Clarification from the agency

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Serves as the alter ego and second-in-command for the Field Chief and fully shares the authorities and responsibilities of the Field Chief. Provides strategic leadership and operational oversight for multiple organizational units within the service line, ensuring alignment with enterprise objectives and directives from senior leadership. Guides subordinate managers and supervisors in implementing policies, procedures, and 2 performance standards that support mission priorities and service delivery goals. Evaluates management practices across the service line to ensure consistency, equity,
and compliance with regulatory and organizational requirements.

Reviews and approves recommendations for staffing actions-including selections, promotions, details, and reassignments-ensuring decisions support workforce planning and succession strategies. Establishes service line performance benchmarks and ensures subordinate leaders effectively communicate expectations, monitor progress, and provide constructive feedback to their teams. Oversees performance management processes for subordinate managers, ensuring fair and consistent application of rating methodologies across the service line.

Approves or recommends awards, pay actions, and recognition programs within delegated authority to reinforce high performance and employee engagement. Serves as the escalation point for complex employee relations issues, providing guidance on corrective actions and reviewing proposed disciplinary measures for compliance and appropriateness. Collaborates with senior leadership on unresolved matters requiring higher-level intervention.

Identifies service line training and development needs, ensuring managers facilitate opportunities that enhance workforce capability and readiness. Oversees leave administration and staffing plans to maintain operational coverage during peak periods and holidays.

Conducts periodic reviews of organizational structure, position descriptions, and resource allocation to optimize efficiency and ensure alignment with mission objectives. Demonstrates commitment to continuous improvement and operational excellence through data-driven decision-making and collaboration with senior leadership.

Collaborates in the resolution of complex contracting issues that may affect the overall VA security posture, including VA Medical Centers, VBA Regional Offices, and National Cemeteries. Directs the research of new and innovative security devices to comply with national security directives and policies, ultimately enhancing the security posture of VA assets. Collaborate across Administrations to identify law enforcement and security equipment and service requirements. Facilitate and/or advise on small to high dollar contracts across the assigned area to ensure economy of scale, uniformity, and reductions in costs.

Provides executive oversight and strategic direction for law enforcement and compliance operations within the service line, ensuring adherence to federal, state, and local laws governing the protection of life, property, and government assets. Interprets and implements policies, regulations, and directives to maintain security and enforce applicable statutes across all organizational jurisdictions.

Oversees investigative and enforcement activities, ensuring subordinate managers and supervisors execute responsibilities related to crime prevention, emergency response, and apprehension of offenders in accordance with Title 38, U.S.C., Sections 901 and 902. Establishes standards for conducting investigations, serving warrants, and managing evidence to ensure compliance with legal and procedural requirements.

Promotes a culture of continuous improvement, accountability, and operational excellence in physical security programs. Coordinates training initiatives to ensure workforce competency in security protocols and emerging technologies. Serves as a key advisor on physical security policy, compliance risk, and strategic planning to safeguard VA facilities, personnel, and assets.Performs other duties as assigned.

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday 7:00am - 3:30pm or 8:00am - 4:30pm
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Position Description/PD#: Supervisory Law Enforcement Specialist/PD00216A
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Authorized

Conditions of employment

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job
• To be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. This position requires the application, assessment, and questionnaire to be fully completed. The assessment measures critical general competencies required to perform the 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 identification 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, 11/09/2026.

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-12 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-11. 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 as described below:

Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-11 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: .

• Plans, assigns and explains work requirements to subordinates for new or changed programs and the functions, goals, processes, skills, and needs.
• Develops solutions to continuing problems in the quality of work, operating effectiveness and recommends necessary corrective actions.
• Develops duty schedules, plans and directs facility law enforcement and security operations to ensure compliance with agency policy and protection priorities.
• Evaluates surveys/assessments for the purpose of improving overall facility safety and security processes.
• Acts as a law enforcement and security subject matter expert by interpreting security policies and procedures and providing guidance to senior facility leadership, other service chiefs, program managers.
• Plans, directs, and updates the crime prevention program and exercises direction and control of investigations into criminal activities.
• Responds accordingly during natural disasters, terrorist acts, major accidents/incidents and criminal activity which poses a threat to patients, employees, visitors, property or continuity of operations.
• Implements enterprise risk management strategies to mitigate threats and enhance security posture across all facilities.

Driver's License Requirement: Applicants must possess a valid, unrestricted State driver's license, have a safe driving record, and demonstrate that he or she is medically qualified to operate the appropriate motor vehicle safely. Applicants are required to pass agency Government Vehicle Drivers physical examination. NOTE: We cannot accept photographs, therefore; please do not submit a copy of your driver's license with your application package. If an interview is requested, you may be required to provide a copy of your valid state-issued driver's license.

Firearm Requirement: VA Police Officers are required to carry agency-approved firearms while on duty on VA property. Officers must achieve and maintain qualification/certification with the agency-approved firearms as condition of gaining and continuing employment as a Police Officer. Applicants must be able to possess firearms under the terms of the Gun Control Act of 1968, as amended (18 U.S.C. 922(g)(9).

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 for this position:

• Conflict Management
• Influencing/Negotiating
• Manages Resources
• Partnering
• Planning and Evaluating

Supervisory Situational Judgment Test. Applicants will be required to complete a Supervisory Situational Judgment Test (SSJT) as part of the assessment process for this position. The SSJT evaluates judgment and decision-making skills that align with relevant competencies, organizational values, and best practices. Assessment results may be used as part of the evaluation, ranking and referral process. This is not a timed test, however, the assessment is expected to take approximately 45 minutes or less to complete. The assessment for this application does not include a cut score for a minimum level of required proficiency in these critical general competencies. However, you must answer each item in the assessment.

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 required does not inherently include any physical requirements essential for successful job performance that could not otherwise be performed with accommodation or workplace adjustment. A pre-placement physical examination is not required.

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.