Clarification from the agency

Open to current permanent employees of the Department of Veterans Affairs and CTAP eligibles.

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Personnel/Training: The position observes, evaluates and prepares reports on the performance of department personnel; develops programs to alter the behavior of employees whose work performance is below acceptable standards; plans, assigns, and explains work requirements to subordinate supervisors for new or changed programs and the functions, goals, processes, skills, and needs; develops solutions to continuing problems in the quality of work and operating effectiveness, and takes or recommends necessary corrective actions. Ensure police staff are properly trained to operate a variety of equipment and/or security systems.

Physical Security: The position assists in the development of local policies and implements corrective procedures to alleviate identified physical security problems, taking into consideration all internal, as well as external factors when making decisions or recommendations concerning law enforcement and physical security. Conducts and provides assistance in physical security surveys and vulnerability assessments.

Police and Security Administration: Interprets complex security policies and procedures and is a source to provide guidance to senior facility leadership, other service chiefs, program managers, VBA, and NCA leaders within the Medical Center's catchment area. Functions as a Contracting Officer's Representative when contract oversight is assigned to Police Service.

Police and Security Operations: Focused on improving relationships between Veterans and Police by engaging in non-confrontational encounters to decrease the possibility of violent events. Engages in a process to review the assumptions and limitations of technology, including welcome Veterans and staff input early and often throughout the evaluation process. Ensures crime scenes and any potential violence is identified, collected and protected pursuant to law and VA policy. Responsible for maintaining heightened security postures and maintains program readiness to meet higher level alerts.

Equipment/Weapons/Weapons/Control: Manages procurement and the accountability of equipment used by and assigned to the Police service. Responsible for supporting the Firearms Program at the facility level, ensuring that critical elements of the program are met.

Other duties as assigned.

Work Schedule: 8:00am-4:30pm, Monday-Friday
Telework: Not Available
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Position Description/PD#: Supervisory Security Specialist (Deputy Chief)-RELOCATION INCENTIVE AUTHORIZED/PD008890
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Authorized for highly qualified individuals

Conditions of employment

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job
• 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, 05/26/2026.

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-10 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-8. 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-8 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: Specialized knowledge of security administration programs, how to integrate systems, provide appropriate application, and coordinate among the differing needs of a variety of departments; comprehensive knowledge of security policy requirements, in depth operational knowledge of security programs, laws, and regulations by interpreting existing and new policy issuances and recommending local policy to provide a safe and secure environment, broad knowledge of emergency procedures, ability to plan for and accommodate multi-layered security considerations; and exercises skill in consolidating, evaluating, and analyzing a wide variety of facts, situations, and initiatives to develop responses to security needs. OR,
• Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must 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 in a course of study that directly reflects the job-related KSAs/competencies necessary to satisfy the minimum qualifications and perform the duties of the position (TRANSCRIPT REQUIRED). OR,
• Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have a combination of specialized experience and graduate education beyond a bachelor's degree (TRANSCRIPTS REQUIRED).

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 primarily performed in an office-like setting. However, there is the potential for dangerous situations to occur at VA installations to include physical assaults, assaults involving various hidden and open weapons, including firearms, knives, clubs, etc. Without knowledge of the medical history of persons, the position is responsible for physically interacting with aggressive persons. In addition there can be exposure to moderate discomfort and unpleasantness during adverse weather conditions.

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.