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Transportation Security Specialist (Cyber Analyst)

Department of Homeland Security
Transportation Security Administration
Operations Support, Policy, Plans and Engagement
This job announcement has closed

Summary

Securing Travel, Protecting People - At the Transportation Security Administration, you will serve in a high-stakes environment to safeguard the American way of life. In cities across the country, you would secure airports, seaports, railroads, highways, and/or public transit systems, thus protecting America's transportation infrastructure and ensuring freedom of movement for people and commerce.

Overview

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Reviewing applications
Open & closing dates
11/04/2024 to 11/18/2024
This job will close when we have received 150 applications which may be sooner than the closing date. Learn more
Salary
$82,764 to - $153,354 per year

The salary range listed includes the locality pay of 33.26%.

Pay scale & grade
SV G - I
Location
1 vacancy in the following location:
Springfield, VA
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Travel Required
Not required
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Excepted
Promotion potential
I - This recruitment provides promotion opportunity to a higher banded position without further competition. Promotion is not guaranteed and is dependent on agency needs and supervisory recommendation.
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Secret
Drug test
Yes
Position sensitivity and risk
Noncritical-Sensitive (NCS)/Moderate Risk
Financial disclosure
No
Bargaining unit status
No
Announcement number
HQ-PPE-688518-12586577-ST
Control number
817447900

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Duties

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This Transportation Security Specialist (Cyber Analyst) position is located in Operations Support, Policy, Plans and Engagement (PPE), Transportation Security Administration (TSA), Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Duties include but are not limited to:

  • Contributes to defining the desired state of cybersecurity policy, and policy development processes through examining risks facing the various modes of Aviation transportation (e.g., airports, air carriers, aircraft operators,) and assisting in designing policies appropriate for the level of risks.
  • Contributes to ongoing efforts to engage Aviation transportation operators to understand vulnerabilities to cyberattacks, and advocates for resilient cyber architecture development and usage.
  • Participates in cybersecurity training and exercises for Aviation transportation stakeholders, maintains current knowledge of cybersecurity laws, regulations, guidance, and policies applicable to aviation transportation systems, review reports of cybersecurity incidents or vulnerabilities to identify possible protective or corrective measures, and assists in determining potential implications for cybersecurity policies.
  • Supports collaboration between the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), transportation stakeholders, and other government agencies involved in the development of new and updated policies and capabilities to mitigate cybersecurity risks to the transportation system.
  • Leads or assists in the collaborative assessment efforts of transportation stakeholder cyber systems and vulnerabilities by considering a variety of cyber-attack scenarios and their potential impact on those systems and assists in coordinating significant technical matters with representatives of external organizations.
The major duties described reflect the full performance level of this position. Typically, the lower pay band (G and H Band) performs the same duties but will receive more guidance and training; and/or projects/work assignments may be less complex.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  1. You must possess U.S. Citizenship or be a U.S. National.
  2. You must have reached the minimum age (18) at the time of application.
  3. You must complete a favorable Background Investigation (BI).
  4. Selective Service registration is required.
  5. Employee must possess a FAC COR Level I certification within 12 months of appointment
If you fail to meet the conditions of employment or any other pre-employment requirements, such as missing any of the scheduled appointments, the hiring agency may rescind their tentative offer of employment.

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

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 Management and Budget (OMB) and U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) guidance, and Office of Management and Budget plans and policies concerning hiring. These authorities are subject to change.

Qualifications

To qualify for the SV-G Pay Band (equivalent to GS-11), you must have one year of specialized experience at the SV-F or GS-9 in the Federal service or equivalent experience in the private sector. Specialized experience is defined as experience that has equipped you with the knowledge, skills and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position. Such specialized experience is defined as:

  • Reviewing cybersecurity policies and/or procedure documents to make recommendations for improvement; and
  • Establishing metrics to monitor, track, and analyze program operations.
OR
A. Experience: For those qualifying using experience, your application must clearly outline three (3) years of progressively responsible general experience, one (1) year of which was equivalent to at least the SV-F or GS-4 grade level in the Federal service or equivalent in the private sector. Such experience will demonstrate the ability to: analyze problems, gather pertinent data, and recognize solutions; plan and organize work; and communicate effectively orally and in writing.

OR

B. Education: Bachelor's or higher-level degree in any field from an accredited college or university.

OR

C. Combining of Education and Experience: Combinations of successfully completed post-high school education and experience may be used to meet total qualification requirements and may be computed by first determining the total qualifying experience as a percentage of the experience required for the position; then determining the education as a percentage of the education required for the position; and then adding the two percentages. The total percentages must equal at least 100 percent to qualify for the position.

To qualify for the SV-H Pay Band (equivalent to GS-12), your application must clearly outline one year of specialized experience at the SV-G Pay Band or GS-11 in the Federal service or equivalent experience in the private sector. Specialized experience is defined as experience that has equipped you with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position and is typically in or related to the position being filled. Such specialized experience is defined as:
  • Providing advice and guidance to stakeholders on cybersecurity policy; and
  • Using information support tools (e.g., I-Share, spreadsheets, and other software applications) to produce products for internal and external stakeholders; and
  • Ensuring cyber systems are applying Risk Management processes.
To qualify for the SV-I Pay Band (equivalent to GS-13), you must have one year of specialized experience at the SV-H Pay Band or GS-12 in the Federal service or equivalent experience in the private sector. Specialized experience is defined as experience that has equipped you with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position. Such specialized experience is defined as:
  • Providing advice and guidance to stakeholders on cybersecurity policy; and
  • Establishing, editing, and implementing cybersecurity policy standards and requirements; and
  • Establishing industry standard risk-reduction metrics.

Credit for experience is given based on a 40-hour workweek. Part-time experience is credited on a part-time ratio, i.e., working 20 hours per week for two months equals one month of experience. No additional credit is given for overtime.

National Service Experience (i.e., volunteer experience): 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 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.

Resumes must include the following:
  1. Narrative description of duties with start and end dates (including the month and year) for work experience.
  2. State the number of hours worked in a position (i.e. full-time or part-time). If part-time, state the total number of hours worked per week.
  3. Performance level (i.e. band or grade)
Utilizing the USAJOBS Resume Builder and completing all available fields is strongly encouraged.

You must meet the qualification requirements for this position no later than the closing date of the vacancy announcement.

Education

For positions requiring positive education requirements, or if you are using education to meet all or part of the qualification requirements, you MUST submit a copy of your transcripts or an itemized list of college courses from an accredited college or university, which includes equivalent information from the transcript (course title, semester/quarter hours, and grade/degree earned) in your resume. The information must be provided with the application by the closing date of the announcement. If selected, the applicant must supply a transcript or certification of degree.

Additional information

Eligibility to apply for other Federal positions: TSA is an Excepted Service agency exempt from most of Title 5 United States Code, including regulations which apply to displaced Federal employees (CTAP/ICTAP) of other agencies, and employment with TSA does not confer "Competitive Status" that generally results from selection and service in Competitive Service agencies. The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) has established an Interchange Agreement, which allows most permanent TSA employees to apply and be considered for vacancies in Competitive Service agencies. Information from OPM on this or other Interchange Agreements is available at: www.opm.gov/

To ensure the accomplishment of our mission, DHS requires every employee to be reliable and trustworthy. To meet those standards, all selected applicants must undergo and successfully pass a background investigation as a condition of placement into this position.

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.

TSA employees who are absent for the purpose of performing military duty may apply for any vacancies announced in their absence.

More than one position may be filled from this announcement.

If you are entering TSA employment on an appointment without time limitations, you must serve a basic trial period unless you have already met the requirement.

DHS offers competitive salaries and an attractive benefits package, including: health, dental, vision, life, and long-term care insurance; retirement plan; Thrift Savings Plan [similar to a 401(k)]; Flexible Spending Account; Employee Assistance Program; personal leave days; and paid federal holidays. Other benefits may include flexible work schedules; telework; tuition reimbursement; transportation subsidies; uniform allowance; health and wellness programs; and fitness centers. DHS is committed to employee development and offers a variety of employee training and developmental opportunities. For more information, go to the DHS Careers website and select "Benefits." Disabled veteran leave will be available to any Federal employee hired on or after November 5, 2016, who is a veteran with a service-connected disability rating of 30 percent or more.

Employees who transfer to TSA from an agency that allows employees to maintain an annual leave balance higher than the maximum accumulation for the appointed position will have their leave ceiling set to the maximum accumulation for the appointed position (e.g., United States duty location - 240 hours, foreign duty location - 360 hours, or TSES position - 720 hours). TSA will not make a monetary payment for any leave forfeited under these circumstances.

How you will be evaluated

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

You will be evaluated based on a comparison of the position requirements against the quality and extent of the experience and/or related education as reflected in your resume and supporting documentation. You are encouraged to ensure work experiences clearly show possession of the competencies required for this position. We will compare your resume and supporting documentation to your responses on the assessment questionnaire. If, after reviewing your resume and any supporting documentation, a determination is made that you have rated yourself higher than is supported by your application materials, your category placement may be adjusted and/or you may be excluded from consideration for this job.

Candidates will be rated and ranked using Category Grouping procedures. Under Category Grouping, candidates will be rated and ranked into one of three categories:

  • Best-Qualified: Applicants possessing experience that substantially exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position and demonstrate high proficiency in all of the critical competencies as determined by the job analysis.
  • Well-Qualified: Applicants possessing experience that exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position and demonstrates acceptable proficiency in all of the critical competencies as determined by the job analysis.
  • Qualified: Applicants possessing experience that meets the minimum qualifications of the position and demonstrate basic proficiency in most of the critical competencies as determined by the job analysis. If you are best qualified, you may be referred to the hiring manager for consideration and may be called for an interview.
Your qualifications will be evaluated on the following competencies that are relevant to the duties of this position and must be fully supported by information in your resume:

  • Data Management
  • Risk Management
  • Security Components and Programs in DHS and Other Organizations
  • Security Directives and Regulations
  • Transportation Security Proficiency
  • Vulnerabilities Assessment


You may preview the questions for this vacancy here: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12586577

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