Personnel Security Specialist

Summary This vacancy is for a Personnel Security Specialist in the Office of the Secretary within the Department of Commerce (DOC), Office of Security, Insider Risk, & Continuity (OSIRC). All Office of Security, Insider Risk and Continuity employees are considered Emergency Employees and may be required to assist in providing essential services during an emergency, weather, or COOP event at the worksite, an alternate location, or via telework. Responsibilities The selected candidate will serve as a Personnel Security Specialist and will support both headquarters and nationwide personnel security efforts for Departmental bureaus. As a Personnel Security Specialist, you will perform the following duties: Initiate and adjudicate all levels of cases for the Department's personnel. Review and issue pre-appointment and interim access approvals. Prepare and review Administrative Review packets in the denial and/or revocation action of a security clearance. Ensure compliance with Executive Orders, the office of Personnel Management (OPM), and Department of Commerce policies and procedural requirements. Develop policy, procedures, and standards and provide guidance for a personnel security program. This Job Opportunity Announcement may be used to fill other Personnel Security Specialist ZA-0080-3 (FPL:03) positions within the Department of Commerce in the same geographical location with the same qualifications and specialized experience. This position is also advertised under OS-OSY-DE-25-12658696, which is open to Delegated Examining eligible applicants. You must apply to both announcements if you want to be considered for both. Requirements Conditions of Employment You must be a U.S. citizen to apply for this position. You must successfully pass a background investigation. This may include a credit check, a review of financial issues, as well as certain criminal offenses and illegal use of possession of drugs. A probationary or trial period may be required. Selective Service: Males born after 12/31/59 must be registered or exempt from Selective Service (see https://www.sss.gov/). If you receive a conditional offer of employment for this position, you will be required to complete an Optional Form 306, Declaration for Federal Employment, and to sign and certify the accuracy of all information in your application. All Federal employees are required to have Federal salary payments made by direct deposit to a financial institution of their choosing. Drug Test: Yes This position is subject to pre-employment drug testing and random drug testing thereafter. License required: No Pre-employment physical required: No Bargaining Unit Position: No Confidential Financial Disclosure Report (OGE form 450): Yes Permanent Change of Duty Station (PCS) Expense: Will not be paid 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. All Office of Security, Insider Risk and Continuity employees are considered Emergency Employees and may be required to assist in providing essential services during an emergency, weather, or COOP event at the worksite, an alternate location, or via telework. The position is available in Gaithersburg, MD. For those applying to the Washington, DC area locations, note that you may be required to work in any of the following areas: Washington, DC; Silver Spring, MD; Suitland, MD; Gaithersburg, MD; or Reston, VA. Qualifications Qualification requirements in the vacancy announcements are based on the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Qualification Standards Handbook, which contains federal qualification standards. This handbook is available on the Office of Personnel Management's website located at: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/ Applicants must possess one year of specialized experience equivalent in difficulty and responsibility to the next lower grade level in the Federal Service. Specialized experience is experience that has equipped the applicant with the particular competencies/knowledge, skills and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position. This experience need not have been in the federal government. 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. This position is being filled under the DOC Alternative Personnel System (CAPS). The system replaced the Federal GS pay plan structure. Under CAPS, positions are classified by career, pay plan, and pay band. Non supervisory positions cap out at interval 3 of the band. The ZA-03 is equivalent to the GS-11/12 grade levels. To qualify at the ZA-03 level, you must possess one full year (52 weeks) of specialized experience equivalent to the ZA-02 or GS-09 grade level in the Federal service or its non-federal equivalent. Specialized experience is defined as analyzing personnel security guidelines and/or policies, conducting investigations/inquiries related to eligibility determinations and adjudicating and/or granting access to National Security Information. -OR- SUBSTITUTION OF EDUCATION: Completed a 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, in a field related to this position. -OR- COMBINATION OF EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE. Education There is no positive education requirement for this position. Additional Information The following links provide information on various hiring authorities that may enable you to apply through merit assignment procedures, or be eligible for a non-competitive appointment. Veterans Recruitment Act (VRA) Veterans Employment Opportunities Act (VEOA) 30% or more disabled veterans Persons with disabilities Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) Military Spouse Non-Competitive Hiring Authority ICTAP and CTAP Eligibles: CTAP and ICTAP candidates will be eligible if it is determined that they have exceeded the minimum qualifications for the position by attaining at least a rating of 85 out of 100. Information about ICTAP eligibility is on the Office of Personnel Management's Career Transition Resources website at: Employee Guide to Career Transition CTAP applicants MUST submit the following documents: A copy of your specific RIF notice; notice of proposed removal for failure to relocate; a Certificate of Expected Separation (CES); or certification that you are in a surplus organization or occupation (this could be a position abolishment letter, a notice eligibility for discontinued service retirement, or similar notice). A copy of your SF-50 "Notification of Personnel Action", noting current position, grade level, and duty location; A copy of your latest performance appraisal including your rating; and Any documentation from your agency that shows your current promotion potential. ICTAP applicants MUST submit the following documents: A copy of your RIF separation notice; notice of proposed removal for failure to relocate; notice of disability annuity termination; certification from your former agency that it cannot place you after your recovery from a compensable injury; or certification from the National Guard Bureau or Military Department that you are eligible for disability retirement; A copy of your SF-50 "Notification of Personnel Action" documenting your RIF separation, noting your positions, grade level, and duty location, and/or Agency certification of inability to place you through RPL, etc; A copy of your latest performance appraisal including your rating; and Any documentation from your agency that shows your current promotion potential. Military Spouse The spouse of a member of the armed forces seeking eligibility under the non-competitive hiring authority of certain military spouse MUST submit various required documentation by the closing date of the announcement in accordance with one of the three below eligibilities: 1.) Spouse of a member of the armed forces serving on active duty, 2.) Spouse of service member who incurred a 100% disability, or 3.) Un-remarried widow or widower of a service member killed while performing active duty. Please review the "Required Documents" Section for specific documents pertaining to each of the above eligibilities that MUST be included with your application, if you are applying as a Military Spouse. Current or Former Political Appointees: The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) must authorize employment offers made to current or former political appointees. If you are currently, or have been within the last 5 years, a political Schedule A, Schedule C, Non-career SES, or Presidential Appointee employee in the Executive Branch, you must disclose this information to the Human Resources Office.