Supervisory Transportation Security Specialist - Explosives (STSS-E)

About the role

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.

What you will do

• This Supervisory Transportation Security Specialist - Explosives (STSS-E) position is located at Daniel K.
• Inouye International Airport (HNL), Transportation Security Administration, Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
• If selected for this position, you will serve as a subject matter expert with advanced knowledge on all issues involving threats to the traveling public from explosives and Improvised Explosives Devices (IEDs) for the Federal Security Director (FSD) at designated airport(s).
• You will also apply experience and technical knowledge of explosives to assess threats, educate the screening workforce in the detection of threats, and support explosive vulnerability assessments in all modes of transportation.
• Duties include, but are not limited to: Coordinating and collaborating with other TSS-E staff, the screening workforce, and other Threat Assessment Programs, such as the National Explosives Detection Canine Team Program and Specialized Screening Operations.
• Acting as a mentor and trainer to lower banded TSS-Es to resolve any issues they may have, to support their professional growth, and to support their success in assessing and resolving alarms.
• Directing the closure of the checkpoint, openings and evaluation distances, and contacting appropriate law enforcement or bomb squad, as required.
• In coordination with, and in support of Airport Screening Operations, responding to and assessing all unresolved checkpoint and checked baggage alarms involving possible explosives, IED components or actual IEDs, rendering a final decision on alarm resolution.
• Assessing the interrelationships between initiators, power supplies, and chemicals.
• Determining if devices are improvised explosives, commercial explosives, or mixed explosives (fuel mixtures).
• Participating with evaluation teams in conducting covert drills to determine effectiveness of the training programs, recommending individuals for remediation, and identifying potential security vulnerabilities.
• Mentoring and training the front-line screening workforce to increase their operational knowledge of explosives and IED components.
• Facilitating IED training aid drills to act as a force multiplier for dissemination of threat information.
• Providing effective and consistent training that improves the detection of threats by the screening force nationwide through classroom training, covert drills, opportunity based training, overt drills, and technical briefings.
• Spearheading efforts to integrate and familiarize local Bomb Squads and military EOD units to the transportation environment.
• Developing and maintaining relationships and training products with and for multi-modal partners, as well as internal and external stakeholders.
• Supervisory/Managerial duties includes 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.
• Emergency Essential Position: This position is designated as an Emergency Essential (EE) position.
• This designation requires the employee to remain in a duty status if an emergency arises.

Requirements

• 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 level security clearance.
• Selective Service registration is required.
• You must pass pre-employment Drug Screening AND you will be subject to post-employment random drug and alcohol testing.
• You must meet and maintain medical requirements as stated in the TSA Medical Guidelines for Transportation Security Specialist - Explosives (for more information, click here).
• You must be available to work various shifts and overtime, as needed.
• You must be willing to undertake extensive travel, at times overnight, as required.
• 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.
• If you fail to meet the conditions of employment or any other pre-employment requirements, such as missing any of the scheduled appointments, the hiring agency may rescind their tentative offer of employment.
• Applying to this announcement certifies that you give permission for TSA to share your application with others in DHS for similar positions.
• 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.

How you will be evaluated

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 specialized experience required for this position.

Additionally, a structured interview process will be utilized to evaluate candidates' technical and professional expertise as it pertains to the specific requirements outlined in this announcement. This interview measures the specialized knowledge and skills that are critical for successful performance in 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 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 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 as determined by the job analysis. If you are best qualified, you may be referred to the hiring manager for consideration and may be called for an interview.

You may preview the questions for this vacancy here: ***

Documents you must provide

• The following documents are required and must be provided with your application.
• Applicants who do not submit required documentation to determine eligibility and qualifications will be eliminated from consideration.
• Documentation is needed to verify the eligibilities you are claiming.
• NOTE: Your resume must clearly demonstrate how you meet this requirement; otherwise, you will be deemed ineligible.
• Additionally, copying and pasting information from the announcement into your resume will not adequately convey your qualifications.
• All applicants are required to submit a resume.
• Limit your resume to no more than two pages.
• The USAJOBS database will not allow an applicant to submit an application that includes a resume over two pages.
• Narrative description of duties with start and end dates (including month and year) for work experience.
• Number of hours worked in a position (i.e., full-time or part-time).
• If part-time, (i.e., less than 40 hours per week) state the total number of hours worked per week.
• If you are a current Federal employee or previous Federal employee, provide your performance level for federal civilian positions (i.e., band or grade).
• If your resume does not contain this information, your application will be marked as insufficient, and you will not receive consideration for this position.
• Do NOT include photographs (or links to social media such as LinkedIn), inappropriate content, classified information, nor personal information such as age, gender, religion, social security number, etc. on your resume.
• Utilizing the USAJOBS Resume Builder and completing all available fields is strongly encouraged.
• Note: Do NOT include photographs (or links to social media such as LinkedIn), inappropriate content, nor personal information such as age, gender, religion, social security number, etc. on your resume.
• In addition to a resume, you must submit copies of any of the following documents if you are applying based on being a current eligible TSA employee (which includes permanent employees and 5 year temporary employees), or education or a combination of education and experience: TSA Current Employees- Strongly encouraged to submit the most recent non-Award SF-50, at the time of application, to support eligibility for Status consideration.
• TSA employees who do not submit the SF-50 with the application must document their current TSA position in their resume and may be required to provide the SF-50 document during the selection process.
• TSA employees may obtain a copy of their most recent non-Award SF-50 at ***
• TSA Displaced Employees- If you indicate eligibility for this priority consideration and exemption from Area of Consideration restrictions, you must submit a copy of the official notification that supports this eligibility at the time of application.
• Detail Documentation: Eligible applicants who wish to qualify for this position based upon experience obtained while serving on a detail with TSA must submit signed copies of the corresponding TSA form 1160, Terms And Conditions For Temporary Internal Assignment -Detail, or an SF-52, Request for Personnel Action, as supporting documentation along with their application otherwise the experience cannot be credited.
• If you do not submit required documentation described in this job opportunity announcement, your application will be deemed incomplete and you will be ineligible for further consideration for this vacancy.

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; situational telework may be permitted in accordance with departmental policy 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.

What to expect next

If needed, applicants may request a religious accommodation as part of the hiring process from the designated contact noted in the vacancy announcement (for contact information please see 'Agency Contact Information' listed within the 'How to Apply' section of this job announcement) To verify the status of your application, log into your USAJOBS account (***), all of your applications will appear on the Welcome screen.

The Application Status will appear along with the date your application was last updated. For information on what each Application Status means, visit: ***

Additional information

This location has a Cost-of-Living Allowance (COLA) of 8.64%, which is not included in the salary range listed above.

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: *** 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.

If you receive a conditional offer of employment for this position, you will be required to complete an Optional Form 306 Declaration for Federal Employment, and to sign and certify the accuracy of all information in your application, prior to entry on duty.

False statements on any part of the application may result in withdrawal of offer of employment, dismissal after beginning work, fine, or imprisonment. TSA employees who are absent for the purpose of performing military duty may apply for any vacancies announced in their absence. More than one position may be filled from this announcement.

If you are entering TSA employment on an appointment without time limitations, you must serve a basic trial period unless you have already met the requirement.