Personnel Security Assistant

***THIS IS NOT A VIRTUAL OR REMOTE POSITION YOU MUST LIVE WITHIN OR BE WILLING TO RELOCATE WITHIN A COMMUTABLE DISTANCE OF THE DUTY LOCATION CLEMENT J. ZABLOCKI VAMC IN MILWAUKEE WI.***

Applicant Count: This job will close when we have received 50 applications which may be sooner than the closing date.

This position involves a multi-grade career ladder. The major duties listed below represent the full performance level of GS-7. At the GS-5 and GS-6 grade levels you will perform assignments of a more limited scope and with less independence. You will progressively acquire the background necessary to perform at the full performance level of GS-7. Promotion is at the discretion of the supervisor and is contingent upon satisfactory performance availability of higher level work and availability of funds. This position entails Personal Identity Verification Program (PIV) responsibility which is a Government-wide identification standard for secure and reliable identity credentials issued by the Federal Government to its employees contractors affiliates and volunteers. The PIV Program is required by Homeland Security Presidential Directive (HSPD) 12 and outlined in Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS) 201-2. Work assigned is of a very confidential and highly sensitive nature. The work of the Security Assistant has a direct impact on the accomplishment of national and local performance measures with regard to timeliness of actions and following are the major duties of this position:

• Collection organization and/or tracking of information in support of the Personnel Security Program. The Personnel Security Program includes the processes of initiating reviewing and approving background cases for release to the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) in compliance with policies relating to completion of suitability investigations for Federal employees and others requiring background investigations for non-sensitive and public trust positions.
• Assist the Personnel Security Specialist in collecting appropriate background information tracking and reviewing data completion of reports maintaining databases and processing follow-up actions on various security related matters and assisting with suitability adjudications.
• Review position risk sensitivity levels as full assistant to the Personnel Security Specialist.
• Assemble position descriptions and functional statements for the Personnel Security Specialist for review.
• Track electronically the level assigned and the appropriate background investigation needed.
• For pre-employment processes serves as the initial point of contact for new appointees including but not limited to paid or without compensation employees volunteers students residents and contractors.
• Initiates reviews and releases appointees background investigations in the Office of Personnel Managements Electronic Questionnaires for Investigations Processing (e-QIP) system or in conjunction with the VA- Adjudication Center (VA-AC).
• Regularly monitors the status of specific pending items compiles data to produce reports follows up to determine status and records results.
• Maintains logs of current employees who are in public trust positions and ensures reinvestigations are initiated reviewed and released using e-QIP within the required timeframe as per policy.
• Works with applicants who may be experiencing difficulties with completion of electronic forms related to the background screening process.
• Works with Recruitment and Staffing to assure required background documents are complete and accurate as per policy (OF-306 SF-85 SF-85P etc.).
• Takes and transmits electronic fingerprints for appointees or when the FBI returns fingerprints unclassifiable for various reasons.
• Support the programming of PIV cards after being manufactured.
• Perform minor PIV troubleshooting of the PIV System during malfunctions and resolve system issues.
• Performs administrative tasks associated with the authorization and issuance of the PIV card a standardized identification badge designed to increase security related with physical access to Federal facilities and networks and logical access to computer systems.
• Performs other related duties as assigned.

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 - Friday 8:00am - 4:30pm
Telework: Ad-hoc only. This position is located at the Clement J. Zablocki VAMC in Milwaukee WI. You will be required to report to duty in Milwaukee WI.
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Position Description/PD#: Personnel Security Assistant/PD99952S
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not authorized
Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not approved
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not authorized

• 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. In addition to the application and questionnaire this position requires an online assessment. The online assessment measures critical general competencies required to perform the job.
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959
• 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.
• 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 ( Effective May 7 2025 drivers 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 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 your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification in writing that your continued employment advances the public interest.

To qualify for this position applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement 10/29/2026.

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-6 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-5. 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 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:

• GS-5 GRADE REQUIREMENTS: Must meet one of the following:
  • Specialized Experience: Must have one full year of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-4) that equipped you with the particular knowledge skills and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position and that is typically in or related to the position to be filled. Specialized experience includes: Knowledge of the regulations policies procedures principles and concepts that govern the Personal Identity Verification Program. Skilled especially in oral communication in order to provide technical advice and guidance to customers. Ability to enter extract and evaluate employee information via access to various computer databases. Skilled in dealing with highly charged emotional situation and have the ability to work calmly and effectively in sensitive stress- producing situations. Knowledge of the organizational structure mission goals and needs; initiating reviewing and approving background cases for release to the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) in compliance with policies. Assemble position descriptions and functional statements while tracking electronically the level assigned and appropriate background investigation needed. Enters appropriate data in required databases related to an appointees suitability from a wide variety of sources. OR
  • Education: Must have 4 years above high school (transcripts required) OR
  • Combination: Must have a combination of experience and education as described above.

• GS-6 GRADE REQUIREMENTS: Must have one full year of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-5) that equipped you with the particular knowledge skills and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position and that is typically in or related to the position to be filled. Specialized experience includes: Knowledge of the regulations policies procedures principles and concepts that govern the Personal Identity Verification Program. Skilled especially in oral communication in order to provide technical advice and guidance to customers. Ability to enter extract and evaluate employee information via access to various computer databases. Skilled in dealing with highly charged emotional situation and have the ability to work calmly and effectively in sensitive stress- producing situations. Knowledge of the organizational structure mission goals and needs initiating reviewing and approving background cases for release to the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) in compliance with policies. Assemble position descriptions and functional statements while tracking electronically the level assigned and appropriate background investigation needed. Enters appropriate data in required databases related to an appointees suitability from a wide variety of sources.
• GS-7 GRADE REQUIREMENTS: Must have one full year of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-6) that equipped you with the particular knowledge skills and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position and that is typically in or related to the position to be filled. Specialized experience includes: Knowledge of the regulations policies procedures principles and concepts that govern the Personal Identity Verification Program. Skilled especially in oral communication in order to provide technical advice and guidance to customers. Ability to enter extract and evaluate employee information via access to various computer databases. Skilled in dealing with highly charged emotional situation and have the ability to work calmly and effectively in sensitive stress- producing situations. Knowledge of the organizational structure mission goals and needs initiating reviewing and approving background cases for release to the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) in compliance with policies. Assemble position descriptions and functional statements while tracking electronically the level assigned and appropriate background investigation needed. Enters appropriate data in required databases related to an appointees suitability from a wide variety of sources.

RESUME REMINDER - Your resume must include the following information for each job listed: Job Title and a summary of duties (be as detailed as possible) Month & year start/end dates (e.g. June 2007 to April 2008) Full-time or part-time status (MUST include hours worked per week if part-time). Be sure that your resume clearly supports your responses to all of the questions by addressing your work experience in detail. To ensure you receive appropriate consideration please list the duties you performed under each individual job title. If we are unable to match your experiences with the positions held you may lose consideration for this vacancy. We cannot make assumptions regarding your qualifications.

For more information on these qualification standards please visit the United States Office of Personnel Managements website at

Required Experience:

Junior IC