Diplomatic Security: Foreign Service Security Technical Specialist (FS 2560)

About the role

The U.S. Department of State is developing a rank-ordered list of eligible hires for a limited number of Foreign Service Security Technical Specialist (STS). Learn more about Foreign Service careers at *** There is more to joining the Foreign Service than just salary.

Refer to Foreign Service Specialist Benefits for more information on total compensation.

What you will do

• Security Technical Specialists (STS) provide support for and assist in worldwide technical security programs to maintain and provide protection for U.S. Department of State personnel and facilities from technical espionage, acts of terrorism, and crime.
• The duties of an STS vary according to the size of the post and the requirements of the specific diplomatic mission.
• The following are examples of the types of duties and responsibilities assigned to an STS at posts around the world, or in domestic locations.
• This list is neither exhaustive, nor in priority order: Install, maintain, repair, and troubleshoot a multitude of technical security systems to include alarms, access control systems, locks, vehicle arrest systems, security video systems, explosive detection systems, X-ray machines, computer networking equipment, and forced entry ballistic resistant doors.
• Assist with and/or perform technical surveys, system specifications, and equipment installations.
• Conduct technical security design evaluations based on government regulations and standards.
• Prepare formal updates to architectural drawings according to government regulations and standards.
• Apply IT best practices to monitor and troubleshoot networking equipment, workstations, servers, and applications.
• Plan technical support trips, coordinate logistics, and travel to overseas embassies and consulates.
• Use sophisticated electronic test equipment such as oscilloscopes, time domain reflectometers, etc. Manage equipment supply chain logistics– shipping, receiving, Bill-of-Materials (BOM) preparation using a Computerized Maintenance Management System.
• Oversee and supervise the X-ray and explosive detection programs, to include repairing and performing radiation checks.
• Maintain/repair electro-mechanical systems using electronic test equipment.
• Organize and maintain shops, storerooms, shop tools, equipment, parts, and supplies.
• Work with or supervise host country personnel (locally employed staff) when required.
• Test new-generation technical security equipment.
• Provide technical security support to high level U.S. government officials and foreign dignitaries.
• Manage training programs for various technical security systems.
• Train security personnel at posts as required.
• Take coursework to maintain and upgrade technical skills.
• Write technical reports, including project proposals, equipment and/or system evaluations, maintenance and/or installation activity reports, technical field notices, trip reports, and other documentation as required.
• Assist in the project management of security contracts.
• Serve as Contracting Officer's Representative (COR) and as Government Technical Monitor (GTM).
• Supervise regional security technicians as assigned.
• Mentor and supervise junior STS personnel and write employee evaluations when assigned.
• Learn Department hiring and management best practices to apply them as a supervisor or when assisting in hiring processes.

Requirements

• A physical examination of each candidate offered a position is required to ensure that the candidate meets the essential physical and medical requirements necessary to perform the essential functions of the job and can meet the required minimum medical qualification standards.
• Candidates must have vision that is correctable to 20/20 in one eye and 20/40 in the other, no color blindness, adequate night vision, and good peripheral vision.
• In addition, candidates must have good hearing with no loss of greater than 30 decibels at 500, 1000, or 2000 Hz level.
• The musculoskeletal system should have no deformities, diseases, or limiting conditions that would interfere with the performance of duties.
• Note: The medical examination is required only after a candidate has successfully passed the written and oral assessments.
• It is not part of the initial application package.

Education

At the time of application, the candidate must possess a high school diploma or equivalent. Candidates can substitute additional educational achievements for specialized experience. Please see Qualifications Section for Specialized Experience requirements below.

Please note 12 semester hours or 18 quarter hours is equivalent to one year. For one year of specialized experience: One full academic year of education in any electronics or electro-mechanic specialty, or the equivalent amount of vocational, military, and/or formal job-related classroom training.

For two years of specialized experience: Completion of all requirements for an associate's degree in any electronics or electro-mechanic specialty, or the equivalent of two full academic years of vocational, military, and/or formal job-related classroom training.

To substitute educational achievements for Specialized Experience, you must submit a copy of your official or unofficial university transcript(s) with your application. Education from a program or institution within the United States must be accredited at the time of program completion by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

Foreign Education Foreign education acquired outside of any state of the U.S., the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, a Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands, or any territory or possession of the U.S. must be evaluated by a member organization of one of the two national associations of credential evaluation services (NACES or AICE) in order to be given credit towards qualification.

The accredited interpretation must include the summary and the foreign education transcripts. Foreign education transcripts that have not been evaluated by a credential evaluation service will not be accepted and the candidacy will be terminated.

For further information on the evaluation of foreign education, please refer to the Office of Personnel Management, Foreign Education section, and the U.S. Department of Education. The U.S. Department of State neither endorses nor recommends any individual evaluation service.

OPM: *** U.S. Department of Education: *** Please refer to the Required Documents Section on how to submit the required educational documentation for this position.

How you will be evaluated

Candidates will be evaluated on their total background including experience, education, awards, training, and self-development as it relates to the position. Selection for this position will be made only from among candidates possessing the best qualifications. Part-time work experience will be prorated.

The Department of State reserves the right to cancel and/or disqualify any application or to withhold test results when, in its judgment, a testing irregularity occurs. Testing irregularities include, but are not limited to, candidate misconduct, plagiarism, and/or misrepresentation of material fact, including in narrative descriptions of accomplishments.

The Department may verify content provided by candidates by contacting references. It also conducts extensive background checks of work and education history of candidates offered employment. REQUIRED TRAINING Selected candidates will complete approximately twelve months of specialized training and orientation.

The selected candidate must complete the Technical Security Training Path (TSTP) in Springfield, VA. This specialized initial training provides the candidate with the knowledge and skills to operate, install, maintain, and repair technical security systems at post.

Failure to successfully complete any portion TSTP is grounds for separation.

You may preview questions for this vacancy.

Documents you must provide

• It is the responsibility of the candidate to ensure the application is complete before the closing deadline of this announcement.
• Incomplete applications will be disqualified.
• In the online application, candidates must answer all self-assessment questions to include 10 years of work history.
• Applications missing any responses will be terminated.
• Education Documents When requested, candidates with qualifying DSSTST scores must submit the following documentation to demonstrate they possess the educational level required for this position.
• Candidates should add *@state.gov as a trusted sender.
• Neither the Department of State nor Pearson Vue are responsible for the failure of candidates' internet service provider to deliver e-mail messages.
• Official or unofficial college or university transcripts.
• Progress reports and grade reports will not be accepted.
• Candidates should not submit university diplomas in lieu of higher education transcripts.
• All documents must comply with the following requirements to be accepted: Must be in PDF format.
• Any other format will be rejected.
• Documents sent via link or secured message, in any other non-attachment format, or sent directly from credential evaluation services will be rejected.
• Must have no missing pages.
• Transcripts must include candidate's full name, school's name, course credits, degree and date awarded/conferred.
• Candidates with a name change should submit an official document reflecting the change.
• All foreign education transcripts must adhere to additional requirements.
• See Foreign Education Information in the Education Requirements section.
• Submit Veteran's Preference documentation in PDF format for candidates aged 60 to 64 when requested.
• If claiming Veteran's Preference, a copy of the candidate's DD-214 "Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty" that must include the candidate's Character of Service must be submitted when requested.
• If claiming a 10-point Veteran's Preference, the candidate's VA letter and SF-15 must be submitted in addition to the DD-214.
• A certification from the armed forces is required only if a veteran has not yet received the DD-214.
• It must confirm that the service member is expected to be discharged under honorable conditions within 120 days and include service dates, expected discharge date, character of service, and any applicable disability rating.

Benefits

Benefits include health and medical coverage, federal retirement benefits, and paid leave. Overseas benefits include tax-free housing and tax-free education allowance for dependent children between K-12 overseas, and an unrivaled opportunity to see the world and experience different cultures.

The salary range listed is extracted from the Foreign Service Overseas and Washington pay scales. The starting step is determined in part by the highest education level achieved and specialized experience beyond minimum qualifications. Individuals already working in government positions may be appointed based on their highest previous rate as a federal employee.

For information on salary, please visit Foreign Service Salaries.

What to expect next

Pearson forwards candidates' test results as well as their applications to the Department of State on a quarterly basis. After the Department of State receives the information, the Department will notify all applicants via the e-mail they provided during the application process of the next steps in the process.

We recommend adding the Department of State domain (@state.gov) as an approved sender to your inbox. Due to the high volume of applications, we ask all candidates to remain patient and await communication. It is not uncommon for several months to pass before candidates are informed of the application results.

For more information on the selection process, visit Security Technical Specialist - Careers or email ***.

Additional information

*EMPLOYMENT ELIGIBILITY VERIFICATION PROGRAM (E-Verify) – Verification of employment eligibility in the United States is required. U.S. law requires companies to employ only individuals who may legally work in the U.S. – either U.S. citizens, or foreign citizens who have the necessary authorization.

This agency utilizes E-Verify to compare information from the Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification, to data from U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Social Security Administration (SSA) records to confirm employment eligibility. If the employee's information does not match DHS and/or SSA records, the employee is given an opportunity to resolve the problem.

If eligibility cannot be verified, employment will be terminated. **The U.S. Department of State Suitability Review Panel and standards are defined in Chapter 3 of the Foreign Affairs Manual. For more information please visit: *** ***For more information about Veteran's Preference and how it is applied in the selection process, please visit the link provided.

No candidate will be considered who has previously been separated from the Foreign Service under sections §607, §608, or §610 or §612 of the Foreign Service Act of 1980, as amended, or who resigned or retired in lieu of separation under these provisions.

In addition, no candidate will be considered who has previously been separated for failure to receive a career appointment under section §306 of the Foreign Service Act of 1980, as amended, or who resigned or retired in lieu thereof.

A Foreign Service Specialist separated pursuant to Sections 306, 607, 608, 610, 612, may not re-apply to be in the same skill code but may apply for another skill code or to be a Foreign Service Generalist. A Foreign Service Generalist separated pursuant to Sections 306, 607, 608, 610, 612 may not re-apply as a generalist but may apply to a Foreign Service Specialist vacancy.

Executive Branch agencies are barred by 5 U.S. Code 3303 as amended from accepting or considering prohibited political recommendations and are required to return any prohibited political recommendations to sender. In addition, as mandated by 5 U.S. Code 3110, relatives of federal employees cannot be granted preference in competing for these employment opportunities.

It is the policy of the Federal government to treat all employees with dignity and respect and to provide a workplace that is free from discrimination and retaliation, in accordance with the standards set forth by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. The U.S. Department of State provides reasonable accommodation to candidates with disabilities.

Procedures vary by test type, and all candidates must request reasonable accommodations in advance. For more information visit Requesting Reasonable Accommodations - Careers (state.gov). Decisions for granting reasonable accommodations are made on a case-by-case basis.

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.