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Supervisory Personnel Security Specialist

Department of Commerce
Patent and Trademark Office
Office of Administration, Security and Emergency Management Division

Summary

This position is located in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), Security and Emergency Management Division (SEMD). The incumbent is responsible for preparing, analyzing, formulating, developing, reviewing and implementing security policies, standards, processes and procedures in accordance with Executive Orders, federal law, regulations, policies, rules, and requirements. Directs and oversees the work of federal personnel security specialists and contractors.

Overview

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Accepting applications
Location
1 vacancy in the following location:
Work site options
Telework eligible
Yes—Situational telework program
Remote job
No
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Salary
$143,913 - $187,093 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 14
Promotion potential
14
Pay scale and grade determines the salary of the job.
Work schedule
Full-time
Travel Required
Occasional travel - You may be expected to travel for this position.
Appointment type
Permanent
Occupations and job series
Supervisory status
Yes
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.
Financial disclosure required
No
Some jobs require financial disclosure to identify conflicts of interests.
Announcement number
TMCO-ASDR-13060201-26-MP
Control number
885093400

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Duties

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The physical worksite for this position is located in Alexandria, Virginia. Presence at the Alexandria, VA campus is required for this role, as it includes on site functions that must be performed in person. Position may be eligible for situational telework in accordance with agency policy/business unit discretion. The agency currently allows for 52 hours of telework per leave year.

This is the job for you if:

  • You're excited to perform the duties and responsibilities as the Personnel Security Branch Chief for the USPTO.
  • You'll thrive executing a variety of business and administrative responsibilities related to managing the personnel security program at USPTO, negotiating and preparing interagency agreements (IAA) with Office of Personnel Management (OPM), the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Department of Justice, Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency, and other agencies as required.
  • You're excited to function as the USPTO program manager and senior technical authority on all matters pertaining to personnel security, security clearances, and Agency special access programs (i.e., Sensitive Compartmented Information, Department of Energy "Q," North Atlantic Treaty Organization clearances, and clearances granted by the Defense Industrial Security Clearance Office).
  • You excel in adjudicating national security clearances for high level mission critical employees and also adjudicating contractor cases for suitability, adjudicating sensitive suitability cases that contain national security information and that may require coordination with federal intelligence and law enforcement entities.
  • You're energized by managing and ensuring the granting of all country clearances and national security clearances for USPTO employees traveling and/or visiting other federal agencies and overseas USA posts.
  • You enjoy advising the Chief Administrative Officer, Deputy Under Secretary, and Under Secretary as required on matters related to personnel security and special access programs.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • Applications will only be accepted from United States Citizens and Nationals.
  • Your resume and question responses must demonstrate the job-related competencies.
  • You must meet the definition of specialized experience.
  • Required to pass a background investigation and fingerprint check.
  • Must be registered for Selective Service, if applicable (www.sss.gov).
  • If selected, you may be required to complete a one year probationary period.
  • You must meet all qualification requirements upon the closing date of this announcement.
  • Suitable for Federal Employment
  • Time-in-grade/band requirements must be met by the closing date of the announcement.
  • Must obtain and maintain Top-Secret/Sensitive Compartmented (TS/SCI) security clearance.

Qualifications

You must meet the United States Office of Personnel Management's (OPM) qualification requirements (including specialized experience and/or educational requirements) for the advertised position. You must meet all eligibility and qualifications requirements by the closing date of the job announcement. OPM Qualifications Standards are available at Security Administration Series 0080

Specialized Experienceis experience that has equipped applicants with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the position to be filled. To be creditable, you must possess one full year (52 weeks) of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-13 in the Federal service: For this position, the next lower grade level is a GS- 13.

Specialized experience for this position includes:

  • Experience managing the operational activities and programs related to an Agency's national security, special access programs, and personnel security;
  • Experience implementing procedures to safeguard sensitive information; conducting security and suitability adjudications related to background investigations; and
  • Experience managing the duties associated with Office of Personnel Management's Investigative Services (OPMIS), secure web portal programs (i.e. National Background Information Services (NBIS), Central Verification System (CVS) and the Personnel Investigations Processing System (PIPS)).
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.

Education

Education may not be substituted for specialized experience at this grade level.

Additional information

Time-in-grade/band requirements must be met by the closing date of the announcement unless eligible for special hiring authority, reinstatement eligible, non-current Federal employee applying as a VEOA eligible which do not require time-in-grade/band.

If you are a male applicant born after December 31, 1959, you must certify that you have registered with the Selective Service System. If you are exempt from registration under Selective Service Law, you must provide appropriate proof of exemption. Please visit the Selective Service System website for more information.

This is a Non Bargaining Unit position.

If selected for this position, you may be required to complete the Fair Credit Act Memo, which gives consent so that one or more consumer credit reports may be obtained for employment purposes.

Except as prohibited by law, all applicants tentatively selected for positions needing a Top Secret Clearance will be required to submit to a urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment and, if appointed, the incumbent will be subjected to random drug testing procedures.

Background Investigation - If selected for this position, you may be required to complete a Declaration for Federal Employment (OF-306), which includes a fingerprint and credit check, to determine your suitability for Federal employment and to authorize a background investigation.

The USPTO participates in E-Verify. For more information on E-Verify, please visit the Department of Homeland Security Website.

All Federal employees are required to have Federal salary payments made by direct deposit to a financial institution of their choice.

Relocation Expenses are not authorized and will not be paid.

CTAP and ICTAP candidates will be eligible for selection priority if it is determined that they have exceeded the minimum qualifications for the position by attaining at least a "well qualified" rating of 85 out of 100. Information about CTAP and ICTAP eligibility is on the Office of Personnel Management's Career Transition Resources website at: OPM CTAP/ICTAP. CTAP/ICTAP documentation requirements are listed in the 'Required Documents' section of this announcement.

More than one selection may be made from this announcement if additional identical vacancies in the same title, series, grade, and unit occur within 90 days from the date the certificate was issued.

All application materials become the property of the United States Patent and Trademark Office.

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 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.

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

  • Accountability
  • Customer Service
  • Decisiveness
  • Decisiveness
  • Flexibility
  • Interpersonal Skills
  • Problem Solving
  • Resilience


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.

The best qualified candidates will be identified for referral to the hiring manager and may be invited for an interview. If referred all relevant documents submitted with your application package will be forwarded to the selecting official, due weight shall be given to performance appraisals and awards in accordance with 5 CFR ยง 335.103(b)(3), during the interview/selection process conducted by the hiring manager. Falsifying your background, education, and/or experience is cause for not hiring you or for changing your scored responses to questions you've answered, which may affect your overall final score.

To preview the application questionnaire, click the following link: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/13060201

The United States Patent and Trademark Office is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex (including sexual orientation), national origin, political affiliation, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions, retaliation for engaging in protected activity, parental status, military service, or other non-merit factors. If you believe that you have been discriminated against and would like to file an EEO complaint, you must do so within 45 days of the date of the alleged discriminatory act. Claims of employment discrimination must be submitted to the attention of the USPTO's Office of Equal Employment Opportunity via email (oeeo@uspto.gov) or phone (571-272-8292).

Patent and Trademark Office

Come work for the Patent and Trademark Office we have been ranked as one of the best places to work in the federal government! The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has been serving the economic interests of America for more than 200 years. We are responsible for granting US intellectual property rights for patents and trademarks. The USPTO is headquartered in Alexandria, Virginia, and has over 12,000 employees. For more information about the USPTO, please visit the USPTO Jobs Website.

Agency contact information

Kristen Bartlett
Phone
571-431-0733
Email
kristen.bartlett@uspto.gov
Address
TMCO-Office of the Chief Administrative Officer
Office of Human Resources
Mail Stop 171
P.O. Box 1450
Alexandria, VA 22313-1450
US

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