Personnel Security Assistant

Veterans Health Administration•Milwaukee, WI

8d•Onsite

About The Position

The Personnel Security Assistant works in the Personnel Security Unit, supporting a Network Personnel Suitability and Credentialing Program within a shared services unit. The program ensures appointees receive the appropriate security or suitability clearance for their assignments. The assistant supports the Personnel Security Specialist and handles confidential, highly sensitive work involving background investigations, suitability actions, and Personal Identity Verification (PIV) credentials. The role supports the initiation, review, and release of background cases to the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), and assists with suitability adjudications. The position serves as an initial contact for new appointees, including employees, volunteers, students, residents, and contractors, and helps applicants complete electronic screening forms. It also supports PIV card issuance, programming, and troubleshooting. This is a multi-grade career ladder position, with duties at GS-5 and GS-6 performed at a more limited scope and with less independence than the full-performance GS-7 level. Promotion is discretionary and contingent on performance, availability of higher-level work, and funding. This is an onsite position at the Clement J. Zablocki VAMC in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Employees must live within or be willing to relocate within commuting distance and report to the Milwaukee duty location. Telework is ad hoc only. The schedule is Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Requirements

U.S. citizenship is required.
Meet the applicable specialized-experience or education requirements for the GS-5, GS-6, or GS-7 grade level; GS-5 applicants may qualify through four years above high school or a combination of education and experience.
For GS-5, have one year of specialized experience equivalent to GS-4, or qualifying education or a combination of education and experience.
For GS-6, have one year of specialized experience equivalent to GS-5.
For GS-7, have one year of specialized experience equivalent to GS-6.
Specialized experience includes knowledge of regulations, policies, procedures, principles, and concepts governing the PIV Program; oral communication skills to provide technical guidance; ability to enter, extract, and evaluate employee information in computer databases; ability to handle emotionally charged or stressful situations calmly; knowledge of organizational structure, mission, goals, and needs; experience initiating, reviewing, and approving background cases for OPM; assembling position descriptions and functional statements; tracking required investigation levels; and entering suitability data from a variety of sources.
Current or former federal employees and certain VEOA applicants must meet applicable time-in-grade requirements: 52 weeks at GS-5 for GS-6 consideration, or 52 weeks at GS-6 for GS-7 consideration.
Submit an SF-50 demonstrating time-in-grade eligibility when applicable.
Submit transcripts if relying on education to qualify; foreign education requires a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with transcripts.
Complete the application, questionnaire, and required online assessment.
Complete a background/security investigation and online onboarding requirements; provide acceptable identification for employment verification.
Register with Selective Service if a male born after December 31, 1959.
Participate in the seasonal influenza vaccination program as a condition of employment for VA Health Care Personnel.
Serve a one-year probationary period or two-year trial period, as applicable.
Live within or be willing to relocate within commuting distance of the Milwaukee duty location and report onsite.

Responsibilities

Collect, organize, and track information supporting the Personnel Security Program.
Assist the Personnel Security Specialist with collecting background information, tracking and reviewing data, preparing reports, maintaining databases, processing follow-up actions, and supporting suitability adjudications.
Review position risk sensitivity levels and assemble position descriptions and functional statements for the Personnel Security Specialist's review.
Track assigned position levels electronically and identify the appropriate background investigation needed.
Serve as an initial point of contact for new appointees, including paid and unpaid employees, volunteers, students, residents, and contractors.
Initiate, review, and release background investigations in OPM's e-QIP system or in conjunction with the VA Adjudication Center.
Monitor pending items, compile report data, follow up on case status, and record results.
Maintain logs of current employees in public trust positions and ensure reinvestigations are initiated, reviewed, and released through e-QIP within required timeframes.
Assist applicants who experience difficulties completing electronic background-screening forms.
Coordinate with Recruitment and Staffing to ensure required background documents, such as OF-306, SF-85, and SF-85P, are complete and accurate.
Take and transmit electronic fingerprints for appointees and when the FBI returns fingerprints as unclassifiable.
Support programming PIV cards after manufacture and perform minor troubleshooting of the PIV system during malfunctions.
Perform administrative tasks related to authorizing and issuing PIV cards for access to federal facilities, networks, and computer systems.
Perform other related duties as assigned.