Transportation Security Officer

Transportation Security Administration•Atlanta, GA

17h•Onsite

About The Position

Transportation Security Officers (TSOs) work within the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), Department of Homeland Security, to provide courteous and professional security and protection for air travelers, airports, and aircraft. Duties may also extend to protecting high-profile events, important figures, and other matters affecting transportation systems. TSOs operate screening equipment and technology to identify dangerous objects in baggage, cargo, and on passengers; conduct searches and screening, including pat-downs and property searches; control terminal entry and exit points; and interact with the public by providing directions and responding to inquiries. The work requires maintaining focus and awareness in a stressful environment with noise, crowds, time pressure, and potentially disruptive passengers, and applying critical thinking and risk-based security screening protocols to assess and address security threats. Officers must learn and follow applicable Standard Operating Procedures, demonstrate dependable behavior, and adapt to changes and unexpected obstacles. The role involves shift work, which may include nights, weekends, holidays, overtime, extended or split shifts, and changing schedules. Full-time positions require 40 hours per week. New-hire training may require at least three weeks of travel, and up to six weeks depending on location. TSOs must complete initial and recurrent training and certification, and maintain required fitness-for-duty and background standards. The position is in the AFGE bargaining unit 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, if applicable.
Must pass a structured interview, drug screening, medical evaluation, and background investigation; 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.
Mandatory travel for training and occasional other travel may be required.
Must meet physical requirements, including the ability to squat and bend, repeatedly lift and manipulate baggage or containers weighing approximately 50 pounds, walk up to three miles during a shift, and stand 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 adhere to TSA dress and appearance requirements and the applicable Master Collective Bargaining Agreement.
Must maintain the required certification and fitness for duty, complete training and testing, and pass required background and random screening checks.
Must meet one of the qualification alternatives: at least one year of full-time 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 prohibited objects from being transported onto aircraft.
Conduct searches and screening, including passenger pat-downs, property searches, and bag searches; lift and carry bags, bins, and other 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 amid noise, crowds, time pressure, and disruptive or angry passengers to identify potential threats and make effective decisions in routine and crisis situations.
Apply critical-thinking skills and appropriate situational approaches to mitigate actual and potential security threats, including risk-based screening protocols.
Retain and implement applicable Standard Operating Procedures, behave responsibly and dependably, and adapt to new information and unexpected obstacles.
Complete classroom, on-the-job, recurrent, and specialized training and required certification or recertification testing.
Maintain required certification and fitness for duty, and pass applicable background, credit, drug, and alcohol screening requirements.