Apply for this exciting opportunity to impact the Secret Service mission by utilizing your advanced skills to maintain the superior performance of the U.S. President’s state-of-the-art fleet of protective vehicles. The selectee will serve as a Protective Armored Specialist in the Office of Protective Operations, Special Services Division in Washington, DC. This position is covered by Administratively Uncontrollable Overtime (AUO) and additional compensation may be paid at the rate of up to 25% of the base salary.

Typical work assignments include:

• Ensuring maintenance of fleet management in accordance with all inspectional procedures, guidelines, policies and procedures to ensure the safety of all stakeholders.
• Maintaining metrics, reports, process documentation customer service logs, and training and safety records.
• Communicating transportation information to internal and external stakeholders; participating in planning logistics and strategic planning in arranging protective services and transportation for internal and external law enforcement counterparts.

Conditions of employment

• Possess a valid U.S. state motor vehicle operator's license.
• Prior to your appointment, you must successfully pass a drug test, polygraph examination and comprehensive background investigation to obtain a Top-Secret Clearance. 
• Pass a pre-employment medical exam, which includes meeting the visual and hearing standards listed under the “Eligibility Requirements” below.
• Carry and use a firearm. Maintaining firearm proficiency is mandatory. 
• Complete these trainings (click here to review physical fitness standards). Failure to pass the training program on the first attempt may result in separation from the agency.
  • 12-weeks of intensive training at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC) in Glynco, GA or Artesia, NM
  • 10-weeks of Mixed Basic Training Course at the James J. Rowley Training Center in Laurel, MD
• Sign a continuing service agreement before being assigned to an initial training class. The continuing service agreement will commit the applicant to a specified period of employment with the U.S. Secret Service upon the successful completion of training.
• Be appointed to this position under an excepted appointment which is limited to 3 years and 120 days. Upon completion of this period, you will either be converted to career status or separated based on your performance.
• The work may require frequent travel, long and irregular hours including holidays, weekends and evenings, shift work, considerable physical exertion such as lifting heavy objects, crouching and crawling under or in automobiles, self-protection of harm ways and defending internal and external stakeholders against a physical harm and/or attack(s).
• The work performed in protective service may involve a high risk of exposure to potentially dangerous situations and hazards environments impacting the lives of internal and external stakeholders and properties protected. The work is high-paced and constantly changing which means adjusting and adapting to situations on short notice.

Qualifications

GL-8: You qualify for the GL-8 level (starting salary $62,733) if you possess one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GL-7 level performing duties such as inspecting, repairing, or exchanging heating systems, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC), power steering and braking mechanisms, suspension components, drive train, engine and body mounts, and battery and charging systems; and using diagnostic equipment for troubleshooting hard-to-locate defects or problems for all body components of protective armored vehicles to ensure keen performance.

GL-9: You qualify for the GL-9 level (starting salary $67,122) if you possess one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GL-8 level performing duties such as conducting diagnostics for all aspects of vehicle maintenance; performing all routine repairs and assisting with major modifications such as removing, tearing down, or rebuilding major components and assemblies on protective armored vehicles/automobiles; identifying and solving unique mechanical problems; and communicating with high-level officials.

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.

SELECTIVE PLACEMENT FACTOR:

In addition to the minimum qualifications described above, applicants must possess certification(s) as identified in one of the following categories:

1. Five (5) or more National Institute of Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) certifications, or
2. Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) Master certificate, or
3. Major Automobile manufacturer certification, or
4. Major Manufacturer College Co-Op program e.g., General Motors Automotive Service Educational Program (GM ASEP), Ford’s Automotive Student Service Educational Training (Ford ASSET), or Mopar Career Automotive Program (MOPAR CAP)

The certifications are required for consideration and copies of your certificates are to be submitted in the Vacancy Documents portion of this online application.

ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS:

• U.S. citizenship is required.
• Be at least age 21 at the time of application and less than age 37 at the time you receive a conditional offer of employment, unless you have previous service in a Federal Civilian Law Enforcement position covered by special law enforcement or firefighter retirement provisions, including early or mandatory retirement. Applicants with veteran's preference must receive a conditional offer of employment prior to reaching age 40 to continue in the application process.
• Males born after December 31, 1959, must certify registration with the Selective Service System or exemption from having to do so.
• 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). 
• Medical Requirements:
  • Vision: Possess uncorrected visual acuity of no worse than 20/100 binocular, possess corrected visual acuity of 20/20 or better in each eye (Note: Lasik, ALK, RK, and PRK corrective eye surgeries are acceptable eye surgeries. The following are waiting periods for visual tests: Lasik-2 months after surgery, PRK-6 months after surgery, ALK and RK-one year after surgery).
  • Hearing: 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 2000Hz ranges.
  • 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, nervous, genitourinary, and other systems that would impair full performance of the duties of the position may also be disqualifying. 

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

How you will be evaluated

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

If you meet the selective placement factor required for this position, you will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the eligibility requirements and qualifications listed above, and your responses to the vacancy questions. The vacancy questions are used to evaluate your relevant experience in relation to the required competencies for this position. The competencies or knowledge, skills, and abilities needed to perform this job are:

• Knowledge of the make-up framework, operation, and installation of all components, assemblies, and systems of advanced armored vehicle (e.g. engines, transmissions, front and rear-end assemblies, power steering, braking mechanisms, air conditioning, electrical, and hydraulic components and assemblies).
• Knowledge of armored technology to test, apply, implement and/or evaluate standards, procedures and materials used by the agency and armored manufacturers.  
• Ability to communicate in a variety of formats with internal and external stakeholders, including, but not limited to fleet management activities, technical, protective and investigative activities.

Please note, all answers in the online process must be substantiated by your resume. Upon review your resume and transcripts need to support your answer choices to the vacancy questions.  Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your resume or vacancy questions may result in your removal for consideration. Refer to the "Required Documents" section below for more information about the resume.

Applicants who meet the selective placement factor, eligibility requirements and minimum qualifications are considered in the following order: (1) preference eligibles having a compensable service-connected disability of 10% or more; followed by (2) other 10-point preference eligibles; (3) 5-point preference eligibles; and (4) non-preference eligibles (i.e., non-veterans). For information on veterans' preference, please click here.

If referred to the hiring manager, an interview will be scheduled. Interviews are required for this position and failure to complete the interview may result in removal from further consideration. If you receive a Conditional Job Offer, you must successfully complete and pass Phase II to receive final consideration for employment.

Phase I:

• Apply to this announcement via USAJOBS.
• If referred to hiring manager an interview will be scheduled.
• If selected, you will receive a Conditional Job Offer.

Phase II:

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