SECURITY SPECIALIST (GS-9/11)
Organization of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
Norfolk, VA · $63k–$99k a year · Posted November 6, 2026
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Where Norfolk, VA ranks
Where Norfolk, VA placed in our monthly rankings, month by month. Each month stays online at its own address.
November 2026
- #6Best cities for junior jobs in Virginia39% · of 26
- #8Best college towns for junior jobs in the Mid-Atlantic40% · of 55
- #8Best cities for junior jobs in the Mid-Atlantic39% · of 85
- #10Best cities for government pay after cost of living$123k · of 18
- #11Best all-round cities for new graduates in the Southeast56 / 100 · of 33
- #12Best college towns for entry-level and junior jobs40% · of 100
Rankings about security jobs
- Best cities for security jobs #1 San Francisco (316 openings)
- Best cities for security pay after cost of living #1 San Mateo ($241k)
- Most requested AI skills in security jobs #1 AI tools in daily work (10.8%)
- Employers with the most security jobs #1 Amazon (318 roles)
Pay compared with the market
This listing pays about $80,585 a year. Across 41 open security specialist listings that state pay, the middle half runs $80,500 to $118,000 and the median is $103,000. That is inside the middle half of those listings, 22% below the median.
Listed pay is what employers advertise, not what people are paid.
About the job
Summary
This position is part of the Organization of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. The incumbent will serve as the Security Manager and administer the Personnel Security Program for U.S. active duty and reserve personnel assigned to NATO HQ Supreme Allied Command Transformation(SACT) and be the primary liaison with external as well as organizational contacts.
Duties
As a SECURITY SPECIALIST at the GS-0080-9/11 some of your typical work assignments may include: Be knowledgeable of U.S. and NATO personnel security regulations. Manage personnel in the National Background Investigative Service (NBIS) application, validate eligibility, and ensureappropriate national security clearance is held. Serve as Facility Security Officer for NATO Direct Hire civilians and Independent Contractors hired directly by SACT. Manage personnel in NBIS and assist new employees with security requirements. Work closely with ACT Civilian Personnel and Security Branch regarding status of new personnel. Provide guidance to contracted companies employed by SACT on correct procedures to process contractor Request for Visit (RFV) and NSCCs through DCSA International Assurance Programs.
Qualifications
This is a Career Ladder Position. If selected at the GS-9 level, the incumbent may be noncompetitively promoted to the GS-11 level (JX14379), without further competition once time-in-grade, training, satisfactory performance, and other requirements of the higher grade level is met. You may qualify at the GS-09, if you fulfill the following qualifications: A. One year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-07 grade level in the Federal service: Recognizing NATO security policy as it pertains to personnel and information security. Recognizing relationships between NATO military command structure, missions, programs, and organizational relationships with all levels of U.S. government, industry, and NATO organizations. Identifying a wide range of U.S. security policies and practices to analyze and resolve complex security problems involving access and accessibility of Foreign Nationals into U.S. secure facilities and spaces. Reviewing Joint Travel Regulations, Joint Federal Travel Regulations and Travel Card Program, and the Foreign Clearance Guide, as they apply to temporary duty orders, emergency leave situations, and other unusual circumstances involving the expenditure of travel funds. OR B. Education Substitution: Masters or equivalent graduate degree OR 2 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree or LL.B. or J.D., if related. OR C. Combination of education and specialized experience: You have some specialized experience as described in A, but less than one year; and you have more than one year but less than two years of education as described in B. You have computed the percentage of the requirements that you meet, and the total is at least 100%. (To compute the percentage, divide your total months of qualifying experience by 12. Then divide your semester hours of graduate education beyond the first year by 18. Add the two percentages. The total percentage must equal at least 100 percent to qualify.) You may qualify at the GS-11, if you fulfill the following qualifications: A. One year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-09 grade level in the Federal service: Recognizing personnel, physical, and industrial security, along with knowledge of foreign relations, foreign disclosure, intelligence, finance, administration etc, to fulfill responsibilities, interpret, and implement national/NATO policies, intentions, and obligations. Identifying NATO security policy as it pertains to personnel and information security, and understand relationships between NATO military command structure, missions, programs, and organizational relationships with all levels of U.S. government, industry, and NATO organizations. Reviewing Foreign Visit Request process and Security Policy Automation Network (SPAN) of latest U.S. security access restrictions applicable to Foreign Nationals assigned to SACT, access controls of Foreign Nationals visiting from Europe and other NATO / SACT commands and agreements NATO has with U.S. government organizations. OR B. Education Substitution: Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree OR 3 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree or LL.M., if related. OR C. Combination of education and specialized experience: You have some specialized experience as described in A, but less than one year; and you have more than one year but less than two years of education as described in B. You have computed the percentage of the requirements that you meet, and the total is at least 100%. (To compute the percentage, divide your total months of qualifying experience by 12. Then divide your semester hours of graduate education beyond the first year by 18. Add the two percentages. The total percentage must equal at least 100 percent to qualify.) *NOTE: If substituting education for experience, failure to provide transcripts will result in you being rated ineligible for this position. 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.
Education
ARE YOU USING YOUR EDUCATION TO QUALIFY? You MUST provide transcripts or other documentation to support your educational claims. All materials must be submitted by the closing date of the announcement. GRADUATE EDUCATION: One academic year of graduate education is considered to be the number of credits hours that your graduate school has determined to represent one academic year of full-time study. Such study may have been performed on a full-time or part-time basis. If you cannot obtain your graduate school's definition of one year of graduate study, 18 semester hours (or 27 quarter hours) should be considered as satisfying the requirement for one year of full-time graduate study. Foreign education may be qualifying if a private organization specializing in interpreting foreign education programs has deemed the foreign education equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program or a U.S. accredited college or university has given full credit for the foreign courses. Unofficial transcripts from U.S. Department of Education accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions listing your name, the name of the school, the date and degree awarded, and the list of classes and credits earned are acceptable for the application process. If selected, official transcripts are required before a firm job offer is made. A photocopy of your degree/diploma is not acceptable. When relying on foreign education, submit transcripts and a copy of the equivalency evaluation results letter with a course-by-course listing. Documents must be in English or include an English translation. The hiring employer for this position does not evaluate degrees from foreign colleges or universities. For further information, visit: Foreign Education
How you will be evaluated
To apply for this position, you must complete the online application and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section below. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on the closing date to receive consideration. To begin, click Apply Online to access an online application. Follow the prompts to select your USAJOBS resume and/or other supporting documents. You will need to be logged into your USAJOBS account or you may need to create a new account. You will be taken to an online application. Complete the online application, verify the required documentation, and submit the application. NOTE: Resumes up to a total of two pages will be accepted. Resumes exceeding two pages will be removed from consideration. You will receive an email notification when your application has been received for the announcement. To verify the status of your application, log into your USAJOBS account, https://www.usajobs.gov, select the Application Status link and then select the More Information link for this position. The Application Status page will display the status of your application, the documentation received and processed, and your responses submitted to the online application. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process. To preview the questionnaire, please go to https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/13108907. To review the status of an application through USAJOBS: 1. Log into your USAJOBS account 2. Click Application Status within your profile to expand your application 3. Locate the job announcement and click the more information link under the Status column for this position. You will be routed to Application Manager. The Details tab displays by default. The Details tab displays comprehensive information about the selected Application Package including: assessment(s) and the status, supporting documents and their status, correspondence sent to you by the hiring agency, and your application processing status. To fax supporting documents you are unable to upload, complete this cover page http://staffing.opm.gov/pdf/usascover.pdf . Fax your documents to 1-478-757-3144. You are highly encouraged to submit your application package and complete your assessment questionnaire on-line. Please review the General Application Information and Definitions at: https://www.dla.mil/Portals/104/Documents/Careers/downloads/DoDGenAppInfo%2012-1-2020.pdf?ver=ECNbdsHtGilTd3OENN4A0Q%3d%3d
How to apply
To apply for this position, you must complete the online application and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section below. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on the closing date to receive consideration. To begin, click Apply Online to access an online application. Follow the prompts to select your USAJOBS resume and/or other supporting documents. You will need to be logged into your USAJOBS account or you may need to create a new account. You will be taken to an online application. Complete the online application, verify the required documentation, and submit the application. NOTE: Resumes up to a total of two pages will be accepted. Resumes exceeding two pages will be removed from consideration. You will receive an email notification when your application has been received for the announcement. 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 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. Visit the USA Hire Applicant Resource Center for practice assessments and assessment preparation resources at https://support-usahire.opm.gov/hc/en-us. To verify the status of your application, log into your USAJOBS account, https://www.usajobs.gov, select the Application Status link and then select the More Information link for this position. The Application Status page will display the status of your application, the documentation received and processed, and your responses submitted to the online application. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process. To preview the questionnaire, please go to https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/13108907. Please review the General Application Information and Definitions at: https://www.dla.mil/Portals/104/Documents/Careers/downloads/DoDGenAppInfo%2012-1-2020.pdf?ver=ECNbdsHtGilTd3OENN4A0Q%3d%3d
Other information
Veterans Employment Opportunity Act (VEOA): To be eligible for a VEOA appointment under Merit Promotion procedures, the veteran must be a preference eligible or a veteran separated after 3 years or more of continuous active service performed under honorable conditions. Interagency Career Transition Assistance Programs: This program applies to employees who have been involuntarily separated from a Federal service position within the competitive service or Federal service employees whose positions have been deemed surplus or no longer needed. To receive selection priority for this position, you must: 1) meet ICTAP eligibility criteria; 2) be rated well-qualified for the position; Well qualified is defined as possessing the type and quality of experience that exceeds the positions minimum qualifications. and 3) submit the appropriate documentation to support your ICTAP eligibility. For more information: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/workforce-restructuring/employee-guide-to-career-transition/. Noncompetitive Appointment Authorities: For more information on noncompetitive appointment authority eligibility requirements: Persons with Disabilities - Schedule A Special Hiring Authority for Veterans Special Hiring Authority for Certain Military Spouses Other Special Appointment Authorities - Subpart F Males born after 12-31-59 must be registered or exempt from Selective Service (see https://www.sss.gov/register/) The selecting official may choose to conduct interviews, and once the selection is made, you will receive a notification of the decision. NOTE: Declining to be interviewed or failure to report for a scheduled interview will be considered as a declination for further consideration for employment against this vacancy. Selective Service Requirement: Please visit http://www.sss.gov for more information. For more information, please visit https://www.dla.mil/Portals/104/Documents/Careers/downloads/DoDGenAppInfo%2012-1-2020.pdf?ver=ECNbdsHtGilTd3OENN4A0Q%3d%3d Other Notes: Re-employed Annuitant: This position DOES NOT meet criteria for re-employed annuitant. The DoD criteria for hiring Re-employed Annuitants can be found at: https://www.esd.whs.mil/Portals/54/Documents/DD/issuances/140025/1400.25-V300.pdf Status candidates must meet time-in-grade requirements (52 weeks at the next lower grade level).