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Physical Security Specialist

Department of Agriculture
Office of the Inspector General
Operations Support Division

Summary

This position is located in the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Office of Inspector General OIG), Operations Support Division (OSD), which supports the Office of Inspector General by providing oversight to the organization's physical security program.

Overview

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Posted today · Apply by 06/05/26
Due by 11:59 p.m. ET on June 5, 2026
Location
1 vacancy in the following location:
Work site options
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Remote job
No
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Salary
$121,785 - $158,322 per year

Salary will be determined based on the duty location after selection

Pay scale & grade
GS 13
Promotion potential
None
Pay scale and grade determines the salary of the job.
Work schedule
Full-time
Travel Required
75% or less - You may be expected to travel for this position.
Appointment type
Permanent
Occupations and job series
Supervisory status
No
Federal service type
This job is in the Competitive Service
Represented by a union
No
Drug test
Yes
Security clearance
Top Secret
Position sensitivity and risk
Critical-Sensitive (CS)/High Risk
Jobs require a background check and some require a security clearance. The type depends on the job.
Background check type
Financial disclosure required
Yes
Some jobs require financial disclosure to identify conflicts of interests.
Announcement number
USDA-OIG-ST-12971605-26-JS
Control number
871043100

Duties

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  • Develops, oversees, and monitors the organization physical security programs.
  • Plans and promotes organization policies and coordinates all matters pertaining to the protection and security of personnel, property, office space, and sensitive equipment.
  • Conducts comprehensive review and analysis of OIG security plans.
  • Develops and implements procedures to ensure compliance with all current security reporting and implementation procedures.
  • Develops physical security training programs to inform and increase personal protection awareness among all employees.
  • Plans, develops, and administers vital security projects and programs which are critical to the mission of the organization.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • You must be a US Citizen or US National.
  • Males born after 12/31/1959 must be Selective Service registered or exempt.
  • Subject to satisfactory adjudication of background investigation and/or fingerprint check.
  • Direct Deposit - Per Public Law 104-134 all Federal employees are required to have federal payments made by direct deposit to their financial institution.
  • Successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, visit https://www.e-verify.gov/.
  • 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 depending on your appointment type, unless previous federal service is creditable. During this time your employment will be evaluated, and 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 or trial period your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.
  • This is a Testing Designated Position (TDP).
  • If selected, you will be required to submit Form OGE-450 within 30 days of your initial appointment date, and annually thereafter. Selectee is subject to financial Disclosure Requirements in accordance with 5 CFR, Part 2635, Sub part E regarding business or personal transactions with applicants, borrowers, or business contacts who have or who are seeking business with this Agency. Selectee must be able to obtain and maintain a security clearance. If selected you will be subject to a National Agency Check and Inquiry (NACI) and a credit report.

Qualifications

Applicants must meet all qualifications and eligibility requirements by the closing date of the announcement including time-in-grade restrictions and specialized experience as defined below.

Time in Grade: Current federal employees applying for a promotion opportunity must meet the time in grade requirement of 52 weeks of service at the next lower grade level in the normal line of progression for the position being filled. (52 weeks at the GS-12 level is required to meet the time-in-grade requirements for the GS-13 level.)

Specialized experience for GS-13: To be considered qualified for this position, you must demonstrate that you have the required specialized experience as described below. You must have one full year (52 weeks) of specialized experience that is at least equivalent in difficulty and complexity to work performed at the GS-12 grade level in the Federal service or private sector that demonstrates all of the following:

  • providing oversight on an organization's physical security program;
  • utilizing knowledge of physical security programs to include communication systems, access control systems, guard forces, exercises, and training requirements to develop policy, compliance, and training to a diverse audience; and
  • improving an organization's overall physical security infrastructure against internal and external risks, threats, and vulnerability.
Documenting experience: You must include evidence of this specialized experience in your resume, including dates of experience (month/year) and hours worked per week or work schedule, to be considered qualified for this position. In describing your experience, please be clear and specific. We will not make assumptions regarding your experience. Qualifications are based on breadth/level of experience. In addition to describing duties performed, applicants must provide the exact dates of each period of employment (from MM/YY to MM/YY) and the number of hours worked per week. As qualification determinations cannot be made when resumes do not include the required information, failure to provide this information may result in disqualification. Applicants are encouraged to use the USAJOBS Resume Builder to develop their federal resume. For resume writing guidance, visit USAJOBS Help Center - How do I write a federal resume?

NOTE: To be considered for this position, you must meet all qualification and eligibility requirements for the GS-0080 series set forth in the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Qualification Standards by the closing date of the announcement. A copy is available at: Security Administration Series 0080

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 and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

Education

Substitution of education may not be used in lieu of specialized experience for this grade level.

Additional information

Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP), Reemployment Priority List (RPL), or Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP): Visit the OPM website for information on how to apply as a CTAP, RPL, or ICTAP eligible. To exercise selection priority for this vacancy, CTAP/RPL/ICTAP candidates must meet the basic eligibility requirements and all selective factors. CTAP/ICTAP candidates must be rated and determined to be well qualified (or above) based on an evaluation of the competencies listed in the How You Will Be Evaluated section. When assessed through a score-based category rating method, CTAP/ICTAP applicants must receive a rating of at least 85 out of a possible 100.

Veterans who are preference eligible or who have been separated from the armed forces under honorable conditions after three years or more of continuous active service are eligible for consideration under the Veteran's Employment Opportunity Act (VEOA).

Farm Service Agency (FSA) County Employees: Permanent County employees without prior Federal tenure who are selected for a Civil Service position under Public Law 105-277 will be given a career-conditional appointment and must serve a 1-year probationary period.

For more information on applying under special hiring authorities such as the Veteran's Recruitment Act (VRA), 30 percent disabled veterans, certain military spouses, Schedule A Disabled, etc., explore the different Hiring Paths on the USAJOBS website.

Land Management Workforce Flexibility Act (LMWFA) provides current or former temporary or term employees of federal land management agencies opportunity to compete for permanent competitive service positions. Individuals must have more than 24 months of service without a break between appointments of two or more years. Service must be in the competitive service and have been at a successful level of performance or better. Refer to PUBLIC LAW 114-47-AUG. 7, 2015 for more information.

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 here.

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.

Online assessment: Applicants must complete the online USA Hire Competency Based Assessments measuring critical general competencies required to perform the job.

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

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


The USA Hire Assessments 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.

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.

To view the application form, visit: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12971605

Candidates will not be hired based on their race, sex, color, religion, or national origin.

Office of the Inspector General

USDA provides leadership on food, agriculture, natural resources, rural development, nutrition, and related issues based on sound public policy, the best available science, and efficient management. Our vision is to expand economic opportunity through innovation, helping rural America to thrive; to promote agriculture production sustainability that better nourishes Americans while also helping feed others throughout the world; and to preserve and conserve our Nations natural resources through restored forests, improved watersheds, and healthy private working lands.

The Office of Inspector General (OIG) is an independent office within the U.S Department of Agriculture (USDA) whose mission is to ensure economy, efficiency, and integrity in USDA programs and operations through the successful execution of audits, investigations, and reviews. OIG conducts investigations, audits, and reviews to prevent and detect waste, fraud, and mismanagement of USDA programs and operations.

OIG consists of the following components:

  • Immediate Office of Inspector General (IG)
  • Office of Counsel (OC)
  • Office of Management (OM)
  • Office of Investigations (INV)
  • Office of Audit (AUD)
  • Office of Compliance and Integrity (OCI)
  • Office of Analytics and Innovation (OAI)

Agency contact information

Jerren Sutton
Email
jerren.sutton@oig.usda.gov
Address
Office of the Inspector General
1400 Independence Ave SW
Washington, DC 20250
US

Visit our careers page

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

https://usdaoig.oversight.gov/

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