Protective Service Specialist (Open to ICTAP/CTAP Applicants - P)

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 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. You will perform 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. 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

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. SECURITY CLEARANCE: You must be able to obtain and maintain a Top Secret/SCI clearance. BACKGROUND INVESTIGATION: Must be able to qualify for and maintain a Top Secret/SCI Level Clearance. SPECIAL DEPUTATION: You must 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. This requires that you: - Must have successfully completed an accredited basic law enforcement training program (civilian or military); - 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. MEDICAL REQUIREMENT: Subject to successful completion of a pre-employment medical and physical qualification determination. You must acquire annual certification indicating that medical and physical standards are met. CERTIFICATIONS: Must be able to obtain and maintain current required certifications in First Aid, Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR), and the Automated External Defibrillator (AED). PLEASE SEE THE "OTHER INFORMATION" SECTION FOR ADDITIONAL CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT SECTION.

Qualifications and evaluation

DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE: Please be clear and specific when describing your experience, as HR evaluates applications strictly on the facts provided and will not make assumptions. To receive full credit, your narrative responses must be written in paragraph format and explicitly match your resume. Begin each response by listing the exact position title, organization, employment dates (MM/YYYY–MM/YYYY), full- or part-time status, average weekly hours, and federal series/grade (if applicable). Within the body of the paragraph, clearly describe your specific duties, actions taken, tools used, and measurable outcomes. HR will cross-check these details against your resume; if your resume does not fully support every claim and timeframe, the experience will not be considered for credit, which may result in an ineligible determination. 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). This announcement may be used to fill additional positions if similar vacancies occur within 90 days of the issue date of the referral certificate. You may preview questions for this vacancy.

How to apply

SPECIAL ATTENTION: To be considered, you must submit all required resume details and applicable documents no later than 11:59 (EST) by the closing date of the announcement. Note: Uploading documents to USAJobs does not automatically attach them to this application. You must review and verify that all files are successfully transferred to our system before final submission. Late or incomplete applications will be disqualified. 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 (e.g., Program Analyst, GS-343-11 | January 2009–Present | 40 Hours/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. PERFORMANCE APPRAISALS / INCENTIVE AWARDS: If applicable, you may submit recent performance appraisals and incentive award documentation dated within the last 18 months. To receive due consideration during the evaluation process, your performance appraisal must show the official rating of record and be signed by a supervisor. If an appraisal is unavailable, you must submit a statement explaining why (do not submit a performance plan). Qualifying incentive documentation includes superior performance, special act or achievement awards, and quality step increases. All submitted documentation will be forwarded to the selecting official to support your application. FEDERAL APPLICANTS: You must submit SF-50(s) that verify your highest competitive grade, full performance level, and federal applicant eligibility. To prove you meet the 52-week time-in-grade requirement for the highest grade level requested, you must submit SF-50 documentation showing a sequential 52-week period. Box 4 of the SF-50 must show an effective date at least 52 weeks prior to the job announcement closing date. Do not submit an award SF-50 or a current-year pay adjustment SF-50, as these generally do not verify grade, eligibility, or the full 52-week requirement. To ensure your application passes HR validation, you are highly encouraged to combine and upload the following required SF-50 documents into a single PDF: • The SF-50 showing when you were originally appointed or promoted to your qualifying grade level (establishing the start of your 52-week timeline) OR subsequent SF-50 (such as a Within-Grade Increase, promotion, or award) dated at least 52 weeks later. Warning on Incomplete Documentation: Submitting only an annual general pay adjustment SF-50 or an award SF-50 by itself is insufficient, as these individual documents do not track or prove your original entry date into that grade. If your documentation fails to conclusively prove a full 52-week history at the next lower grade, you will be rated Ineligible for that tier. https://help.usajobs.gov/working-in-government/service/sf-50 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. Displaced employees may be eligible for ICTAP or CTAP priority consideration. For more information, please review the OPM Employee's Guide to Career Transition. SPECIAL ATTENTION: To be considered, you must submit all required resume details and applicable documents by the closing date of the announcement. Note: You must review and verify that all files are successfully transferred to our system before final submission.

Additional information

ADDITIONAL CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT: ESSENTIAL/NON-ESSENTIAL: This position is considered emergency essential for purposes of reporting to work during federal government closures. 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 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. 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. PROFICIENCY: You must demonstrate a proficiency in: (1) subduing both resistive and non-resistive persons, defending the Secretary and others, the use of firearms with issued and/or authorized weapon(s), to include safe handling of firearms and maintaining proficiency with firearms. 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: A background security investigation is required for all selected individuals. Appointment will be subject to the applicant's successful completion of the security investigation and favorable adjudication. Failure to meet these requirements will be grounds for termination. 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. Protective Service Specialist Medical Standards: If selected for this position, you must pass the pre-employment medical AND physical standards. In addition, you must acquire annual certification indicating that the medical standards are met. 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