Program Specialist

Summary 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. Responsibilities This Program Specialist (Armorer) position is located in the Aviation Programs Branch (APB), Executive Assistant Administrator's Office (EAA), Law Enforcement/Federal Air Marshal Service (LE/FAMS), Transportation Security Administration (TSA), Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Duties include but are not limited to: Serves as a central point of contact for providing guidance to students and training staff on all aspects of firearms repair, preventive maintenance, functional testing, and safe operation. Collaborates closely with manufacturers and vendors to ensure students and training staff receive up to date technical guidance. Responsible for assessing and evaluating firearm performance data, diagnosing issues, and ensuring all weapons are serviced correctly. Organizes and directs firearm warranty issues. Responsible for inventory control of all weapons; ordering, inventorying, and storing supplies and safety equipment; and maintaining accurate records. Uses a variety of office software packages to maintain and update information on program operations. Develops and produces reports as needed. The major duties described above reflect the full performance level of this position. Typically, the lower Pay Band (Pay Band G) performs the same duties but will receive more guidance and training; and/or projects/work assignments may be less complex. JOB SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS: Knowledge of small arms operations, repair, and maintenance procedures with a specific concentration on the Glock pistols to include the G19 Generation 5 semi-automatic pistol. Knowledge of small arms ammunition, operation, failures, identifying defects, and inventory management with a specific concentration on 9mm pistol ammunition. Ability to effectively communicate both orally and in writing. Ability utilizing a variety of Microsoft Office applications such as Word, Excel, and PowerPoint; ability to update/maintain automated records and systems; and ability to develop and produce various reports. Ability to work independently and in a team environment. Requirements Conditions of Employment You must possess U.S. Citizenship or be a U.S. National. You must have reached the minimum age (18) at the time of application. Selective Service registration is required. You must complete a favorable Background Investigation (BI). Must obtain and maintain a secret clearance. Must be able to lift, move and stack boxes up to 75lbs. Must be a certified Glock Generation 5 Armorer. Work environment may include varying conditions such as extreme weather, low light, and other adverse conditions. May occasionally be exposed to fumes or airborne particles, toxic or caustic, and loud noise. 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. Qualifications To qualify for the SV-G Pay Band (equivalent to GS-11), you must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to the SV-F or GS-9 Pay Band in the Federal service or equivalent experience in the private sector. Specialized experience is defined as experience that has equipped you with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position to be filled. Specialized experience is defined as: Experience providing assistance repairing and/or maintaining small arms including Glock pistols (i.e., G19 and G26 Generation 5 semiautomatic pistol); and Experience updating and/or maintaining systems and/or records related to small arms. OR Achievement of a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree in a field of study which is in or directly related to this position; OR Three full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree; OR LL.M., if related; OR Combining Education and Experience: Combinations of successfully completed graduate level education, beyond the second year, and experience may be used to meet total qualification requirements for this position and may be computed by first determining your total qualifying experience as a percentage of the experience required for the band level; then determining your education as a percentage of the education required for the band level; and then adding the two percentages. The total percentages must equal at least 100 percent. GRADUATE EDUCATION: Education at the graduate level in an accredited college or university in the amounts indicated above meets the requirements for this position. Such education must demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work. One year of full-time graduate education is considered to be the number of credit hours that the school attended has determined to represent one year of full-time study. If that information cannot be obtained from the school, 18 semester hours should be considered as satisfying the one year of full-time study requirement. To qualify for the SV-H Pay Band (equivalent to GS-12), you must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to the SV-G or GS-11 Pay Band in the Federal service or equivalent experience in the private sector. Specialized experience is defined as experience that has equipped you with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position to be filled. Specialized experience is defined as: Experience providing guidance on repair or maintenance or testing and operation on firearms including Glock pistols (i.e., G19 and G26 Generation 5 semiautomatic pistol); and Experience maintaining and/or inventorying small arms by updating systems and/or records. 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. 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. The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) must authorize employment offers made to current or former political appointees. If you are currently, or have been within the last 5 years, a political Schedule A, Schedule C, Non-career SES or Presidential Appointee employee in the Executive Branch, you must disclose this information to the Human Resources Office. Resumes must include the following: Narrative description of duties with start and end dates (including the month and year) for work experience. State the number of hours worked in a position (i.e., full-time or part-time). If part-time, state the total number of hours worked per week. Performance level (i.e., band or grade) Utilizing the USAJOBS Resume Builder and completing all available fields is strongly encouraged. You must meet the qualification requirements for this position no later than the closing date of the vacancy announcement. Education For positions requiring positive education requirements, or if you are using education to meet all or part of the qualification requirements, you MUST submit a copy of your transcripts or an itemized list of college courses from an accredited college or university, which includes equivalent information from the transcript (course title, semester/quarter hours, and grade/degree earned) in your resume. The information must be provided with the application by the closing date of the announcement. If selected, the applicant must supply a transcript or certification of degree. Additional Information 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: 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. 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. 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.