Summary DCSA's Adjudication Vetting Services is looking for a dynamic Personnel Security Specialist to lead special projects and initiatives, performs special assignments, and develop work plans with milestones and goals. This role requires a change agent with the ability to conduct research, develop and recommend operational guidance solutions and maintain effective working relationships with multiple stakeholders. Consider DCSA, and be a part of America's Gatekeeper Team! Responsibilities As a PERSONNEL SECURITY SPECIALIST you will be responsible for the following duties: - Reviewing, approving and signing all divisional Statement of Reasons, intended to deny or revoke an individual's security clearance eligibility. Reviewing responses to Statements of Reasons and rendering adjudicative determinations on an individual's security clearance eligibility. - Approve requests for additional investigation and responds to unusual and/or complex issues raised by Commanding Officers, Special Security Officers, Security Managers and/or individuals affected by the agency actions. - Review complex adjudicative decisions made by a large number of certified developmental and senior specialists whose sole purpose is to make security clearance eligibility and Suitability and Fitness determinations. - Ensure sound interpretation and application of Personnel Security Program policy and procedures Responsible for favorable determinations of non-sensitive adjudications by established policy and law. Requirements Conditions of Employment Qualifications The experience described in your resume will be evaluated and screened from the Office of Personnel Management's (OPMs) basic qualifications requirements. See: Security Administration Series 0080 (opm.gov) for OPM qualification standards, competencies and specialized experience needed to perform the duties of the position as described in the MAJOR DUTIES and QUALIFICATIONS sections of this announcement by 02/17/2025 Applicant must have directly applicable experience that demonstrates the possession of the knowledge, skills, abilities and competencies necessary for immediate success in the position. Qualifying experience may have been acquired in any public or private sector job, but will clearly demonstrate past experience in the application of the particular competencies/knowledge, skills and abilities necessary to successfully perform the duties of the position. You must have specialized experience sufficient to demonstrate that you have acquired all the competencies necessary to perform at a level equivalent in difficulty, responsibility, and complexity to the next lower grade GG/GS 12 in the Federal service and are prepared to take on greater responsibility. Generally, this would include one year or more of such specialized experience. Specialized experience for the GG-13 position includes: Providing advice, guidance, and direction on a wide range of security, counter-intelligence, adjudications, and administrative issues; Providing a review on cases with significant derogatory information, preparing Letters of Intent to Deny/Letters of Intent to Revoke security clearances and/or assignment to sensitive and non-sensitive duties; Analyze responses to Letters of Intent to Deny or Revoke Security Clearance and render adjudicative determination if the response mitigates the security concern or if the response does not mitigate the security concern; Prepares Letter of Denial or Letter of Revocation of Security Clearance; Evaluating reports by analyzing facts and performing appropriate research and preparing detailed responses. Specifically you will be evaluated on the following competencies: 1. Personnel Security - Apply personnel security principles and methods to process initial investigations, clearances, periodic re-investigations, and clearance upgrades/downgrades, suspension, revocations, terminations, reinstatements and to complete the adjudication, and appeals processes. Evaluate internal and external security clearance requests and ensures applicant's actions are consistent with regulatory requirements. Analyze and report on clearance and appeals findings to senior security officials and makes appropriate notifications. 2. Flexibility - Is open to change and new information; rapidly adapts to new information, changing conditions and strategy, or unexpected obstacles, processes, and requirements. 3. Interpersonal Skills - Develops and maintains effective working relationships, especially in difficult situations. Engages and inspires others. Treats others with courtesy, sensitivity, and respect. Considers and responds appropriately to the needs and feelings of different audiences/ situations/cultures. Actively solicits feedback. Exemplifies professionalism, tact and empathy. Builds trust and commitment. 4. Problem Solving - Identifies and analyzes problems; weighs relevance and accuracy of information; seeks/generates and evaluates alternative perspectives/solutions; makes timely/ effective recommendations, based on potential implications of findings or conclusions. Critically evaluates to identify the causes of problems and chooses courses of action that balance the interests of the mission and stakeholders. Education Substitution of education may not be used in lieu of specialized experience for this grade level. Additional Information VETERANS PREFERENCE/CURRENT OR FORMER FEDERAL In accordance with DoD Instruction 1400.25, Volume 2005, veterans preference is not required to be applied when considering candidates with prior Federal competitive or excepted service who have completed a probationary or trial period and have not been separated for cause. Therefore, veterans preference will not be applied to applicants with current federal service, or former federal civilian service meeting the above criteria. Other Notes: Re-employed Annuitant: This position does not meet criteria for re-employed annuitant. The DoD criteria for hiring Re-employed Annuitants can be found at: https://www.esd.whs.mil/Portals/54/Documents/DD/issuances/140025/1400.25-V300.pdf Applicants selected from this announcement may be required to serve a two-year trial period. If selected, Federal employees currently serving in the competitive service must acknowledge that they will voluntarily leave the competitive service by accepting an offer of employment for a DCIPS excepted service positions. If selected, non-DCIPS candidates must acknowledge in writing that the position they have been selected for is in the excepted service and covered by DCIPS. Selection under this appointment authority does not confer civil service competitive status. All current and former Federal employees must submit a copy of your latest SF50 (Notification of Personnel Action) showing your tenure, grade and step, and type of position occupied (i.e., Excepted or Competitive); or similar Notification of Personnel Action documentation, i.e., Transcript of Service, Form 1150, etc. Resumes should NOT include: Classified information/SSN/Photo of yourself/personal information (gender, religion, affiliation etc/Encrypted digitally signed docs). Resumes with this prohibited information will be automatically ineligible for consideration.