Personnel Security Specialist

• Applies OPM Suitability/Fitness and ODNI national security adjudication standards criteria and procedures to evaluate background investigative information on the individuals suitability for employment and eligibility for a security clearance.
• Completes the necessary security checks necessary for processing preliminary vetting and national security eligibility of department applicants employees contractors and affiliates.
• Drafts letters of interrogatory as well as other official correspondence to include ineligible determinations in support of Personnel and Document Security Division.
• Reviews appropriate e-APP forms and Requests for Personnel Security Services packages submitted for accuracy and completeness.
• Conducts administrative inquiry investigations to resolve sensitive allegations of security infractions or violations or incidents that impact the proper protection of classified information.
• Performs review of applicant data process and update applicants Continuous Evaluation/Vetting data (e.g. collection use disclosure and retention of information) in accordance with applicable laws.
• Ensures timely and accurate input of case data into all appropriate databases reflecting current status of actions involving public trust and national security positions.
• Ensures timely notification to OPM of final adjudicative outcomes.
• Confers and collaborates with senior personnel when intricate personnel security problems arise in individual cases.
• Duties described above are at the full performance GS-12 level duties at the GS-09 and GS-11 levels will be developmental.

• You must be a US Citizen or US National.
• Males born after 12/31/1959 must be Selective Service registered or exempt.
• Subject to satisfactory adjudication of background investigation and/or fingerprint check.
• If selected you may be required to serve a probationary or trial period as applicable to appointment type. Refer to Next Steps section for more information.
• Direct Deposit: Per Public Law 104-134 all Federal employees are required to have federal payments made by direct deposit to their financial institution.
• Successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check. To learn more about E-Verify including your rights and responsibilities visit applicant must undergo and successfully obtain and maintain a background investigation for a Top Secret SCI clearance. You must meet initial and periodic suitability determinations based on favorable background investigations and updates.
• Selectee must submit to a urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment and random testing thereafter. Final appointment and continued employment is conditional on negative results for illegal drug use.
• This position is considered critical-essential and as such may be required to return to his/her assigned duty station outside of normal duty hours to provide support to USDA policymakers particularly during crisis periods.

Applicants must meet all qualifications and eligibility requirements by the closing date of the announcement including time-in-grade restrictions specialized experience and/or education as defined below.

Time in grade:
Current federal employees applying for a promotion opportunity must meet time-in-grade (TIG) requirement of 52 weeks of service at the next lower grade level in the normal line of progression for the position being filled.

Minimum Qualifications: Applicants must meet the Specialized Experience and/or Education requirements as shown below. If qualifying based on experience your application or resume must clearly show that you possess the specialized experience requirements. Specialized experience is defined as experience that is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled and has equipped you with the particular knowledge skills and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position.

GS-09: Qualifying experience for GS-09 includes one year of specialized experience comparable to GS-07 which included experience initiating appropriate background investigation using personnel security systems; and interpreting personnel security program policies and procedures within the agency or organization.
OR
Masters degree or equivalent graduate degree or 2 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a masters degree or equivalent graduate degree or LL.B. or J.D. if related.
OR
A combination of education and experience as described above.
NOTE: Equivalent combinations of education and experience are qualifying for the GS-09 grade level.

GS-11: Qualifying experience for GS-11 includes one year of specialized experience comparable to GS-09 which included experience analyzing evaluating and adjudicating complicated reports of investigation and investigative information for suitability/fitness pre-appointment (preliminary vetting) and the granting of public trust or national security eligibility including the experience rendering final adjudicative determinations.
OR
Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree or 3 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree or LL.M. if related.
OR
A combination of education and experience as described above.
NOTE: Equivalent combinations of education and experience are qualifying for the GS-11 grade level.

GS-12: Qualifying experience for GS-12 includes one year of specialized experience comparable to GS-11 which included experience independently analyzing evaluating and adjudicating complicated reports of investigation for suitability fitness and national security eligibility including the experience determining final adjudicative determinations; providing second-level review for junior specialist and implementing and developing procedural changes necessitated in change of personnel security directives.



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 and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience including volunteer experience.


In the event of an emergency USDAs Office of Homeland Security (OHS) employees may be subject to 24 hour on-call availability. This service may require irregular work hours work at locations other than the official duty station and may include duties other than those specified in the employees official position description. Travel requirements in support of emergency operations may be extensive in nature (weeks to months) with little advance notice and may require employees to relocate to emergency sites that require functioning under intense physical and mental stress.