Transportation Security Manager

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

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.

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Responsibilities

If selected for this position, you will serve as a Transportation Security Manager (TSM) for the Office of Security Operations (OSO), Transportation Security Administration (TSA), Department of Homeland Security (DHS). You will be responsible for mitigating threats against civil aviation and other transportation security modes. You will manage one or more programs, including, but not limited to, Checkpoints, Coordination Center, and/or Behavior Detection Officer (BDO) Screening of Passengers by Observational Techniques (SPOT) Program, as assigned by the Federal Security Director (FSD), Deputy FSD, or Assistant FSD.

Duties include, but are not limited to:
Fostering a collaborative organization that networks freely with each other to accomplish the mission.

Developing and maintaining collaborative relationships with TSA Stakeholders.

Supporting a culture that values an exceptional workforce through empowerment, support of risk-based decision making, and coaching/mentoring.

Utilizing appropriate leadership styles and techniques based on evaluation of the situation, in order to effectively guide and direct staff.

Coordinating with internal and external stakeholders (e.g., STSOs, BAOs, BDOs, airlines, etc.) to ensure communication of up-to-date threat information.

Facilitating and contributing to daily briefing discussions, and using scenarios and examples to clarify appropriate application of Standard Operating Procedures and to engage and empower the workforce.

Monitoring, encouraging, and continually reinforcing principles of critical thinking, specialized communication tactics, and understanding of the security threat.

Assessing security operations and managing resources to reduce stress and encourage use of network to maximize mitigation of the threat.

Responding to and resolving security related incidents, emergency situations, and difficult customer service issues by creating calm, establishing command presence, and using critical thinking and tactical communication.

Creating and reinforcing a work environment that maintains open, respectful communication, values employees, and encourages the use of cooperative problem solving.

Supervisory/Managerial duties include serving as a first line supervisor for the organization. This includes but is not limited to: assigning work, setting priorities, and reviewing and evaluating work and performance of subordinates; approving leave; coaching and developing employees; recommending corrective or disciplinary actions; assisting in budget planning and projecting short-term needs; managing projects within assigned resources; resolving routine problems that typically impact the objectives of the organizational unit; and when required, coordinating with customers outside the immediate organization.

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.

Supervisory status

Yes

Promotion Potential

I

Who May Apply

This job is open to…

Government-Wide: Current and former permanent civilian Federal employees. Applications also accepted from Veterans’ Preference eligibles OR Veterans who were or will be honorably discharged from the Armed Forces after completing at least 3 years of continuous active duty by the closing date of this announcement. Such applicants will compete under TSA’s Merit Promotion procedures for which Veterans’ Preference is not a factor in the selection process.

Questions? This job is open to 3 groups.

Job family (Series)

1801 General Inspection, Investigation, Enforcement, And Compliance Series

Requirements

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Requirements

Conditions of Employment

You must possess U.S. Citizenship or be a U.S. National.

You must complete a favorable Background Investigation (BI).

You must be able to obtain and maintain a Secret Clearance.

This is an Emergency Essential Position.

Selective Service registration is required.

See additional “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.

Supervisory/Managerial Trial Period Requirements: Unless previously completed, you must satisfactorily complete a one-year supervisory trial period to continue in this supervisory/managerial position.

CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT:
You must maintain eligibility for a Secret security clearance.

You must maintain proficiency in all facets of assigned work sufficient to ensure recertification, as required.

You must be available to work various shifts and overtime, as needed.

You must be proficient in English (e.g., reading, writing, speaking, and listening).

You must possess United State’s Citizenship or be a U.S. National.

You must pass pre-employment drug screening AND random drug/alcohol testing.

Qualifications

To qualify for the SV-I Pay Band (equivalent to GS-13), you must have one year of specialized experience at the SV-H Pay Band or GS-12 in the Federal service or equivalent in the private sector. Such experience includes administering, coordinating, or supervising/managing programs/services providing aviation security; corporate security; or force-protection affecting personnel, equipment, and facilities.

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

Salary range listed includes Locality Pay of 15.37%.

This position is located Boise Air Terminal/Gowen Field (BOI) in Boise, ID.

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.

This position is within the Specialized 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 .

View common definitions of terms found in this announcement.

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.

Exposure to potentially lethal devices and dangerous chemicals is inherent in this position.

This position is not covered by Law Enforcement Availability Pay or Law Enforcement Retirement.

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How You Will Be Evaluated

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.

When completing the assessment questionnaire for this position, you will be prompted to elect if you are eligible for consideration as Status (Current or former Federal Employees), Internal to TSA as a current permanent or competitive temporary employee, and/or based upon your eligible Veterans’ Preference status or Veterans’ Service (a veteran who was honorably discharged from the armed forces after completing at least three (3) years of continuous active duty service). At that time, please select the answer(s) that apply to you and your application to this position.

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.

To preview questions please click here.

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Background checks and security clearance

Security clearance

Secret

Required Documents

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Required Documents

In addition to a resume and the assessment questions, you must submit copies of any of the following documents if you are applying based on current or former Federal Government Status (if you are not a current TSA employee), Veterans’ Preference or eligible Veterans’ Service (a veteran who was honorably discharged from the armed forces after completing at least three (3) years of continuous active duty service), or education or a combination of education and experience:

SF-50, Notification of Personnel Action – Current TSA employees are not required to submit an SF-50 to support eligibility for internal/status consideration.

If you are not a current TSA employee: you must submit your most recent personnel action SF-50 (or equivalent document) to support your eligibility for Status consideration. If you elect Status for the consideration of your application without submitting an SF-50 demonstrating your current or previous permanent Federal employment status, and you are not a current TSA employee, your application may not receive Status consideration.

DD-214 – If you are claiming Veterans’ Preference or eligible Veterans’ Service, provide a copy of your DD-214 (Member Copy 4), Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty, or other appropriate documentation to prove your entitlement and to provide verification of an Honorable Discharge.

SF-15 and VA Letter – If you are claiming Veterans’ Preference based upon a Compensable Disability, Widow or Spouse Entitlement, or as a Purple Heart recipient, you must submit your DD-214 or other proof of entitlement; an SF-15, and the required proof of disability, i.e., Department of Veterans Affairs letter dated 1991 or later.

If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:

Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

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.

Benefits

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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. 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.

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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.