What are the responsibilities and job description for the Personnel Security Specialist position at U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)?
Summary
View Common Definitions of terms found in this announcement.
Organizational Location: These positions are located in the Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Office of Professional Responsibility, in Farmers Branch, Texas and Washington, District of Columbia.
These are non-bargaining unit positions.
Learn more about this agency
Duties
As a Personnel Security Specialist, at the full performance level, you will perform the following duties:
Conditions of Employment
Please limit your resume to 5 pages. If more than 5 pages are submitted, only the first 5 pages will be reviewed to determine your eligibility/qualifications.
IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. If your resume does not support your questionnaire answers, we will not allow credit for your response(s).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.
Do not copy and paste the duties, specialized experience, or occupational assessment questionnaire from this announcement into your resume as that will not be considered a demonstration of your qualifications for this position.
You qualify for the GS-09 grade level if you possess one of the following:
Specialized Experience: Must have at least one full-time year (52 weeks) of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-07 grade level in the Federal service (or comparable level of experience from outside the Federal service) performing ALL of the following duties:
Education: Successfully completed two (2) full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a master's degree or equivalent graduate degree, or possess a master's degree, LL.B, or J.D., if related, from an accredited college or university in Criminal Justice, Homeland Security, Public Administration, Business or another closely related field which provided the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of the position. You must submit a copy of your college transcripts (official or unofficial). OR
Combination of Education and Experience: Possess less than one year of experience as described above and less than 2 years of education as described above. However, your combination of experience and education equals at least 100% of the total requirement. Only graduate-level education in excess of one year (generally 18 semester hours) may be used in this calculation.
You must submit a copy of your college transcripts (official or unofficial), and your resume must explicitly indicate how you meet the experience.
You qualify for the GS-11 grade level if you possess one of the following:
Specialized Experience: Must have at least one full-time year (52 weeks) of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-09 grade level in the Federal service (or comparable level of experience from outside the Federal service) performing ALL of the following duties:
Education: Successfully completed three (3) full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree, or possess a Ph.D. or LL.M., if related, from an accredited college or university in Criminal Justice, Homeland Security, Public Administration, Business or another closely related field which provided the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of the position.
You must submit a copy of your college transcripts (official or unofficial) . OR
Combination of Education and Experience: Possess less than one year of experience as described above and less than 3 years of education as described above. However, your combination of experience and education equals at least 100% of the total requirement. Only graduate-level education in excess of two years (generally 36 semester hours) may be used in this calculation.
You must submit a copy of your college transcripts (official or unofficial), and your resume must explicitly indicate how you meet the experience.
You qualify for the GS-12 level if you possess the following:
Specialized Experience: Must have at least one full-time year (52 weeks) of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-11 grade level in the Federal service (or comparable level of experience from outside the Federal service) performing ALL of the following duties:
Qualification requirements must be met by the closing date of this announcement. Qualification claims will be subject to verification.
Writing Sample: Candidates who are invited to interview for this position may be asked to provide a writing sample upon interview scheduling. Candidates will be informed of the writing sample topics, requirements, and deadline at the time of scheduling. Please note, the writing sample is not due as part of the initial application process and is only asked by candidates who are extended an invitation to interview.
National Service Experience (i.e., volunteer experience): 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.
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.
The Department of Homeland Security encourages persons with disabilities to apply, to include persons with intellectual, severe physical or psychiatric disabilities, as defined by 5 CFR 213.3102(u), and/or Disabled Veterans with a compensable service-connected disability of 30 percent or more as defined by 5 CFR 315.707. 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 or contact the Servicing Human Resources Office listed at the bottom of this announcement.
Additional Information
Promotion Potential: When promotion potential is shown, the agency is not making a commitment and is not obligated to provide future promotions to you if you are selected. Future promotions will be dependent on your ability to perform the duties at a higher level, the continuing need for an employee assigned to the higher level, and administrative approval.
Suitability: 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, prior to entry on duty. False statements on any part of the application may result in withdrawal of offer of employment, dismissal after beginning work, fine, or imprisonment.
Background Investigation: To ensure the accomplishment of our mission, DHS requires every employee to be reliable and trustworthy. To meet these standards, all selected applicants must undergo and successfully obtain and maintain a background investigation for Top Secret as a condition of placement into this position. This may include a credit check, a review of 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.
This announcement will close at 11:59 PM (ET) on 01/27/2025, or 11:59 PM (ET) the day when 100 applications are received, which may be sooner than the closing date. Applicants must meet all eligibility and qualification requirements by the closing date of the announcement.
This announcement is to create an inventory of qualified applicants. The first 100 applicants will receive first consideration. Additional applicants, beyond the first 100 may be considered, upon management 's request. Due to high volume of applicants, not all applicants will be considered.
Benefits: DHS offers competitive salaries and an attractive benefits package, including: health, dental, vision, life, and long-term care insurance; retirement plan; Thrift Savings Plan [similar to a 401(k)]; Flexible Spending Account; Employee Assistance Program; personal leave days; and paid federal holidays. Other benefits may include: flexible work schedules; telework; tuition reimbursement; transportation subsidies; uniform allowance; health and wellness programs; and fitness centers. DHS is committed to employee development and offers a variety of employee training and developmental opportunities. For more information, go to the DHS Careers website and select "Benefits." Disabled veteran leave will be available to any Federal employee hired on or after November 5, 2016, who is a veteran with a service-connected disability rating of 30 percent or more.
E-Verify: DHS uses E-Verify, an Internet-based system, to confirm the eligibility of all newly hired employees to work in the United States. Learn more about E-Verify , including your rights and responsibilities.
Salary: The salary range indicated in this announcement reflects the lowest and highest potential salaries for this position. The actual salary range will be based on the applicable locality pay for the selected duty location. General Schedule locality pay tables may be found under Salaries & Wages .
A student loan repayment incentive may be available, in which case a service agreement will be required.
Read more
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.
How You Will Be Evaluated
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
We Will Review Your Resume And Supporting Documentation To Ensure You Meet The Minimum Qualification Requirements. The Competencies Or Knowledge, Skills, And Abilities Needed To Perform This Job Are:
Veterans: Although the Direct Hire Authority permits hiring without regard to Veterans Preference, applicants who are eligible for Veterans Preference are still encouraged to include that information in their application and submit supporting documentation (i.e. DD-214, or other substantiating documents). This position is not considered scientific/professional. View information on veterans' preference .
Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP) Eligibles: If you have never worked for the federal government, you are not ICTAP eligible. View information about ICTAP eligibility on OPM's Career Transition Resources website. To be considered well qualified under ICTAP, you must be placed in the well-qualified category for this position. In addition, you must submit the supporting documents listed under the required documents section of this job announcement.
Pursuant to Executive Order 12564, and the DHS Drug-Free Workplace Plan, ICE is committed to maintaining a drug-free workplace and, therefore, personnel in safety- or security-sensitive positions (testing designated positions) are subject to random drug testing. Moreover, other drug testing of employees (e.g., reasonable suspicion drug test) may be conducted in order to ensure a safe and healthy work environment. All applicants tentatively selected for employment at ICE are subject to pre-employment drug testing and a final offer of employment is contingent upon a negative drug test result.
View Common Definitions of terms found in this announcement.
Organizational Location: These positions are located in the Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Office of Professional Responsibility, in Farmers Branch, Texas and Washington, District of Columbia.
These are non-bargaining unit positions.
Learn more about this agency
Duties
As a Personnel Security Specialist, at the full performance level, you will perform the following duties:
- Adjudicate background investigation reports and make national security eligibility and suitability determinations for individuals for entry and retention in sensitive, non-sensitive, and/or public trust positions;
- Research case management systems and provide personnel security related information to internal and external parties; and
- Implement policies and procedures for the Personnel Security and Suitability Program in accordance with applicable laws, Executive Orders, and Office of Personnel Management guidelines.
Conditions of Employment
- You must be a U.S. citizen to apply for this position.
- You must successfully pass a background investigation.
- You must successfully pass a drug screen.
- Males born after 12/31/59 must certify registration with Selective Service.
- Requirements by Closing Date: Unless otherwise noted, you must meet all requirements by the closing date of the announcement.
- Probationary Period: This is a full-time permanent position (Career/Career-Conditional appointment). Upon appointment to this position, you may be required to serve a one-year probationary period.
Please limit your resume to 5 pages. If more than 5 pages are submitted, only the first 5 pages will be reviewed to determine your eligibility/qualifications.
IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. If your resume does not support your questionnaire answers, we will not allow credit for your response(s).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.
Do not copy and paste the duties, specialized experience, or occupational assessment questionnaire from this announcement into your resume as that will not be considered a demonstration of your qualifications for this position.
You qualify for the GS-09 grade level if you possess one of the following:
Specialized Experience: Must have at least one full-time year (52 weeks) of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-07 grade level in the Federal service (or comparable level of experience from outside the Federal service) performing ALL of the following duties:
- Reviewing personnel security questionnaires and supporting documents for accuracy and completeness;
- Verifying previous background investigations of applicants, contractors, and other personnel;
- Utilizing various databases to perform security checks, which may include, but are not limited to criminal history and financial records; and
- Validating the level of background investigation and sensitivity level required for the position.
Education: Successfully completed two (2) full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a master's degree or equivalent graduate degree, or possess a master's degree, LL.B, or J.D., if related, from an accredited college or university in Criminal Justice, Homeland Security, Public Administration, Business or another closely related field which provided the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of the position. You must submit a copy of your college transcripts (official or unofficial). OR
Combination of Education and Experience: Possess less than one year of experience as described above and less than 2 years of education as described above. However, your combination of experience and education equals at least 100% of the total requirement. Only graduate-level education in excess of one year (generally 18 semester hours) may be used in this calculation.
You must submit a copy of your college transcripts (official or unofficial), and your resume must explicitly indicate how you meet the experience.
You qualify for the GS-11 grade level if you possess one of the following:
Specialized Experience: Must have at least one full-time year (52 weeks) of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-09 grade level in the Federal service (or comparable level of experience from outside the Federal service) performing ALL of the following duties:
- Reviewing security paperwork and database checks for completeness and accuracy;
- Determining suitability or security eligibility of individuals;
- Preparing adjudication summaries for suitability/fitness or security clearance findings; and
- Making recommendations for final suitability/fitness determination or security eligibility determinations.
Education: Successfully completed three (3) full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree, or possess a Ph.D. or LL.M., if related, from an accredited college or university in Criminal Justice, Homeland Security, Public Administration, Business or another closely related field which provided the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of the position.
You must submit a copy of your college transcripts (official or unofficial) . OR
Combination of Education and Experience: Possess less than one year of experience as described above and less than 3 years of education as described above. However, your combination of experience and education equals at least 100% of the total requirement. Only graduate-level education in excess of two years (generally 36 semester hours) may be used in this calculation.
You must submit a copy of your college transcripts (official or unofficial), and your resume must explicitly indicate how you meet the experience.
You qualify for the GS-12 level if you possess the following:
Specialized Experience: Must have at least one full-time year (52 weeks) of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-11 grade level in the Federal service (or comparable level of experience from outside the Federal service) performing ALL of the following duties:
- Applying adjudicative guidelines or suitability/fitness standards;
- Obtaining sufficient evidence to support security or suitability/fitness determinations; and
- Making complex security and suitability/fitness decisions.
Qualification requirements must be met by the closing date of this announcement. Qualification claims will be subject to verification.
Writing Sample: Candidates who are invited to interview for this position may be asked to provide a writing sample upon interview scheduling. Candidates will be informed of the writing sample topics, requirements, and deadline at the time of scheduling. Please note, the writing sample is not due as part of the initial application process and is only asked by candidates who are extended an invitation to interview.
National Service Experience (i.e., volunteer experience): 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.
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.
The Department of Homeland Security encourages persons with disabilities to apply, to include persons with intellectual, severe physical or psychiatric disabilities, as defined by 5 CFR 213.3102(u), and/or Disabled Veterans with a compensable service-connected disability of 30 percent or more as defined by 5 CFR 315.707. 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 or contact the Servicing Human Resources Office listed at the bottom of this announcement.
Additional Information
Promotion Potential: When promotion potential is shown, the agency is not making a commitment and is not obligated to provide future promotions to you if you are selected. Future promotions will be dependent on your ability to perform the duties at a higher level, the continuing need for an employee assigned to the higher level, and administrative approval.
Suitability: 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, prior to entry on duty. False statements on any part of the application may result in withdrawal of offer of employment, dismissal after beginning work, fine, or imprisonment.
Background Investigation: To ensure the accomplishment of our mission, DHS requires every employee to be reliable and trustworthy. To meet these standards, all selected applicants must undergo and successfully obtain and maintain a background investigation for Top Secret as a condition of placement into this position. This may include a credit check, a review of 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.
This announcement will close at 11:59 PM (ET) on 01/27/2025, or 11:59 PM (ET) the day when 100 applications are received, which may be sooner than the closing date. Applicants must meet all eligibility and qualification requirements by the closing date of the announcement.
This announcement is to create an inventory of qualified applicants. The first 100 applicants will receive first consideration. Additional applicants, beyond the first 100 may be considered, upon management 's request. Due to high volume of applicants, not all applicants will be considered.
Benefits: DHS offers competitive salaries and an attractive benefits package, including: health, dental, vision, life, and long-term care insurance; retirement plan; Thrift Savings Plan [similar to a 401(k)]; Flexible Spending Account; Employee Assistance Program; personal leave days; and paid federal holidays. Other benefits may include: flexible work schedules; telework; tuition reimbursement; transportation subsidies; uniform allowance; health and wellness programs; and fitness centers. DHS is committed to employee development and offers a variety of employee training and developmental opportunities. For more information, go to the DHS Careers website and select "Benefits." Disabled veteran leave will be available to any Federal employee hired on or after November 5, 2016, who is a veteran with a service-connected disability rating of 30 percent or more.
E-Verify: DHS uses E-Verify, an Internet-based system, to confirm the eligibility of all newly hired employees to work in the United States. Learn more about E-Verify , including your rights and responsibilities.
Salary: The salary range indicated in this announcement reflects the lowest and highest potential salaries for this position. The actual salary range will be based on the applicable locality pay for the selected duty location. General Schedule locality pay tables may be found under Salaries & Wages .
A student loan repayment incentive may be available, in which case a service agreement will be required.
Read more
- Help
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.
How You Will Be Evaluated
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
We Will Review Your Resume And Supporting Documentation To Ensure You Meet The Minimum Qualification Requirements. The Competencies Or Knowledge, Skills, And Abilities Needed To Perform This Job Are:
- Attention to Detail
- Database Management Systems
- Reasoning
- Technical Competence
- Writing
Veterans: Although the Direct Hire Authority permits hiring without regard to Veterans Preference, applicants who are eligible for Veterans Preference are still encouraged to include that information in their application and submit supporting documentation (i.e. DD-214, or other substantiating documents). This position is not considered scientific/professional. View information on veterans' preference .
Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP) Eligibles: If you have never worked for the federal government, you are not ICTAP eligible. View information about ICTAP eligibility on OPM's Career Transition Resources website. To be considered well qualified under ICTAP, you must be placed in the well-qualified category for this position. In addition, you must submit the supporting documents listed under the required documents section of this job announcement.
Pursuant to Executive Order 12564, and the DHS Drug-Free Workplace Plan, ICE is committed to maintaining a drug-free workplace and, therefore, personnel in safety- or security-sensitive positions (testing designated positions) are subject to random drug testing. Moreover, other drug testing of employees (e.g., reasonable suspicion drug test) may be conducted in order to ensure a safe and healthy work environment. All applicants tentatively selected for employment at ICE are subject to pre-employment drug testing and a final offer of employment is contingent upon a negative drug test result.
