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Supervisory Law Enforcement Specialist (Area Commander) (GS-13)

DHS Headquarters

Los Angeles, CA · $109k–$168k a year · Posted October 28, 2026

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About the job

Summary

This position is located in the Department of Homeland Security, Federal Protective Service (FPS), Atlanta, Georgia; Augusta, Maine; Camden, New Jersey; Central Islip, New York; Denver, Colorado; Detroit, Michigan; Fort Worth, Texas; Kansas City, Missouri; Los Angeles, California; Miami, Florida; Savannah, Georgia; Washington, District of Columbia; Woodlawn, Maryland.

Duties

Federal Protective Service is hiring for law enforcement jobs that have an exciting opportunity! Once onboarded, you may be assigned for up to one year to support the D.C. Safe and Beautiful Task Force. The law enforcement component of the D.C. Task Force is a partnership of over 20 federal and local agencies working together to make D.C. the safest city in America. Once the assignment ends, you'll transition back to support the Federal Protective Service. Visit the D.C. Task Force page for more information. The primary purpose of this position is to serve as a Supervisory Law Enforcement Specialist (Area Commander). The mission of FPS within DHS is to prevent, protect, respond to and recover from terrorism, criminal acts and other hazards threaten the United States Government's critical infrastructure, services, and the people who provide or receive them. Duties performed: Conducts law enforcement duties as an official under Title 40 US Code, Section 1315; Serve on Facility Security Committees as senior Federal Protective Service (FPS) representative providing guidance on physical security, investigations, and law enforcement; Supervises a geographically dispersed workforce ensuring overall work products based on operational and organizational goals; Plans, schedules, coordinates, and monitors the operational effectiveness of staff based on organizational goals and/or milestones; and Interact with local, state, and Federal law enforcement officials to ensure effective exchange of accurate crime data and related information.

Qualifications

Applicants must demonstrate that they meet the Specialized Experience requirements as noted below. Specialized Experience: GS-13: Applicant must demonstrate one full year of specialized experience comparable in scope and responsibility to the GS-12 level in the Federal service (obtained in either the public or private sectors) performing the following duties: Providing guidance on threat vulnerabilities and assessments relating to physical security; Conducting analyses, evaluations and internal inspections of security programs to propose solutions to security problems that have an impact on existing security systems; Applying technical expertise to evaluate complex physical security, investigative, and/or law enforcement issues and recommend solutions or corrective actions; AND Supervising or developing team members by providing guidance and support on agency policies, procedures, or performance standards. NOTE: Your resume must explicitly indicate how you meet this requirement, otherwise you will be found ineligible. Limit your resume to two pages. Only resumes 2 pages in length will be accepted to determine eligibility and qualifications. Time-in-Grade Requirements: Under competitive merit promotion procedures, any individual who is currently holding, or who has held within the previous 52 weeks, a General Schedule position under a non-temporary appointment in the competitive or excepted service, must meet "time-in-grade" requirements (have served 52 weeks at the next lower grade of the grade for which you are applying). Time-In-Grade requirements also apply to current competitive service employees applying for a Veterans Employment Opportunities Act of 1998 (VEOA) appointment. NOTE: All current or former Federal employees must provide a copy of their SF-50 (you may need to submit more than one), "Notice of Personnel Action" that indicates proof of status and time-in-grade eligibility. The SF-50 must include your position, title, series, grade, step, tenure (1 or 2), and type of service (Competitive or Excepted). You may need to submit more than one SF-50 to comply. All qualification requirements must be met by the closing date of this announcement. Qualification claims will be subject to verification. NOTE: 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. Additional Conditions of Employment: Law Enforcement: This position shall possess law enforcement authority under Title 40 of the United States Code, Section 1315, exercising such authority relating to criminal offenses to provide investigative and law enforcement services to tenant agencies, Federal employees and members of the general public located in/or conducting business in government-owned or leased properties. The position performs uniformed law enforcement authority under Title 40 of the United States Code, Section 1315, exercising such authority relating to criminal offenses to provide investigative and law enforcement services to customer agencies, Federal employees and members of the general public located and/or conducting business in government-owned or leased properties. Training: Incumbent must meet the established experience, basic training and in service training requirements established for the enforcement of police powers. Incumbent must successfully complete the designated, required training which includes the basic Criminal Investigators Training Program (CITP) at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC) or the Uniformed Police Training Program (UPTP), the Advanced Individual Training Program (AITP) and the Physical Security Training Program (PSTP). Additionally, the selectee must successfully complete the Field Training and Evaluation other in-service requirements and weapons qualifications for the enforcement of arrest authority as conferred under 1315 authority. Pre-Employment Medical Requirement: 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 and mobility of extremities) given by an authorized government physician. This position may be subject to periodic incumbent examinations in the future. Firearms Requirements: The incumbent will be required to carry a firearm while performing duties of this position. Maintaining firearm proficiency is mandatory. The incumbent must satisfactorily complete (or have previously completed) the firearms component of the Criminal Investigation Training Program (CITAP) or Uniformed Police Training Program (UPTP) and qualify quarterly thereafter. Any person who has been convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence cannot lawfully possess a firearm or ammunition. Lautenberg Amendment: This position is covered by the 1996 Lautenberg Amendment to the Gun Control Act of 1968. Persons convicted of a misdemeanor or felony crime of domestic violence are not eligible for the position. Mobility Agreement: This position may require the incumbent to be reassigned to different geographic locations. Accordingly, the incumbent will be required to sign a mobility agreement, which will remain in effect through the duration of the assignment. Motor Vehicle Operation: The incumbent must possess a valid driver's license at the time of appointment.

Requirements

You must be a U.S. citizen to apply for this position. You must successfully pass a background investigation. This may include a credit check, a review of financial issues, as well as certain criminal offenses and illegal use or possession of drugs. Males born after 12/31/59 must be registered or exempt from Selective Service (see http://www.sss.gov/). Complete the initial online assessment and USAHire Assessment, if required One-year probationary period may be required. Must meet Time-In-Grade requirements. This position requires a pre-employment drug test and a negative drug test result prior to appointment into the position must be achieved. 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. DHS uses e-Verify, an Internet-based system, to confirm the eligibility of all newly hired employees to work in the United States. All Federal employees are required to have Federal salary payments made by direct deposit to a financial institution of their choosing. License required: Yes; Valid State Driver's License. This position requires the operation of motor vehicles. Pre-employment physical required: Yes This is a non-bargaining unit position. Permanent Change of Duty Station (PCS) Expenses will not be paid. Promotion Potential: This position is at the full performance level. Supervisory Probationary Period: This is a supervisory position. Under provisions of the Civil Service Reform Act, first time supervisors and/or managers will be required to serve a 1-year probationary period. You may also be required to complete an appropriate supervisory training course within one year of assignment to this position. Essential Personnel: This position may be designated as essential personnel. Essential personnel must be able to serve during continuity of operation everts without regard to declarations of unscheduled leave or government closures due to weather, protests, and acts of terrorism or lack of funding. Failure to report for or remain in this position may result in disciplinary or adverse action in accordance with applicable laws, rules, and regulations (5 U.S.C. § 7501-7533 and 5 CFR Part 752, as applicable). Random Drug Testing: The incumbent of this position is subject to random drug testing. Travel: The incumbent will be required to travel frequently.

How you will be evaluated

You will be evaluated for this position based on how well you meet the qualifications above. Your application package, including your resume, responses to the assessment questionnaire, and any required supporting documentation, will be reviewed to determine whether you meet the minimum qualifications and eligibility requirements for the position. Applicants who do not meet the minimum qualifications will not receive further consideration. 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 will be assessed on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics): Accountability Customer Service Decisiveness Flexibility Interpersonal Skills Problem Solving Resilience For Competitive Merit Promotion and Veterans Employment Opportunities Act (VEOA) Applicants: The highest rated candidates will be referred to the hiring agency. For Noncompetitive Appointment Eligibles: All qualified candidates will be referred to the hiring agency. To preview the assessment questionnaire, click the following link: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/13082946 Veterans Employment Opportunities Act (VEOA): To be eligible for a VEOA appointment, the veteran must 1) be a preference eligible; or 2) be a veteran separated after 3 or more years of continuous active service performed under honorable conditions (you must submit a DD214-member copy 4). Veterans, Peace Corps/VISTA volunteers, 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 required documentation, click on the links above.

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 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. Two Page resume: Effective immediately, all job announcements will enforce a two page resume limit. A resume must be no more than two pages. If an applicant's resume exceeds two-pages, the USA jobs database will not allow the application to be submitted. If a resume is still uploaded and exceeds the two page limit, despite strict instruction not to, the applicant will be rated out and deemed ineligible for further consideration. PLEASE NOTE: If your materials are not received by the closing date, your application will be evaluated solely on the information available and you may not receive full consideration or may not be considered eligible. Also, if you do not provide a valid email address, you may not be notified of the outcome of your application. The application process is as follows: Click the Apply Online button. Answer the questions presented in the application and attach all necessary supporting documentation. Click the Submit Application button prior to 11:59PM (ET) on the announcement closing date. 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 to 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 at least 3 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. For more general information, system requirements, reasonable accommodation information, and to request assistance regarding the USA Hire Assessments, review the following resources: 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: Click on this: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/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 (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 here: https://support-usahire.opm.gov/hc/en-us/articles/45424542500371-How-to-request-a-reasonable-accommodation

Other information

Background Investigation: To ensure the accomplishment of its mission, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) requires each and every employee to be reliable and trustworthy. To meet those standards, all selected applicants must undergo and successfully complete a background investigation for a Top Secret clearance as a condition of placement in this Critical Sensitive position. This review includes 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. Pursuant to Executive Order 12654 and DHS policy, DHS is committed to maintaining a drug-free workplace and, therefore, conducts random and other drug testing of its employees in order to ensure a safe and healthy work environment. Headquarters personnel in safety- or security-sensitive positions are subject to random drug testing and all applicants tentatively selected for employment at DHS Headquarters are subject to drug testing resulting in a negative test result. Current or Former Political Appointees: 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. Interagency/Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP/CTAP): This program applies to Federal service employees whose positions have been deemed surplus or no longer needed, or employees who have been involuntarily separated from a Federal service position within the competitive service. To receive selection priority for this position, you must: 1) meet eligibility criteria for CTAP or ICTAP; 2) be rated well-qualified for the position; and 3) submit the appropriate documentation to support your CTAP or ICTAP eligibility. Well-Qualified includes those applicants whose knowledge, skills, and abilities clearly exceed the minimum qualification requirements for the position. For information on eligibility criteria and required documentation, go to: http://www.opm.gov/rif/employee_guides/career_transition.asp Selective Service: Males born after 12/31/59 must be registered or exempt from Selective Service (see http://www.sss.gov/).