This position is located in the Police Service of the VA Medical Center in Martinsburg Department of Veteran Affairs. The mission of the Physical Security Specialist is to serve and protect Veterans, patients, employees, contractors, volunteers, affiliates, visitors, and others who frequent VA facilities.
To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 09/22/2025. Time-In-Grade Requirement: Applicants who are current Federal employees and have held a GS grade any time in the past 52 weeks must also meet time-in-grade requirements by the closing date of this announcement. For a GS-09 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-07. The grade may have been in any occupation, but must have been held in the Federal service. An SF-50 that shows your time-in-grade eligibility must be submitted with your application materials. If the most recent SF-50 has an effective date within the past year, it may not clearly demonstrate you possess one-year time-in-grade, as required by the announcement. In this instance, you must provide an additional SF-50 that clearly demonstrates one-year time-in-grade. Please Note: Time-In-Grade requirements also apply to former Federal employees applying for reinstatement as well as current employees applying for Veterans Employment Opportunities Act of 1998 (VEOA) appointment. You may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below: Specialized Experience: At least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-07 level in the Federal service that equipped you with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the work of this position. Specialized experience includes: Providing physical security and assistance to groups and individuals entering facility or campus; ensuring compliance with security procedures designed to safeguard personnel and property; applying knowledge of security and protection regulations, policies, procedures, and practices; utilizing various security equipment and devices; making/sharing recommendations to improve security processes. Performs law enforcement assignment such as, responding to reports of crimes and/or calls for police assistance; securing crime scenes and/or accident sites; takes appropriate actions in emergency situations; conducts investigations; keep abreast of law enforcement rules, regulations and techniques. Applicants must possess excellent communication skills. Please note: Applicants wishing to receive credit for such experience must indicate clearly the nature of their duties and responsibilities in each position and the number of hours a week spent in such employment. OR, Education: Successfully completed a master's or equivalent graduate degree, or two full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree, in a field related to Criminal Investigation that demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of this position. Please note: Transcripts (unofficial or official) must be submitted with your application materials. Education cannot be credited without documentation. Combination: Equivalent combinations of successfully completed graduate level education (in excess of the first year or 18 semester hours) and specialized experience to meet total experience requirements. Please note: Transcripts (unofficial or official) must be submitted with your application materials. Education cannot be credited without documentation. Preferred Experience: Must be a Certified VA Police Officer Already. Driver's License Requirement: Applicants must possess a valid, unrestricted State driver's license, have a safe driving record, and demonstrate that he or she is medically qualified to operate the appropriate motor vehicle safely. Applicants are required to pass agency Government Vehicle Drivers physical examination. Please Note: We cannot accept photographs, therefore; please do not submit a copy of your driver's license with your application package. If an interview is requested, you may be required to provide a copy of your valid state-issued driver's license. Firearm Requirement: VA Police Officers are required to carry agency-approved firearms while on duty on VA property. Officers must achieve and maintain qualification/certification with the agency-approved firearms as condition of gaining and continuing employment as a Police Officer. Applicants must be able to possess firearms under the terms of the Gun Control Act of 1968, as amended (18 U.S.C. 922(g)(9). You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: Computer Skills Criminal Law Interpersonal Skills Personnel Security and Safety Public Safety and Security Security 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; religions; 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. Please note: A full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week. Part-time experience will be credited on the basis of time actually spent in appropriate activities. Applicants wishing to receive credit for such experience must indicate clearly the nature of their duties and responsibilities in each position and the number of hours a week spent in such employment. Physical Requirements: The work requires full use of extremities, normal hearing, and vision to conduct on-site security surveys, inspections, and assessments. The duties require prolonged standing, walking, crouching, bending, lifting, reaching, pushing, stooping, and climbing stairs and ladders both indoors and outdoors. On-site surveys, inspections, and assessments require exposure to a wide variety of working elements, both indoors and outside, and in general and specialized office space. Clothing is subject to being soiled when checking basements, crawl space, attics and other similar areas. Wearing of safety clothing and equipment when in construction or industrial areas is required. For more information on these qualification standards, please visit the United States Office of Personnel Management's website at https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/.
The Physical Security Specialist ensures that all stakeholders safely enter any VA facility across the country with the confidence that they receive a consistently high level of protection and customer service. This is accomplished through crime prevention activities, typical law enforcement actions, emergency response capabilities, special training and tactics, weapons, and equipment and systems utilization. Duties may include but are not limited to; Provides security and assistance to Veterans, patients, employees, contractors, volunteers, affiliates, visitors, and others who frequent VA facilities daily. Serves as a uniformed Physical Security Specialist ensuring a safe and secure environment across VHA within various settings, including a variety of jurisdictional environments, such as VHA Medical Centers and facilities, Inpatient Clinics, Outpatient Clinics, and domiciliaries throughout the United States. Assist in evaluating risk and developing procedures and physical security measures designed to safeguard personnel, property, and operations from unauthorized access, espionage, terrorism, sabotage, damage and theft. Participates with senior-level Physical Security Specialist and provides suggestions to the Chief of Police regarding matters pertaining to security systems and security of other VA/VHA/NCA/VARO assets. Serves on focused groups regarding physical security policy, doctrine, utility and implementation. Ensures security requirements, including appropriate safeguards, cameras, panic and intrusion alarms are implemented. Collects information and prepares reports on the facilities compliance with VA operations, regulations Physical Security and Physical Access Control Systems (PACs). Develops various physical security-related documents, spreadsheets, graphs, reports and presentations using various automated systems and software packages, including the Veterans Health Information and Technology Architecture (VistA) System, Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint to enter, access and retrieve information in the medical center computer system. Performs Law Enforcement assignments to prevent or resolve offenses. Books the accused; takes the accused before the appropriate District Court or magistrate; confers with the prosecutors; appears before the grand jury upon request; appears at preliminary hearings; and/or testifies at trial, if needed. Responds to reports of a crime in progress and/or calls for police assistance. Initiates appropriate actions to pursue and apprehend offenders who are leaving the scene of a crime or who attempts to resist arrest. Subdues individuals causing disturbances. Identifies and arrests violators based on eyewitness accounts. Oversees emergency, crowd, and/or civil disturbance control, including bomb threat, search procedures and proper completion of reports for each. Enforces Federal, State, county, and municipal laws and ordinances, and agency rules and regulations pertaining to the physical protection of visitors and employees; the protection of property of the U.S. government; the protection of the civil rights of all individuals while on federally owned property; and the preservation of the peaceful environment. Maintains an awareness of violations of federal offenses, and individuals acting in a suspicious manner, which may result in theft, burglary, pilferage, assault, or other crime. Responds to situations requiring immediate and courteous assistance when dealing with patients, visitors, and employees. Other duties/tasks as assigned. Work Schedule: Days may vary 2:00 PM-10:30 PM. Please note - Rotating shifts maybe required according to facility needs. Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Physical Security Specialist/PD99826S Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not authorized. Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not authorized. Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not authorized.