Protective Service Specialist (Open to both U.S. Citizens and Federal Employees)

Summary

This position is located in the Department of Transportation, Office of the Secretary (OST), Office of Intelligence, Security and Emergency Response (OISER), Protective Service Division (PSD). OISER provides Departmental executive leadership in government-wide initiatives pertaining to national security, emergency response programs, protective service operations, Continuity of Operations (COOP), and Continuity of Government (COG).

Duties

As a Protective Service Specialist, you will: You will participate as a member of teams implementing protective service advance and protective services for the Secretary and Deputy Secretary of the Department of Transportation under terms and conditions prescribed by the DOT Chief of Staff, OISER Director, and Special Agent in Charge (SAC), Protective Service Division (PSD). You will be expected to work long and irregular hours, walking, driving, and standing to provide physical protection for the Secretary, while in Deputy U.S. Marshal status. Work assignments may therefore be strenuous, consistent with activities associated with protection assignments, including holding of subjects and suspects in pursuit of effective law enforcement, defending oneself or others against physical attack, and maintaining physical control of such suspects in the use of force continuum. Must cope with continuously rigid and extremely short deadlines where schedules and workload are highly variable, unpredictable, and uncontrollable. These activities will be engaged while conducting protective service and protective service advance operations. There is the potential for physical harm, based on hazards associated with reasonable enforcement response. The majority of the work is performed in settings in which there is regular and recurring exposure to discomfort and unpleasantness, such as substantial domestic and international travel, high levels of noise, and high temperatures in confined spaces or adverse weather conditions at mission and surveillance sites. You will be required to qualify in the use of--and maintain proficiency with--firearms and law enforcement/communications equipment. Assignments performed in Deputy U.S. Marshal status require safe work practices with respect to the handling of firearms, may require use of protective clothing, and may place incumbent at great personal risk or in situations where conditions cannot be controlled. This position is designated as Emergency Essential and may require working during weather-related closures. You will also: Serve as an authority and specialist in providing protection both domestically and internationally, and independently takes decisive and immediate action in emergency situations requiring innovative solutions. Act as liaison officer and coordinate activities between Office of the Secretary and external agency organizations. Serve as a key advisor responsible for independent and extensive assessment of threat information and the coordination of information gathering activities regarding the Secretary and the Deputy Secretary. Review and analyze threat information and initiates and coordinate protective activities follow up investigations with other appropriate federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies. Conduct unique and sensitive high-level inquiries/reviews which require extra sensitivity and special handling. Prepare reports and other documents relating to special protective service advances and make oral presentations on protective service advance findings to the Special Agent In-Charge, Protective Service Division, and the Director. The Office of Intelligence, Security and Emergency Response (OISER), Protective Service Division (PSD) is seeking a seasoned professional who is self-reliant and motivated in providing protective service advance, intelligence, and protective services for the Secretary of Transportation.

Requirements

CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT: As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you may 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 the organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service. 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. CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT: SELECTIVE SERVICE: Males born after 12/31/1959 must be registered for the Selective Service. GOVERNMENT TRAVEL CARD: This position involves travel. A government contractor-issued travel card will be issued and must be retained for official business only. PROBATIONARY PERIOD: You must complete a one-year probationary period (unless already completed). TIME-IN-GRADE: Federal applicants must have served 52 weeks at the next lower grade in the competitive or excepted service in the executive branch to satisfy time-in-grade restrictions contained in 5 CFR 300, Subpart F. DRIVER'S LICENSE: This position requires the incumbent to operate a motor vehicle. A valid driver's license is required for the position. BACKGROUND INVESTIGATION: You may be required to complete a background/security investigation and meet preliminary requirements prior to onboarding. SECURITY CLEARANCE: You must be able to obtain and maintain a Top Secret/SCI clearance. ESSENTIAL/NON-ESSENTIAL: This position is considered emergency essential for purposes of reporting to work during federal government closures. DRUG TESTING: This position has been determined to be a critical safety/security position as defined in the Department of Transportation (DOT) Order, DOT 3910.1D entitled "Drug and Alcohol-Free Departmental Workplace." Therefore, if selected for the position you will be required to submit to a pre-employment/pre-appointment drug test, you will also be subject to Random Drug Testing. MEDICAL REQUIREMENT: Subject to successful completion of annual medical qualification determination.

Qualifications and evaluation

DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE: PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. If your resume/ application does not support your questionnaire answers, we will not allow credit for your response(s). Your resume must contain sufficiently detailed information upon which to make a qualification determination. Please ensure that your resume contains specific information such as position titles, beginning and ending dates of employment for each position, average number of hours worked per week, and if the position is/was in the Federal government, you should provide the position series and grade level. All applicants: Your application will be reviewed in two phases determine how you move forward in the hiring process. Phase I: Your resume will be reviewed to determine your technical qualifications for this position based on the required specialized experience. ONLY two (2) pages of your resume will be reviewed. Additional information beyond your resume (e.g., cover letter, links embedded in your resume) will not be reviewed. Applicants passing “Phase I” will move on to the “Phase II” of the assessment process where your application will be reviewed and rated based on the KSAs/Competencies listed in the vacancy announcement by a Subject Matter Expert (SME). You may preview questions for this vacancy.

How to apply

You must submit a complete application package (including resume, vacancy questions and supporting documents) no later than 11:59 (EST) on the closing date of the announcement. To begin, click the "Apply Online" button on the job announcement posting. Follow the directions to register, submit all required documents and complete the assessment questionnaire. You may review your saved application(s) at https://help.usajobs.gov/ If you are having difficulty applying online, please contact the DOT Automated Staffing Office via email at: Transjobs@dot.gov

Required documents

RESUME: In accordance with the OPM memorandum titled Merit Hiring Plan, dated May 29, 2025, resumes with a maximum of two (2) pages in length will be accepted as part of your application. These should be legible and in a readable font size. A determination of your eligibility and/or qualifications will be based only on those two (2) pages. Your resume MUST contain specific information that can be used to make a qualification determination, including employment beginning and ending dates for each position, whether employment is Full-time or Part-time, or average number of hours worked per week, and position titles. If the position is/was in the Federal government, you will need to provide the position series and grade level. The resume should show relevant experience and education, as well as support the required specialized experience. IMPORTANT: You must UPLOAD proof of successful completion of an accredited basic law enforcement training program (civilian or military). PERFORMANCE APPRAISALS/INCENTIVE AWARDS: If applicable, performance appraisals and/or Incentive award documentation may be submitted and forwarded to the selecting official in consideration of your application. To receive credit, submit a recent performance appraisal (dated within 18 months) showing the official rating of record, signed by a supervisor, or statement why the performance appraisal is unavailable (do not submit a performance plan) and/or incentive award documentation dated within the last 18 months (i.e. performance awards, special act or achievement awards, quality step increases, etc.). VETERANS: Your last DD214 (member 4 copy), Certificate of Release or Discharge From Active Duty, that shows the type of discharge and all dates of active duty is required to verify your eligibility. If applying to a vacancy opened to all US Citizens under category rating and wish to be considered as a preference eligible, you need to submit a copy of your DD214 (member-4 copy). If claiming preference eligibility as a disabled veteran, you must submit proof of entitlement of this preference which is normally a valid letter from the Department of Veterans Affairs certifying to the present existence of the service-connected disability and indicating the percentage of your disability. An SF-15 is desired, but not required. If applying to a vacancy opened Status and you are requesting consideration under Veteran's Employment Opportunity Act (VEOA) (https://www.fedshirevets.gov/job/shav/#veoa), you need to provide a copy of your last DD214 (member-4 copy), which verifies your military service dates, reason for separation, OR certification of separation that shows a discharge date within 120 days of the closing of this announcement, and eligibility for consideration under the Veterans Employment Opportunity Act. FEDERAL APPLICANTS: You must submit SF-50(s) that verify your highest competitive grade, full performance level, and eligibility as a federal applicant. DO NOT submit an award SF-50 as these often do not verify grade or eligibility. For consideration for a promotion, Box 4 of the SF-50 must show a date that is at least 52 weeks prior to the job announcement closing. We recommend submitting your last promotion SF-50 or within-grade increase SF-50. Pay adjustment raise SF-50s for the current year will not support the 52 weeks' time-in-grade requirements. https://help.usajobs.gov/working-in-government/service/sf-50 Displaced employees may be eligible for ICTAP or CTAP priority consideration. For more information, please review the OPM Employee's Guide to Career Transition. Failure to submit any of the required documents by the closing date of the vacancy will result in your removal from consideration for this position. Please review your application prior to final submission and ensure you have submitted all appropriate documents. Uploading documents to USAJobs does NOT ensure inclusion with your application to our system. You must verify that the documents are in the system with your application prior to final submission.

Additional information

Continuation from Conditions of Employment: CERTIFICATIONS: You must be able to obtain and maintain current required certifications in First Aid, Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR), and the Automated External Defibrillator (AED). RETIREMENT: This position is covered under law enforcement retirement coverage (5 U.S.C. 8336 (c) and 5 U.S.C. 8412 (d)). Must maintain requirements to qualify for LEO retirement coverage. AGE REQUIREMENT: To qualify for law enforcement retirement coverage (6C), you must meet the Maximum Entry Age requirements for primary law enforcement positions: Candidates without previous Federal LEO service must be under age 37; OR, those with current or prior Federal LEO coverage will be considered only if they can demonstrate that they will have completed 20 years of covered service by mandatory retirement age of 57. This requirement may be waived for preference-eligible Veterans. SF-50: if you have current or prior Federal Law Enforcement Officer coverage please submit appropriate SF-50's that show periods of coverage. SPECIAL DEPUTATION: You must be able to obtain and maintain this requirement which will allow you to carry a service weapon to provide personal protection to The Secretary, Deputy Secretary, and other senior officials. Must have at least one year of previous law enforcement experience; AND Must not have been convicted of a felony and/or crime of domestic violence as defined in Title 18, USC 922(g)(9) Lautenberg Amendment. Must have successfully completed an accredited basic law enforcement training program (civilian or military). NON COMPETITIVE APPLICANTS: If requesting concurrent consideration for Non-competitive (NC) appointment eligibility, you must provide the appropriate SPECIAL APPOINTING AUTHORITY DOCUMENTS, such as PCS orders (military spouse) describing move & marriage certificate; letter from VA or DD214 describing 100% disability of spouse; letter from State Vocational Office certifying disability (schedule A), etc. For more information, visit military spouse NC appointments or Persons with Disabilities NC appointments. DISPLACED EMPLOYEES: If requesting consideration under the Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP) or Interagency CTAP program (ICTAP), you must meet the well qualified standards for this vacancy (meeting minimum requirements for position and scoring at least an 80) and provide all of the following documents: your most recent performance appraisal, the proof of eligibility letter from the Agency, and your most current SF-50, displaying current series and grade. The Fair Chance to Compete for Jobs Act prohibits the Department of Transportation and its Operating Administrations from requesting an applicant's criminal history record before that individual receives a conditional offer of employment. In accordance with 5 U.S. Code § 9202(c) and 5 C.F.R § 920.201 certain positions are exempt from the provisions of the Fair Chance to Compete Act. Applicants who believe they have been subjected to a violation of the Fair Chance to Compete for Jobs Act, may submit a written complaint to the Department of Transportation by email at, FairChanceAct@dot.gov. To learn more, please visit our page at: The Fair Chance to Compete Act | US Department of Transportation This announcement may be used to fill additional positions if similar vacancies occur within 90 days of the issue date of the referral certificate.