Clarification from the agency

Area of Consideration: Open to current, permanent VISN 12 PERSEC employees

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The incumbent of this position serves as a Supervisory Personnel Security Specialist, and the work assigned is of a very confidential, complex and highly sensitive nature. This position performs the security-related functions in support of a Network Personnel Suitability and Credentialing Program within Shared Services Unit, and assures that all appointees have the appropriate level of security/suitability clearance commensurate with their assignment. This position also entails Personal Identity Verification Program (PIV) responsibility, which is a Government-wide identification standard for secure and reliable identity credentials issued by the Federal Government to its employees, contractors, affiliates, and volunteers.

Duties:

• Provides expert advice to Human Resource personnel responsible for managing the VA's Personnel Security, Suitability and Credentialing Program at the Shared Service Unit and Shared Business Unit.
• Performs High Risk, moderate and low risk adjudications in cases of facility upper management and Network office personnel and/or subordinate organizations as applicable.
• Assists managers as needed of Personal Identification Cards (PIV) Card Issuing (PCI) managers to ensure uniformity in the interpretation of Homeland Security Presidential Directive 12 (HSPD-12) and the issuance and revocation the Personal Identification Card (PIV).
• Processes adverse actions as they relate to suitability issues up to, but not limited to the development of suitability and employee relation case files that document contact with the applicant, appointee or employee in the processing of the request for personnel action.
• Establishes, gathers, and coordinates record of evidence in support of proposed personnel security and suitability actions and decisions.
• Develops and implements authoritative personnel security and suitability systems enhancements.
• Responds to problems or questions involving implementation of personnel security and suitability guidelines at lower levels and for inspecting new or established personnel security and suitability programs for adequacy, efficiency, and need for improvement.
• Conducts analysis of various personnel security and suitability programs to determine activity trends and compliance with applicable regulatory requirements.
• Responsible for coordination, preparation, and submission of all Service-level, facility, Network, and VACO reports that may be required for OPM's e-QIP System.
• Responsible for the PIV Program planning.
• Applies policy direction to specific operating requirements and developing guidance for applying PIV policy, procedures, techniques, and methods to a variety of work situations and various degrees or levels of controls for Medical Center and Network personnel.
• Provides guidance and renders decisions on complex determinations unresolved by subordinates on a continuous basis through review of completed work and assessment of results obtained.
• Oversees the daily operation of the unit and ensures that agency policies and priorities are being followed.
• Performs other related duties as assigned.

NOTE: Selectee may need to complete a Supervisory Probation Period

Work Schedule: Full Time; Monday- Friday; 8:00AM-4:30PM
Telework: This position may be authorized for Ad-Hoc Telework only.
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Position Description/PD#: Supervisory Personnel Security Specialist/PD99949S
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized.
Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved.
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized.

Conditions of employment

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job
• All applicants tentatively selected for VA employment in a testing designated position are subject to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment. Applicants who refuse to be tested will be denied employment with VA.
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959
• Subject to background/security investigation
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents). Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued dentification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP)

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary period or 2-year trial period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider:

• your performance and conduct;
• the needs and interests of the agency;
• whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and
• whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service.

Upon completion of your probationary period or trial period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 03/02/2026.

Time-In-Grade Requirement: Applicants who are current Federal employees and have held a GS grade any time in the past 52 weeks must also meet time-in-grade requirements by the closing date of this announcement. For a GS-12 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-11. The grade may have been in any occupation, but must have been held in the Federal service. An SF-50 that shows your time-in-grade eligibility must be submitted with your application materials. If the most recent SF-50 has an effective date within the past year, it may not clearly demonstrate you possess one-year time-in-grade, as required by the announcement. In this instance, you must provide an additional SF-50 that clearly demonstrates one-year time-in-grade.

Note: Time-In-Grade requirements also apply to former Federal employees applying for reinstatement as well as current employees applying for Veterans Employment Opportunities Act of 1998 (VEOA) appointment.

You may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below:

• Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-11 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to:
  • Experience working with requirements (e.g. forms, documentation, fingerprints, etc.) necessary to obtain any type of background investigation (e.g. T1/NACI, T2/MBI, T4/Bl, etc.) and assisting employees, contractors, affiliates, and volunteers with any questions they may have about these requirements.
  • Working with regulations, policies, procedures, principles, and concepts that govern VA's Personnel Security and Suitability Program, OPM's e-QIP System and the PIV Program.
  • Working with wide range of personnel security and suitability concepts, principles, and practices to independently review, analyze, and resolve difficult and complex problems.
  • Applying a wide range of personnel security and suitability theories, principles, laws, rules, regulations, and procedures to identify interrelated problems, draw conclusions, and recommend appropriate courses of action.

You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position:

• Analytical Thinking
• Critical Thinking
• Personnel and Human Resources

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; religions; 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.

Note: A full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week. Part-time experience will be credited on the basis of time actually spent in appropriate activities. Applicants wishing to receive credit for such experience must indicate clearly the nature of their duties and responsibilities in each position and the number of hours a week spent in such employment.

Physical Requirements: The work is sedentary and is usually accomplished while the employee is comfortably seated at a desk or table. However, some walking and standing may occur in the course of a normal workday in connection with travel to, and attendance at, meetings and conferences away from the primary work site. Incumbent may be required to bend, lift, carry personnel security equipment such as laptops, scanners, etc. long distances at affiliate organizations. Must be able to lift 20-30 lbs. No special physical effort other than lifting/carrying of equipment is required to perform the work.

For more information on these qualification standards, please visit the United States Office of Personnel Management's website at https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/.

How you will be evaluated

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

IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE.

Narrative responses are not required at this time. If you are referred for consideration, you may be asked to submit additional job related information, which may include, but not limited to; responses to the knowledge, skills and abilities; completion of a work sample, and/or contact for an interview. Your resume and/or supporting documentation will be verified. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your rating or consideration for employment.

The Department of Veterans Affairs performs pre-employment reference checks as an assessment method used in the hiring process to verify information provided by a candidate (e.g., on resume or during interview or hiring process); gain additional knowledge regarding a candidate's abilities; and assist a hiring manager with making a final selection for a position.

For more information on the "Who may apply" eligibility requirements, please refer to the OHRM Status Candidates and Other Candidate Definitions document.

Placement Policy: The posting of this announcement does not obligate management to fill a vacancy or vacancies by promotion. The position may be filled by reassignment, change to lower grade, transfer, appointment, or reinstatement. Management may use any one or any combination of these methods to fill the position.

It is the policy of the VA to not deny employment to those that have faced financial hardships or periods of unemployment.

Veterans and Transitioning Service Members: Please visit the VA for Vets site for career-search tools for Veterans seeking employment at VA, career development services for our existing Veterans, and coaching and reintegration support for military service members.