Transportation Security Officer

Transportation Security Administration•Springfield, MO

12d•Onsite

About The Position

Transportation Security Officers (TSOs) work within the Transportation Security Administration’s Security Operations to provide courteous and professional security and protection for air travelers, airports, and aircraft. Duties may also include securing high-profile events, important figures, and other activities involving or affecting transportation systems. The position is based at Springfield-Branson National Airport in Springfield, Missouri. The stated salary range is $46,105–$56,844 annually, or $22.09–$27.24 per hour, including 17.06% locality pay. TSOs operate screening equipment and technology to identify dangerous objects and prevent them from being transported onto aircraft. They screen passengers and property, control terminal access points, and interact with the public. The work requires maintaining focus and making effective decisions amid noise, crowds, time pressure, and potentially disruptive passengers. Officers apply relevant security procedures and risk-based screening protocols, develop critical-thinking skills, and adapt to new information and changing circumstances. This position involves physical activity, including bending, squatting, lifting and manipulating baggage weighing approximately 50 pounds, walking up to three miles during a shift, and standing for extended periods. Employees may be exposed to potentially lethal devices and dangerous chemicals and may be required to wear TSA-issued personal protective equipment. New-hire training requires at least three weeks of travel in full-time duty status and may require up to six weeks, depending on duty location. Occasional additional travel may be required. Airport-specific shifts and schedules may include irregular hours, nights, holidays, overtime, extended shifts, weekends, changing shifts, and split shifts. Full-time positions require 40 hours per week. Employment requires successful completion of interview, drug screening, medical evaluation, and background investigation, and ongoing compliance with training, certification, fitness-for-duty, and screening requirements. This is a permanent, bargaining-unit position and is not a law-enforcement position.

Requirements

Must be a U.S. citizen or U.S. national.
Must be at least 18 years old at the time of application.
Must meet Selective Service registration requirements, when applicable.
Must pass a structured interview, drug screening, medical evaluation, and background investigation; employment is also subject to post-employment random drug and/or alcohol testing.
Must be proficient in English, including reading, writing, speaking, and comprehending.
Must be available to work various shifts and overtime as needed.
Must be able to travel for new-hire training and occasional work-related travel.
Must meet physical requirements, including squatting and bending; repeatedly lifting and manipulating objects weighing approximately 50 pounds; walking up to three miles per shift; and standing for up to four hours at a time.
Must meet the residency requirement of having lived in the United States for three of the five years immediately before applying, unless an exception applies.
Must not have delinquent federal or state taxes or past-due child support payments.
Must comply with TSA dress and appearance standards and the applicable Master Collective Bargaining Agreement.
Must complete required training and initial certification testing, and pass recurrent and specialized training and recertification tests.
Must maintain required background-investigation, criminal-check, credit-check, and random drug and alcohol screening standards.
Must qualify through either at least one year of full-time work experience in the security industry, aviation screening, or as an X-ray technician, or a high school diploma, GED, HiSET, or TASC high school equivalency certificate.

Responsibilities

Operate screening equipment and technology to identify dangerous objects in baggage, cargo, and on passengers, and prevent those objects from being transported onto aircraft.
Search and screen passengers and property, including conducting pat-downs and bag searches and lifting or carrying bags, bins, and property weighing up to 50 pounds.
Control terminal entry and exit points.
Interact with the public, provide directions, and respond to inquiries.
Maintain focus and awareness in a stressful environment and make effective decisions in routine and crisis situations.
Use critical-thinking skills to identify, evaluate, and mitigate actual and potential security threats.
Apply risk-based security screening protocols as required by program requirements.
Learn and implement applicable Standard Operating Procedures, demonstrate dependable behavior, and adapt to new information or unexpected obstacles.
Complete classroom and on-the-job training, certification testing, recurrent and specialized training, and periodic recertification.
Maintain the required certification and fitness for duty, and comply with background investigation and random drug and alcohol screening requirements.