Supervisory Security Specialist

Summary

The OLES is responsible for establishing Departmental policy and providing leadership and guidance in support of all Departmental and Bureau law enforcement, security, personnel vetting, drug testing, intelligence, counterintelligence, and law enforcement technology programs.

Duties

• The incumbent will be responsible for providing staff management, advice, direction, and guidance for all aspects of Classified Program Office and security management at the National level. Advises senior management on methods and remedies to reduce security risks and vulnerabilities. Advises on current and future security requirements and plans. Provides security management recommendations Department-wide. Participates as a technical expert in the planning, direction, coordination, and administration of a comprehensive and fully developed security program which includes operational security, personnel security, sensitive compartmented information security, physical security, information security and industrial security. In the absence of the Assistant Director and in conjunction with, represents the Department on security matters in dealings with the Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency (DCSA), Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI), Information Security Oversight Office, Department of War (DOW), Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and other departments and agencies of the U.S. Government. Manages and provides program oversight, strategic planning, and financial functions, and represents the Assistant Director in High-level panels, meetings, and discussions. Coordinates and consults with individuals at all organizational levels. Provides advice to the Assistant Director regarding internal staff coordination and recommends outside office coordination as required. Participates on teams that plan, direct, and coordinate the planning and budgeting process of the Classified Program Office. Provides responses to inquires relating to any area of the security program and other areas of discipline with OLES. Provides advice to appropriate personnel and serves as principal spokesperson for OLES inworking groups, meetings, conferences, and emergency planning involving protection and recovery of classified and sensitive material. Serves as an authority in the assigned areas and provides leadership in the implementation of initiatives, guidelines, surveys, audits, reviews, etc. Responsible for the formulation of policies and procedures, education and awareness, training, and coordinates implementation of security protections to prevent and provide safeguards against espionage, sabotage, terrorist acts, vandalism, and theft. Develops strategies, policies, and procedures commensurate with the needs of the Department regarding directives, orders, regulations, and statues governing security programs. The incumbent manages the National Security Classified Services program that includes the following duties and responsibilities: Serves as a principal technical authority for OLES decision making regarding national security clearances, to include the issuance and management thereof (including processing SCI access requests). Ensures the timely review and processing of requests for national security clearances in accordance with OPM and ODNI personnel security policies (following a favorable eligibility determination for the individual). Counsels OLES management on policy changes, emerging national security clearance trends, and proposed improvements to the program that will impact the Department and its Bureaus. Serves as a principal technical authority to provide advice to clearance holders, OLES management, Department leadership, and all others regarding DOI's national security program. Develops and promulgates revised/updated national security clearance memorandums, forms, and other documentation to ensure current language comports with DOI, OPM, and ODNI policies. Provides oversight and guidance to subordinate staff for processing requests for SCI access. The incumbent is responsible for the productivity and quality of product produced by the Branch's staff and is responsible for providing metric and status reports, related to the program(s)under their supervision, to NSD and OLES management, and when instructed, report directly on program status to higher-level DOI leadership, OPM, and ODNI, and DCSA.

Qualifications

All qualifications must be met by the closing date of this announcement - 09/09/2026-unless otherwise stated in this vacancy announcement. Competitive candidates must also meet Time-in-Grade requirements as defined in 5 CFR 300, Subpart F. To qualify for this position at the GS-14 grade level: Experience: To qualify, you must possess at least one full year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-13 level in the Federal service (obtained in either the public or private sectors). Specialized experience is defined as demonstrated experience: 1. Manage SCIF operations, guaranteeing facility preparedness, upholding compliance with ICD 705, EO 12333, and EO 13526, and ensuring secure management, storage, and disposal of classified materials. 2. Manage all SCI indoctrination and debriefing processes, managing scheduling, eligibility checks, briefing delivery, and comprehensive documentation of SCI access activities in accordance with ICD policies and EO 13526. 3. Oversee eligibility and investigation reviews, performing Scattered Castles verifications, and compiling access packages in compliance with ICD 704 and EO 12968. 4. Directs, coordinates, evaluates, and monitors implementation and Department-wide compliance with classified national security information program policy and procedures. 5. Conducts Department-wide security oversight inspections, compliance reviews, surveys on the effectiveness of the Departments classified national security information program and procedures through on-site inspections to ensure compliance with Department and U.S. Government classified national security information policy. 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 provide proof of U.S. citizenship. 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 https://www.e-verify.gov/. Pre-employment and random drug testing is required. You will not be appointed to the position if a verified positive drug test is received. You are required to complete training, obtain and maintain a government credit card with travel and purchase authority. A financial disclosure report will be required within 30 days of appointment. As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you may be required to serve a 1 year probationary period to evaluate your fitness and whether your continuation of employment advances the public interest. 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, employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest. This is a supervisory position that may require completion of a supervisory probationary period.

Education

This position does not allow substituting education for experience.

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 09/09/2026 to receive consideration. Note: You will only be marked eligible for those eligibilities that you selected and provided the appropriate supporting documentation. 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/13034031 Click the Submit Application button prior to 11:59 PM (ET) on the announcement closing date. 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. 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.