Transportation Security Officer

Transportation Security Administration•Cedar Rapids, IA

5d•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 extend to securing high-profile events, important figures, and other matters involving transportation systems. The position is at The Eastern Iowa Airport in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. The stated salary range is $46,105–$56,844 annually ($22.09–$27.24 per hour), including 17.06% locality pay. A location-specific sign-on bonus of up to $2,000 may be paid in two installments during the first 12 months of service; the bonus is subject to change or elimination based on operational needs and will be confirmed during the final offer process. TSOs operate screening equipment and technology, screen passengers and property, control terminal entry and exit points, and interact with the public. Screening may involve physical interaction with passengers and lifting or carrying bags, bins, and other property weighing up to 50 pounds. The role requires maintaining focus in a stressful, noisy, and crowded environment, making effective decisions in routine and crisis situations, developing critical-thinking skills, applying risk-based screening protocols where applicable, and following Standard Operating Procedures. Employees must complete training and certification, maintain fitness for duty, and pass required background, credit, and drug and alcohol screening requirements. The position requires availability for varying shifts and overtime as needed. Schedules may include irregular hours, nights, holidays, weekends, extended or changing shifts, and split shifts. New-hire training may require three to six weeks of full-time travel away from the airport of record, with authorized travel expenses reimbursed under TSA policy. Occasional additional travel may be required. Frontline employees may be required to wear TSA-issued personal protective equipment. The position is permanent, in the bargaining unit represented by AFGE, 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, where applicable.
Must pass a structured interview, drug screening, medical evaluation, and background investigation; employees are also subject to post-employment random drug and/or alcohol testing.
Must be proficient in English, including reading, writing, speaking, and comprehension.
Must be available to work various shifts and overtime as needed.
Must meet and maintain physical requirements, including the ability to squat and bend; repeatedly lift and manipulate baggage and containers weighing approximately 50 pounds; walk up to three miles during a shift; and stand for prolonged periods, up to four hours.
Must travel for new-hire training; a minimum of three weeks may be required, and training travel may extend up to six weeks. Occasional additional travel may be required.
Must meet the residency requirement of having lived in the United States for three of the five years immediately before applying, unless an identified exception applies.
Must not have delinquent federal or state taxes or past-due child support payments.
Must meet TSA dress and appearance requirements, including applicable restrictions on visible piercings and tattoos.
Must maintain required certification and fitness for duty and pass recurrent testing and applicable background and screening requirements.
Qualification option A: At least one year of full-time work experience in the security industry, aviation screening, or as an X-ray technician.
Qualification option B: A high school diploma or a recognized high school equivalency certificate (GED, HiSET, or TASC).

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.
Conduct passenger and property searches and screening, including pat-downs, 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 by providing directions and responding to inquiries.
Maintain focus and awareness in stressful environments involving noise, crowds, time pressure, and disruptive or angry passengers.
Identify and locate potential life-threatening or mass-destruction devices and make effective decisions in crisis and routine situations.
Develop and apply critical-thinking skills to mitigate actual and potential security threats, including applying risk-based screening protocols as required.
Retain and implement applicable Standard Operating Procedures 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 required certification and fitness for duty and comply with background, credit, and random drug and alcohol screening requirements.
Adhere to applicable TSA dress and appearance requirements and the Master Collective Bargaining Agreement.