Personnel Security Specialist

Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory•Laurel, MD

1d•Onsite

About The Position

We are seeking an enterpriser to help us innovate, streamline, and deliver services to our customers. As a member of the PERSEC team, you will process and manage security clearances, review, create, and implement process improvements, and partner with all levels of APL and its sponsors to ensure mission success.

Requirements

Hold a Bachelor’s degree in a related field (such as Security Management, Criminal Justice, Public Administration, or similar), or have an equivalent combination of education, training, and experience that provides knowledge comparable to a BS/BA.
Have at least two years of relevant experience in personnel security, clearance processing, background investigations, security administration, or a closely related administrative/security function.
Have foundational knowledge of, or a demonstrated ability to quickly learn personnel security concepts and processes (e.g. background investigation, clearance types, basic adjudicative issues) and apply them to routine and moderately complex personnel security cases.
Demonstrate the ability to independently analyze personnel security issues, interpret regulatory requirements, and recommend appropriate courses of action for routine and moderately complex situations, seeking guidance on unusual, conflicting, or higher-risk cases.
Demonstrate strong attention to detail and accuracy when reviewing forms and documentation for completeness and compliance with instructions.
Are proficient with standard office productivity tools (e.g. Microsoft Office or equivalent) and can learn to use personnel security databases and government/contractor systems.
Have the ability to communicate clearly in writing and verbally, and can document case activity and progress accurately and consistently, with some guidance from senior staff.
Have the ability to plan, organize and prioritize your work to meet established schedules, while keeping your supervisor informed of progress and issues.
Have the ability to exercise independent judgment in resolving personnel security matters within delegated authority while recognizing circumstances requiring consultation due to elevated risk, regulatory ambiguity, or organizational impact.
Have the ability to maintain the highest levels of integrity, ethics, and discretion when handling sensitive and confidential information.
Have the ability to build effective working relationships with recruiters, program management, and security partners by providing accurate information and routine guidance on personnel security processes and serving as a trusted advisor on basic regulatory requirements, and by elevating complex risk considerations to senior security staff.
Have the ability to contribute to the administration of personnel security programs by managing assigned tasks, prioritizing competing requirements within your scope of work, and making recommendations that support organizational compliance and mission readiness under the guidance of senior personnel.
Hold an active Secret security clearance, with the ability to obtain an Interim Top Secret level security clearance by your start date and ultimately obtain a Top Secret level security clearance. If selected, you will be subject to a government security clearance investigation and must meet the requirements for access to classified information. Eligibility requirements include U.S. citizenship.

Nice To Haves

Previous personnel security experience and/or demonstrate an ability to manage projects.

Responsibilities

Own and manage data quality for assigned personnel security records by entering, updating, and reconciling information across multiple complex systems, ensuring traceability and audit effectiveness, and coordinating with Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency (DCSA), ITSD, and TSX to support the integration and alignment of external and internal systems under the guidance of senior security staff.
Support Key Management Personnel (KMPs) by processing clearances, managing self-reporting, and collaborating with industry partners to share and reconcile reporting information in line with regulatory and governance requirements.
Lead Foreign National and Resident Alien reporting efforts, partnering with TSX to ensure tracking and compliance with all requirements of the Technology Control Plan.
Partner with Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency (DCSA) on pilot programs by representing the personnel security function in routine meetings and activities, providing feedback on process and system changes, and supporting testing through to implementation, while escalating policy, risk, or complex issues to senior security staff.
Conduct initial reviews of investigation results and supporting documents to identify routine security or suitability issues; draft clear, concise summaries and develop preliminary analytical recommendations that inform personnel security determinations and management decision-making under the guidance of senior personnel.
Serve as a first-line point of contact for employees, applicants, and managers on personnel security processes, requirements, and timelines, providing routine guidance on established procedures, resolving procedural issues within delegated authority, and escalating matters involving elevated organizational risk, regulatory ambiguity, or questions that fall outside standard practice.
Advise stakeholders on timelines, risk considerations, and expectations, and explain complex personnel security forms and investigative requirements using professional-level written and verbal communication, serving as a first-line policy and process resource and escalating nonstandard, higher-risk, or ambiguous issues to senior security staff.
Support the security team in navigating a complex, evolving regulatory landscape by continuously learning and applying changes in adjudicative guidelines, insider threat and suitability criteria, and government clearance processes and systems; assess how these changes affect assigned personnel security workflows and recommend procedural or workflow adjustments, while partnering with senior security personnel on any broader policy changes needed to maintain alignment with current requirements.
Focus on risk-based personnel security information by identifying routine and moderately complex risk factors in assigned cases and serving in a consultative role on routine personnel security matters as a first-line point of contact within the security team, with Lab partners, and with external agencies, while elevating higher-risk or ambiguous issues to senior security staff.
Communicate clearly and professionally (written and verbal) to explain forms and requirements, respond to status inquiries, and provide updates on assigned cases; tailor your communication to the audience and provide guidance that enables informed compliance with personnel security requirements, reporting case status and emerging issues to your supervisor as needed.
Independently interpret and apply established policies, procedures, and regulatory guidance (e.g., NISPOM, adjudicative guidelines, agency directives) to routine and moderately complex situations, evaluating multiple sources of guidance and exercising independent judgment in determining the appropriate course of action for matters within clearly defined parameters, while seeking guidance on unusual, conflicting, or higher-risk issues.
Track periodic reinvestigation requirements and initiate updates according to established schedules, planning and organizing your workload to ensure deadlines and quality expectations are met, and informing your supervisor of competing priorities or emerging issues.
Support internal and external audits and inspections by assembling requested personnel security documentation, verifying file completeness, noting potential systemic compliance trends, providing input to senior staff on corrective actions, and supporting implementation of process improvements.
Collaborate with TSX, recruiters, program management, and other internal stakeholders to support timely onboarding and continued eligibility of personnel, sharing status updates and routine guidance on personnel security processes and basic eligibility considerations, and elevating complex risk or impact questions to senior security staff.
Select appropriate approaches for routine tasks and exercise discretion in evaluating non-standard but clearly scoped personnel security issues, recommending risk-based solutions and independently resolving matters within delegated authority, while consulting senior personnel on issues of significant organizational impact, regulatory ambiguity, or elevated risk.
Assist in developing, documenting, and periodically updating training practices and job aids for personnel security functions (such as step-by-step procedures, checklists, and quick reference guides); monitor relevant industrial security and regulatory updates as directed; provide input on their potential impact on organizational practices; recommend incremental procedural changes within your area of responsibility; and contribute to continuous improvement initiatives under the guidance of senior staff.
Independently initiate, track, and monitor assigned routine background investigations and clearance requests in designated security systems, applying established procedures to determine the appropriate investigative actions, resolving straightforward procedural issues within delegated authority, and identifying matters that fall outside standard guidance or require management review based on risk and regulatory impact.
Review personnel security forms and documentation (e.g., SF-85, SF-86, OF-306, fingerprint cards) for completeness, accuracy, and internal consistency; identify discrepancies or potential issues and evaluate their significance for routine to moderately complex cases, analyze personnel security issues as a front-line screener on routine matters, exercise independent judgment within delegated authority to determine appropriate corrective actions, and recommend resolution strategies consistent with applicable security policies, adjudicative guidelines, and agency directives, escalating nonstandard or higher-risk issues to senior personnel.