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Law Enforcement Specialist (Instructor - Canine)

Department of Homeland Security
U.S. Secret Service
James J. Rowley Training Center
This job announcement has closed

Summary

Joining the Secret Service, Office of Training, James J. Rowley Training Center, will allow you to provide curriculum development and training to both canines and law enforcement canine handlers in the specialized fields of the Emergency Response Team (ERT), Explosive Detection Training (EDT), and Personal Canine Screening in an Open Environment (PSC-O).

For more information on the Secret Service click here.

Overview

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Job canceled
Open & closing dates
09/26/2024 to 10/04/2024
Salary
$82,764 to - $128,956 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 11 - 12
Location
2 vacancies in the following location:
Laurel, MD
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Travel Required
Occasional travel - You may be expected to travel 1-5 nights per month for this position.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
13
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Top Secret
Drug test
Yes
Position sensitivity and risk
Critical-Sensitive (CS)/High Risk
Financial disclosure
No
Bargaining unit status
No
Announcement number
DE-12531480-24-LS
Control number
811197900

Duties

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The selectee will serve as a Law Enforcement Specialist (Instructor - Canine) in the James J. Rowley Training Center. Typical work assignments include:

  1. Developing instructional techniques, procedures and policies based on current trends and tactics within the explosive detection canine, tactical/patrol canine operations, and law enforcement canine operations.
  2. Arranging operational exercises, participating in continued development and maintenance of programs, partnering with industry, educational and state/local/federal experts to ensure industry standards and adherence to Federal Law Enforcement Accreditation and internal standards.
  3. Designing, developing, and executing course materials for instructions and practical application such as lesson plans, support materials, practical exercises development, and use of training areas.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • You must be a U.S. citizen to apply for this position.
  • One-year probationary period may be required.
  • Males born after 12/31/59 must be registered or exempt from Selective Service (see http://www.sss.gov/).
  • Obtain and maintain a Top Secret Tier 5 clearance. For more information visit OPM Mythbuster Page here.
  • Submit to a drug test prior to your appointment and random drug testing while you occupy the position.

Qualifications

Applicants must demonstrate that they meet the Minimum Qualification/Specialized Experience requirements as noted below

GS-11: You qualify for the GS-11 level (starting salary $82,764.00) if you possess one of the following:

A. Applicant must possess one full year of specialized experience comparable in scope and responsibility to the GS-09 level in the Federal service (obtained in either the public or private sectors) performing the following duties:

  1. Assisting in the instruction for a canine law enforcement program or organization;
  2. Participating in the research of public safety topics in relation to a training program; and
  3. Assisting in the administration of a training program or course (e.g. schedules, training certifications, performance evaluations).
OR B. Successfully completed three (3) full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a Ph.D.; or successfully completed a Ph.D.; or LL.M., if related, at an accredited college or university in a field that provided the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of the position.

OR C. Less than one year of experience as described in A and less than 3 years of graduate level education as described in B. However, you have a combination of specialized experience and graduate level education that when combined, equals at least 100% of the total requirement. Note: Only graduate education in excess of the master's level [generally 36 semester hours] may be used in this calculation.


GS-12: You qualify for the GS-12 level (starting salary $99,200.00) if you possess one full year of specialized experience comparable in scope and responsibility to the GS-11 level in the Federal service (obtained in either the public or private sectors) performing the following duties:
  1. Providing instruction for a canine law enforcement program or organization;
  2. Researching public safety topics to inform training program development; and
  3. Providing administrative support to a training program (e.g. updating lesson plans, record maintenance, scheduling).
NOTE: Your resume must explicitly indicate how you meet this requirement, otherwise 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.

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.

Veterans' Preference: For more information on veterans' preference see: https://www.opm.gov/fedshirevets/veteran-job-seekers/#

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.

Interagency/Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP/CTAP): This program applies to Federal service employees whose positions have been deemed surplus or no longer needed, or employees who have been involuntarily separated from a Federal service position within the competitive service. To receive selection priority for this position, you must: 1) meet eligibility criteria for CTAP or ICTAP; 2) be rated well-qualified for the position; and 3) submit the appropriate documentation to support your CTAP or ICTAP eligibility. Well-Qualified includes those applicants whose knowledge, skills, and abilities clearly exceed the minimum qualification requirements for the position. For information on eligibility criteria and required documentation, go to: http://www.opm.gov/rif/employee_guides/career_transition.

This position requires more than a moderate degree of physical exertion on part of the incumbent. This includes lifting, kneeling, crouching, and carrying medium size packages or containers. Work may also involve physical exertion within a training environment and operating in various weather conditions. Travel to field locations to coordinate training activities may be involved. Some of the work is sedentary in nature, but requires some travel, walking, bending, and carrying items, such as briefcases, notebooks, and work papers. The work involves occasional visits to industrial, commercial, construction, agricultural, and other business establishments.

The normal workplace includes a classroom or office, and inside/outside training facilities. Position duties will require exposure to varying climate and environment conditions, both cold and warm weather conditions and/or exposure to high levels of noise and dangerous substances.

Education

If you are claiming education as any part of your qualifications for this position, you must submit an official transcript, unofficial transcript, or a list including courses, grades earned, completion dates, and quarter and semester hours earned.

Special Instructions for Foreign Education: If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show that the education credentials have been evaluated by a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign education programs and such education has been deemed equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program; or full credit has been given for the courses at a U.S. accredited college or university. Failure to provide such documentation with your application will result in lost consideration. For further information, visit: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/.

Additional information

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.

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.

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.

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.

DHS uses e-Verify, an Internet-based system, to confirm the eligibility of all newly hired employees to work in the United States.

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).

If you are unable to apply online contact CSB_Inquiries@opm.gov.

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:

  • Education and Training
  • Public Safety and Security
  • Technical Competence


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 (ORF) 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 ORFs 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.
The Category Rating Process does not add veteran's preference points but protects the rights of veterans by placing them ahead of non-preference eligibles within each category. Preference eligibles who meet the minimum qualification requirements and who have a compensable service-connected disability of at least 10 percent must be listed in the highest quality category (except in the case of scientific or professional positions at the GS-9 level or higher). This position is not considered scientific/professional. Veteran preference eligibles will receive selection consideration before non-preference eligibles within each quality category.

If you are among the 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.

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