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Protective Specialist

Department of State
Department of State - Agency Wide
This job announcement has closed

Summary

The position is located in the Dignitary Protection Division, Office of Protection, Domestic Operations Directorate, Bureau of Diplomatic Security, U.S. Department of State.  You will provide physical protection/security for foreign dignitaries, resident foreign offices, and current and former U.S. Government officials.

**AMENDED TO INCLUDE TRAINING REQUIREMENTS**

Overview

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Reviewing applications
Open & closing dates
01/09/2026 to 01/09/2026
This job will close when we have received 50 applications which may be sooner than the closing date. Learn more
Salary
$70,623 to - $91,815 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 09
Location
Rosslyn, VA
11 vacancies
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Travel Required
76% or greater - Domestic and international travel required on short notice.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
12
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Sensitive Compartmented Information
Drug test
Yes
Position sensitivity and risk
Special-Sensitive (SS)/High Risk
Trust determination process
Announcement number
DS-2026-0014
Control number
854030300

Duties

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  • Participates as a member of teams implementing protective security for the Secretary of State, resident dignitaries, foreign dignitaries, and/or current or former senior officials.
  • Executes all assignments from the Shift Leader or Assistant Shift Leader including coordinating support for the protectee’s travel and public appearances.
  • Provides protection both domestically and internationally; takes decisive and immediate action in emergency situations requiring innovative solutions.
  • Assists with inspections and security sweeps and checks of the protectee’s suite; performs a variety of special assignments, many of a confidential nature.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • U.S. Citizenship is required.
  • Incumbent will be subject to random drug testing.
  • Must be able to obtain and maintain a Top Secret security clearance.
  • Obtain/maintain eligibility to access Sensitive Compartmented Information
  • Successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, visit: www.dhs.gov/E-Verify/

Qualifications

Applicants must meet all the required qualification requirements described below by the closing date of this announcement. If you are qualifying based on education OR if there are mandatory education requirements listed below, you MUST submit a copy of your college transcript with your application.  NOTE: Applicants must meet time-in-grade and time after competitive appointment requirements, by the closing date of this announcement. Time-In-Grade Requirements: Federal applicants must have served 52 weeks at the next lower grade to satisfy time-in-grade restrictions, per 5CFR 300, Subpart F.

Applicants applying for the GS-09 grade level must meet one of the following requirements:

A. Have at least 1 full year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-07 level in the Federal service which provided you with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities to perform the duties of the position. Qualifying specialized experience must demonstrate the following:

  • Experience applying current federal protective security methods, procedures, and techniques by providing support to protective security operations.
  • Experience that has equipped the applicant with the ability to react promptly, appropriately, and decisively in emergency situations where the applicant’s physical security and that of others may be threatened.
  • Experience participating in enhanced protective operations to include life safety and medical support, physical security, counter-threat measures, and applying other related principles and practices utilized in the protection of personnel.

OR

B. Have a master's or equivalent graduate degree, OR 2 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree, OR LL.B or J.D., if related, from an accredited college or university. This education must demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities to do the work of the position to be filled;

OR

C. Have a combination of graduate level education and specialized experience (as described above), which is equivalent to the GS- 07 level in the Federal Service. This experience and education together meets 100% of the qualification requirements for this position.

Combination of Experience and Education: When an applicant has less than one year of specialized experience as described in the announcement, he or she may combine successfully completed graduate-level education with experience to meet the total qualification requirements. Generally, 18 graduate semester hours is equivalent to 1 full-time year of graduate study (your school and department determine what constitutes 1 full time year of graduate study). The percentage of specialized work experience and the percentage of graduate study must total at least 100%.

Note: All applicants WILL BE required to submit transcripts as verification of educational requirement. If you fail to provide requested information, or the information you submit is insufficient to verify your eligibility, you may lose consideration for this position.

AGE REQUIREMENT: All applicants, except preference-eligible veterans, MUST be no more than 37 years of age upon entry into this position. If you are 37 or older, or will reach your 37th birthday, but have previously served in a federal civilian law enforcement position which may exempt you from this age restriction, you must submit a copy of the SF-50, Notification of Personnel Action, that you received in that position. If you are a preference-eligible veteran, you must submit a copy of your DD-214 verifying your veterans preference eligibility.

Candidate must possess a valid U.S. driver’s license.

This position requires the incumbent to carry a firearm while performing duties and maintain firearm proficiency and successfully pass periodic firearm qualifications. Any person who has been convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence cannot lawfully possess a firearm or ammunition. Title 18 U.S.C. Section 922(g)(9).

This position requires all incumbents to meet physical fitness standards to ensure they are prepared to carry out all of their official responsibilities. All applicants tentatively selected for this position must complete and submit a Physical Readiness Test (PRT) Self-Evaluation. Prior to receiving a final offer, applicants must pass a Diplomatic Security Service administered PRT. For information on the PRT standards, please visit https://careers.state.gov/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/DS-PRT-Guide-Revised-161019.pdf and https://careers.state.gov/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/DS-PRT-Standards-Revised-161019.pdf. Incumbents of this position will be required to maintain the physical fitness standards set by the agency and participate in triannual fitness testing.

This position requires the incumbent to work various shifts (e.g., 8:15am-5pm), 12am-8am, 4pm-12am, in addition to 2 or more LEAP hours, on a daily basis. In short, the hours worked will vary depending on the nature of your assignment.

TRAINING: Must successfully complete the Protective Training Program training course at the Foreign Affairs Security Training Center.  Candidates will be required to sign a Training Agreement attesting to their understanding that failure to successfully complete the training will result in removal.

Education

See the qualifications section of this vacancy announcement for education requirements.

Education completed in foreign colleges or universities may be used to meet the education requirements if you can show that the foreign education is comparable to that received in an accredited educational institution in the United States. It is your responsibility to provide such evidence when applying. For a list of accredited organizations recognized as specializing in interpretation of foreign education credentials, visit: www.naces.org/members.php.

Additional information

  • For reasonable accommodation at the U.S. Department of State, please contact the Office of Accessibility and Accommodations at (202) 663-3474 or OAA@state.gov. 
  • If eligible, situational telework agreements may be permitted with supervisory approval. 
  • Multiple positions may be filled from this announcement. If eligible, applicants to this announcement may be referred to other similar positions in other Bureaus/Offices in the Department for up to 240 days. Telework eligibility and security clearance requirements may vary for such similar positions.

***Require documents***

7. ICTAP/CTAP documentation, if applicable (e.g., reduction-in-force (RIF) separation notice, RIF separation SF-50 personnel action, certification of expected separation, etc.) In addition, submit a copy of your current (or last) performance rating of record which must be at least fully successful or equivalent and submit all required documents listed above that apply to you (e.g., resume, transcripts, etc.).

8. Current or Former Land Management Employee documentation, if applicable. Visit the Forest Service’s site for required documentation.

All required documents listed below, that are applicable to you, must be submitted to our automated system by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) on the closing date of this announcement.

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.

Once the application process is complete, a review of your resume limited to two pages will be conducted and evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications for this position. The evaluation process consists of an online assessment and a subject matter expert review of your resume. Resumes longer than two pages will be deemed ineligible and will not be considered further. Your qualifications will be evaluated on the following competencies:

  • Knowledge of protective security and operations.
  • Knowledge of principles, methods, and tools used for risk assessment and mitigation.
  • Ability to follow protective security procedures.
  • Ability to make sound, well-informed and objective decisions.

In describing your experience, please be clear and specific. We do not make assumptions regarding your experience. Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials may result in your removal from consideration.

Resume review: Subject matter experts (SMEs) will review your resume to determine your qualifications for this position based on the required specialized experience. Your resume should demonstrate how you meet all aspects of the specialized experience statement. SMEs will not review additional information beyond your resume (e.g., links embedded in your resume will not be opened.)

Agency Career and Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP and ICTAP) candidates must be considered well-qualified for the position and submit the supporting documents listed under the required documents section of this job announcement to receive consideration for selection priority. To be considered well-qualified, in addition to meeting minimum qualifications, candidates must demonstrate proficiency in some, but not all of the major aspects of the position.


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