Job Details

Physical Security Specialist (Uniformed)

This position is located within the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), Veterans Health Administration (VHA), Police Service (PS). The mission of the PS is to serve and protect Veterans, patients, employees, contractors, volunteers, affiliates, visitors, and others who frequent VA facilities. Safety and security are paramount to ensuring that the VA successfully serve and honor the men and women who are America's Veterans.

Responsibilities include but are not limited to:

• Serving as a uniformed Physical Security Specialist providing services on behalf of the VHA, PCS, including assisting in managing the Security Program for the Medical Center/Health Care System which ensures that individuals requiring access have been vetted.
• Providing physical security support for Veterans Health Administration, Veterans Benefits Administration, National Cemetery Administration and Veterans Administration Regional Office (VHA/VBA/NCA/VARO).
• Assisting in evaluating risk and developing procedures and physical security measures designed to safeguard personnel, property, and operations from unauthorized access, espionage, terrorism, sabotage, damage and theft.
• Participating with senior-level Physical Security Specialist and providing suggestions to the Chief of Police regarding matters pertaining to security systems and security of other VA/VHA/NCA/VARO assets.
• Serving on focused groups regarding physical security policy, doctrine, utility and implementation.
• Providing input in discussions and drafts changes for higher leadership's review and approval.
• Ensuring security requirements, including appropriate safeguards, cameras, panic and intrusion alarms are implemented.
• Monitoring and evaluating existing present and planned security projects to ensure timely and quality service conforms to statutory, contractual and technical requirements.
• Providing input during assigned phases of the design and construction of planned Veterans Health Administration (VHA) projects concerning security engineering and electronic security systems.
• Working closely with senior Physical Security Specialist to gain an understanding of requirements of contracting officers to ensure VA and contractor compliance with Federal/VA security protocols during construction.
• Collecting information and preparing reports on the facilities compliance with VA operations, regulations Physical Security and Physical Access Control Systems (PACs).
• Level resources and knowledge of security program interrelationships.
• Identifying conflicts between VHA and OIT Security requirements/regulations during security surveys.
• Researching the requirements for each service and suggesting courses of action to the Supervisor for a final decision.

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8:00am to 4:30pm Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized

Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved

Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

Requirements Conditions of Employment:

You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job.

To be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. In addition to the application and questionnaire, this position requires an online assessment. The online assessment measures critical general competencies required to perform the job.

Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959

Physical Requirements: The work required does not inherently include any physical requirements essential for successful job performance that could not otherwise be performed with accommodation or workplace adjustment. A pre-placement physical examination is not required.

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.

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.

Qualifications:

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 12/29/2025.

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-09 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-07. 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.

You may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below:

Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-07 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: providing physical security and assistance to groups and individuals entering facility or campus; ensuring compliance with security procedures designed to safeguard personnel and property; applying knowledge of security and protection regulations, policies, procedures, and practices; utilizing various security equipment and devices; making/sharing recommendations to improve security processes. Performs law enforcement assignment such as, responding to reports of crimes and/or calls for police assistance; securing crime scenes and/or accident sites; takes appropriate actions in emergency situations; conducts investigations; keep abreast of law enforcement rules, regulations and techniques. Applicants must possess excellent communication skills.

OR, Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have successfully completed a master's or equivalent graduate degree, or two (2) full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree, in a field related to physical security that demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of this position.

OR, Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have an combination of specialized experience and education beyond the first year of graduate school or 18 semester hours and specialized experience to meet total experience requirements.

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

• Personnel Security and Safety
• Public Safety and Security
• Computer Skills
• Interpersonal Skills

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.

Physical Requirements:

• Heavy lifting, 45 pounds and over
• Heavy carrying, 45 pounds and over
• Straight pulling (0.5 hours)
• Pulling hand over hand (0.5 hours)
• Pushing (0.5 hours)
• Reaching above shoulder
• Use of fingers
• Both hands required
• Walking (4 hours)
• Standing (4 hours)
• Crawling (0.5 hours)
• Kneeling (0.5 hours)
• Repeated bending (0.5 hours)
• Climbing, legs only (0.5 hours)
• Climbing, use of legs and arms