Personnel Security Assistant - Human Resources Management Service

Summary The Personnel Security Assistant will be assigned to one of the PIV Offices within VISN 22 Desert Pacific Healthcare Network. The primary purpose is to perform and support security-related functions such as Network Personnel Suitability and Credentialing. Locality Pay Scale ABQ, NM: $41,178 - $66,311 Per Year LL/LB/LA, CA: $47,490 - $76,476 Per Year PHX, AZ: $42,611 - $68,620 Per Year PRE, AZ: $40,736 - $65,599 Per Year SD, CA: $46,533 - $74,935 Per Year TUC, AZ: $41,508 - $66,843 Per Year Learn more about this agency Duties The Personnel Security Assistant serves as an Assistant to the Personnel Security Specialist and assures that all appointees have the appropriate level of security/suitability clearance commensurate with their assignment. Work assigned is of a very confidential and highly sensitive nature. Major duties may include, but not limited to: Reviews information submitted by the requesting office to validate level of background required, enters appointee information into a local data base tracking system and refers appointee for fingerprinting. Enters appropriate data in required databases related to an appointee's suitability from a wide variety of sources. Performs audits of official personnel folders to assure that information related to suitability is properly recorded and filed. Initiates, reviews and releases appointees background investigations in the Office of Personnel Managements, National Background Investigation Service (NBIS) or in conjunction with the VA- Adjudication Center. Regularly monitors the status of specific pending items, compiles data to produce reports, follows up to determine status and records results. Takes and transmits electronic fingerprints for appointees or when the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) returns fingerprints unclassifiable for various reasons. Assemble position descriptions and functional statements for the Personnel Security Specialist for review. Serves as the initial point of contact for new appointees including but not limited to paid or without compensation employees, volunteers, students, residents, and contractors. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. (Hours may vary based upon Service Line's Needs.) Position Description Title/PD#: Personnel Security Assistant - Human Resources Management Service/PD99952S Physical Requirements: The work is typically sedentary in nature. However, there may be some walking; standing; bending; carrying of light items such as papers, books, small parts; etc. Promotion Potential: The selectee may be promoted to the full performance level without further competition when all regulatory, qualification, and performance requirements are met. Selection at a lower grade level does not guarantee promotion to the full performance level. Requirements Conditions of employment You must be a U.S. citizen to apply for this job Subject to a background/suitability investigation Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959 A complete application package; Resume, Transcripts, etc. is required Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents). 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. Upon completion of your probationary period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest. As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider: your performance and conduct; the needs and interests of the agency; whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service Beginning September 27, 2025, Federal agencies will only accept resumes up to two pages in length to comply with the Merit Hiring Plan. Resumes longer than two pages will result in ineligibility for further consideration for the position. USAJOBS will not allow you to upload or build resumes longer than two pages, and you will need to update the resumes in your profile before applying for a job. Resumes should include information relevant to the knowledge, skills, abilities, and competencies of the position to which you are applying. VA is unable to make assumptions about qualifications if not clearly listed. Resumes must be legible so they can be reviewed for eligibility, minimum qualifications and other position requirements listed in the job announcement. Qualifications To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement. GS-05 Grade Level: One year of specialized experience (equivalent to the GS-04 grade level in the federal service); experience that equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities (KSA's) and other characteristics to perform successfully the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled, in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Specialized experience includes: Experience in applying a full range of standard and non-standard clerical assignments and resolving a variety of non- recurring problems. Experience applying knowledge in a variety of assignments involving different and unrelated steps, processes, or methods. Identifying and understanding the issues involved in each assignment and determining what steps and procedures are necessary and the order of their performance. Completion of each transaction typically involves selecting a course of action from a number of possibilities. OR; Applicants may substitute education for the experience required for the GS-05 level. Have successfully completed (4) years of education above the high school level. This education must have been obtained in an accredited business, secretarial or technical school, junior college, college or university for which high school graduation or the equivalent is the normal prerequisite. One year of full-time undergraduate study is defined as 30 semester hours, 45 quarter hours, or the equivalent in a college or university or at least 20 hours of classroom instruction per week for approximately 36 weeks in a business, secretarial or technical NOTE: Transcripts must be submitted with application. Education cannot be credited without documentation OR; Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at the GS-05 level. To calculate, first identify the percentage of required education you have earned (when substituting, you cannot use the first 60 semester hours that you earned). Then identify the percentage of required experience you possess. Add the two percentages. The total percentage must equal at least 100 percent to qualify at the GS-05. For example, an applicant who has 9 semester hours of graduate level education (i.e. 50% of graduate education required) and 6 months of creditable specialized experience (i.e. 50% of the required experience) would equal 100% of the required experience for the position A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education. GS-06 Grade Level: One year of specialized experience (equivalent to the GS-05 grade level in the federal service); experience that equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities (KSA's) and other characteristics to perform successfully the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled, in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Specialized experience includes: Experience in working independently within the framework established by leadership in carrying out recurring assignments such as obtaining, inserting, and correcting missing and incorrect data in Personnel Security files and automated systems. Following established procedures or instructions that specifically describe how the work is to be done and the kind of modifications or exceptions that can be made. There is no educational substitution for the GS-06 level. GS-07 Grade Level: One year of specialized experience (equivalent to the GS-06 grade level in the federal service); experience that equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities (KSA's) and other characteristics to perform successfully the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled, in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Specialized experience includes: Experience in applying knowledge of the regulations, policies, procedures, principles and concepts that govern the Personal Identity Verification Program, to include HSPD-12. Experience in providing oral communication in order to provide technical advice and guidance to customers. Entering, extracting, and evaluating employee information via access to various computer databases. Knowledge in how to deal with highly charged emotional situations and have the ability to work calmly and effectively in sensitive, stress producing situations. There is no educational substitution for the GS-07 level. 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. Education Note: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/.If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. Additional information Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicant's criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer. For more information about the Act and the complaint process, visit Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP) at The Fair Chance Act. A supports the use of telework as a way to help attract and retain talented individuals in public service, increase worker productivity, and better prepare the agency to operate during emergencies. This position may be authorized for telework. Telework eligibility will be discussed during the interview process. The Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) and Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provide eligible displaced VA competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. To be well-qualified, applicants must possess experience that exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors if applicable, and must be proficient in most of the requirements of the job. Information about ICTAP and CTAP eligibility is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website which can be found at https://www.opm.gov/. Receiving Service Credit for Earning Annual (Vacation) Leave: Federal Employees earn annual leave at a rate (4, 6 or 8 hours per pay period) which is based on the number of years they have served as a Federal employee. VA may offer newly-appointed Federal employee's credit for their job-related non-federal experience or active duty uniformed military service. This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave. Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment date and is not guaranteed. This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies. If you are unable to apply online or need an alternate method to submit documents, please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement. Expand Hide  additional information Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution. Benefits A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits. 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.