SummaryThe Security Assistant performs security-related functions in support of a Network Personnel Suitability and Credentialing Program within a shared services unit. The Personnel Security Program assures that all appointees have the appropriate level of security/suitability clearance commensurate with their assignment. The incumbent serves as an Assistant to the Personnel Security Specialist. Also entails Personal Identity Verification Program (PIV) responsibility.
DutiesHelp
Duties include but are not limited to:
- Initiates, reviews and releases applicants' and appointees' background investigations in the Office of Personnel Management's Electronic Questionnaires for Investigations Processing (e-QIP) system or in conjunction with the VA Personnel Security Adjudication Center (VA-PSAC).
- Performs administrative tasks associated with the authorization and issuance of the PIV card, a standardized identification badge.
- Supports the programming of PIV cards after being manufactured. Performs minor PIV troubleshooting of the PIV System during malfunctions and resolve system issues.
- Assists 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.
- Responsible for maintaining an in-depth working knowledge of PIV role holder responsibilities. Provides technical advice and guidance to employees, contractors, affiliates, and volunteers regarding matters pertaining to the PIV Program.
- As needed, works with applicants who may be experiencing difficulties with completion of electronic forms related to the background screening process. Also 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 applicants and employees or when the FBI returns fingerprints unclassifiable for various reasons.
- Enters appropriate data in required databases related to an applicant's or appointee's suitability from a wide variety of sources, i.e., fingerprint/badge log, notification(s) of investigation(s) scheduled by Office of Personnel Management (OPM), requests by OPM for additional information, receipt/disposition of results of both Special Agreement Checks (SAC's) and Tier 1 investigations (T1's) or higher, to include interim reports or pending completion reports, assignment for adjudication and final disposition of the investigation.
- Maintains proficiency in USA access to create and issue PIV cards, capture biometrics, troubleshoot card and PIN issues, and perform all aspects of card lifecycle management.
- Responsible for assisting in the execution of personnel security-related functions as they relate to VA Subjects in Veterans Affairs Centralized Adjudication and Background Investigation System (VA-CABS). Has basic knowledge of the application and training on using VA-CABS.
- Assists with the Personal Identity Verification (PIV) Program in performing functions associated with the daily operations to include performing Registrar and/or Issuer duties and training Sponsors on their roles and responsibilities.
- Regularly monitors the status of specific pending items, compiles data to produce reports, follows up to determine status and records results. Reports are produced on a regular basis (weekly) to keep top level management apprised of the status of the Suitability/Security Program and for performance management/performance improvement initiatives.
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: Mon - Fri 7:00 AM - 3:30 PM
Position Description/PD#: Security Assistant/PD99653-S, PD99654-S, and PD99952-S
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized- Must live in one of the designated locations
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized
PCS Appraised Value Offer (AVO): Not Authorized
RequirementsHelp
Conditions of employment- 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.
- You may be required to serve a probationary period
- 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 (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents). Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued dentification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.
As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In 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.
QualificationsTo qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 02/09/2026.
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-05 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-04. 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.
For a GS-06 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-05
For a GS-07 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-06
You may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below:
For GS-05 grade level:- Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-04 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: responsibilities in performing office work and database maintenance; performing standard and non-standard assignments involving different and unrelated processes or methods in varying sequence; resolving non-recurring problems and meeting deadlines; following guidelines in the form of instructions, manuals, and regulations. OR,
- Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have 4 years education above high school (transcripts required). OR,
- Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have an combination of specialized experience and education. Example; The applicant has 9 months of specialized experience and 75 semester hours of college (15 semester hours beyond the second year and the equivalent of 3 months of specialized experience).
For GS-06 grade level: - Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-5 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: Responsibilities in performing office work and database maintenance; registering and enrolling applicants/customers by evaluating eligibility and identity, taking and/or scanning Applicant photo and fingerprints; submitting fingerprints to FBI; submitting investigation forms to OPM; reviewing investigation results; and approving or denying applicant requests.
For GS-07 grade level:- Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-6 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: initiating, reviewing, and approving background cases for release, Review position risk sensitivity levels, Reviews information submitted by the requesting office to validate level of background required, enters appointee information into a local data base tracking system and refers appointee for fingerprinting. 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. Takes and transmits electronic fingerprints, Enters appropriate data in required databases related to an appointee's suitability from a wide variety of sources
There is no educational substitution for the GS-6 or GS-7 level.You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position:
- Attention to Detail
- Computer Skills
- Customer Service
- Decision Making
- Flexibility
- Integrity/Honesty
- Interpersonal Skills
- Learning
- Reading Comprehension
- Self-Management
- Stress Tolerance
- Teamwork
- Technical Competence
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. Typically, the employee sits comfortably to do the work. However, there may be some walking; standing; bending; carrying of light items such as papers, small boxes, or books.
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-stand
EducationA transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education.
Note: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/. If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html.
Additional informationUnder the Fair Chance to Compete Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicant's criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer. For more information about the Act and the complaint process, visit Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP) at The Fair Chance Act.
Receiving Service Credit or Earning Annual (Vacation) Leave: Federal Employees earn annual leave at a rate (4, 6 or 8 hours per pay period) which is based on the number of years they have served as a Federal employee. VA may offer newly-appointed Federal employee's credit for their job-related non-federal experience or active duty uniformed military service. This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave. Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment date and is not guaranteed.
This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.
If you are unable to apply online or need an alternate method to submit documents, please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement.
The
Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) and
Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provide eligible displaced 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. To be well-qualified: applicants must possess experience that exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors, and who are proficient in most of the required competencies of the job. Information about ICTAP and 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/.
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Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.
BenefitsHelp
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Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.
