Physical Security Specialist (Uniformed)

This position is located within the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), Veterans Health Administration (VHA), Police Service (PS). The mission of the PS is to serve and protect Veterans, patients, employees, contractors, volunteers, affiliates, visitors, and others who frequent VA facilities.

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 12/04/2025. 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 GS09 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS07. 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 and/or education as described below: Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS07 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: Providing physical security and assistance to groups and individuals entering facility or campus; ensuring compliance with security procedures designed to safeguard personnel and property; applying knowledge of security and protection regulations, policies, procedures, and practices; utilizing various security equipment and devices; making/sharing recommendations to improve security processes. Performs law enforcement assignment such as, responding to reports of crimes and/or calls for police assistance; securing crime scenes and/or accident sites; takes appropriate actions in emergency situations; conducts investigations; keep abreast of law enforcement rules, regulations and techniques. Applicants must possess excellent communication skills. NOTE: 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. 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 two (2) full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree, in a field related to physical security that demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of this position. NOTE: Transcripts (unofficial or official) must be submitted with your application materials. Education cannot be credited without documentation. OR, Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have an combination of specialized experience and education beyond graduate level education (in excess of the first year or 18 semester hours) and specialized experience to meet total experience requirements. NOTE: Transcripts (unofficial or official) must be submitted with your application materials. Education cannot be credited without documentation. 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 requires full use of extremities, normal hearing, and vision to conduct on-site security surveys, inspections, and assessments. The duties require prolonged standing, walking, crouching, bending, lifting, reaching, pushing, stooping, and climbing stairs and ladders indoors and outdoors. Work Environment: On-site surveys, inspections, and assessments require exposure to a wide variety of working elements, both indoors and outside, general and specialized office space. Clothing is subject to being soiled when checking basements, crawl space, attics and other similar areas. Wearing of safety clothing and equipment when in construction or industrial areas is required. LAUTENBERG AMENDMENT: Authorizes the incumbent to carry a firearm. Any person who has been convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence cannot lawfully possess a firearm or ammunition (Title 18, U.S.C., Section 922(g)(91)). Candidates who have been convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence are not qualified for this position. Candidates under consideration will be required to certify whether they have ever been convicted of such an offense. False or fraudulent information provided by candidates is criminally punishable by fine or imprisonment (Title 18, U.S.C., and Section 1001). 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/.