Transportation Security Specialist - Explosives

Employer: Department Of Homeland Security - 

Location: Lihue, HI, US
Transportation Security Specialist - Explosives SV-1801-I

About the Agency
Securing Travel, Protecting People - At the Transportation Security Administration, you will serve in a high-stakes environment to safeguard the American way of life. In cities across the country, you would secure airports, seaports, railroads, highways, and/or public transit systems, thus protecting America's transportation infrastructure and ensuring freedom of movement for people and commerce. For additional information about our agency please: Click Here

Qualifications Required:
Specialized Experience Requirement: For the SV-I Band: Applicants must possess at least one year of specialized experience (equivalent in difficulty and complexity to the SV-H Pay Band or GS-12 in the Federal service or equivalent experience in the private sector) that includes performing duties such as:

Assisting with bomb program management responsibilities such as participating as a team member on a bomb squad to include ensuring program requirements were followed, making recommendations on procedures or helping implement processes under the direction of a program manager.
Responding to alarms involving possible explosives, IED components, or actual IEDs. Assessing the interrelationship between initiators, power supplies, switches, and chemicals to determine if the devise is an improvised explosive, commercial explosive, or homemade explosive.Basic Qualification Requirement: You must be a graduate from an accredited IED/bomb disposal course coupled with field experience as a military or civilian EOD technician or Hazardous Devices Technician. The accredited bomb disposal schools are Naval School Explosive Ordnance Disposal (the joint service military EOD school) or the Hazardous Devices School (civilian). Graduation certificate must be attached to the application or certification in electronic applications with class number and date along with all assignments to squad and military EOD units.

Quality Ranking Factor: Specialized experience acquired within the last five years immediately preceding application has been identified as a Quality Ranking Factor for this position. This means that applicants who have specialized experience within the last five years will receive additional credit for this experience as part of the candidate evaluation process.

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.

NOTE: Credit for experience is given based on a 40-hour workweek. Part-time experience is credited on a part-time ratio, i.e., working 20 hours per week for two months equals one month of experience. No additional credit is given for overtime.

You must meet the qualification requirements for this position no later than the closing date of the vacancy announcement.

Conditions Of Employment

Selectees must successfully complete all TSS-Explosives training and on the job (OJT) requirements to remain in the program. Failure to successfully complete the entire selection process including all TSS-Explosives training and OJT requirements will result in termination of employment.
Requires a successful background investigation for a secret level security clearance and must maintain eligibility for designated clearance.
Must be available to work various shifts and overtime, as needed.
Must be proficient in English (e.g., reading, writing, speaking, and listening).
Must possess United States' Citizenship or be a U.S. National.HOW YOU WILL BE EVALUATED:
The assessment process for the TSS-E is a multiple hurdle process. Initially, applicants will be evaluated/assessed through an on-line application process. Applicants will be asked a series of occupational assessment questions linked to the KSA/Competencies determined necessary for successful job performance. These questions will be used to rank applicants according to relative merit for this position. The most qualified candidates will be referred for further consideration through the remainder of the assessment process. Referred candidates will then be required to pass both the structured interview and training demonstration assessment phases. Only applicants successfully passing both phases will be referred for selection consideration. Eligible candidates that have previously participated in the structured interview and training demonstration assessments will have to retake both assessments due to recent modifications. Structured interview and training demonstration assessment results will be good for six months.

PLEASE NOTE: Candidates who become eligible for the structured interview and training demonstration assessments will be required to travel at their own expense to the assessment location.

You will be evaluated based on a comparison of the position requirements against the quality and extent of the experience and/or related education as reflected in your resume and supporting documentation. You are encouraged to ensure work experiences clearly show possession of the competencies required for this position. We will compare your resume and supporting documentation to your responses on the assessment questionnaire. If, after reviewing your resume and any supporting documentation, a determination is made that you have rated yourself higher than is supported by your application materials, your category placement may be adjusted and/or you may be excluded from consideration for this job.

When completing the assessment questionnaire for this position, you will be prompted to elect if you wish for your application to be considered as External (where Veterans’ Preference applies), as Status (current or former Federal Employees), and/or Internal to TSA as a current permanent or competitive temporary employee. At that time, please select the answer(s) that apply to you and your application to this position.

Candidates Will Be Rated And Ranked Using Category Grouping Procedures. Under Category Grouping, Candidates Will Be Rated And Ranked Into One Of Three Categories

Best Qualified - applicants possessing experience that substantially exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors and are highly proficient in all requirements of the job and can perform effectively in the position;

Well Qualified - applicants possessing experience that exceed the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors and are proficient in most of the requirements of the job; and

Qualified - applicants possessing experience that meets the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors and are proficient in some, but not all of the requirements of the job.
To preview questions please click here.

DUTIES:
If selected as a Transportation Security Specialist - Explosives (TSS-E), you will serve as technical consultant for the assigned Federal Security Director (FSD) and subordinate managers on all issues involving explosives, Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) and Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear (CBRN) threats and coordinate the intermodal explosives security program within your assigned area.

Duties Include, But Are Not Limited To
Responding to and assessing all unresolved checkpoint alarms involving possible explosives, IED components or actual IEDs.
Assessing the interrelationships between initiators, power supplies and chemicals and determining if devices are improvised explosives, commercial explosives or homemade explosives as part of the overall determination that the alarm is negative or positive.
Developing and providing training to Transportation Security Officers (TSOs) and other appropriate staff concerning the detection of explosive devices, chemicals, power supplies and initiators that terrorists may attempt to carry onto aircraft.
Building and maintaining relationships with Federal, state and local law enforcement personnel along with airlines, airports and other personnel from various transportation sectors to improve the overall security of air and other transportation systems.
Developing and facilitating implementation of emergency safety and security procedures to enhance detection of explosive devices and other destructive weapons that may be encountered through various transportation systems.
Conducting incident analysis and operational tests of checkpoints and terminals.
Working to ensure minimal disruption to passengers and transportation systems.
Conducting explosives vulnerability assessments in all modes of transportation (inter-modal).
Assisting in the development of mitigation plans based on explosives vulnerability assessments in all modes of transportation (inter-modal).
Conducting training and developing, conducting and evaluating exercises to test explosives mitigation plans in all transportation modes (inter-modal).

Key Requirements: 

You must possess U.S. Citizenship or be a U.S. National.
You must be able to obtain a Secret Clearance.
You must pass Drug and Alcohol Screening, subject to random drug tests.
You must submit a Bomb Disposal Graduation/Certification certificate.
Selective Service registration is required.
See additional "Conditions of Employment" and "Other Information" sections.

Benefits:  

You can review our benefits at: https://jobs-recruit.tsa.dhs.gov/tsa/vacancy/preview!benefits.hms?orgId=1&jnum=107860DHS 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, click here . Employees who transfer to TSA from an agency that allows employees to maintain an annual leave balance higher than the maximum accumulation for the appointed position will have their leave ceiling set to the maximum accumulation for the appointed position (e.g., United States duty location - 240 hours, foreign duty location - 360 hours, or TSES position - 720 hours). TSA will not make a monetary payment for any leave forfeited under these circumstances. 

OTHER INFORMATION:

Eligibility to apply for other Federal positions: TSA is an Excepted Service agency exempt from most of Title 5 United States Code, including regulations which apply to displaced Federal employees (CTAP/ICTAP) of other agencies, and employment with TSA does not confer "Competitive Status" that generally results from selection and service in Competitive Service agencies. The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) has established an Interchange Agreement, which allows most permanent TSA employees to apply and be considered for vacancies in Competitive Service agencies. Information from OPM on this or other Interchange Agreements is available at: http://www.opm.gov . To ensure the accomplishment of our mission, DHS requires every employee to be reliable and trustworthy. To meet those standards, all selected applicants must undergo and successfully pass a background investigation as a condition of placement into this position. 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. TSA employees who are absent for the purpose of performing military duty may apply for any vacancies announced in their absence. It is the policy of the Government not to deny employment simply because an individual has been unemployed or has had financial difficulties that have arisen through no fault of the individual. Information about an individual’s employment experience will be used only to determine the person’s qualifications and to assess his or her relative level of knowledge, skills, and abilities. Although an individual’s personal conduct may be relevant in any employment decision, including conduct during periods of unemployment or evidence of dishonesty in handling financial matters, financial difficulty that has arisen through no fault of the individual will generally not itself be the basis of an unfavorable suitability or fitness determination. For more information, click here . Payment of relocation expenses (Permanent Change of Station) is not authorized. Qualified non-competitive eligible candidates may be referred for consideration on a separate, unranked list. More than one position may be filled from this announcement. If you are entering TSA employment on an appointment without time limitations, you must serve a basic trial period unless you have already met the requirement. This position is within the Technical category of TSA's Core Compensation Plan. Positions within this category may have a career progression potential up to the level 5. TSA policy requires verification of Selective Service registration for male applicants born after 12/31/59. For more information click here . View common definitions of terms found in this announcement. Exposure to potentially lethal devices and dangerous chemicals is inherent in this position. This is not a Law Enforcement position and is not covered by Law Enforcement Availability Pay or Law Enforcement Retirement.

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