Security Guard

Summary

You will serve as a Security Guard located at the Gateway Arch National Park in St. Louis, Missouri. You may be required to work on-call, evenings, weekends, holidays, overtime and shift work. Salary Range Information (Per Annum): *First time hires to the federal government typically start at the beginning salary in the range for their respective grade level. GS-05: $41,769 (Step 1*) - $54,300 (Step 10) This is a Permanent, Full-time, Competitive appointment.

Duties

• At the full performance level (GS-05) the major duties of this Security Guard position include, but are not limited to the following: Monitoring and screening visitors as they enter the complex with the use of walk-through magna scanners and scanning visitors' personal belongings with radiographic (x ray) equipment. Working at fixed post, requires sitting and standing for long periods and repetitive movements. Providing security services to the Gateway Arch Complex by monitoring and screening visitors as they enter the complex with the use of walk-through magna-scanners and scanning visitors' personal belongings with radiographic (x-ray) equipment. Providing a normal degree of tact and courtesy with the public contacts while ensuring compliance with pertinent rules and regulations governing facility access and physical security. Protecting Park resources and the public. ???????The Gateway Arch National Park is located in downtown St. Louis, Missouri, on the banks of the Mississippi River. The park memorializes the city's role in westward expansion through the 630-foot Gateway Arch and underground Museum at the Gateway Arch. The Old Courthouse commemorates the site where the slave Dred Scott began his freedom suit, ultimately leading to the divisive U.S. Supreme Court decision that polarized the nation and became a leading cause of the Civil War. "Whether you're single or have a family, a sports fan or connoisseur of the arts, a fitness fanatic or a film aficionado, St. Louis has something for you." -St. Louis Regional Chamber and Growth Association. A sports lover's paradise, fans are kept on the edge of their seats all year by a host of professional teams. With remarkable low cost of living for all the comforts and attractions it affords, St. Louis has a small-town feel, yet offers all the amenities you'd expect in a major metropolitan area, including top-notch health care and education resources. The City of St. Louis is relatively small, but the surrounding metropolitan area with nearly two million residents in both Missouri and Illinois offers many suburban and rural counties for easy commutes. Cultural institutions abound; in Forest Park alone, you'll find the Zoo, Art Museum, History Museum, Science Center, the Municipal Opera and more. There are over 100 parks and some 200 miles of cycling, running and walking trails.

Qualifications

Qualifications: All qualifications must be met by the closing date of this announcement-09/17/2026-unless otherwise stated in this vacancy announcement. To receive credit for experience, your resume MUST state either "full-time" (or "40 hours a week") or "part-time" with the number of hours worked per week to ensure proper crediting of specialized experience. Failure to adequately provide information needed to determine number of hours worked in each position may result in that time not being credited when evaluating qualifying experience. For periods of time that reflect military service, the DD-214 or Statement of Service is sufficient to meet the full and/or part-time hours requirement as the service dates will be reflected. Minimum Qualification Requirements To qualify for this position at the GS-05 grade level: Specialized Experience Requirement: you must possess at least one full year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-04 level in the Federal service (obtained in either the public or private sectors). Specialized experience is defined as demonstrated experience: Protecting people, property, or facilities through security or protective services; Screening people or property and controlling access using established security procedures; AND Documenting incidents and interacting with the public while maintaining a safe and secure environment. You must include hours per week worked. Volunteer Experience: 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; religious; 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.

Requirements

Must be a U.S. Citizen or National. Appointment subject to background investigation and favorable adjudication. Males born after 12-31-59 must be registered for Selective Service. Direct Deposit participation required. Successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check. To learn more, visit www.dhs.gov/EVerify/. Must have and maintain a valid driver's license throughout employment. Must possess and maintain a CPR certification. Pre-employment and random drug testing are required. You will not be appointed to the position if a verified positive drug test is received. You are required to wear a uniform and comply with the uniform standards. A uniform allowance will be provided. You must be at least 18 years of age or older to operate government vehicles. As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary period during which your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest will be evaluated. This probationary period is an extension of the appointment process and therefore requires the agency to determine if continued employment would advance the public interest, meet the organization goals and mission of the agency, and/or otherwise promote the efficiency of the service. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, the agency will 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. Under applicable law, the employment of an individual serving a probationary or trial period automatically terminates when that period ends unless the agency affirmatively certifies, in writing, that the individual's employment should continue and that their appointment should be finalized. In the absence of agency action to affirmatively certify continued employment beyond the probationary or trial period, such appointments are terminated. Upon completion of your probationary period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

Education

This position does not allow substituting education for experience. Physical Demands: The work of the Security Guard regularly includes long periods of standing or sitting in a limited space, or standing outside in inclement weather. The Security Guard is expected to perform these duties 8 hours or more per shift. The work also includes bending, reaching, and stooping while using hand-held magnetometer. Must be able to lift 30 pounds continuously, up to 50 pounds occasionally. The Security Guard may occasionally have to move magnetometers and/or x-ray machines. Must be able to distinguish objects on the screening equipment monitor and be able to distinguish basic colors and shades of color, each color displayed and explain what each color signifies. Must have correctable vision to recognize, distinguish differences, and identify images on x-ray monitors, and read typed material. Must be able to hear and respond to the spoken voice and to audible alarms generated by screening equipment in an active checkpoint environment. Duties require manual dexterity with comparatively free motion of finger, wrist, elbow, shoulder, hip, and knee joints to be able to efficiently and thoroughly manipulate and handle baggage, containers, and other objects subject to security processing. Must also possess sufficient dexterity and capability to conduct thorough hand-metal detector and, only as necessary, pat-down search procedures over an individual's entire body. Security checks of buildings require walking. The Security Guard may have to walk all or part of the steps inside the legs of the Arch, the tram load zones, or any of the stairways on the Arch grounds or in and around the Old Courthouse. Must be able to tactfully interact with a multitude of visitors simultaneously, many of which are highly anxious to get into the Arch quickly, while doing pre-screen checks of visitors' possessions on the entrance ramps. There is a high-stress component to aspects of the Security Guard's work assignment. Work can be emotionally stressful due to the sheer volume of visitors contacted within an 8 hour shift or due to the potential unknown risks that arise at the checkpoint at any given time that include risks to personal safety. Work Environment: The Security Guard works closely with others and in constant noise during days of heavy visitation. Work fluctuates between indoors within a climate controlled facility and outdoors performing package pre-screening functions on the Arch entrance ramp, roving patrols of grounds or stand a fixed post during a special event such as "Fair St. Louis." The Security Guard is subjected to bad weather when work is performed outside. Shift work is required including evenings, weekends, holidays, and occasionally covering a 24-hour period in cases such as an emergency or special event. Unscheduled or scheduled overtime and call-outs may be required. Work during emergencies may include prolonged periods of time without rest or breaks. At a fixed post, the Security Guard performs magnetometer and x-ray machine operations at one of two security checkpoints located in the Arch Complex. Operation of x-ray equipment exposes the Security Guard to a level of risk to radiation exposure, therefore all specific safety procedures and other precautions are mandatory. The Security Guard is exposed to high risk and potentially dangerous situations. Any emergency law enforcement operations that the Security Guard may become involved with require work in or about hazardous environments, exposure to dangerous persons and substances, and potential exposure to infectious diseases, secondary explosive devices, or biological or chemical contamination. They will also be verbally or physically confronted with disgruntled, disorderly, or highly volatile persons who may not want to comply with directions. At the security checkpoint, Security Guard will encounter mentally disturbed individuals, uncooperative and/or disorderly individuals, persons who are intoxicated and/or under the influence of drugs, persons with loaded illegal firearms, various illegal knives or other illegal or dangerous weapons, illegal drugs or other unknown substances, and persons carrying explosive devices. The Security Guard must remain calm and use good judgment in appropriately dealing with the situation including obtaining assistance from law enforcement Park Rangers without causing chaos or civil disorder. Gateway Arch National Park, as identified for potential terroristic activity, is operating at a heightened security awareness level which creates varying stressors that the employee must effectively cope with.

How to apply

Please read the entire announcement and all the instructions before you begin an application. To apply for and be considered for this position, you must complete all required questionnaires, assessments and submit all required documentation as specified in the How to Apply and Required Documents section. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on the 09/17/2026--unless otherwise stated in this vacancy announcement to receive consideration. The application process is as follows: Click the Apply Online button. Answer the questions presented in the application and attach all necessary supporting documentation. To PREVIEW the application questionnaire, select the following link: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/13053894 Click the Submit Application button prior to 11:59 PM (ET) on the announcement closing date. If you are required to complete any USA Hire Assessments, you will be notified after submitting your application. The notification will be provided in your application submission screen and via email. The notification will include your unique assessment access link to the USA Hire system and the completion deadline. Additionally, in USAJOBS you can click "Track this application" to return to your assessment completion notice. Access USA Hire using your unique assessment link. Access is granted through your USAJOBS login credentials. Review all instructions prior to beginning your assessments. You will have the opportunity to request a testing accommodation before beginning the assessments should you have a disability covered under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended. Set aside at least 3 hours to take the USA Hire Assessments; however, most applicants complete the assessments in less time. If you need to stop the assessments and continue later, you can re-use your unique assessment link. Your responses to the USA Hire Assessments will be reused for one year (in most cases) from the date you complete an assessment. If future applications you submit require completion of the same assessments, your responses will be automatically reused. Visit the USA Hire Applicant Resource Center for practice assessments and assessment preparation resources. To update your application, including supporting documentation: During the announcement open period, return to your USAJOBS account, find your application record, and click Edit my application. This option will no longer be available once the announcement has closed. To view the announcement status or your application status, visit https://help.usajobs.gov/how-to/application/status. Applicants who apply under this job opportunity announcement agree to have their application, associated documents and applicable personal information shared with other Bureaus/Offices within the Department of the Interior (DOI) who have vacancies within the same occupational series, grade, full performance level and in the same geographic location(s), including within the same metro/commuting area. Applying to this announcement does not replace the need to apply to other job opportunity announcements for which you wish to receive consideration.