Clarification from the agency

ALL US CITIZENS. DIRECT HIRE AUTHORITY: This position is being filled using Direct-Hire Authority (5 CFR 337.201) for this occupation.

• Protects individuals during any given situation against threats to personal safety when enforcing laws and regulations.
• Responds immediately to and engages potentially armed individuals during active threat response situations.
• Responds to highly dangerous and active crimes in progress, making independent decisions and taking immediate steps to preserve life and property.
• Mitigates opportunities for assault, illegal entry, and theft involving highly protected information, property and/or processes at facilities containing special protective methods.
• Provides patrol in vehicles, by foot and/or on a bicycle.
• Responds to calls for police assistance, irregularities, and unusual or suspicious circumstances.
• Conducts asset protection during transport.
• Writes comprehensive incident reports.
• Provides policing services in various environments where each type of jurisdiction (Exclusive, Concurrent and Proprietorial) has different enforcement rules.
• Seeks, detects, seizes, and protects evidence and witnesses at the scene of an incident.
• Detects and intervenes in criminal activity.
• Conducts investigative contacts/stops, exercising search and arrest authority, detaining witnesses, and apprehending suspects.
• Advises individuals of their rights (such as Miranda, Weingarten, Garrity, etc.), and protecting the constitutional and civil rights of persons.
• Intervenes, when necessary, to deescalate situations and determine when and how much force must be applied.
• Conducts prisoner transports to holding facilities and courts as required.
• Conducts disaster response and recovery.
• Provides Basic Life Support (BLS) to injured personnel and coordinates additional emergency response when needed.
• Coordinates and directs search, rescue, and recovery for persons at high risk (e.g., missing or wandering patients, minors, etc.), including coordinating with local surrounding police departments to expand the search parameters.
• Investigates incidents and takes steps to mitigate further risk and resolve situations.
• Performs and provides training on drug and contraband intervention where contraband identification and knowledge is imperative
• Intervenes, when needed, to deescalate active suicidal behavior and/or prevents suicides.
• Prepares case files and testifying in court as it pertains to enforcing laws and regulations.

Conditions of employment

• You must be a U.S. citizen to apply for this job
• Subject to a background/suitability investigation
• Designated and/or random drug testing may be required
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959
• A complete application package; including Resume, Transcripts, etc. is required
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents).
• Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued identification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.

• your performance and conduct;
• the needs and interests of the agency;
• whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and
• whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service.

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements within 30 days of the closing date of this announcement.

GS-06 grade level: One year of specialized experience (equivalent to the GS-05 grade level in the federal service); experience that equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities (KSA's) and other characteristics to perform successfully the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled, in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization.

NOTE: Effective 9/29/2025 all submitted applications must contain resumes limited to two-pages in length and anything longer is prohibited. Only the first two-pages will be considered for qualification purposes for this announcement.

Specialized experience includes: maintaining order to protect life and property; taking initial complaints; interviewing witnesses; securing a crime scene and conducting limited searches; responding to emergency situations; gathering information and preparing reports; conducting routine patrol, traffic control, and traffic accident investigations. Experience as a security guard or corrections officer is generally not qualifying. Note: You must provide detailed information of your experience performed. Information such as "I was a Patrolman", "I was a Police Officer for a number of years," or "I enforced Federal, State, county, and laws" is insufficient to determine your qualifications. Experience must be fully documented on your resume and must include job title, duties, month and year start/end dates AND hour worked per week. Experience as a security guard or corrections officer is generally not qualifying.

There is no educational substitution at this grade level.

DRIVER'S LICENSE REQUIREMENT: This position requires a current, valid, state-issued driver's license. For the following question, indicate either Yes or No. Please select only one letter. NOTE: We cannot accept photographs, therefore; please do not submit a copy of your driver's license with your application package. If an interview is requested, you may be required to provide a copy of your valid state-issued driver's license.

FIREARM QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENT: VA Police Officers are required to carry agency-approved firearms while on duty on VA property. Officers must achieve and maintain qualification/certification with the agency-approved firearms as condition of gaining and continuing employment as a Police Officer. Applicants must be able to possess firearms under the terms of the Gun Control Act of 1968, as amended (18 U.S.C. 922(g)(9).You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position:

• Arrest
• Criminal Investigation
• First Response
• Interpersonal Skills
• Public Safety and Security
• Security

How you will be evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. Applicants will be referred in the order in which they were received.

Your resume must be submitted in English and include the following information for each job listed:

• Job title Duties (be as detailed as possible)
• Month & year start/end dates (e.g. June 2007 to April 2008)
• Full-time or part-time status (include hours worked per week)
• Series and Grade, if applicable, for all Federal positions you have held
• Please be aware that your answers will be verified against information provided on your resume. Be sure that your resume clearly supports your responses to all of the questions by addressing your work experience in detail.

Documents Accepted:

• Cover Letter
• DD-214/ Statement of Service
• Disability Letter (VA)
• Resume
• Separation Notice (RIF)
• SF-15
• SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action

• Resume

Next steps