748job United States

Personnel Security Specialist

Court Services and Offender Supervision Agency for DC › Pretrial Services Agency (3 current openings)

Who may apply

Limited to the following applicant groups:

  • Federal employees - Competitive service
  • Veterans
  • Individuals with disabilities
  • Military spouses
Washington, District of Columbia
Full-time Security Clearance: Not Required
Application Deadline:
2026-08-21
Posted:
2026-08-07

1 day left to apply

Apply on usajobs.gov
Salary: $85,447 – $133,142 per year (GS-11/12)

Salary context

Based on 74 annual-salary jobs in the same occupational series. This role pays around the middle of similar positions.

Job Details

Position Overview

Join our team as a Personnel Security Specialist. In this role you will verify the authenticity of personnel background information, support the full lifecycle of HSPD-12 credentials, analyzing information from multiple sources, applying adjudicative criteria to make informed recommendations on public trust certifications for employees, contractors, and applicants. If you're mission-focused, detail-oriented, and ready to make a meaningful impact, then this job is for you!



Duties

As a Personnel Security Specialist, you will:
  1. Manage the HSPD-12 program for the Agency, ensuring that employee PIV cards are ordered, issued, and kept up-to-date. Schedule appointments with employees and applicants to complete initiation and activations processes and to update certificates.
  2. Ensure that applicant and employee fingerprints are submitted through the required systems and review and submit results.
  3. Perform work as assigned by Personnel Security Officer, entering information into automated systems to initiate investigations and ensuring proper documentation is submitted by applicants for public trust investigations.
  4. Support the Personnel Security Officer in developing, evaluating, maintaining, and/or operating systems, policies, devices, procedures and methods used for the processing of public trust investigations.
  5. Support Personnel Security Officer with executing security reports and other security requirements.
  6. Explain personnel security policies and procedures to employees and managers. Train and update the OHCM employees as needed on personnel security processes.
  7. Coordinate the issuance of Agency credentials, communicate and implement established procedures.
  8. Identify the need for new or revised procedures. Recommend approaches and draft proposed new or revised procedures. Assure accuracy, adequacy and consistency with other agency-wide procedures through coordination with OHCM and other cognizant PSA staff.
  9. Use a variety of automated systems to process actions, track and control information and produce reports. Define system problems or improvements and work with information technology staff to resolve problems, or upgrade or implement new systems.
  10. Serve as back-up to the PSA Drug Free Workplace Coordinator. Schedule and coordinate drug testing dates, compose and send instructional guidance regarding testing to randomly selected employees and work in conjunction with CSOSA Drug Free Workplace Coordinator.

Qualifications & Requirements

To qualify for this position, you must meet the specialized experience requirements below.

To qualify at the GS-11 level: you must have one year (52 weeks) of specialized experience related to the duties of the position comparable in difficulty and responsibility to the GS-09 grade level. Specialized experience is defined as analyzing and evaluating the authenticity of personnel data, providing credentialing services that includes enrollment, certificate updates, maintaining and terminating HSPD-12 credentials in support of personnel administrative and security systems/services for badge issuance to various applicants, employee, contractor security processing

Substitution of Education for Experience for GS-11: Three (3) years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. degree or Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree or LL.M., if related.

To qualify for the GS-12 grade level, you must have one year (52 weeks) of specialized experience related to the duties of the position that was comparable in difficulty and responsibility to the GS-11 grade level. Specialized experience is defined as conducting personnel security/suitability adjudicative assessments by evaluating background information from a variety of sources and reports, analyzing background investigative information, and applying adjudicative criteria to make recommendations concerning the issuance of public trust certification.

NOTE: Your resume must clearly show the specialized experience related to this position. Failure to demonstrate how you possess the experience requirements will result in an "Ineligible" rating.

Education

There is an education substitution for specialized experience at the GS-11 grade level.

There is no education substitution for specialized experience at the GS-12 grade level.

Requirements

Bargaining Unit Status and Chapter: Not Covered, AFGE Local1456

This is not a law enforcement position.

A candidate appointed at a lower grade level may be promoted up to the full performance level without further competition.

This announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.

Conditions of Employment

1. Must be a U.S. Citizen
2. Males born after 12-31-59 must be registered for Selective Service
3. Suitable for Federal employment, determined by a background investigation
4. May be required to successfully complete a probationary period, if not already completed
5. All applicants are subject to a comprehensive criminal background investigation, and required to submit to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment
6. All Federal employees are required to have Federal salary payments made by direct deposit to a financial institution of their choice
7. Status applicants for promotion must have 52 weeks of service at the next lower grade
8. Time-in-grade requirements must be met by the close of this announcement.
9. Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process.

Evaluations

Your rating will be based on your responses to the job specific information provided in your resume. Your resume must clearly show how you possess the knowledge, skills, and abilities listed below. Failure to demonstrate how you possess the knowledge, skills, and abilities will result in a rating of "Qualified" by the rating panel.

1. Knowledge of the principles, concepts and techniques of security programs relating to personnel security administration in the Federal sector.
2. Ability to conduct investigations relating to personnel security and suitability programs, analyze facts, and prepare reports.
3.Skill in oral communications required to collect and provide information relating to background investigations, suitability and personnel security clearances and skill in written communications required to develop a variety of documents, reports, and operating procedures.

Once the application process is completed, your application will be reviewed to ensure you meet the job requirements. You will be evaluated on the extent and quality of your experience, education and training, job- related awards and supervisory appraisal of performance. If you meet the basic qualification requirements, your resume will be forwarded to a panel for rating. Category Rating will be used to evaluate applicants using the following categories to further determine which applicants will be referred to the selecting official for final consideration.

Best Qualified: Applicants possessing a background that demonstrates a superior level on all evaluation criteria.

Well Qualified: Applicants possessing a background that demonstrates a satisfactory level on evaluation criteria.

Qualified: Applicants possessing the specialized experience described above.

Required Documents

To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package which includes:
1. Your Resume listing hours worked per week, salary, dates of employment and duties performed. Only resumes up to a total of 2 pages will be accepted. Applicants with resumes exceeding 2 pages will be removed from consideration. Resumes must be legible so they can be reviewed for eligibility, minimum qualifications and other position requirements listed in the job announcement.

2. Other supporting documents:
  • College transcript(s), if qualifying based on education. Transcripts must include the school's name, student name, degree and date awarded, if applicable. (Note: If you are selected for the position, official transcript(s) will be required prior to your first day).
  • Most recent SF-50 or Notification of Personnel Action showing you are/were in the competitive service and the highest grade or promotion potential held (if applying as a status candidate with current or former Federal Service). (Award Notification of Personnel Actions are not acceptable)
  • DD-214 (member 4 copy) showing honorable discharge, SF-15 Form and VA letter, or certification of expected discharge or release from active duty for consideration under Veteran hiring authorities
  • Non-competitive appointment authority documentation, if applicable
  • Employees applying with an interchange agreement must provide proof of their permanent appointment
  • Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process.
  • Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program Documentation, must include the following:
    • SF-50 that documents the RIF separation action, position, grade level, and duty location; and
    • Most recent performance appraisal
    • Certification of Expected Separation or Reduction-In-Force Separation Notice or Notice of Proposed Removal may also be submitted
ICTAP Applicants: To be considered under the Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP), applicants must submit all required documentation at the time of application and must be determined to be well-qualified for the position. Required documentation includes:
  1. Proof of ICTAP eligibility (displacement) which must include one of the following:
    1. an SF-50 documenting a Reduction in Force (RIF) action, certification of expected separation, Reduction in Force (RIF) separation notice, or a notice of proposed removal for declining a directed reassignment or transfer of function outside the local commuting area; and
  2. An SF-50 (Notification of Personnel Action) documenting your current or most recent position, grade level and duty location; and
  3. Your most recent performance appraisal, reflecting a rating of at least Fully Successful (or equivalent).
Only applicants who meet both ICTAP eligibility requirements and the well-qualified standard will be considered for selection priority. Failure to submit all required documents may result in a determination that you are not eligible for ICTAP consideration.

Only send documentation as requested/required by this announcement and that directly supports your qualifications for this position.

How to Apply

To apply for this position, you must complete the online application and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section below.

The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on the closing date (08/21/2026) to receive consideration.
  • To begin, click Apply Online to access an online application. Follow the prompts to select your USAJOBS resume and/or other supporting documents. You will need to be logged into your USAJOBS account or you may need to create a new account.
  • You will be taken to an online application. Complete the online application, verify the required documentation, and submit the application.
  • You will receive an email notification when your application has been received for the announcement.
  • To verify the status of your application, log into your USAJOBS account, https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login, select the Application Status link and then select the More Information link for this position. The Application Status page will display the status of your application, the documentation received and processed, and your responses submitted to the online application. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process.
  • If you are unable to apply online, you must request an alternative application which is available from the Human Resources Office. Please contact the Shelly Monroe at 202-740-8543 or [email protected] to obtain instructions on how to submit an alternative application.
Only resumes up to a total of 2 pages will be accepted. Applicants with resumes exceeding 2 pages will be removed from consideration. Resumes must be legible so they can be reviewed for eligibility, minimum qualifications and other position requirements listed in the job announcement. Once the on-line application and supporting documents are received, you will receive an acknowledgement email that your submission was successful. After a review of your complete application is made, you will be notified of your rating and/or referral to the hiring official. If further evaluation or interviews are required you will be contacted.
Source: Data sourced from USAJOBS