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Personnel Security Specialist

Department of Labor
Office of the Assistant Secretary for Administration and Management

Summary

The Office of the Assistant Secretary for Administration and Management (OASAM) provides the infrastructure and support that enables the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) to perform its mission. OASAM provides leadership and support for information technology, human resources management, procurement, business operations, safety and health, space management, civil rights, emergency management, security, budget, and performance.

Overview

Help
Accepting applications
Location
1 vacancy in the following location:
Work site options
Telework eligible
Yes—This is not a remote position. The selectee will report to an assigned DOL office location on a regular basis and is eligible for participation in telework as determined by management in accordance with DOL policy.
Remote job
No
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Salary
$85,447 - $111,087 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 11
Promotion potential
12
Pay scale and grade determines the salary of the job.
Work schedule
Full-time
Travel Required
25% 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
Sensitive Compartmented Information
Position sensitivity and risk
Special-Sensitive (SS)/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
No
Some jobs require financial disclosure to identify conflicts of interests.
Announcement number
MS-26-CHI-OHR-13059885-SAH
Control number
884668800

Duties

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This position is located within the Department of Labor (DOL), Office of the Assistant Secretary for Administration and Management (OASAM), Office of Readiness and Security Operations (ORSO), Division of Security Operations. As a Personnel Security Specialist, you will be responsible for the daily operations associated with the DOL's personnel security program.

Major duties for this position include but are not limited to the following:

  • Review, analyze, and process personnel security investigations and related documentation to identify security concerns and formulate recommendations regarding suitability, fitness, employment eligibility, and/or eligibility for access to classified information.
  • Administer pre-employment and onboarding personnel security activities by validating position risk and sensitivity designations; reviewing security requests for completeness and regulatory compliance; initiating investigations; processing reciprocity requests; coordinating eApp submissions; monitoring case progress; and resolving deficiencies affecting timely onboarding.
  • Manage Continuous Vetting activities by reviewing alerts and reportable information, evaluating security-relevant information, determining appropriate follow-up requirements, coordinating personnel security actions, and ensuring timely documentation and disposition of vetting events.
  • Interpret and apply personnel security laws, regulations, policies, procedures, and adjudicative standards and provide technical guidance to Human Resources personnel, hiring managers, security officials, contractors, applicants, employees, and other Federal agencies regarding investigative processing, adjudication, reciprocity, onboarding, Continuous Vetting, and related personnel security requirements.
  • Resolve complex personnel security case issues; monitor workload and case-processing activities; analyze trends and performance metrics; and recommend improvements to personnel security processes, automated workflows, systems, policies, and standard operating procedures to enhance program effectiveness and operational efficiency.
  • Maintain and safeguard sensitive personnel security information and utilize applicable security and credentialing systems, including USAccess, to document case actions and perform HSPD-12 credentialing activities such as sponsorships, re-enrollments, card reprints/issuance, and fingerprint adjudication in accordance with applicable requirements.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • Must be at least 16 years old.
  • Must be a U.S. Citizen.
  • Candidate required to obtain the necessary security/investigation level.
  • Requires a probationary period if the requirement has not been met.
  • Subject to a drug test prior to appointment.

Qualifications

You must meet the Education Requirement Or Specialized Experience to qualify for this position as described below.

Education Requirement:

Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree

or

3 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree

or

LL.M., if related

Specialized Experience:

Specialized Experience is the experience that equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSA's) to perform the duties of the position successfully, and that is typically in or related to the position to be filled. To be creditable, specialized experience must have been equivalent to at least the next lower grade level. For this position, the next lowest grade is the GS-09. Qualifying specialized experience for this position includes meeting all the following statements below:

  • Experience interpreting and explaining personnel security policies, procedures, regulations, and requirements to applicants, employees, supervisors, or agency officials.
  • Experience reviewing and analyzing personnel security forms, background investigation reports, and related documentation to identify incomplete, inaccurate, inconsistent, or potentially derogatory information and determine compliance with applicable requirements.
  • Experience evaluating information and investigative findings to identify personnel security concerns and formulate and recommend initial suitability, fitness, or security eligibility determinations in accordance with established policies, procedures, and adjudicative standards.

I have a combination of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-09 level in or related to the work of this position and graduate level education.

Education

Any applicant falsely claiming an academic degree from an accredited school will be subject to actions ranging from disqualification from federal employment to removal from federal service.

If your education was completed at a foreign college or university, you must show comparability to education received in accredited educational institutions in the United States and comparability to applicable minimum coursework requirements for this position. Click Evaluation of Foreign Education for more information.

Additional information

The mission of the Department of Labor (DOL) is to protect the welfare of workers and job seekers, improve working conditions, expand high-quality employment opportunities, and assure work-related benefits and rights for all workers.

Refer to these links for more information: GENERAL INFORMATION, REASONABLE ACCOMMODATIONS, ADDITIONAL DOCUMENTATION, FORMER FEDERAL EMPLOYEES

As a condition of employment, all personnel must undergo a background investigation for access to DOL facilities, systems, information and/or classified materials before they can enter on duty: BACKGROUND INVESTIGATION

For more information, Click here for Career Ladder Promotion Information

For more information, click Telework Position Information. This is not a remote work position. The selectee will report to an assigned DOL office location on a regular basis and is eligible for participation in telework as determined by management in accordance with DOL policy.

Based on agency needs, additional positions may be filled using this vacancy.

The Department of Labor may use certain incentives and hiring flexibilities, currently offered by the Federal government to attract highly qualified candidates. Click here for Additional Information.
The Fair Chance Act (FCA) prohibits Federal agencies from requesting an applicant's criminal history information before the agency makes a conditional offer of employment. If you believe a DOL employee has violated your rights under the FCA, you may file a complaint of the alleged violation following our agency's complaint process Guidelines for Reporting Violations of the Fair Chance Act. Note: The FCA does not apply to some positions specified under the Act, such as law enforcement or national security positions.

All applicants tentatively selected for this position will be required to submit to screening for illegal drug use prior to appointment.

All Department of Labor employees are subject to the provisions of the Drug-Free Workplace Program under Executive Order 12564 and Public Law 100-71.

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.

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.

Your resume and supporting documentation will be used to evaluate your qualifications.

You may preview application questions for this vacancy here: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/13059885

USA Hire

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

  • Accountability
  • Attention to Detail
  • Customer Service
  • Decision Making
  • Flexibility
  • 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.

The information you provide may be verified by a review of your paid, unpaid, and volunteer, as it demonstrates the competencies or skills required for the position to be filled. Your evaluation may include an interview, reference checks, or other assessment conducted by HR specialists, subject matter experts, or panel members and may include other assessment tools (ex. interview, structured interview, written test, work sample, etc.).

INFORMATION FOR ICTAP/CTAP ELIGIBLE(S) ONLY: If you are eligible for special priority selection under ICTAP/CTAP, you must be well-qualified for the position to receive consideration. ICTAP/CTAP eligible(s) will be considered well-qualified if they attain at least a rating score of 85 in a numerical rating scheme. Be sure to review the eligibility questions to reflect that you are applying as an ICTAP or CTAP eligible and submit supporting documentation.

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you may be required to serve a 1-year probationary 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, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

Office of the Assistant Secretary for Administration and Management

Begin a challenging career with the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL), and you will help shape the workforce of tomorrow. DOL offers rewarding opportunities to contribute to a noble mission; to serve and protect American workers, prepare them for new and better jobs, and to ensure the safety and fairness of American workplaces.

The Department of Labor values its customers. Every DOL employee is responsible for delivering good customer service through accurate, courteous, efficient, and effective transactions.

The Department of Labor does not make unfavorable hiring decisions on the basis of an applicant's previous or current unemployment, or the fact that an applicant has experienced financial difficulty through no fault of his/her own and has undertaken good faith efforts to meet his/her financial obligations. Consideration is given to financial status in relation to appointments only where required by law, regulation, or Executive Order.

Applicants with disabilities can contact the vacancy point of contact listed on the job vacancy announcement to request reasonable accommodations needed for the application process.

Agency contact information

Stephanie Hawkins

Visit our careers page

Learn more about what it's like to work at Office of the Assistant Secretary for Administration and Management, what the agency does, and about the types of careers this agency offers.

https://www.dol.gov/agencies/oasam

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