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Personnel Psychologist

Department of Homeland Security
U.S. Secret Service
This job announcement has closed

Summary

Joining the Secret Service, Office of Human Resources, HR Research and Assessment Division will allow you to participate in research, development, implementation, and maintenance of effective competency-based assessments for selection, promotion, career development, and organizational effectiveness to support the establishment and maintenance of a quality workforce. For more information on the Secret Service click here.

Overview

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Reviewing applications
Open & closing dates
09/15/2023 to 09/28/2023
Salary
$132,368 to - $172,075 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 14
Location
Washington, DC
1 vacancy
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
Yes—The agency's Telework Policy allows up to 80% telework, which is at the discretion of management and based on roles and responsibilities. Additionally, compressed or flexible work schedules are offered with appropriate approval. 
Travel Required
Not required
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-Time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
14
Job family (Series)
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Top Secret
Drug test
Yes
Position sensitivity and risk
Critical-Sensitive (CS)/High Risk
Announcement number
HUM-NHP369-23-DE
Control number
749413600

Duties

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The selectee will serve as a Personnel Psychologist in the Office of Human Resources, HR Research and Assessment Division. Typical work assignments include:

  • Formulating, defining and conducts research assignment of moderate scope and complexity, addressing problem in human resource management.
  • Leading the planning, implementation, and ongoing program evaluation of major human capital programs related to employee assessment and selection.
  • Developing special-purpose tests and related instruments for application to specific and general examining needs.

Apply for this exciting opportunity to impact the Secret Service mission by strengthening its ability to recruit, develop, and retain a highly specialized and dedicated workforce to fulfill mission critical requirements. This Personnel Psychologist position starts at a salary of $132,368 (GS-14 step 1), with potential to $172,075 (GS-14 step 10).

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • U.S. citizenship is required.
  • Males born after 12/31/1959 must be registered for Selective Service.

Conditions of Employment:

If selected for this position, you will be required to:

  • Obtain and maintain a top secret Tier 5 clearance. For more information visit OPM Mythbuster page.
  • Submit to a drug test prior to your appointment and random drug testing while you occupy the position.

NOTE: The person selected for this position may be subject to a one-year probationary.

Qualifications

Basic Education Requirement:

Successful completion of a full 4-year course of study in an accredited college or university leading to a bachelor's or higher degree that included a major or equivalent in psychology.

In addition to meeting the basic education requirement, you must also meet the following minimum qualification requirements. 

You qualify for the GS-14 level (starting salary $132,368) if you possess one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-13 level performing duties such as: leading research and validation studies on employee selection procedures to develop or identify and implement assessment tools for leadership or human resources decision making; demonstrating and applying knowledge of test theory, psychometrics, statistics, logic and innovative research methods; writing technical reports documenting research findings and methodology; planning and overseeing project work, reporting outcomes to executives, managers or other interested individuals; managing a testing program (technology solution or assessment catalog) for selection purposes.

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.

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

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. 

Education

See Basic Education Requirement under Qualifications Section. 

Additional information

Building on a Tradition of Excellence and Meeting the Challenges of the Future The Secret Service is a premier law enforcement organization with two critical national security missions: protect our nation's leaders and to conduct criminal investigations. Our team members continue a tradition of excellence - whether investigating financial crime or protecting national and visiting foreign leaders. In the Secret Service, we serve the country with duty, loyalty, justice, integrity and courage.

In the Secret Service, we:

  • Protect the President, the Vice President, and other leaders; investigate threats against them; and safeguard their residences and other facilities
  • Plan and implement security designs for National Special Security Events
  • Investigate financial crimes including fraud, identity theft and computer-based attacks on banking or telecommunications infrastructure

Any offers of employment made pursuant to this announcement will be consistent with all applicable authorities, including Presidential Memoranda, Executive Orders, interpretive U.S. Office of Personnel Management guidance and U.S. Office of Management and Budget plans and policies concerning hiring. These authorities are subject to change. 

DHS uses E-Verify, an Internet-based system, to confirm the eligibility of all newly hired employees to work in the United States. Learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities. 

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, prior to entry on duty. False statements on any part of the application may result in withdrawal of offer of employment, dismissal after beginning work, fine, or imprisonment. 

This position will require a credit check after a conditional offer of employment has been accepted.  

More than one selection may be made from this announcement if additional identical vacancies in the same title, series, grade and unit occur.

Applying to this announcement certifies that you give permission for DHS to share your application with others in DHS for similar positions.

Other incentives may be authorized.

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) (exception: a single conservative and unobtrusive tattoo in the form of a ring is authorized on one finger).

View common definitions of terms found in this announcement.

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 rated on the extent and quality of your experience, education and training relevant to the duties of the position. If you meet the minimum qualifications, a score will automatically be calculated based on your answers to the vacancy specific questions to place you in one of three categories. All answers provided in the online process must be substantiated by your resume. Upon review, your resume and/or supporting documents need to support your answer choices and reflect the one year of specialized experience requirement, in order to be considered.  If the one year of specialized experience, equivalent to the next lower grade level cannot be identified in your resume, you will be considered not qualified. The competencies or knowledge, skills, and abilities needed to perform this job are:

  • Research
  • Planning and Evaluating
  • Attention to Detail

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 SPF’s 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.

If you are best qualified, you may be referred to the hiring manager for consideration.  

An interview may be required for this position.  If an interview is required, failure to complete the interview may result in removal from further consideration.” 

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 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.

Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP) Eligibles: If you have never worked for the Federal government, you are not ICTAP eligible. View information about ICTAP eligibility on OPM's Career Transition Resources website. To be considered eligible under ICTAP, you must be placed in the well-qualified category for this position, as described above. In addition, you must submit the supporting documents listed under the required documents section of this announcement.


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