Supervisory Transportation Security Specialist - Canine

Summary

Securing Travel, Protecting People - At the Transportation Security Administration, you will serve in a high-stakes environment to safeguard the American way of life. In cities across the country, you would secure airports, seaports, railroads, highways, and/or public transit systems, thus protecting America's transportation infrastructure and ensuring freedom of movement for people and commerce.

Duties

• This Supervisory Transportation Security Specialist - Canine position is located at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS), Transportation Security Administration, Department of Homeland Security (DHS). If selected for this position, you will manage TSA's canine program at a specific airport. In this position, you will be responsible for supervising TSA canine handlers and ensuring that the program is carried out in an effective and efficient manner consistent with regulations, policies, and procedures. Duties include, but are not limited to: Applying experience with TSA explosives detection canine operations, principles of canine team training, transportation security policies, directives, and regulations, and Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF), Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and industry regulations associated with explosives safety, transportation, storage and handling to guide and direct canine handlers. Performing technical reviews of teams and making recommendations concerning the ability of canine teams to remain proficient in the detection of trained explosives odor and advancing training to counter emerging threats; ensuring the development and implementation of canine training plans based on training objectives, as well as any identified deficiencies for each canine team. Supervising subordinates and regularly participating in the safe handling, transport, and accountability of explosives training aids in accordance with Standard Operating Procedures (SOP). Overseeing the health, safety and well-being of canine assets, to include ensuring routine veterinary visits and maintenance of proper canine health documentation. Managing the issuance and inspection of TSA issued equipment (i.e., vehicles, explosive storage magazines), and kennel facilities (i.e., home and commercial). Ensuring compliance with all program requirements and new initiatives that are pertinent to canine assets. Ensuring availability of canine teams for all formal evaluations and assessments; providing logistics support as needed and conducting progress reviews to ensure actions are taken to address noted deficiencies. Conducting risk-based analysis when implementing the deployment of canine assets. Supervisory/Managerial duties includes serving as a first line supervisor for the organization. This includes but is not limited to: assigning work, setting priorities, and reviewing and evaluating work and performance of subordinates; approving leave; coaching and developing employees; recommending corrective or disciplinary actions; assisting in budget planning and projecting short-term needs; managing projects within assigned resources; resolving routine problems that typically impact the objectives of the organizational unit; and when required, coordinating with customers outside the immediate organization. Emergency Essential Position: This position is designated as an Emergency Essential (EE) position. This designation requires the employee to remain in a duty status if an emergency arises.

Qualifications

To qualify for the SV-I Pay Band (equivalent to GS-13), you must have one year of specialized experience at the SV-H or GS-11/12 in the Federal service or equivalent experience in the private sector. Specialized experience is defined as experience that has equipped you with the knowledge, skills and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position. Specialized experience is defined as: Identifying, guiding, training, and directing canines for purposes of explosives detection during passenger screening, cargo screening, or other explosives detection activities; Managing the oversight, cost management, and accountability of assets in support of a canine program; Identifying, developing, and implementing canine behavior training activities to ensure maximum capability of canine assets. Credit for experience is given based on a 40-hour workweek. Part-time experience is credited on a part-time ratio, i.e., working 20 hours per week for two months equals one month of experience. No additional credit is given for overtime. National Service Experience (i.e., 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. The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) must authorize employment offers made to current or former political appointees. If you are currently, or have been within the last 5 years, a political Schedule A, Schedule C, Non-career SES or Presidential Appointee employee in the Executive Branch, you must disclose this information to the Human Resources Office. You must meet the qualification requirements for this position no later than the closing date of the vacancy announcement.

Requirements

You must possess U.S. Citizenship or be a U.S. National. You must be able to obtain and maintain a Secret Clearance. Must pass pre-employment drug screening AND random drug/alcohol testing. Selective Service registration is required. Must hold and maintain a valid Driver's License. You must be available to work various shifts and overtime, as needed. If you fail to meet the conditions of employment or any other pre-employment requirements, such as missing any of the scheduled appointments, the hiring agency may rescind their tentative offer of employment. Applying to this announcement certifies that you give permission for TSA to share your application with others in DHS for similar positions. Any offers of employment made pursuant to this announcement will be consistent with all applicable authorities, including Presidential Memoranda, Executive Orders, interpretive U.S. Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) guidance, and Office of Management and Budget plans and policies concerning hiring. These authorities are subject to change.

How to apply

All of the following must be received in our office by 11:59 PM EST (Eastern Standard time) on the closing date of this announcement. If we do not receive all required information by the closing date, your application may not be considered. To apply for this position, you must complete the online application and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section above. Your application must include: Resume Applicable supporting documents (see Required Documents Section) To begin, click Apply to access the online application. You will need to be logged into your USAJOBS account to apply. If you do not have a USAJOBS account, you will need to create one before beginning the application. Follow the prompts to select your résumé and/or other supporting documents to be included with your application package. You will have the opportunity to upload additional documents to include in your application before it is submitted. 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 about two (2) 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 at https://support-usahire.opm.gov/hc/en-us. 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://www.usajobs.gov/Help/howto/application/status/. Your application status page is where you can view your application status, USA Hire assessment completion status, and review your notifications sent by the hiring agency regarding your application.