U.S Government

Security Specialist

U.S Government$85K — $110K *
Aerospace & Defense
Less than 5 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • 5-7 years of experience in security technology and access control
  • Exceptional customer service skills
  • Ability to collaborate and communicate effectively
  • Proficient in information systems and writing
  • Knowledge of security programs and compliance standards

Responsibilities

  • Maintain awareness of OPSEC-sensitive organizational activities
  • Plan and initiate special projects to enhance security program quality
  • Represent the OPSEC program in internal and inter-agency panels
  • Conduct security assessments and provide expert recommendations
  • Coordinate security training and awareness programs

Benefits

  • Comprehensive health, dental, vision, life, and long-term care insurance
  • Thrift Savings Plan similar to a 401(k)
  • Flexible work schedules and telework options
  • Variety of employee training and development opportunities
  • Paid federal holidays and personal leave days
Full Job Description
Summary

The ideal candidate will have a background in security technology, and access control; exceptional customer skills; collaborate, communicate effectively; a self-starter; proficient use of information systems; and remarkable writing skills. Apply comprehensive knowledge of security programs, coordinate objectives and implement specialized security program(s). Responsible for maintaining integrity and protection of highly sensitive information and programs.

Duties

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What will I do in this position if hired?

Typical assignments include:

  • Maintaining awareness of all organizational activities that are OPSEC sensitive and advises appropriate personnel about the organization's OPSEC posture and the likelihood that OPSEC can be adequately maintained for those activities.
  • Planning and initiates special projects and conducts special studies to promote and improve overall quality, efficiency, and effectiveness of security programs.
  • Representing the OPSEC program on internal and inter-agency working groups or panels to address security policy, procedures, and program-related issues, including education, training and awareness, and assists in briefing agency supervisors, managers, and the FEMA community, as required


What else do I need to know?

At FEMA, our mission is to help people before, during and after disasters, and every employee at FEMA has a role in emergency management. Every FEMA employee has regular and recurring emergency management responsibilities, though not every position requires routine deployment to disaster sites. All positions are subject to recall around the clock for emergency management operations, which may require irregular work hours, work at locations other than the official duty station, and may include duties other than those specified in the employee's 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 with physically austere and operationally challenging conditions.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

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, successfully pass, and maintain a background investigation for SECRET as a condition of placement into this position. This may include a credit check after initial job qualifications are determined, a review of financial issues, such as delinquency in the payment of debts, child support and/or tax obligations, as well as certain criminal offenses and illegal use or possession of drugs (please visit: Mythbuster on Federal Hiring Policies for additional information). For more information on background investigations for Federal jobs please visit OPM Investigations.

Please ensure you meet the qualification requirements described below.

Key Requirements:

  1. You must be a U.S. citizen to apply for this position.
  2. You must successfully pass a background investigation.
  3. Selective Service registration required.
  4. Current federal employees must meet time-in-grade requirements.
  5. You must be able to obtain and maintain a Government credit card.
  6. You must be able to deploy with little or no advance notice to anywhere in the United States and its territories for an extended period of time.
  7. Please review the Additional Information section for additional key requirements.


Qualifications

Current Federal employees must have served 52 weeks at the next lower grade or equivalent grade band in the Federal service. The qualification requirements listed below must be met by the closing date of this announcement.

To qualify for this position at the GS-13 level, you must possess one full year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-12 level in the Federal government, which has equipped you with the skills needed to successfully perform the duties of the position. Experience may be obtained in the federal government, a state or local government, or private sector, and must demonstrate the following:

  1. Developing and implementing strategic level goals and objectives to effectively integrate security programs within agency.,
  2. Analyzing and evaluating effectiveness of agency security educational program to identify gaps or weaknesses and providing recommended courses of action.
  3. Communicating with internal and external stakeholders effectively informing on security regulations, procedures and policies.
  4. Conducting security assessments and inspections providing senior leadership with subject matter expert guidance and recommendations to improve the overall security posture of the agency.


Please read the following important information to ensure we have everything we need to consider your application:

  • Do not copy and paste the duties, specialized experience, or occupational assessment questionnaire from this announcement into your resume as that will not be considered a demonstration of your qualifications for this position.


  • Please limit your resume to two pages. The USAJOBS database will not allow an applicant to submit an application that includes a resume over two pages.
  • Your resume serves as the basis for experience related qualification determinations, and you must highlight your most relevant and significant work experience and education (if applicable), as it relates to this job opportunity. Please use your own words, be clear, and specific when describing your work history. We cannot make assumptions regarding your experience.


Are you qualifying based on your work experience?

  • Qualifications are based on your ability to demonstrate in your resume that you possess one year of the specialized experience for this announcement at a comparable scope and responsibility. To ensure all of the essential information is in your resume, we encourage you to use the USAJOBS online Resume Builder. If you choose to use your own resume, it must contain the following information organized by experience/position: (1) job title, (2) name of employer, (3) start and end dates of each period of employment (from MM/DD/YY to MM/DD/YY), (4) detailed description of duties performed, accomplishments, and related skills, and (5) hours worked per week (part-time employment will be prorated in crediting experience). Federal experience/positions must also include the occupational series, grade level, and dates in which you held each grade level.


  • Are you a current or former FEMA Reservist/DAE employee? To accurately credit your experience from intermittent positions and Reservist Deployments, you must list the dates (from MM/DD/YY to MM/DD/YY) of deployments that are relevant to your qualifying experience, along with the job title and specific duties you were responsible for during each deployment.


  • Determining length of General or Specialized Experience is dependent on the above information. Failure to provide the above information in your resume may result in your application being found "not qualified."


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


  • For additional information on crediting experience and/or education, please reference the OPM General Schedule Qualification Standards


Education

No Educational Substitution: There is no educational substitution for this position, and you must meet the qualifications listed in the "requirements" section of this announcement.

Reasonable Accommodation (RA) Requests: If you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended that interferes with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessment, you may request a RA in your online application. Requests and supporting documentation for a RA must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Assessment. Decisions for a RA are made on a case-by-case basis. If your RA request is approved and you meet minimum qualifications, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Assessment. If you receive the USA Hire URL link after the close of the announcement, you must complete all assessments within 48 hours. To determine if you need a RA, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments.

Additional information

  • 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.


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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.

Benefits

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A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.

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; 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.

Review our benefits

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.

About U.S Government

The United States Government is the federal government of the United States, a republic in North America. The government is composed of three branches: the legislative, executive, and judicial branches. The government is responsible for the administration of public policy and the enforcement of laws. The government is funded through a combination of taxes, fees, and borrowing. The government employs more than 21 million people, making it one of the largest employers in the world.
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21,000,000 employees
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