About this role
Job SummaryThis position falls under VISN 1 Human Resources Management Service, Suitability Section located at VA Boston Medical Centers in Jamaica Plain, MA. Coverage for West Roxbury and Brockton locations will be required as needed. This position is full time; 40 hours a week.
QualificationsTo qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 09/08/2026. Time-In-Grade Requirement: Applicants who are current Federal employees and have held a GS grade any time in the past 52 weeks must also meet time-in-grade requirements by the closing date of this announcement. For a GS-6 position, you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-5 level. For a GS-7 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-6 level. The grade may have been in any occupation, but must have been held in the Federal service. An SF-50 that shows your time-in-grade eligibility must be submitted with your application materials. If the most recent SF-50 has an effective date within the past year, it may not clearly demonstrate you possess one-year time-in-grade, as required by the announcement. In this instance, you must provide an additional SF-50 that clearly demonstrates one-year time-in-grade. Note: Time-In-Grade requirements also apply to former Federal employees applying for reinstatement as well as current employees applying for Veterans Employment Opportunities Act of 1998 (VEOA) appointment. You may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below: GS-05 Grade Level: Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade (GS-4) in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: Reviewing documents for completeness and accuracy; transmitting and receiving oral, electronic, and written communications; preparing and maintaining spreadsheets and reports; maintaining files and information of a confidential nature; and using a computer to perform a variety of administrative duties. OR, Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have completed four (4) years of post-high school education. OR, Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have a combination of specialized experience and education beyond two (2) years of post-high school study. Please note that only education in excess of the first 60 semester hours (i.e., beyond the second year) is creditable toward meeting the specialized experience requirement. One full academic year of study (30 semester hours) beyond the second year is equivalent to 6 months of specialized experience. GS-06 Grade Level: Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade (GS-5) in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: Familiarity with personnel security processes/programs; assisting applicants with the forms and documents needed to obtain personnel clearances; capturing and transmitting fingerprint data; and issuing ID badges. GS-07 Grade Level: Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade (GS-6) in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: Reviewing position risk sensitivity and assigning initial levels of clearance; processing the forms and documents necessary to obtain personnel clearances; reviewing background investigations; assisting employees and applicants with questions/concerns regarding personnel security processes. Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religions; spiritual; community; student; social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. Note: A full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week. Part-time experience will be credited on the basis of time actually spent in appropriate activities. Applicants wishing to receive credit for such experience must indicate clearly the nature of their duties and responsibilities in each position and the number of hours a week spent in such employment. For more information on these qualification standards, please visit the United States Office of Personnel Management's website at https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/.
Major DutiesThe Personnel Security Assistant performs work related to the collection, organization and/or tracking of information in support of the Personnel Security Program. The Personnel Security Program includes the processes of initiating, reviewing, and approving background cases for release to the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) in compliance with policies relating to completion of suitability investigations for Federal employees and others requiring background investigations for non-sensitive and public trust positions. The work of this position centers on assisting the Personnel Security Specialist in collecting appropriate background information, tracking and reviewing data, completion of reports, maintaining databases and processing follow-up actions on various security related matters, and assisting with suitability adjudications. Duties include, but are not limited to: Reviews position risk sensitivity levels as full assistant to the Personnel Security Specialist. Initiates, reviews, and releases appointees background investigations in the Office of Personnel Managements Electronic Questionnaires for Investigations Processing (e-QIP) system or in conjunction with the VA- Adjudication Center (VA-AC). Reviews applicant's data ensuring that the submitted information matches the demographic data, that all required information has been provided, and accepts/rejects applicant's submitted information. Requests information from various law enforcement agencies and courts. Regularly monitors the status of specific pending items, compiles data to produce reports, follows up to determine status and records results. Works with applicants who may be experiencing difficulties with completion of electronic forms related to the background screening process. Takes and transmits electronic fingerprints for appointees or when the FBI returns fingerprints unclassifiable for various reasons. Performs administrative tasks associated with the authorization and issuance of the PIV card, and performs minor troubleshooting during malfunctions to resolve system, card, and pin issues. Promotion Potential: The selectee may be promoted to the full performance level without further competition when all regulatory, qualification, and performance requirements are met. Selection at a lower grade level does not guarantee promotion to the full performance level. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday between the hours of 6:30 am - 4:30 pm Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not authorized. Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not approved. Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not authorized. PCS Appraised Value Offer (AVO): Not authorized. Position Description/PD#: Personnel Security Assistant/PD99953S, PD99954S, and PD99952SRequirementsYou must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job To be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. In addition to the application and questionnaire, this position requires an online assessment. The online assessment measures critical general competencies required to perform the job. Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959 Physical Requirements: The work required does not inherently include any physical requirements essential for successful job performance that could not otherwise be performed with accommodation or workplace adjustment. A pre-placement physical examination is not required. Subject to background/security investigation 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. Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP) As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider: 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. Upon completion of your probationary period period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.