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Law Enforcement Specialist (Canine Program Manager)

Department of Homeland Security
DHS Headquarters
Federal Protective Service

Summary

This position is located in the Department of Homeland Security, Federal Protective Service, Alexandria, Virginia.

Overview

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Accepting applications
Open & closing dates
04/06/2026 to 04/10/2026
This job will close when we have received 100 applications which may be sooner than the closing date. Learn more
Salary
$121,785 - $158,322 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 13
Location
2 vacancies in the following location:
Alexandria, VA
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
No
Travel Required
25% or less - You may be expected to travel 1 - 5 nights per month for this position.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
None
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Top Secret
Drug test
Yes
Position sensitivity and risk
Critical-Sensitive (CS)/High Risk
Trust determination process
Financial disclosure
No
Bargaining unit status
No
Announcement number
ST-12900101-26-JM
Control number
861858400

Duties

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Department of Homeland Security is hiring for law enforcement jobs that have an exciting opportunity! Once onboarded, you may be assigned for up to one year to support the D.C. Safe and Beautiful Task Force. The law enforcement component of the D.C. Task Force is a partnership of over 20 federal and local agencies working together to make D.C. the safest city in America. Once the assignment ends, you'll transition back to support the [Agency]. Visit the D.C. Task Force page for more information.

The primary purpose of this position is to perform uniformed law enforcement work in the protection of life, property and the rights of individual citizens; enforces and assures compliance with statutes, laws, government facility rules and regulations, and protects the civil rights of all persons on property under the charge and control of the U.S. Government or in locations as may be necessary for the promotion of Homeland Security as directed by the DHS Secretary..

Duties performed:

  • Analyzes study results and develops methods to enhance Explosive Detective Canine team effectiveness in interdiction.
  • Conducts operational assessments to maintain detection proficiency and update Explosive Detective Canine
    team response procedures.
  • Performs on-site certification evaluations of Explosive Detective Canine teams, identifying and correcting deficiencies to improve performance.
  • Ensures compliance with animal health requirements to prevent disease transmission, including zoonotic diseases.
  • Enforces safe handling requirements for explosives and working dogs.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • You must be a U.S. citizen to apply for this position.
  • You must successfully pass a background investigation. This may include a credit check, a review of financial issues, as well as certain criminal offenses and illegal use or possession of drugs.
  • Males born after 12/31/59 must be registered or exempt from Selective Service (see http://www.sss.gov/).
  • Complete the initial online assessment and USAHire Assessment, if required
  • One-year probationary period may be required.
  • Must meet Time-In-Grade requirements.
  • Pre-employment Drug Testing: This position requires a negative pre-employment drug test prior to and throughout the appointment of this position.
  • 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.
  • DHS uses e-Verify, an Internet-based system, to confirm the eligibility of all newly hired employees to work in the United States.
  • All Federal employees are required to have Federal salary payments made by direct deposit to a financial institution of their choosing.
  • License required: Yes-This position requires the incumbent possess a valid driver's license, maintain a safe driving record, and demonstrate they are medically qualified to operate a motor vehicle safely in accordance with the standards and procedures established in 5 CFR 930. Periodic verification of license and safe driving record will be required.
  • Pre-employment physical required: Yes
  • This is a non-bargaining unit position.
  • Permanent Change of Duty Station (PCS) Expenses will not be paid.
  • Promotion Potential: This position is at the full performance level.
  • Essential Personnel: This position may be designated as essential personnel. Essential personnel must be able to serve during continuity of operational events without regard to declarations of unscheduled leave or government closures due to weather, protests, and acts of terrorism or lack of funding. Failure to report for or remain in this position may result in disciplinary or adverse action in accordance with applicable laws, rules, and regulations (5 U.S.C. ยง 7501-7533 and 5 CFR Part 752, as applicable).
  • Random Drug Testing: The incumbent of this position is subject to random drug testing.

Qualifications

Applicants must demonstrate that they meet the Specialized Experience:

Specialized Experience:

GS-13: Applicant must demonstrate one full year of specialized experience comparable in scope and responsibility to the GS-12 level in the Federal service (obtained in either the public or private sectors) performing the following duties:

1) Conducting law enforcement investigations of alleged or suspected criminal violations related to the protection of government infrastructure;
2) Providing law enforcement presence through patrol operations to enforce and deter criminal terrorist activities;
3) Monitoring canine behavioral patterns to accurately guide canines and canine handlers; AND
4) Utilizing knowledge of explosives and explosive detection to make recommendations to stakeholders.

NOTE: Your resume must explicitly indicate how you meet this requirement, otherwise you will be found ineligible. Only two page resumes will be accepted and used to make an eligibility/qualifications determination.

Time-in-Grade Requirements: Under competitive merit promotion procedures, any individual who is currently holding, or who has held within the previous 52 weeks, a General Schedule position under a non-temporary appointment in the competitive or excepted service, must meet "time-in-grade" requirements (have served 52 weeks at the next lower grade of the grade for which you are applying). Time-In-Grade requirements also apply to current competitive service employees applying for a Veterans Employment Opportunities Act of 1998 (VEOA) appointment. NOTE: All current or former Federal employees must provide a copy of their SF-50 (you may need to submit more than one), "Notice of Personnel Action" that indicates proof of status and time-in-grade eligibility. The SF-50 must include your position, title, series, grade, step, tenure (1 or 2), and type of service (Competitive or Excepted). You may need to submit more than one SF-50 to comply.

All qualification requirements must be met by the closing date of this announcement. Qualification claims will be subject to verification.

NOTE: 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.

Interagency/Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP/CTAP): This program applies to Federal service employees whose positions have been deemed surplus or no longer needed, or employees who have been involuntarily separated from a Federal service position within the competitive service. To receive selection priority for this position, you must: 1) meet eligibility criteria for CTAP or ICTAP; 2) be rated well-qualified for the position; and 3) submit the appropriate documentation to support your CTAP or ICTAP eligibility. Well-Qualified includes those applicants whose knowledge, skills, and abilities clearly exceed the minimum qualification requirements for the position. For information on eligibility criteria and required documentation, go to: http://www.opm.gov/rif/employee_guides/career_transition.

Additional Conditions of Employment:

Training Requirements: Incumbent must complete or must have previously completed an approved law enforcement training program at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center, or a substantially equivalent program approved by FPS in compliance with agency policies. In addition, must successfully complete a Canine Evaluator Course approved by FPS Canine Operations Branch and receive formal certification and appointment as a canine evaluator.

Pre-employment Medical Requirement: Prior to appointment the incumbent must be determined physically fit by an authorized government physician to perform strenuous and physically demanding duties. The pre-employment medical examination includes, but is not limited to; vision, hearing, cardiovascular and mobility of extremities. Incumbent must be medically eligible and otherwise capable of safely wearing and using a negative air-purifying respirator (gas mask) or other respiratory protective equipment. This position may be subject to periodic examinations in the future.

Occupational Safety and Health Requirement: The incumbent will be required to comply with all pertinent Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) requirements including use of all personal protective equipment (PPE) provided, in accordance with training, work instructions, and as required by the task at hand.

Motor Vehicle Operation: This position requires the incumbent possess a valid driver's license, maintain a safe driving record, and demonstrate they are medically qualified to operate a motor vehicle safely in accordance with the standards and procedures established in 5 CFR 930. Periodic verification of license and safe driving record will be required.

Education

This job does not have an education qualification requirement.

Additional information

Note: DHS continues to take necessary steps to keep our workforce safe amid the COVID-19 pandemic. If you receive a final job offer to onboard, please complete the onboarding forms and submit them electronically in an expeditious manner. Your start date may be delayed if the action above is not completed.

Background Investigation: To ensure the accomplishment of its mission, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) requires each and every employee to be reliable and trustworthy. To meet those standards, all selected applicants must undergo and successfully complete a background investigation for a Top Secret clearance as a condition of placement in this Critical Sensitive/High Risk position. This review includes financial issues such as delinquency in the payment of debts, child support and/or tax obligations, as well as certain criminal offenses and illegal use or possession of drugs.

Pursuant to Executive Order 12654 and DHS policy, DHS is committed to maintaining a drug-free workplace and, therefore, conducts random and other drug testing of its employees in order to ensure a safe and healthy work environment. Headquarters personnel in safety- or security-sensitive positions are subject to random drug testing and all applicants tentatively selected for employment at DHS Headquarters are subject to drug testing resulting in a negative test result.

Current or Former Political Appointees: 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.

Interagency/Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP/CTAP): This program applies to Federal service employees whose positions have been deemed surplus or no longer needed, or employees who have been involuntarily separated from a Federal service position within the competitive service. To receive selection priority for this position, you must: 1) meet eligibility criteria for CTAP or ICTAP; 2) be rated well-qualified for the position; and 3) submit the appropriate documentation to support your CTAP or ICTAP eligibility. Well-Qualified includes those applicants whose knowledge, skills, and abilities clearly exceed the minimum qualification requirements for the position. For information on eligibility criteria and required documentation, go to: http://www.opm.gov/rif/employee_guides/career_transition.asp

Selective Service: Males born after 12/31/59 must be registered or exempt from Selective Service (see http://www.sss.gov/).

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) 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


The USA Hire Assessment includes a cut score based on the minimum level of required proficiency in these critical general competencies. You must meet or exceed the cut score to be considered. You will not be considered for the position if you score below the cut score or fail to complete the assessment.

We will review your resume and supporting documentation to ensure you meet the basic qualification requirements.

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.

For Competitive Merit Promotion and Veterans Employment Opportunities Act (VEOA) Applicants: The highest rated candidates will be referred to the hiring agency.

For Noncompetitive Appointment Eligibles: All qualified candidates will be referred to the hiring agency.

To preview the assessment questionnaire, click the following link: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12900101

Veterans Employment Opportunities Act (VEOA): To be eligible for a VEOA appointment, the veteran must 1) be a preference eligible; or 2) be a veteran separated after 3 or more years of continuous active service performed under honorable conditions (you must submit a DD214-member copy 4).

Veterans, Peace Corps/VISTA volunteers, and persons with disabilities possess a wealth of unique talents, experiences, and competencies that can be invaluable to the DHS mission. If you are a member of one of these groups, you may not have to compete with the public for federal jobs. To determine your eligibility for non-competitive appointment and to understand the required documentation, click on the links above.

DHS Headquarters

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is calling on those who want to help protect American interests and secure our Nation. DHS components work collectively to prevent terrorism; secure borders and our transportation systems; protect the President and other dignitaries; enforce and administer immigration laws, safeguard cyberspace; and ensure resilience to disasters. We achieve these vital missions through a diverse workforce spanning hundreds of occupations. Make an impact; join DHS.

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 "Employee Benefits."

View Common Definitions of terms found in this announcement.

Agency contact information

CSB HR Inquiries
Email
CSB_Inquiries@opm.gov
Address
Department of Homeland Security Headquarters
OCHCO/HRMS/MS #0170
6595 Springfield Center Drive
Springfield, VA 20598-0170
US

Visit our careers page

Learn more about what it's like to work at DHS Headquarters, what the agency does, and about the types of careers this agency offers.

https://www.dhs.gov/

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