbent to carry a firearm. Any person who has been convicted of a felony or misdemeanor crime of domestic violence cannot lawfully possess a firearm or ammunition (Title 18, USC Section 992(g)). A felony or misdemeanor crime of domestic violence is generally defined under the statute, as any offense involving the use or attempted use of physical force, or the threatened use of a deadly weapon, committed by the victim's current or former domestic partner, parent or guardian. The term convicted, as defined in the statute, excludes any person whose conviction has been expunged, set-aside or pardoned, or any person whose civil rights have been restored, so long as such restoration does not restrict the shipping, transport, possession or receipt of firearms or ammunition. Candidates who have been convicted of a felony or misdemeanor crime of domestic violence within the meaning of the referenced statutes are not eligible for the position.

How you will be evaluated

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

Order of Referral: This is an open continuous announcement. Eligible and Qualified applicants that apply from the opening of the announcement through the first cut-off date, Monday, February 27, 2023, will be on the first certificate referred to the hiring manager. Eligible applications received after this date will be referred at regular intervals (monthly), or as additional vacancies occur on an as-needed basis until the closing date of the announcement.

We will review your resume, optional cover letter and supporting documentation (transcripts if applicable) to determine if you meet the minimum qualifications for the position. If you meet the minimum qualifications stated in the vacancy announcement, we will compare your resume, optional cover letter and supporting documentation to your responses on the scored occupational questionnaire that you completed as part of the application. However, your resume or optional cover letter must support your responses to the occupational questions, or your score will be lowered. The best-qualified candidates will be identified for referral to the hiring manager and may be invited for an interview.

The scored occupational questionnaire will evaluate you on the following competencies; please do not provide a separate written response:

• Knowledge of applicable federal and state laws, rules, regulations, codes, and ordinances governing civil authority and actions, human relations, and confrontation management.
• Knowledge of law enforcement, crime prevention, and security measures.
• Ability to analyze, evaluate, and organize information for the preparation of briefings and reports.
• Ability to respond to incidents and offenses against persons and property.
• Skill in use of weapons.

For Competitive Merit Promotion and Veterans Employment Opportunities Act (VEOA) Applicants: The highest rated candidates will be referred to the hiring agency.

For Noncompetitive Appointment Eligibles: All qualified candidates will be referred to the hiring agency.

If applicable, performance appraisals and/or Incentive award documentation may be submitted and will be forwarded to the selecting official as support in consideration of your application in the evaluation process. To receive due weight, you must submit a recent performance appraisal (dated within 18 months) showing the official rating of record, signed by a supervisor, or statement why the performance appraisal is unavailable (do not submit a performance plan) and/or incentive award documentation (i.e. superior performance awards, special act or achievement awards, quality step increases, etc.) Due weight shall be given to performance appraisals and awards in accordance with 5 CFR 335.103(b)(3), during the interview/selection process conducted by the hiring manager.

We recommend that you preview the online questions for this announcement before you start the application process. To preview the questionnaire, click the following link: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/11749380