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
As a Transportation Security Inspector (TSI) within Security Operations (SO), Transportation Security Administration (TSA), Department of Homeland Security (DHS), you will be responsible for ensuring security compliance of persons and transportation systems and entities regulated under the Title 49 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 1500 series. You will perform selected assignments and progressively responsible inspection work such as:
Conducting less complex inspections or portions of more complex inspections.
Applying basic technical inspection knowledge acquired in formal core training and on-the-job training (OJT), along with any limited experience gained prior to or after such training.
Conducting regulatory inspections and investigations, and supporting criminal investigations related to alleged or suspected security violations.
Responding to security incidents, threats, violations, or potential violations.
Providing overt and covert presence, including high visibility activities, to detect and reduce identified security threats and vulnerabilities.
Participating in covert and overt test and audits, as well as vulnerability assessments.
Reviewing and analyzing assessment reports and testing results with specific attention to identifying unusual trends or actions that appear to have the potential for developing a security or safety problem.
Note: This work is observed and reviewed frequently during inspections and at completion for technical accuracy, application of inspection methods and techniques, and oral and written effectiveness and clarity. If selected, you will perform work in one or more specialty areas for which hired (aviation, cargo, or surface). The duties of this position are performed under close supervision and guidance.
Travel Required
Occasional travel - A minimum of one (1) week of travel in a full-time duty status will be required within 90-days of entry on duty to complete TSA’s in residence New Hire Training. This training will occur away from the employee’s duty station of record. Employees will be paid for compensable hours and reimbursed for authorized travel expenses per TSA Travel Policy.
You must possess U.S. Citizenship or be a U.S. National.
You must complete a favorable Background Investigation (BI).
Must pass pre-employment drug screening AND random drug/alcohol testing.
You must hold a valid driver's license.
Selective Service registration is required.
See "Conditions of Employment" and "Other Information" sections.
You must meet the qualification requirements for this position no later than the closing date of the vacancy announcement.
Minimum Entry Age Requirement: To be determined eligible applicants must have reached the minimum entry age of 18 years at the time their application is submitted and, if selected for the position, will be required to provide such proof prior to appointment.
Conditions of Employment:
Working conditions include, but are not limited to, arduous conditions such as traversing rough terrain and uneven surfaces, prolonged standing, bending, and stooping to observe work operations, ability to climb into aircraft baggage holds, rail cars, aircraft and other transportation equipment. Other conditions include:
Work may require driving or traveling by motor vehicle and occasionally involves regular and recurring exposure to moderate risk or discomforts that require special safety precautions.
You must pass a Background Investigation (BI) and maintain eligibility for a clearance at the Secret level.
You must possess U.S. Citizenship or be a U.S. National.
You must successfully complete the Basic Transportation Security Inspections and/or Surface Course.
Surface TSIs must successfully complete the RR101 and HAZMAT training programs, in addition to the Basic Transportation Security Inspections and/or Surface Course.
You must be willing to undertake extensive travel, at times overnight, as required.
You must hold a valid driver's license.
You must hold or be able to obtain a Government travel card.
Must be available, as needed, to respond to security-related crisis or incidents to protect U.S. transportation interests within the U.S. and possibly worldwide.
You must be available to work various shifts, including frequently changing and uncommon tours of duty.
You must pass pre-employment drug screening AND you will be subject to post-employment random drug and alcohol testing.
This position is not covered by Law Enforcement Availability or Law Enforcement Retirement.
Qualifications
To qualify for the SV-G Pay Band, you must meet one of the qualification requirements (A, B, OR C) as outlined below:
A. Experience: For those qualifying using experience, your application must clearly outline three (3) years of progressively responsible general experience, one (1) year of which was equivalent to at least the SV-F or GS-4 grade level in the Federal service or equivalent in the private sector. Such experience will demonstrate the ability to: analyze problems, gather pertinent data, and recognize solutions; plan and organize work; and communicate effectively orally and in writing.
OR
B. Education: Bachelor's or higher-level degree in any field from an accredited college or university.
OR
C. Combination of education and experience: Combinations of successfully completed post-high school education and experience may be used to meet total qualification requirements, and may be computed by first determining the total qualifying experience as a percentage of the experience required for the position; then determining the education as a percentage of the education required for the position; and then adding the two percentages. The total percentages must equal at least 100 percent to qualify for the position.
Note: For positions requiring positive education requirements, or if you are using education to meet all or part of the qualification requirements, you MUST submit a copy of your transcripts or an itemized list of college courses from an accredited college or university, which includes equivalent information from the transcript (course title, semester/quarter hours, and grade/degree earned) in your resume. The information must be provided with the application by the closing date of the announcement. If selected, the applicant must supply a transcript or certification of degree.
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.
Education
Additional 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.
TSA policy requires verification of Selective Service registration for male applicants born after 12/31/59. For more information click here .
Veterans 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 documentation that is required, click on the links above or contact the Servicing Human Resources Office listed at the bottom of this announcement.
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
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.
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 and demonstrate high proficiency in all of the critical competencies, including all Selective Placement Factors (SPF) and appropriate Desirable (Quality Ranking) Factors as determined by the job analysis.
Well-Qualified: Applicants possessing experience that exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position and demonstrates acceptable proficiency in all of the critical competencies, including all SPFs as determined by the job analysis.
Qualified: Applicants possessing experience that meets the minimum qualifications of the position and demonstrate basic proficiency in most of the critical competencies, including all SPFs as determined by the job analysis.
Current TSA employees are not required to submit a SF-50 to support eligibility for consideration.
Transcripts - If you are qualifying based on education OR if there are mandatory education requirements listed under the Qualifications and Evaluations section, you MUST submit a copy of your college transcript(s) with your application. If selected, an official/sealed college transcript(s) will be required to verify education prior to employment.
Assessment Exemption Documentation – If you are not a current TSA employee, but claim exemption from the assessment, you must submit a personnel action SF-50(s) to document that you have held a Transportation Security Inspector position at TSA. If you claim exemption and do not submit this supporting documentation, you may not receive assessment exemption consideration.
If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:
Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.
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. Learn more about federal 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.
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.
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.
Please Note: All of the following must be received in our office by 11:59 PM EST (Eastern Standard Time) on the closing date of this announcement. If we do not receive all required information by the closing date, your application may not be considered.
Your application must include: 1. Resume 2. Self Assessment Questionnaire for this position 3. Applicable supporting documents (see Required Documents Section)
Click the "Apply Online" button below and follow the prompts to apply.
We strongly encourage you to apply online. If you are unable to apply online, please contact the TSA HRAccess Help Desk before the closing of this announcement for alternative options on how to apply. The Helpdesk is available by phone at 1-877-872-7990 between the hours of: 7:00AM - 10:00PM ET Monday - Friday, 11:00AM - 3:00PM ET Saturday, or 12:00PM - 4:00PM ET Sunday. If outside these hours, please email your question or concern to Helpdesk@TSA-HRAccess.com or fax 1-877-872-7993.
When contacting the Helpdesk please provide your contact information, the Job Announcement Number of the position you are interested in, and your questions or concerns.
The highest scoring candidates will be invited and required to take a writing skills assessment soon after the closing date of this announcement. The invitation to take the writing assessment must be accepted and the test completed by the deadline outlined in the invitation in order to be considered (fourteen calendar days after the day your invitation was sent- please monitor your email for you invitation). The score obtained on the writing skills assessment will account for 50% of the overall score used to determine those who are best qualified for consideration. Additional information on the writing skills assessment is contained in the candidate preparation guide. The preparation guide can be obtained by clicking on the following link: https://hraccess-assessment.tsa.dhs.gov/Forms/WSAPrepGuide.pdf
Please Note: Candidates eligible for the writing skills assessment will be required to travel at their own expense to the test location. The results for candidates who take the writing skills assessment are good for one year from the date the test was taken. Please see the "What to Expect Next" section of this announcement for information regarding this process. For additional information about the TSA and employment, please visit: http://www.tsa.gov/careers.
WSA Exemption Note: Candidates that currently hold, or have previously held, a Transportation Security Inspector position (at TSA, at any band level) will be exempted from the writing skills assessment. If you are eligible for the exemption, and wish to claim exemption, you must claim your exemption when prompted within the online application questionnaire. Please note that upon claiming exemption status, the employment records of current TSA employees will be reviewed to confirm eligibility for exemption. Those that are not current TSA employees must submit exemption documentation (as defined in the “Required Documents” section of this announcement). Candidates exempted from the WSA will be evaluated based upon the first phase of the hiring process only.
The questionnaire and Writing Skills Assessment will assess your qualifications for the job, and will be used to identify the best qualified applicants to be referred to the hiring manager for further consideration and possible interview. We will notify you of the outcome of these steps when they have been completed. You may also check your application status by visiting the Candidate Dashboard.
Any offers of employment made pursuant to this announcement will be consistent with all applicable authorities, including Presidential Memoranda, Executive Orders, interpretive U.S. Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) guidance, and Office of Management and Budget plans and policies concerning hiring. These authorities are subject to change.
The Federal hiring process is setup to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
Equal Employment Opportunity Policy
The United States Government does not discriminate in employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy and gender identity), national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, membership in an employee organization, retaliation, parental status, military service, or other non-merit factor.
Federal agencies must provide reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities where appropriate. Applicants requiring reasonable accommodation for any part of the application process should follow the instructions in the job opportunity announcement. For any part of the remaining hiring process, applicants should contact the hiring agency directly. Determinations on requests for reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis.
A reasonable accommodation is any change to a job, the work environment, or the way things are usually done that enables an individual with a disability to apply for a job, perform job duties or receive equal access to job benefits.
Under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, federal agencies must provide reasonable accommodations when:
An applicant with a disability needs an accommodation to have an equal opportunity to apply for a job.
An employee with a disability needs an accommodation to perform the essential job duties or to gain access to the workplace.
An employee with a disability needs an accommodation to receive equal access to benefits, such as details, training, and office-sponsored events.
You can request a reasonable accommodation at any time during the application or hiring process or while on the job. Requests are considered on a case-by-case basis.
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Transportation Security Administration
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is calling on those who want to help protect American interests and secure our Nation. DHS Components work collectively to prevent terrorism; secure borders and our transportation systems; protect the President and other dignitaries; enforce and administer immigration laws; safeguard cyberspace; and ensure resilience to disasters. We achieve these vital missions through a diverse workforce spanning hundreds of occupations. Make an impact; join DHS.
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