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PERSONNEL SECURITY SPECIALIST

Department of Defense
Defense Finance and Accounting Service
This job announcement has closed

Summary

Who may apply: Current, permanent DFAS employees in the competitive service and current DFAS VRA employees within the DFAS Human Resources Directorate; and eligible Priority Placement Program DoD Military Spouse Preference applicants.

This job announcement uses the USA Hire Assessment to evaluate applicants. For more information, visit USA Hire Assessment.

This announcement will be used to fill positions with an entry grade of GS-07, with a target grade of GS-11.

Overview

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Reviewing applications
Open & closing dates
10/27/2025 to 11/05/2025
Salary
$50,425 to - $97,011 per year

Entry Grade, GS-07, Salary Range is $50,425 - $65,557

Pay scale & grade
GS 7
Location
1 vacancy in the following location:
Indianapolis, IN
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
No
Travel Required
Occasional travel - You may be expected to travel for this position.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
11
Job family (Series)
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Secret
Drug test
No
Position sensitivity and risk
Critical-Sensitive (CS)/High Risk
Trust determination process
Financial disclosure
No
Bargaining unit status
No
Announcement number
IN-12822170-26
Control number
848908100

Duties

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  • Determines eligibility of persons to occupy sensitive positions based on security concerns related to suitability for employment based on application of Federal and Agency regulation, policy and practice related to personnel security and suitability.
  • Determines adequacy of investigations and adjudications as they relate to position sensitivity and national security classified access requirements.
  • Evaluates submitted documentation for personnel security investigations. Evaluates derogatory subject information and recommends if clearances should be granted, suspended, revoked, denied or the investigation should be expanded.
  • Institutes internal controls to protect personnel security case files from inadvertent disclosure.
  • Consults with operating officials both internal and external to the Defense Finance and Accounting Service (DFAS), providing well thought out answers to issues concerning personnel security and suitability programs.
  • DUTIES AS DESCRIBED REFLECT THE FULL PERFORMANCE, GS-11 LEVEL. DUTIES ASSIGNED TO ENTRY GRADE OF GS-07 WILL BE DEVELOPMENTAL IN NATURE.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • Must be a U.S Citizen or National
  • This national security position, which may require access to classified information, requires a favorable suitability review and security clearance as a condition of employment. Failure to maintain security eligibility may result in termination.
  • Registered for Selective Service (males born after 12-31-1959)
  • Suitable for Federal employment
  • Time after Competitive Appointment: Candidates must have served 3 months after latest competitive appointment in the Federal service.
  • Time in Grade Requirement - see the Qualifications field below for more details.
  • Incumbent must Obtain/Maintain DoD Security Accreditation and Certification
  • New employees to the Defense Finance and Accounting Service will be required to successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, visit e-verify.gov.

Qualifications

One year of specialized experience equivalent in level of difficulty and responsibility to that of the next lower grade (GS-05) within the federal service, which demonstrates the ability to perform the duties of the position, is required.

Specialized experience is defined as: applying basic personnel security regulations, guidelines and standards in order to provide procedural or technical support in the administration of a personnel security program, and responding to procedural questions regarding personnel security program processes.

Time-in-Grade: Current or former federal employees who have held a GS position in the preceding 52 weeks, must meet the time in grade requirement. Applicant must have served 52 weeks as a GS-05 or higher grade in Federal Service.

You may qualify for consideration if meeting time-in grade, specialized experience, education requirement, 90 days after competitive appointment requirement, and all other qualification requirements within 30 calendar days after the closing date of the announcement, unless otherwise indicated on the announcement.

Education

Substitution of Education for Experience: One full year of graduate level education or Superior Academic Achievement (http://www.opm.gov/qualifications/policy/ApplicationOfStds-04.asp) may be substituted to meet the specialized experience requirement. Equivalent combinations of successfully completed graduate level education and experience may be used to meet total experience requirements.

Additional information

  • Moving expenses will not be paid.
  • Telework availability is limited and will only be provided on a rare case-by-case basis during situations where Agency Leadership has determined that telework serves a compelling DoD need.
  • We may use this announcement to make a temporary promotion. For some positions, the temporary promotion may be made permanent without further competition.
  • Selections are subject to restrictions resulting from the DoD Program for Stability of Civilian Employment.
  • As a condition of employment, you may be required to serve a 1 year probationary period during which we'll evaluate whether your continued employment advances the public interest. The evaluation will consider performance and conduct; the needs and interests of the agency; whether your continued employment advances agency or governmental goals; and if your continued employment advances the efficiency of the Federal service. At the end of the probationary period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification that your continued employment advances the public interest.
  • We may use this announcement to fill additional vacancies within 120 days of the closing date.
  • This position is Non-Exempt from the Fair Labor Standards Act at the GS-07 and 09 Levels; exempt at the GS-11 level.
  • Travel requirement is Occasional.
  • This position is not covered by a bargaining unit.
  • This position will be covered by formal training under the DFAS Career Acclimation Program (DCAP). The purpose of this program is to develop well-qualified, well-trained, high potential employees for future positions within DFAS. Promotion is conditional based on performance, successful completion of training, and availability of higher graded work. Participants who do not successfully complete the program may be separated.
  • For grades below the full performance level, only MSP/PPP eligible candidates who currently occupy a formal training program position will be entitled to exercise priority preference.
  • Employment of retired Federal employees receiving an annuity is subject to the requirements of the Department of Defense (DoD) policy. (See DoD Instruction 1400.25, Volume 300, here.
  • The Security Designation will vary and dependent upon position and may require a secret clearance or higher be obtained/maintained. Employment in this position requires a background investigation and may delay a start date. See NEXT STEPS for additional information.
  • Criminal History Inquiries- For some positions, criminal history inquiries may not take place before you receive a conditional job offer. Please see Fair Chance to Compete for Jobs Act of 2019 (dfas.mil) for more information on The Fair Chance to Compete Act, exceptions, and DFAS contact information.
  • In accordance with Department of Defense (DoD) Manual 3305.13-M "DoD Security Accreditation and Certification", this position has been identified as a Defense Security Position (DSP). The individual selected for this position must obtain and/or maintain a Security Fundamentals Professional Certification (SFPC). Individuals who do not meet the applicable certification requirements must obtain it within two years after the first duty day in this position. Upon appointment to this position, the selectee must also sign an agreement acknowledging the SFPC requirement as a condition of employment and agree to allow DoD to access and monitor the certification qualifications associated with this DSP.

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

How you will be evaluated

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

IMPORTANT NOTE - YOU MUST FOLLOW ALL APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS CAREFULLY. ERRORS OR OMISSIONS MAY AFFECT YOUR RATING.

You will be evaluated based on how well you meet the qualifications listed in this vacancy announcement. Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g., resume, supporting documents), your responses on the application and your responses to all assessments required for this position. You will be assessed on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics):

  • Accountability
  • Attention to Detail
  • Customer Service
  • Decision Making
  • Flexibility
  • Integrity/Honesty
  • Interpersonal Skills
  • Learning
  • Reading Comprehension
  • Reasoning
  • Self-Management
  • Stress Tolerance
  • Teamwork


Reasonable Accommodation (RA) Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a RA in your online application. Requests for RA for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for RA must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for RA are made on a case-by-case basis. If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, based on your adjudication decision. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, if you received the link after the close of the announcement. To determine if you need a RA, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments.

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