Lead Police Officer (Sergeant)

Full Job Description

The incumbent serves as a Lead Police Officer (Sergeant) ensuring a safe and secure environment across all VA Administrations and properties within various settings, including a variety of jurisdictional environments, such as VHA Medical Centers and facilities, Inpatient Clinics, Outpatient Clinics, domiciliary and administrative sites.

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 01/21/2026.

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-7 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-6. 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.

To qualify for this position you must possess: At least one (1) full year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-7 grade level in the Federal service (or equivalent pay band), that provided a knowledge of a body of basic laws and regulations, law enforcement operations, practices, and techniques and involved responsibility for maintaining order and protecting life and property.

Specialized experience includes: leading and directing employees in their duties in response to potential threats of violence, detecting criminal activity, fire and other emergencies; enforcing federal, state, and local laws; making arrests; conducting foot and vehicle patrol; maintaining control of a scene or incident; taking statements from witnesses/suspects and advising them of their rights; preparing detailed reports of criminal offenses, violations, incidents, and citations issued; interrogating suspects; and applying all correct rules of search and seizure.

Creditable specialized experience may have been gained in work on a police force; through service as a military police officer; in work providing visitor protection and law enforcement in parks, forests, or other natural resource or recreational environments; in performing criminal investigative duties; or in other work that provided the required knowledge and skills.

Experience as a security guard or corrections officer is generally not qualifying.

Note: Experience must be fully documented on your resume and must include job title, duties, month and year start/end dates AND hour worked per week.

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.

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).

POLICE OFFICER CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYEMENT New VA Police Officers are required to attend an 8-10 week course at the VA Law Enforcement Training Center in Little Rock, Arkansas.

Satisfactory completion of this course is a condition of continued employment. A medical examination is required.

The duties of these positions require moderate to arduous physical exertion and/or duties of a hazardous nature.

The following medical requirements apply to all applicants: good near and distant vision, ability to distinguish basic colors, and ability to hear the conversational voice.

Applicants and employees must have the capacity to perform the essential functions of the position without risk to themselves or others.

Applicants and employees must possess emotional and mental stability. A psychological examination is required.

In most instances, a specific medical condition or impairment will not automatically disqualify an applicant or employee.

A medical condition or impairment is disqualifying only if the condition, for good medical reason, precludes assignment to or warrants restriction from the duties of the specific position.

For some positions, the loss or impairment of a specific function may be compensated for by the satisfactory use of a prosthesis or mechanical aid.

Reasonable accommodation shall also be considered in determining an applicant's ability to perform the duties of a position.

A character investigation will be conducted on applicants selected for employment.

The purpose of such an investigation is to secure evidence of the candidate's honesty, integrity, general character, and loyalty to the U.S. Government.

As a condition of employment, must qualify to be issued a firearm and semi-annually with assigned firearm, annually with an expandable Straight Baton (MEB), maintain a valid State or Commonwealth Driver's License and pass annual physical and psychosocial assessments.

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).

You will be rated on the following Competencies as part of the assessment questionnaire for this position: Leadership Manages Human Resources Criminal Law Arrest Security Teaching Others 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/.

Major Duties:

Leads a unit or team of employees and distributes/balances workload in accordance with established workflow or job specialization; Empathizes, engages, and communicates with all individuals encountered to ensure a positive and safe environment; Instructs/trains employees in specific tasks and job techniques; Resolves simple, informal complaints of employees and refers others to supervisor; Assures compliance with federal, state, county and municipal laws and ordinances as they pertain to VA property and agency rules and regulations pertaining to law enforcement work; Writes uniform offense reports covering incidents that contain pertinent information, which is factual, classified properly, and submits reports timely; Questions victims and witnesses at the scene of an incident; Issues citations for personally observed violations of the law, rules, or regulations; Assists victims of accidents or assaults by providing first aid, etc.; Obtains statements from persons involved in or who has witnessed an accident; Pursues and apprehends person fleeing a crime scene or attempting to resist arrest while on VA property; Identifies and reacts to overcome life threatening situations such as natural or manmade disasters, hostage, barrier, terrorist attack, kidnap, or felony assault; Conducts long and short-term investigations; Performs all other duties as assigned.

Work Schedule: 8:00am-4:00pm, 4:00pm-12:00am, 12:00am-8:00am with set or rotating shifts Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Position Description/PD#: Lead Police Officer (Sergeant)/PD00870A Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS: The work requires, on a regular and recurring basis, considerable and strenuous physical exertion such as running, frequent climbing of multiple flights of stairs, and carrying items weighing over 50 pounds.

It requires stamina, physical agility, dexterity, and the strength to pursue, apprehend or detain persons who are often uncooperative, assaultive, and/or armed.

The work involves both moderate and high risks and possible endangerment of life or serious injury that requires the exercise of safety precautions and use of personal protective equipment.

WORK CONDITIONS: The work involves both moderate and high risks and possible endangerment of life or serious injury that requires the exercise of safety precautions and use of personal protective equipment The work is performed in settings in which there is regular and recurring exposure to moderate to severe discomforts and unpleasantness, such as high temperatures in confined spaces, high temperatures due to mandatory protective personal equipment, or adverse weather conditions during extended periods of traffic and patrol duties.

The work involves moderate risk requiring exercise of safety precautions when working around hazardous materials such as toxic gases, explosives, infectious biological materials, and others that pose a moderate risk of exposure.