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Transportation Security Specialist

Department of Homeland Security
Transportation Security Administration
Intelligence & Analysis/Vetting Analysis Division

Summary

Vetting Analysis Division (VAD) conducts vetting and pre-screening of transportation related credential holders and applicants, passengers, and cargo to identify and report potential terrorism-nexus and national security threats. National Transportation Vetting Center (NTVC) operates 24/7 across 4 locations to conduct comprehensive vetting, risk assessment, and analysis of passengers, credentialed transportation workers, and cargo-identifying and confirming high-risk individuals and shipments.

Overview

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Accepting applications
Open & closing dates
03/13/2026 to 03/27/2026
Salary
$63,795 to - $99,404 per year

Salary will be adjusted in accordance with the locality pay of the duty location selected.

Pay scale & grade
SV G - H
Locations
Colorado Springs, CO
6 vacancies
Annapolis Junction, MD
8 vacancies
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
Excepted
Promotion potential
H
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Sensitive Compartmented Information
Drug test
Yes
Position sensitivity and risk
Special-Sensitive (SS)/High Risk
Financial disclosure
No
Bargaining unit status
No
Announcement number
I&A-26-12908151-ST
Control number
861160400

Duties

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This Transportation Security Specialist position is located in the NTVC East and West Branches, Intelligence & Analysis (I&A), Operations Support (OS), Transportation Security Administration, Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

Duties include but are not limited to:

  • Interprets vetting match results produced by an automated vetting system using classified and unclassified databases and computer-aided tools.
  • Conducts extensive research, including interpretation and evaluation, of complex multi-source data to determine whether an identity being vetted is a match to an identity on a terrorism-related watchlist.
  • Conducts intelligence research using various open-source resources and using a computer user interface to produce analytically sound oral and written referral reports that describe the nature of significant valid matches to terrorism and national security watchlists.
  • Prepares and distributes standard security reports to internal and external government agencies. These reports reference subjects that may be a match to security/terrorism databases.
  • Provides guidance and assists in developing plans responsive to intelligence regarding emerging threats, makes inputs to project planning sessions, coordinates with airport stakeholders and partners in obtaining relevant information.

Please note: The major duties described above reflect the full performance level of this position. Typically, the lower pay band (G band) performs the same duties but will receive more guidance and training, and the project or 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. This position is part of a 24/7/365 mission critical operational center and requires shift work including evenings, nights, weekends, and/or holidays as determined by operational needs..
  6. You must be able to obtain and maintain a Top-Secret security clearance based on a Special Background Investigation (SBI) with eligibility for Sensitive Compartmented Information (SCI).
  7. May require Temporary Duty (TDY) or business travel up to 25% of the time.
  8. This is a testing Designated position. Employee required to pass drug screening prior to appointment and periodically as required during employment.
  9. This position is Emergency Essential.
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

In addition to the minimum qualifications described above, you must meet the following specialized experience and/or the education requirement to be considered qualified for the position:

To qualify for the SV-G pay band (equivalent to the GS-11), you must meet one of the qualification requirements (A, B, OR C) outlined below:

A. Education: 4-year course of study leading to a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university; OR
B. Experience: 3 years of general experience, 1 year of which was equivalent to at least GS-9 performing duties such as:
  • · Analyzing problems to identify significant factors, gathering pertinent data, and recognizing solutions; AND
  • · Planning and organizing work; AND
  • · Communicating effectively orally and in writing.

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 for the grade level, and may be computed by first determining the applicant's total qualifying experience as a percentage of the experience required for the grade level; then determining the applicant's education as a percentage of the education required for the grade level; and then adding the two percentages. The total percentages must equal at least 100 percent to qualify an applicant for that grade level.

Note: This must be fully supported by your resume and transcripts, provided with your application. If you are attempting to qualify based on education, in whole or in part, you MUST submit a copy of your transcript(s) from an accredited college or university (for each school attended) to establish qualifications based upon education. Unofficial transcripts are acceptable at the time of application. Official transcripts may be required at a later date.

To qualify for the SV-H Pay Band (equivalent to the GS-12 grade level), you must have one year of specialized experience at the SV-G Pay Band or GS-10 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:

Experience: Specialized Experience is defined as at least one-year equivalent to at least SV-G (GS-11).

  • Demonstrated knowledge and use of various law enforcement and/or Intelligence databases, such as but not exclusive to, the National Crime Information Center (NCIC), the Treasury Enforcement Communications System (TECS), or the Homeland Security Data Network (HSDN); AND
  • Preparing and managing operational and legal documentation that entails research and analytical and investigative techniques; AND
  • Interacting with law enforcement members in pursuit of strong transportation security and safety objectives.

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.

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.

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. (https://appsupport.usastaffing.gov/hc/en-us/sections/28980686389652-Reasonable-Accommodation-Information)

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.

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 questionnaire, and your responses to all assessments required for this position.

You will be assessed on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics):

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

Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or application questionnaire may result in your removal from consideration. Cheating on an assessment may also result in your removal from consideration.

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