Personnel Security Specialist

Full Job Description

As the Personnel Security Specialist for HRSC, your work will be confidential, complex and highly sensitive in nature; performing security-related functions in support of HRSC Personnel Suitability and Credentialing Program.

You will ensure that appointees have the appropriate level of security/suitability clearance.

It also entails Personal Identity Verification Program (PIV) responsibility, which is a government-wide identification standard for secure and reliable identity credentials.

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 02/02/2026.

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-09 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-07. 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.

See the Required Document section below for more information regarding the SF-50s needed to verify time-in-grade.

You may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below: Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade (GS-07) in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization.

Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: Performing High Risk, moderate and low risk adjudications; Applying policy direction to specific operating requirements and developing guidance for applying personnel security and suitability policy, procedures, techniques, and methods; Interpreting policy and providing authoritative interpretations and guidance to management officials and other personnel security officers at the same and lower levels.

OR, Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience.

To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have a master's or equivalent graduate degree; OR 2 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree; OR a LL.B.

or J.D., if related. This education must demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of this position. Note: TRANSCRIPTS MUST BE SUBMITTED WITH APPLICATION PACKAGE.

OR, Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have an combination of specialized experience and education as shown above.

Applicants with Superior Academic Achievement on their Bachelor's Degree may use all graduate level education when combining education and experience to qualify for this position.

NOTE: Both the Bachelor's and Graduate Degree Transcripts must be submitted with the application package.

Otherwise, ONLY Graduate education in excess of the first full year may be used to qualify applicants for positions at grades GS-9.

You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: Accountability Attention to Detail Customer Service Decision Making Flexibility Integrity/Honesty Interpersonal Skills Learning Personnel Security and Safety Quality Management Reading Comprehension Reasoning Security Self-Management Stress Tolerance Teamwork 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 is sedentary and is usually accomplished while the incumbent is comfortably seated at a desk or table.

However, some walking and standing may occur during anormal workday in connection with travel to, and attendance at, meetings and conferences away from the primary work site.

Incumbent may be required to bend, lift, carry personnel security equipment such as laptops, scanners, etc. long distances at affiliate organizations. Must be able to lift 20-30 lbs.

No special physical effort other than lifting/carrying of equipment is required to perform the work.

For more information on these qualification standards, please visit the United States Office of Personnel Management's website at http://://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/.

The Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provide eligible displaced Federal/VA competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies.

To be qualified you must submit appropriate documentation (a copy of the agency notice, your most recent performance rating, and your most recent SF-50 noting current position, grade level, and duty location) and be found well-qualified for this vacancy.

The GS-9 Personnel Security Specialist position within the Human Resource Service Center (HRSC) must have the ability to obtain and maintain the required T5 National Security Clearance for the position.

A well-qualified candidate will possess at least one full year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-7 level, with a demonstrated record of: Communicating orally and exercising tact when dealing with customers Applying comprehensive knowledge of procedural guidelines when maintaining, handling, and disposing of security documents and/or official files Adhering to regulations, policies, procedures, principles, and concepts that govern VA's Personnel Security and Suitability Program, NBIS eAPP System and the PIV Program Performing High Risk, Moderate Risk, and Low Risk adjudications in accordance with VA policy Utilizing applicable equipment and programs to include, but not limited to PIV, FTS, PIPS, VA CABS, HR SMART, QART, US ACCESS, and USA Staffing Reviewing, analyzing, and resolving difficult and complex problems by applying a wide range of personnel security and suitability concepts, principles, and practices Conducting investigative interviews for making suitability determinations Information about CTAP eligibility is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website at http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/workforce-restructuring/employee-guide-to-career-transition/.

Local Commuting Area: The local commuting area for this position is defined as a radius of 50 miles from a local Department of Veterans Affairs office. Major Duties:

Major Duties include but are not limited to: Performs High Risk, moderate and low risk adjudications for the services population Serves as the eAPP administrator providing expert Works to initiate and review background investigations for assigned customers Addresses system and technical issues and resolves problems for users and customers Coordinates, prepares, and submits all reports that may be required for NBIS eAPP System Applies policy direction to specific operating requirements and develops guidance for applying personnel security and suitability policy, procedures, techniques, and methods Adapts existing precedent to specific cases as needed Processes adverse actions when related to suitability issues up to, but not limited to the development of suitability and employee relation case files that document contact with the applicant, appointee or employee in the processing of the request for personnel action Promotion Potential: The selectee may be promoted to the full performance level without further competition when all regulatory, qualification, and performance requirements are met.

Selection at a lower grade level does not guarantee promotion to the full performance level.

Work Schedule: Monday to Friday 7:00am-3:30pm Compressed/Flexible: Yes Telework: Yes Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Position Description/PD#: PD00067A Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: No Financial Disclosure Report: Not required