Summary

The mission for the Supervisory Law Enforcement Specialist is to provide law enforcement, protective services, and investigative services to the VA Community, which includes Veterans, federal employees, affiliates, contractors, visitors, and others who receive services, work, or visit VA (VHA, VBA, & VCA) facilities nationwide. Serves as the Field Chief, senior law enforcement authority for the VA Police Service.

Duties

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The Supervisory Law Enforcement Specialist provides executive leadership and strategic oversight of law enforcement operations,

physical security, crisis intervention programs, and compliance activities across a multi-facility catchment area. Promote to the Veterans Affairs community and community partners in Public Safety, an integrated national approach to crisis intervention, suicide prevention, and Veteran Centric Law Enforcement strategies.

Major Duties for the position include but not limited to:

Supervisory and Personnel Management (55%)

• Oversees systemic compliance reviews, vulnerability assessments, and physical security surveys, approves corrective action plans, and monitors resolution of deficiencies.
• Directs investigations of major incidents, criminal activity, and security breaches, ensuring evidentiary integrity and legal sufficiency of case packages.
• Implements enterprise risk management strategies to mitigate threats and enhance security posture across all facilities.
• Provides executive leadership and guidance to subordinate supervisors and managers in implementing policies, procedures, and directives of senior management.
• Establishes and interprets performance standards for organizational units and ensures subordinate supervisors effectively communicate expectations and provide feedback to their teams.
• Identifies organizational training needs and ensures supervisors facilitate employee development opportunities to maintain and enhance workforce capabilities.
• Monitors workplace climate and takes proactive steps to resolve systemic issues and maintain employee engagement.

Enforcement and Investigations (15%)

• Provides executive leadership and strategic oversight for all law enforcement and investigative operations within the established geographic area.
• Establishes policies and operational standards for enforcement activities, ensuring compliance with federal, state, and local laws, VA directives.
• Reviews and approves investigative reports and recommendations for administrative or legal actions, and ensures timely resolution of compliance issues.

Crisis Intervention/Suicide Prevention (15%)

• Develops policies and protocols for responding to Veterans experiencing mental health crises.
• Represents the Office of Security and Law Enforcement in interagency forums to strengthen collaboration with federal, state, and local public safety agencies.

Compliance and Inspections (15%)

• Establishes policies and operational standards for inspections, vulnerability assessments, and security surveys.
• Reviews and approves inspection findings and corrective action plans, and coordinates with Contracting Officer's Technical Representatives (COTRs).
• Analyzes trends and systemic issues in physical security compliance, recommending policy updates and resource allocations to enhance program effectiveness.
• Ensures subordinate managers maintain accurate documentation and reporting standards in accordance with
  VA directives and federal guidelines.
• Serves as a key advisor on physical security policy, compliance risk, and strategic planning to safeguard VA facilities, personnel, and assets.

Work Schedule: Full-time; Monday - Friday; 07:00am-5:30pm

Telework: This position may be authorized for telework. Ad-hoc only

Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Position Description/PD#: Supervisory Law Enforcement Specialist (Chief of Police)/PD00251A

Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: May be authorized for highly qualified candidates

Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job
• All applicants tentatively selected for VA employment in a testing designated position are subject to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment. Applicants who refuse to be tested will be denied employment with VA.
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959
• 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 identification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP)

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary period or 2-year trial 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 or trial period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 09/09/2026.

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-13 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-12. 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.

Minimum Qualification Requirements:

To qualify for this position, you must have at least one (1) year of specialized experience that has equipped you with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to successfully perform the duties of this position. To be creditable, experience must have been equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-12) in the Federal service. Specialized experience includes: Operating, directing, and controlling law enforcement and physical security activities; assessing situations and determining appropriate responses; responding to active threat situations; delegating work and evaluating performance of police personnel; providing training on equipment and security systems; conducting arrests, investigating criminal activities, and protecting crime scenes; and ensuring the safety of staff and visitors while on facility property. This experience must be detailed in your resume to receive credit.

Motor Vehicle Operation: Applicants must possess a valid, must possess and maintain a valid automobile driver's license and be available for frequent travel. Applicants are required to pass agency Government Vehicle Drivers physical examination. NOTE: We cannot accept photographs, therefore; please do not submit a copy of your driver's license with your application package. If an interview is requested, you may be required to provide a copy of your valid state-issued driver's license.

Firearm Requirement: The incumbent will be required to carry a firearm or firearms while performing the duties of this position. Maintaining firearm proficiency is also mandatory. VA Police Officers are required to carry agency-approved firearms while on duty on VA property. Officers must achieve and maintain qualification/certification with the agency-approved firearms as condition of gaining and continuing employment as a Police Officer. Applicants must be able to possess firearms under the terms of the Gun Control Act of 1968, as amended (18 U.S.C. 922(g)(9)).

Physical Demands and Work Environment:: Prior to appointment, the person selected for this position must be determined physically fit by an authorized government physician to perform strenuous and physically demanding duties, which may include protecting citizens, taking suspects into custody using reasonable physical force in the face of physical resistance, and responding to situations requiring physical agility and quick and legally sufficient decision making. Also successfully pass a pre-employment medical examination (which includes, but is not limited to, vision, hearing, cardiovascular, physical, psychological exam, and mobility of extremities) given by an authorized government physician. This position may be subject to periodic incumbent examinations in the future.

You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position:

• Education and Training
• Managing Human Resources
• Physical Security
• Security

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: Work involves on-site work requiring prolonged walking over flat and even surfaces, working in confined spaces, crouching, bending, crawling, standing, and climbing. The work requires outside exposure to altemperatures. Also requires moderate to arduous physical exertion and possible exposure to personal danger.

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-standards/.

Education

There is no educational substitution at this grade level.

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: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/.

Additional information

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.

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.

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.