Physical Security Specialist (GS-13)

Summary

This position is located in the Office of Security (OS), Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR), U. S. Department of Justice. The OS administers and oversees security and emergency preparedness programs of EOIR to assure the protection and readiness of its personnel, assets, and information both at headquarters (HQ) and immigration courts nationwide. This is a Competitive Service position; additional positions may be filled from this announcement within 90 days of certificate issuance.

Duties

The duties and responsibilities include, but are not limited to the following: Develops recommendations for the Security Officer on physical security deficiencies that would affect security posture of locations and/or resources. Conducts briefings and provides recommendations to court officials for all security-related matters. Performs cyclic on-site staff assistance visits, inspections, investigations, physical security program evaluations, and special surveys of operations involved in storage, maintenance, renovation, reconfiguration, disposal of equipment, security intrusion detection systems, lock and key control badge and electronic security. Implements and administers a wide range of contingency and emergency preparedness planning efforts to ensure the continuance of essential operations during and following emergency situations.

Qualifications

In order to qualify for the Physical Security Specialist position, you must meet the following time in grade requirements and minimum qualifications: TIME-IN-GRADE REQUIREMENTS: Merit promotion applicants must meet applicable time-in-grade requirements to be considered eligible. One year at the GS-12 level is required to meet the time-in-grade requirements for the GS13 level. (Please submit your SF-50 that shows Time-in-Grade eligibility and reflects your title, series, and grade. If your eligibility for both merit promotion and/or time-in-grade cannot be determined, your application will be rated ineligible. Please see Required Documents for additional information). Time-in-grade requirements also apply to VEOA applicants having held a GS position in the past year. FOR THE GS-13 LEVEL: Specialized Experience: Applicants must have at least one year (52 weeks, full-time) of specialized work experience equivalent to the GS-12 level in the Federal service (or comparable experience outside the Federal service), performing the following duties: Conducting review and analysis of physical security plans, inspection, and survey reports for compliance with existing policies and procedures; AND Providing recommendation on revision of procedures to ensure compliance with existing regulations; AND Implementing and administering a wide range of contingency and emergency preparedness planning to ensure the continuance of operations during emergency situations; AND Conducting security briefings to personnel and management. (Your resume must CLEARLY demonstrate this experience) Applicants must meet all qualifications and eligibility requirements by the closing date of the announcement. IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE MAY NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. If your resume does not support your questionnaire answers, we will not allow credit for your response(s). For more information on the qualifications for this position, click here.

How you will be evaluated

Applicants applying under merit promotion procedures will be rated in accordance with the EOIR's Merit Staffing plan. Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g., resume, supporting documentation), responses to the application questionnaire, and the results of the required online assessments to determine whether you meet the minimum qualifications for the position. If you meet the minimum qualifications, your resume and supporting documentation will be compared to your application questionnaire. If your responses are not supported by your application materials, your score may be lowered and/or you may be excluded from consideration for this job. You will be assessed on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities and other characteristics): Accountability Attention to Detail Customer Service Decision Making Flexibility Influencing/Negotiating Integrity/Honesty Interpersonal Skills Learning Reading Comprehension Reasoning Self-Management Stress Tolerance Teamwork In order to be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. In addition to the application and application questionnaire, this position requires an online assessment. The online assessment measures critical general competencies required to perform the job. The USA Hire Assessments includes 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 the online assessment may also result in your removal from consideration. NOTE: In order to be rated as meeting the minimum qualifications, we must be able to determine from your application package that you have the education and/or specialized experience that is required. Your resume should contain your full name, some form of contact information (phone number, email address and/or living address), and the following employment information: Employer name and location for each position held. From and to dates (MM/YY-MM/YY or from MM/YY to "present") for each position held. The month and year is required to fully credit your time. For part-time positions, please include number of hours worked per week, positions that do not include this information will be assumed as full-time (40 hours a week). Grade/levels held for each federal position. (Ex. GS-11; IR-06; FV-G...etc.) Detailed descriptions of experience under each position held. (Applicants must provide specific supporting examples to show that they meet the qualifications of the position shown in the announcement.) Any submitted documents not required or requested for this vacancy will not be considered (i.e. training certificates, case filings, letter of recommendations, etc.). (ALL INFORMATION IS SUBJECT TO VERIFICATION PRIOR TO FINAL SELECTION.) BASIS OF FINAL RATING: DOJ's Merit Promotion Procedures will be used to evaluate candidates.If you would like to preview the application questionnaire, please see: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/13099492.

How to apply

Please read the entire announcement and all the instructions before you begin an application. To apply and be considered for this position, you must complete all required questionnaires, assessments and submit all required documentation as specified in the How to Apply and Required Documents section. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on the closing date of the announcement to receive consideration. The application process is as follows: To begin the application process, click the Apply Online button. Answer the questions presented in the application and attach all necessary supporting documentation. Occupational questionnaire can be previewed here: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/13099492 Click the Submit Application button prior to 11:59PM (ET) on the announcement closing date, 11/12/2026. 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://help.usajobs.gov/how-to/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. Reasonable Accommodation Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended and Americans with Disabilities Act 1990 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. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. To determine if you need a RA, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments.

Other information

Conditions of Employment: Only U.S. citizens or nationals are eligible for employment with the EOIR. Dual citizenship will be considered on a case-by-case basis. Applicants must also meet DOJ's residency requirement by having, for at least 3 of the 5 years immediately preceding application, either: (1) resided in the U.S., (2) worked overseas for the U.S. Government or military, or (3) been a dependent of a Federal or military employee serving overseas. 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. Candidates will not be hired based on their race, sex, color, religion, or national origin. Career Transition Programs (CTAP or ICTAP): These programs apply to Federal and/or DOJ employees who meet the definition of surplus or displaced from a position in the competitive service. To receive selection priority for this position, you must: Meet CTAP or ICTAP eligibility criteria; Be rated well-qualified for the position [with a score of 85 or above OR rated Highly Qualified] based on the competencies listed above; and Submit the appropriate documentation to support your CTAP or ICTAP eligibility. EEO Statement/Policy: The United States government does not discriminate in employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, pregnancy, national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, membership in an employee organization, retaliation, parental status, military service or other non-merit factor. More information can be found here: https://www.justice.gov/jmd/media/1425556/dl?inline. DOJ Reasonable Accommodation Policy: Federal agencies must provide reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities where appropriate. Applicants requiring reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process should contact the hiring agency directly. Determinations on requests for reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis. The DOJ Reasonable Accommodation policy can be found here: https://www.justice.gov/jmd/reasonable-accommodation#policy Selective Service: If you were born male, on or after December 31, 1959, you must certify that you have registered with the Selective Service System or are exempt from having to do so under the Selective Service Law. Additional information is found at: www.sss.gov. Fair Chance to Compete for Jobs: The Fair Chance Act prohibits Federal agencies from requesting an applicant's criminal history information before the agency makes a conditional offer of employment. If you believe a DOJ employee or Federal contractor acting on its behalf has violated your rights under this Act, you may submit a written complaint within 30 days of the date of the alleged non-compliance directly to EOIR.HR_Application_Review@usdoj.gov. Note: In accordance with 5 U.S. Code § 9202(c) and 5 C.F.R § 920.201(b) certain positions are exempt from the provisions of the Fair Chance Act.This position is excluded from the bargaining unit. This position is excluded from the bargaining unit.