Skip to main content
U.S. flag
Back to results

Summary

The Smithsonian Institution is the world’s largest museum, education, and research complex, with 21 museums and the National Zoo—shaping the future by preserving heritage, discovering new knowledge, and sharing our resources with the world. The Office of Protection Services' (OPS) works carefully on a daily basis to balance the safety and security of our visitors and employees with ease of access to the Smithsonian.

More than one selection may be made from this announcement.

Overview

Help
Reviewing applications
Open & closing dates
02/10/2023 to 02/27/2023
Salary
$65,734 to - $85,454 per year
Pay scale & grade
NZ 07
Locations
FEW vacancies in the following locations:
Washington
FEW vacancies
Front Royal, VA
FEW vacancies
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
No
Travel Required
Not required
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Permanent - Federal
Work schedule
Full-time - Full-Time, Permanent
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
07 - Full Performance Level is NZ-07
Job family (Series)
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Other
Drug test
Yes
Position sensitivity and risk
Moderate Risk (MR)
Trust determination process
Announcement number
23R-LG-308435-MPA-OPS
Control number
705829500

Duties

Help

This Police Officer is located in the Office of Protection Services for the Smithsonian Institution. This position provides law enforcement and security activities involved in the protection of life and property exclusively within the boundaries of the Smithsonian.  

Typical duties:

  • Patrols on foot or in a motor vehicle or on a motorized cycle as designated and is assigned to one or more areas of the park to prevent and detect, violations of the law.

  • Promotes public understanding of laws and ordinances and cooperation in their enforcement; directs pedestrian and motor vehicle traffic; gives first aid in cases of emergency; supplies information to the public pertaining to the park and its collection in a direct and courteous manner; also assists the public whenever possible in a similar
    manner.
  • Takes immediate command at scenes of crimes, accidents, incidents and other emergency situations until such time as he/she is relieved by a supervisor. Courteously but firmly directs citizens to assist as deemed necessary and summons necessary aid.

  • Immediately communicates accurate and concise information about accidents, incidents, and other police problems to other police officers or to citizens.

  • Maintains appropriate records and reports, describing in detail accidents, incidents and emergency situations brought to his attention, action or assistance rendered, etc. Reports submitted in writing will be submitted to the Shift Supervisor for further disposition.

More than one selection may be made from this announcement.

Requirements

Help

Conditions of employment

  • Pass Pre-employment Background Investigation
  • May need to complete a Probationary Period
  • Maintain a Bank Account for Direct Deposit/Electronic Transfer
  • Males born after 12/31/59 must be registered with Selective Service.
  • This is a drug testing position which requires random drug testing.
  • May need to successfully complete a Pre-employment Physical Examination

SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS AND CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT:

  • This position requires annual qualifications (at a minimum) with the standard security force firearm and ASP Baton. Failure to re-qualify will result in removal from the position.
  • This position requires annual qualifications with the official side arms weapon and OC Spray, and familiarization with authorized shoulder held weapons.
  • All applicants appointed to Law Enforcement positions must attend and successfully complete training program. Applicants who fail to successfully meet this requirement will be subject to termination.
  • You must not have a history of domestic violence or child abuse/sexual abuse.
  • You must be able to become CPR and First Aid qualified and have the ability to read and understand written material in language of the security force.
  • Must possess a valid motor vehicle operator's permit from the District of Columbia, Virginia or its immediate adjacent states.

Conditions of Employment

COVID-19 VACCINATION REQUIREMENTS:

For the latest information on the COVID-19 vaccination requirements and its impact on your application, click on Smithsonian Institution’s Frequently Asked Questions

Qualification requirements, including one year time-in-grade at the next lower grade level for promotion candidates, must be met within 30 days of the job announcement closing date.

PHASES OF PRE-EMPLOYMENT STATEMENT:

Employment is subject to successful completion of a pre-employment requirements process that consists of: structured interview, drug test, laboratory screening, medical evaluation, and background investigation.

Upon successful completion of the pre-employment requirements, a final offer of employment may be issued.

Issuance of a final offer of employment from SI is contingent upon you successfully completing all pre-employment requirements, including a structured interview, drug test, laboratory screening, medical evaluation, and background investigation.

Qualifications

Experience: You qualify for this position if you possess one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the NZ/GS-6 level in the Federal Service or comparable pay band system. For this position Specialized experience is defined as: providing protection of property, and valuable objects against the following hazards: fire, theft, damage, accident, trespass and maintaining order and protecting lives of staff, animals and/or visitors. 

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.

Part-time and/or unpaid experience related to this position will be considered to determine the total number of years and months of experience. Be sure to note the number of paid or unpaid hours worked each week.

Investigation of Fitness: A character investigation shall be conducted on applicants selected for employment. The purpose of such an investigation is to secure evidence of the candidate's honesty, integrity, general character, and loyalty to the U.S. Government. Such investigations will be conducted under the security requirements of the hiring agency.

Medical Requirements: The duties of these positions require moderate to arduous physical exertion and/or duties of a hazardous nature. The following medical requirements apply to all applicants: good near and distant vision, ability to distinguish basic colors, and ability to hear the conversational voice. Agencies may establish additional, job-related physical or medical requirements provided that the specific position(s) involves the arduous or hazardous duties to which the physical requirements relate.

Applicants and employees must have the capacity to perform the essential functions of the position without risk to themselves or others. Applicants and employees must possess emotional and mental stability. In most instances, a specific medical condition or impairment will not automatically disqualify an applicant or employee. A medical condition or impairment is disqualifying only if the condition, for good medical reason, precludes assignment to or warrants restriction from the duties of the specific position. For some positions, the loss or impairment of a specific function may be compensated for by the satisfactory use of a prosthesis or mechanical aid. Reasonable accommodation shall also be considered in determining an applicant's ability to perform the duties of a position. Reasonable accommodation may include, but is not limited to the use of assistive devices, job modification or restructuring, provision of readers and interpreters, or adjusted work schedules.

Drug Testing: The position(s) which may be filled from this vacancy announcement have been identified as Testing Designated Positions under the Drug-Free Workplace Program. All applicants tentatively selected for this position shall be required to submit to a urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment. Satisfactory completion of the drug test is a condition of placement and/or employment in the position and incumbents of this position are thereafter, subject to the Smithsonian Drug Testing Policy.

Education

This job does not have an education qualification requirement.

Additional information

This position is included in the bargaining unit.  

Current or Former Political Appointees: Beginning January 1, 2010, agencies must seek prior approval from OPM before they can appoint a current or recent political appointee to a competitive or non-political excepted service position at any level under the provisions of title 5, United States Code. If you are currently or have been within the last 5 years, a political Schedule A, Schedule C, or Non-career SES employee in the executive branch, you MUST disclose that to the Office of Human Resources. Submit a copy of your applicable SF-50, along with a statement that provides the following information regarding your most recent political appointment:

  • Position title;
  • Type of appointment (Schedule A, Schedule C, Non-career SES, or Presidential Appointee);
  • Agency; and,
  • Beginning and ending dates of appointment.

Recruitment Incentive: Recruitment incentive(s) may be authorized for this position.  However, approval for incentives are contingent upon various availability. If authorized, certain incentives will require the incumbent to sign a service agreement to remain in the Federal government for a certain time period.

Note: This statement does not imply nor guarantee an incentive will be offered and paid.

How you will be evaluated

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

Your application will be evaluated first for the basic qualifications described above.  The applications that meet the basic qualifications will be evaluated further against the following criteria:

  1. Ability to provide foot and motor patrol in a public environment.

  2. Knowledge and experience with Federal, state, or municipal criminal laws, rules and regulations to carry out the procedures and law enforcement practices of the unit.

  3. Knowledge of laws, rules and regulations sufficient to apply to practical law enforcement situations.

  4. Ability to communicate orally to be able to exercise courtesy, tact and diplomacy in dealing with visitors.

  5. Ability to communicate in writing to develop clear and concise police records and reports.

BASIS OF RATING:  Once the announcement closes, your application will be automatically evaluated and rated by the system and a Human Resources Specialist. To determine if you are qualified for this job, a review of your application and supporting documentation will be made and compared against your responses to the occupational questionnaire. The numeric rating you receive is based on your responses to the questionnaire. The score is a measure of the degree to which your background matches the knowledge, skills, and abilities required of this position. If, after the Human Resources Specialist reviews your resume and/or supporting documentation, a determination is made that the score you have received is not a true reflection of your qualifications and/or experience, your score can and will be adjusted to more accurately reflect the information you provided that support your abilities. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your rating. Your resume should provide detailed information regarding how your education and experience relate to this position, including the major duties and qualifications criteria listed.

Veterans Employment Opportunities Act (VEOA):  If you are applying for a VEOA appointment, you must be a veteran and must be honorably separated and either a preference eligible or have substantially completed 3 or more years of active service. ("Active Service" under this law means active duty in a uniformed service and includes full-time training duty, annual training duty, full-time National Guard duty, and attendance, while in the active service, at a school designated as a service school by law or by the Secretary concerned.) A veteran who is released under honorable conditions shortly before completing a 3-year tour is also eligible.

Noncompetitive Appointment Authorities:  The following links contain information on the eligibility requirements to be considered under a noncompetitive appointing authority:

Important Note:

Your resume and supporting documentation will be compared to your responses to the occupational questionnaire or other assessment tool for consistency. If a determination is made that you have rated yourself higher than is supported by your resume, you will be assigned a rating commensurate to your described experience. Your resume should provide sufficient information regarding how your education and experience relate to this position, including the major duties and qualifications criteria listed.


You may preview questions for this vacancy.

Your session is about to expire!

Your USAJOBS session will expire due to inactivity in 8 minutes. Any unsaved data will be lost if you allow the session to expire. Click the button below to continue your session.