Assistant Federal Security Director - Screening

Department of Homeland Security › Transportation Security Administration (218 current openings)

Who may apply

Limited to the following applicant groups:

Internal to an agency

Manchester, New Hampshire

Full-time Security Clearance: Top Secret

Application Deadline:

2026-08-27

Posted:

2026-08-14

About 1 week left

Apply on usajobs.gov

Salary: $142,452 – $185,193 per year (SV-J)

Salary context

Based on 100 annual-salary jobs in the same occupational series. This role pays above most similar positions.

Job Details

Position Overview

Securing Travel, Protecting People - At the Transportation Security Administration, you will serve in a high-stakes environment to safeguard the American way of life. In cities across the country, you would secure airports, seaports, railroads, highways, and/or public transit systems, thus protecting America's transportation infrastructure and ensuring freedom of movement for people and commerce.

Duties

This Assistant Federal Security Director - Screening position is located at Manchester-Boston Regional Airport (MHT), Transportation Security Administration, Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Duties include but are not limited to:

Mitigate threats against aviation and other transportation sectors by providing leadership and direction to TSA personnel engaged in screening operations.
Serve as principal advisor to the Federal Security Director (FSD) on all operational matters.
Develop, plan, coordinate, and implement policy that supports screening operations, customer service, and stakeholder programs.
Implement and measure performance of screening standards and security programs.
Provide oversight of passenger, baggage, air cargo security screening operations, airport security risk assessments, security technology implementation, preventative maintenance, crisis management, communications network protection, and other related programs as directed by the FSD.
Facilitate and communicate the receipt, utilization, and delivery of intelligence information, incident reports, and other appropriate information to the workforce.
Identify intelligence resources for use by staff to strengthen security posture. Participate in briefings concerning classified information.
Model and work with leadership team to develop and maintain workforce command presence and professional appearance.
Create and lead a collaborative culture that encourages engagement and networking and leverages shared expertise at all levels to mitigate security threats.
Evaluate threat mitigation strategies and tactics using risk assessment concepts and tools, including "threat, vulnerability, and consequence." Determine effectiveness and recommending adjustments as needed.
Practice, promote, and implement programs that reinforce critical thinking skills, and specialized communication tactics, and improve the ability of the workforce to make independent, security-based decisions by using available intelligence, critical thinking, experience, observation, and passenger engagement.
Develop and maintain a calm, controlled operational environment in order to enhance the workforce's ability to mitigate security threats.
Create a work environment in which employees at every level are valued and encouraged to raise issues and voice concerns without retaliation or fear of reprisal.
Ensure that their organization applies and promotes the Integrated Conflict Management System (ICMS) core principles and complies with applicable standards.
Mentor teams at all levels and provide constructive feedback that recognizes positive behavior and promotes individual improvement, growth, and confidence.
Interact with stakeholders to identify and resolve operational issues.
May perform tasks/assume responsibilities for the FSD during his/her absence.

Supervisory/Managerial duties include serving as a first line supervisor for the organization. This includes but is not limited to: assigning work, setting priorities, and reviewing and evaluating work and performance of subordinates; approving leave; coaching and developing employees; recommending corrective or disciplinary actions; assisting in budget planning and projecting short-term needs; managing projects within assigned resources; resolving routine problems that typically impact the objectives of the organizational unit; and when required, coordinating with customers outside the immediate organization.

Emergency Essential Position: This position is designated as an Emergency Essential (EE) position. This designation requires the employee to remain in a duty status if an emergency arises.

Qualifications & Requirements

To qualify for the SV-J Pay Band (equivalent to GS-14), you must have one year of specialized experience at the SV-I or GS-13 in the Federal service or equivalent experience in the private sector. Specialized experience is defined as:

Managing, directing and overseeing program policies and procedures;
Identifying a range of security issues and threats in a complex environment;
Providing leadership and direction in managing and overseeing a workforce of professional and support staff performing protective security work; and
Applying laws, rules, regulations, policies, precedents, with government and non-government organizational relationships to provide advice and guidance on management operations.

Credit for experience is given based on a 40-hour workweek. Part-time experience is credited on a part-time ratio, i.e., working 20 hours per week for two months equals one month of experience. No additional credit is given for overtime.

National Service Experience (i.e., volunteer experience): 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, 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.

The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) must authorize employment offers made to current or former political appointees. If you are currently, or have been within the last 5 years, a political Schedule A, Schedule C, Non-career SES or Presidential Appointee employee in the Executive Branch, you must disclose this information to the Human Resources Office.

You must meet the qualification requirements for this position no later than the closing date of the vacancy announcement.

Requirements

You must possess U.S. Citizenship or be a U.S. National.
You must have reached the minimum age (18) at the time of application.
Selective Service registration is required.
You must complete a favorable Background Investigation (BI).
You must be able to obtain and maintain a Top-Secret Clearance.
Disclosure of your financial information is required.
This is a testing Designated position. Employee required to pass drug screening prior to appointment and periodically as required during employment.
This is a supervisory position subject to the supervisory probationary period, unless the selected incumbent has already completed it.
This is an Emergency Essential Position.

If you fail to meet the conditions of employment or any other pre-employment requirements, such as missing any of the scheduled appointments, the hiring agency may rescind their tentative offer of employment.

Applying to this announcement certifies that you give permission for TSA to share your application with others in DHS for similar positions.

Any offers of employment made pursuant to this announcement will be consistent with all applicable authorities, including Presidential Memoranda, Executive Orders, interpretive U.S. Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) guidance, and Office of Management and Budget plans and policies concerning hiring. These authorities are subject to change.

Evaluations

You will be evaluated based on how well you meet the qualifications listed in this vacancy announcement. Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g., resume, supporting documents) and your responses to all assessments required for this position.

Candidates will be rated and ranked using Category Grouping procedures. Under Category Grouping, candidates will be rated and ranked into one of three categories:

Best-Qualified: Applicants possessing experience that substantially exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position and demonstrate high proficiency in all of the critical competencies as determined by the job analysis.
Well-Qualified: Applicants possessing experience that exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position and demonstrates acceptable proficiency in all of the critical competencies as determined by the job analysis.
Qualified: Applicants possessing experience that meets the minimum qualifications of the position and demonstrate basic proficiency in most of the critical competencies as determined by the job analysis. If you are best qualified, you may be referred to the hiring manager for consideration and may be called for an interview.

The USA Hire Assessments include a cut score based on the minimum level of required proficiency in these critical general competencies. You must meet or exceed the cut score to be considered. You will not be considered for the position if you score below the cut score or fail to complete the assessment.

Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or application questionnaire may result in your removal from consideration. Cheating on an assessment may also result in your removal from consideration.

You may preview the questions for this vacancy here: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/13033254

Required Documents

The following documents are required and must be provided with your application. Applicants who do not submit required documentation to determine eligibility and qualifications will be eliminated from consideration. Documentation is needed to verify the eligibilities you are claiming.

NOTE: Your resume must clearly demonstrate how you meet this requirement; otherwise, you will be deemed ineligible. Additionally, copying and pasting information from the announcement into your resume will not adequately convey your qualifications.

Resume Requirements:

1. All applicants are required to submit a resume. Limit your resume to no more than two pages. The USAJOBS database will not allow an applicant to submit an application that includes a resume over two pages.
2. Narrative description of duties with start and end dates (including month and year) for work experience.
3. Number of hours worked in a position (i.e., full-time or part-time). If part-time, (i.e., less than 40 hours per week) state the total number of hours worked per week.
4. If you are a current Federal employee or previous Federal employee, provide your performance level for federal civilian positions (i.e., band or grade).

If your resume does not contain this information, your application will be marked as insufficient, and you will not receive consideration for this position.

Do NOT include photographs (or links to social media such as LinkedIn), inappropriate content, classified information, nor personal information such as age, gender, religion, social security number, etc. on your resume.

Utilizing the USAJOBS Resume Builder and completing all available fields is strongly encouraged.

Note: Do NOT include photographs (or links to social media such as LinkedIn), inappropriate content, nor personal information such as age, gender, religion, social security number, etc. on your resume.

In addition to a resume, you must submit copies of any of the following documents if you are applying based on being a current eligible TSA employee (which includes permanent employees and 5 year temporary employees), or education or a combination of education and experience:

TSA Current Employees- Strongly encouraged to submit the most recent non-Award SF-50, at the time of application, to support eligibility for Status consideration. TSA employees who do not submit the SF-50 with the application must document their current TSA position in their resume and may be required to provide the SF-50 document during the selection process. TSA employees may obtain a copy of their most recent non-Award SF-50 at https://eopf.opm.gov/dhs/.

TSA Displaced Employees- If you indicate eligibility for this priority consideration and exemption from Area of Consideration restrictions, you must submit a copy of the official notification that supports this eligibility at the time of application.

Detail Documentation: Eligible applicants who wish to qualify for this position based upon experience obtained while serving on a detail with TSA must submit signed copies of the corresponding TSA form 1160, Terms And Conditions For Temporary Internal Assignment -Detail, or an SF-52, Request for Personnel Action, as supporting documentation along with their application otherwise the experience cannot be credited.

If you do not submit required documentation described in this job opportunity announcement, your application will be deemed incomplete and you will be ineligible for further consideration for this vacancy.

How to Apply

All of the following must be received in our office by 11:59 PM EST (Eastern Standard time) on the closing date of this announcement. If we do not receive all required information by the closing date, your application may not be considered.

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

Resume
Applicable supporting documents (see Required Documents Section)

To begin, click Apply to access the online application.

You will need to be logged into your USAJOBS account to apply. If you do not have a USAJOBS account, you will need to create one before beginning the application.
Follow the prompts to select your résumé and/or other supporting documents to be included with your application package. You will have the opportunity to upload additional documents to include in your application before it is submitted.
If you are required to complete any USA Hire Assessments, you will be notified after submitting your application. The notification will be provided in your application submission screen and via email. The notification will include your unique assessment access link to the USA Hire system and the completion deadline. Additionally, in USAJOBS you can click "Track this application" to return to your assessment completion notice.
Access USA Hire using your unique assessment link. Access is granted through your USAJOBS login credentials.
Review all instructions prior to beginning your assessments. You will have the opportunity to request a testing accommodation before beginning the assessments should you have a disability covered under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended.
Set aside about two (2) hours to take the USA Hire Assessments; however, most applicants complete the assessments in less time. If you need to stop the assessments and continue later, you can re-use your unique assessment link.
Your responses to the USA Hire Assessments will be reused for one year (in most cases) from the date you complete an assessment. If future applications you submit require completion of the same assessments, your responses will be automatically reused.

Visit the USA Hire Applicant Resource Center for practice assessments and assessment preparation resources at https://support-usahire.opm.gov/hc/en-us.

To update your application, including supporting documentation: During the announcement open period, return to your USAJOBS account, find your application record, and click Edit my application. This option will no longer be available once the announcement has closed.

To view the announcement status or your application status: Visit https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/howto/application/status/. Your application status page is where you can view your application status, USA Hire assessment completion status, and review your notifications sent by the hiring agency regarding your application.

If needed, applicants may request a religious accommodation as part of the hiring process from the designated contact noted in the vacancy announcement (for contact information please see 'Agency Contact Information' listed within the 'How to Apply' section of this job announcement)

To verify the status of your application, log into your USAJOBS account (https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login), all of your applications will appear on the Welcome screen. The Application Status will appear along with the date your application was last updated. For information on what each Application Status means, visit: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/how-to/application/status/.

Source: Data sourced from USAJOBS