Summary This position is a Transportation Security Specialist located in Technology and Systems - Vetting Operations, Vetting Analysis Division (VAD), Operation Management Section (OMS). The selectee will serve as a National Transportation Vetting Center (NTVC) Watch Manager. The NTVC is a 24/7 organization responsible for enhancing the security of the aviation transportation system by assisting the airline industry in screening resolution and providing technical assistance in TSA's screening program. Duties This TRANSPORATION SECURITY SPECIALIST position is located Technology and Systems - Vetting Operations, Vetting Analysis Division (VAD), Operation Management Section (OMS), Transportation Security Administration, Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Duties include but are not limited to:
- Conducting complex analysis and devising procedural or technical improvements to increase efficiency
and decrease risk to transportation security.
- Developing, leading, and directing the NTVC team to ensure proper handling of known or suspected
terrorist travel, accurate vetting of passengers, domain awareness, and improved employee knowledge and training. Ensures proper handling of program applicant information, accurate vetting against terrorist watch lists, and proper notification and reporting of applicant matches against vetted data.
- Reviewing operational guidance and policies, and providing direction which documents best practices or implements process improvements in the NTVC regarding the transportation security programs.
- Implementing processes and systems such as quality control, quality assurance, gap and threshold
mitigation, compliance, Credentialing and Vetting Systems, Aviation security systems, etc. that will
generate higher productivity.
Please note: The major duties described above reflect the full performance level of this position. Typically, the lower pay band (I Band) performs the same duties but will receive more guidance and training; and/or projects/work assignments may be less complex.
Qualifications
In addition to the minimum qualifications described above, you must meet the following specialized experience to be considered qualified for the position:
To qualify for the SV-I Pay Band (equivalent to GS-13), you must have one year of specialized experience at the next lower level, (SV-H Pay Band or GS-12), in the Federal service or equivalent experience in the private sector. Specialized experience is defined as experience that has equipped you with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position and is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled. Such specialized experience is defined as:
- Providing operations management and vetting, analysis contained within the National Transportation Vetting Center (NTVC); AND
- Utilizing the specific laws, policies, and program guidance for Secure Flight and each of the 39 transportation credentialing programs; AND
- Developing and proposing alternative operational and technical solutions to deal with changes in legislation, policy, guidance, or industry procedures; AND
- Presenting briefings and evaluations for internal and external partners to obtain consensus/approval of operational responses.
To qualify for the SV-J Pay Band (equivalent to GS-14), you must have one year of specialized experience at the SV-I Pay Band or GS-13 in the Federal service or equivalent experience in the private sector. Specialized experience is defined as experience that has equipped you with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position and is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled. Such specialized experience is defined as:
- Leading operations management and vetting, analysis contained within the National Transportation Vetting Center (NTVC) with a minimum of four years experience; AND
- Developing and proposing alternative operational and technical solutions to deal with changes in legislation, policy, guidance, or industry procedures with a minimum of four (4) years experience; AND
- Presenting briefings and evaluations for internal and external partners to obtain consensus/approval of operational responses with a minimum of four (4) years experience in a command center environment or as a military, government, or contractor in a watch office, military office, federal government office, intelligence, analysis, administrative, or secure government facility.
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.
- You must complete a favorable Background Investigation (BI).
- Selective Service registration is required.
- This position is part of a 24/7/365 mission critical operational center and requires shift work including evenings, nights, weekends, and/or holidays as determined by operational needs..
- You must be able to obtain and maintain a Top-Secret security clearance based on a Special Background Investigation (SBI) with eligibility for Sensitive Compartmented Information (SCI).
- May require Temporary Duty (TDY) or business travel up to 25% of the time.
- This is a testing Designated position. Employee required to pass drug screening prior to appointment and periodically as required during employment.
- This position is Emergency Essential.
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.How you will be evaluated 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), your responses on the application questionnaire, and your responses to all assessments required for this position.
You will be assessed on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics):
- Attention to Detail
- Customer Service
- Decision Making
- Flexibility
- Influencing/Negotiating
- Integrity/Honesty
- Interpersonal Skills
- Learning
- Reading Comprehension
- Reasoning
- Self-Management
- Stress Tolerance
- Teamwork
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/13108819Benefits DHS offers competitive salaries and an attractive benefits package, including: health, dental, vision, life, and long-term care insurance; retirement plan; Thrift Savings Plan [similar to a 401(k)]; Flexible Spending Account; Employee Assistance Program; personal leave days; and paid federal holidays. Other benefits may include flexible work schedules; situational telework may be permitted in accordance with departmental policy telework; tuition reimbursement; transportation subsidies; uniform allowance; health and wellness programs; and fitness centers. DHS is committed to employee development and offers a variety of employee training and developmental opportunities. For more information, go to the DHS Careers website and select "Benefits." Disabled veteran leave will be available to any Federal employee hired on or after November 5, 2016, who is a veteran with a service-connected disability rating of 30 percent or more.
Employees who transfer to TSA from an agency that allows employees to maintain an annual leave balance higher than the maximum accumulation for the appointed position will have their leave ceiling set to the maximum accumulation for the appointed position (e.g., United States duty location - 240 hours, foreign duty location - 360 hours, or TSES position - 720 hours). TSA will not make a monetary payment for any leave forfeited under these circumstances. 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.
The vacancy questionnaire includes four short, free-response essay questions. This provides an opportunity for you to highlight your dedication to public service for the hiring manager and agency leadership (or designee(s)). While your responses are not required and will not be scored, we encourage you to thoughtfully address each question. Please provide a response of 200 words or less to each question. You will be asked to certify that you are using your own words and did not use a consultant or artificial intelligence (AI) such as a large language model (LLM) like ChatGPT or Copilot.
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
- Self-Assessment Questionnaire for this position
- 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.
Veterans and Persons with disabilities possess a wealth of unique talents, experiences, and competencies that can be invaluable to the DHS mission. If you are a member of one of these groups, you may not have to compete with the public for federal jobs. To determine your eligibility for non-competitive appointment and to understand the documentation that is required, click on the links above or contact the Servicing Human Resources Office listed at the bottom of this announcement.
Other information Eligibility to apply for other Federal positions: TSA is an Excepted Service agency exempt from most of Title 5 United States Code, including regulations which apply to displaced Federal employees (CTAP/ICTAP) of other agencies, and employment with TSA does not confer "Competitive Status" that generally results from selection and service in Competitive Service agencies. The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) has established an Interchange Agreement, which allows most permanent TSA employees to apply and be considered for vacancies in Competitive Service agencies. Information from OPM on this or other Interchange Agreements is available at: www.opm.gov/
To ensure the accomplishment of our mission, DHS requires every employee to be reliable and trustworthy. To meet those standards, all selected applicants must undergo and successfully pass a background investigation as a condition of placement into this position.
DHS uses E-Verify, an Internet-based system, to confirm the eligibility of all newly hired employees to work in the United States. Learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities.
If you receive a conditional offer of employment for this position, you will be required to complete an Optional Form 306, Declaration for Federal Employment, and to sign and certify the accuracy of all information in your application, prior to entry on duty. False statements on any part of the application may result in withdrawal of offer of employment, dismissal after beginning work, fine, or imprisonment.
TSA employees who are absent for the purpose of performing military duty may apply for any vacancies announced in their absence.
More than one position may be filled from this announcement.
If you are entering TSA employment on an appointment without time limitations, you must serve a basic trial period unless you have already met the requirement.
Reasonable Accommodation (RA) Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a RA in your online application. Requests for RA for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for RA must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for RA are made on a case-by-case basis. If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, based on your adjudication decision. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments if you received the link after the close of the announcement. To determine if you need a RA, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments. (https://appsupport.usastaffing.gov/hc/en-us/sections/28980686389652-Reasonable-Accommodation-Information)
