Clarification from the agency

This position is open to all U.S. Citizens or U.S. Nationals. Note: Federal employees with permanent status or individuals eligible for special appointing authorities may also apply to Job Announcement #26R-LJ-313789-MPA-OPS. More than one selection may be made from this announcement.

The Supervisory Police Officer serves as the first line supervisor overseeing squad and shift operations for assigned personnel and through superior supervisors at the National Zoological Park (NZP) Police and physical security program for the NZP and the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute (SCBI). 

In this position, you will:

• Respond to and manage emergency or unusual incidents, and maintain involvement in community-oriented policing initiatives. 
• Foster and maintain public trust through proactive engagement.
• Interview victims, suspects, and witnesses, prepare charging documents, and testify under oath in legal proceedings. 
• Conduct operations to protect life and property.
• Interpret laws, manage crowd control and emergencies, and prepare detailed reports. 

Conditions of employment

• Pass Pre-employment Background Investigation
• May need to complete a Probationary Period
• Maintain a Bank Account for Direct Deposit/Electronic Transfer
• Males born after 12/31/59 must be registered with Selective Service.

Conditions of Employment

Qualification requirements must be met by the closing date of the announcement.

For information on qualification requirements, see Qualification Standards Handbook for General Schedule Positions on OPM website.

• Must have completed certified law enforcement training through a state or federally accredited police academy or possess equivalent training that meets established legal standards and agency protocols. Applicants MUST provide training certificates and/or transcripts to verify completion of certified law enforcement training through a state or federally accredited police academy or equivalent. Failure to submit training certificates and/or transcripts will result in loss of consideration. 
• Employment is subject to successful completion of a pre-employment requirements process that may consist of: structured interview, drug test, laboratory screening, medical evaluation, and background investigation.
• The incumbent must be able to qualify and maintain a proficiency in the use of weapons issued to him/her as part of his/her duty requirements. 

Qualifications

Basic Qualifications

Experience that provided knowledge of a body of basic laws and regulations, law enforcement operations, practices, and techniques and involved responsibility for maintaining order and protecting life and property. Creditable specialized experience may have been gained in work on a police force; through service as a military police officer; in work providing visitor protection and law enforcement in parks, forests, or other natural resource or recreational environments; in performing criminal investigative duties; or in other work that provided the required knowledge and skills.

Investigation of Fitness

A character investigation may be conducted on applicants selected for employment. The purpose of such an investigation is to secure evidence of the candidate's honesty, integrity, general character, and loyalty to the U.S. Government. Such investigations will be conducted under the security requirements of the hiring agency.

Medical Requirements

The duties of these positions require moderate to arduous physical exertion and/or duties of a hazardous nature. The following medical requirements apply to all applicants: good near and distant vision, ability to distinguish basic colors, and ability to hear the conversational voice. Agencies may establish additional, job-related physical or medical requirements provided that the specific position(s) involves the arduous or hazardous duties to which the physical requirements relate.

Applicants and employees must have the capacity to perform the essential functions of the position without risk to themselves or others. Applicants and employees must possess emotional and mental stability. In most instances, a specific medical condition or impairment will not automatically disqualify an applicant or employee. A medical condition or impairment is disqualifying only if the condition, for good medical reason, precludes assignment to or warrants restriction from the duties of the specific position. For some positions, the loss or impairment of a specific function may be compensated for by the satisfactory use of a prosthesis or mechanical aid. Reasonable accommodation shall also be considered in determining an applicant's ability to perform the duties of a position. Reasonable accommodation may include, but is not limited to the use of assistive devices, job modification or restructuring, provision of readers and interpreters, or adjusted work schedules.

All positions involving Federal motor vehicle operation carry the additional medical requirements specified in 5 CFR 930 and the "General Policies and Instructions" section of this Manual.

In addition to the basic qualification requirement above:

Experience: You qualify for this position if you have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the NZ-07/GS-07 level in the Federal Service.  For this position, specialized experience is defined as demonstrated experience in the following: 

1. Supervising a team of police officers, providing guidance, and performance evaluations to ensure effective law enforcement operations; 
2. Coordinating shift schedules, assignments, and patrol activities to maintain optimal coverage and response times;
3. Training officers on applicable regulations, policies, and procedures to prevent, identify, and address violations of the law; and
4. Patrolling parking areas and facilitating orderly flow of traffic both vehicular and pedestrians while assisting the public with information. 

Your resume must be no more than two (2) pages and should clearly demonstrate how your experience aligns with the responsibilities and specialized experience required for this position. Do not copy language directly from the vacancy announcement, as you will be deemed ineligible for consideration. Instead, provide detailed, descriptive information about your actual 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.

Part-time and/or unpaid experience related to this position will be considered to determine the total number of years and months of experience. Be sure to note the number of paid or unpaid hours worked each week.

How you will be evaluated

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

Applicants for this position may be evaluated in multiple stages. The first stage is an evaluation of your responses to the online multiple-choice questions that assess your experience, education, and/or training for the job related competencies below:

• Law enforcement leadership skills.
• Ability to conduct criminal investigations, interviewing victims, suspects, and witnesses, preparing charging documents, and providing sworn testimony.
• Ability to maintain public safety through the effective interpretation and enforcement of laws, management of crowd control situations, and coordinated emergency response.

Applicants who meet or exceed minimum qualifications will be assigned to one of three category groups based on job-related criteria:

• Best Category - Meets the minimum qualification requirements and excels in most of the job related competencies above.
• Better Category - Meets the minimum qualification requirements and satisfies most of the job related competencies above.
• Good Category - Meets the minimum qualification requirements, but does not satisfy most of the job related competencies above to a substantive degree.

This category rating process does not add veterans' preference points or apply the "rule of three", but protects the rights of veterans by placing them ahead of non-preference eligibles within each category. A selecting official may make selections from the highest quality category (Best Category) provided no preference eligible in that category is passed over to select a non-preference eligible in that category unless the requirements of 5 U.S.C. 3317(b) or 3318(b) are satisfied. Preference eligibles who meet minimum qualification requirements and who have a compensable service-connected disability of at least 10 percent must be listed in the highest quality category, except when the position being filled is scientific or professional at the GS-9 grade level or higher. Applicants who have not submitted a resume in the USAjobs system and/or have not answered all of the vacancy questions will not be considered for this position.

Important Note:

Your resume and supporting documentation will be compared to your responses to the occupational questionnaire or other assessment tool for consistency. If a determination is made that you have rated yourself higher than is supported by your resume, you will be assigned a rating commensurate to your described experience. Your resume should provide sufficient information regarding how your education and experience relate to this position, including the major duties and qualifications criteria listed.