Law Enforcement Specialist (Canine Handler/Coordinator)

Summary

This position is located within the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), Office of Security and Preparedness (OSP), Field Operations Division, VA Police Service with the Clemet J. Zablocki Medical center, Milwaukee Wi. The Canine Program Coordinator is responsible for managing the Canine Program at the field level and assisting and providing support for multiple stations.

Duties

• Major Duties: coordinates the Canine Program at the facility level that covers a geographically dispersed area. Directing the Canine to perform detection searches of buildings and office areas, vehicles, packages, materials, and persons housed or located in or near property owned, occupied or secured by the VA. Responsible for training the canine and administrative functions not limited to budget and contract responsibilities related to the care and certification of the canine. Performs law enforcement duties in accordance with Title 38 U.S.C. §§ 901 and 902, enforcing federal, state, and local laws on VA-controlled property. Conducts patrols with the assigned canine to deter criminal activity, detect contraband, and provide rapid response to security threats. Ensures proper care, feeding, and housing of the canine, and maintains equipment and vehicles assigned for canine operations. Adherence to strict safety and handling procedures to prevent injury to personnel, the public, or the canine. Responsible for receiving accounting and maintaining appropriate security of canine training aids used for proficiency training. Conducts training to maintain a high level of proficiency and must be certified on a regular and reoccurring basis. Enforces laws and initiates investigations into possible violations of laws on government property and federally controlled assets across a wide geographically dispersed area. Apprehends wanted persons who are accused of crimes in other jurisdictions; stops, questions, and detains such persons and notifies the appropriate law enforcement or judicial agencies. Serves as a member of a Crisis Intervention Team, responding to and recognizing through the canine, Veterans experiencing mental health crisis, utilizing advanced deterrence, detection, and de-escalation strategies and knowledge of VA resources to ensure the best possible outcome for our nation's Veterans. Ensures the Canine Program maintains compliance with all required training and certifications. Analyzes problems, determines deficiencies, finalizes inspection results to include draft, review, editing, and evaluation, and takes corrective action. Prepares a report of findings, providing detailed conclusions and recommendations for program deficiencies, improvements, corrections of irregularities, and rectification of injustices revealed by inspections. Performs other duties as assigned. Work Schedule: Varies, candidates must be willing to work weekends, irregular work hours and extended hours if determined by the needs of the service. Furthermore, candidates must be willing to be placed, detailed, or temporarily assigned to other related services and/or locations, if necessary. Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Law Enforcement Specialist (Canine Handler/Coordinator)/PD00225A Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Physical Requirements: On-site work requiring prolonged walking over flat and even surfaces, working in confined spaces, crouching, bending, crawling, standing, and climbing. The work requires outside exposure to all temperatures. Also requires moderate to arduous physical exertion and possible exposure to personal danger. The incumbent must maintain physical fitness to handle the canine during enforcement actions and training exercises. Occasional lifting of items weighing up to 50 pounds may be required. Some work is performed in an adequately lighted and climate-controlled office. The position requires exposure to varying climate and environmental conditions, including cold and warm weather conditions and/or exposure to high noise levels and dangerous substances. Appropriate safety practices will always be utilized.

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 09/22/2026. 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-9 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-7. 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. This position includes a Selective Placement Factor (skill, knowledge, ability or other worker characteristic basic to - and essential for - satisfactory performance of the job). Selective Placement Factors are a prerequisite to appointment and represent minimum requirements for a position. Applicants who do not meet it are ineligible for further consideration. The Selective Placement Factor for this position is: Experience as a K9 Officer performing law enforcement duties while working closely with a trained police dog. NOTE: This experience is a preference at entry level duty. You may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below: Specialized Experience: Must possess at least one (1) full year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-7 grade level in the Federal service (or equivalent pay band), that provided a knowledge of a body of basic laws and regulations, law enforcement operations, practices, and techniques and involved responsibility for maintaining order and protecting life and property. Specialized experience includes: Experience in law enforcement work involving the training, handling, and employment of dogs in patrol duty and/or detection of specific materials and substances such as drugs, explosives, etc. Examples of qualifying specialized experience include: Work as a police officer using dogs in law enforcement, patrol, or inspection work and/or detection of substances. Military service using dogs in patrol and inspection and/or detection of drugs, explosives, etc. Work as an instructor at a dog training center training dogs for law enforcement work such as patrol duty and/or detection of substances. Note: 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. OR Education: Must have successfully completed a master's or equivalent graduate degree or successfully completed two (2) full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree. The education portion must include courses that demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of this position and included at least 15 semester hours of course work in such fields as police science, police administration, police law and evidence, police investigation, criminology, criminal justice, law enforcement, general law, or similar subjects pertinent to law enforcement and police work. Education must have been obtained in an accredited college, or university. (Transcripts Required) OR Combination of Specialized Experience & Education: Must possess an equivalent combination of successfully completed education and specialized experience directly related to the work of the position as outlined above that meets the requirements of the position. Only education in excess of the first year (18 semester hours) may be used to qualify applicants for the GS-09 level. (Transcripts Required) 1. New VA Police Officers are required to attend an 8-10 week course at the VA Law Enforcement Training Center in Little Rock, Arkansas. Satisfactory completion of this course is a condition of continued employment. 2. Designated Drug-Testing Position: Applicants tentatively selected for VA employment in a testing designated position are subject to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to an appointment. Applicants who refuse to be tested will be denied employment with VA. Applicants will not be appointed to the position if a verified positive drug test is received. 3. A medical examination is required. The duties of these positions require moderate to arduous physical exertion and/or duties of a hazardous nature. The following medical requirements apply to all applicants: good near and distant vision, ability to distinguish basic colors, and ability to hear the conversational voice. 4. Applicants and employees must have the capacity to perform the essential functions of the position without risk to themselves or others. Applicants and employees must possess emotional and mental stability. A psychological examination is required. In most instances, a specific medical condition or impairment will not automatically disqualify an applicant or employee. A medical condition or impairment is disqualifying only if the condition, for good medical reason, precludes assignment to or warrants restriction from the duties of the specific position. For some positions, the loss or impairment of a specific function may be compensated for by the satisfactory use of a prosthesis or mechanical aid. Reasonable accommodation shall also be considered in determining an applicant's ability to perform the duties of a position. 5. A character investigation will be conducted on applicants selected for employment. The purpose of such an investigation is to secure evidence of the candidate's honesty, integrity, general character, and loyalty to the U.S. Government. 6. As a condition of employment, must qualify to be issued a firearm and semi-annually with assigned firearm, annually with an expandable Straight Baton (MEB), maintain a valid State or Commonwealth Driver's License and pass annual physical and psychosocial assessments. 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). 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/.

Requirements

You 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. All applicants tentatively selected for VA employment in a testing designated position are subject to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment. Applicants who refuse to be tested will be denied employment with VA. Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959 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 or 2-year trial 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, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

Education

There is no educational substitution at this grade level. A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education. Note: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/. If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/.

How to apply

Please read the entire announcement and all the instructions before you begin an application. To apply for this position, you must complete the initial online application, to include the initial online questionnaire and submission of the required documentation specified in the How to Apply and Required Documents section. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on the closing date of the announcement to receive consideration. To preview the application questionnaire, click https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/13062758. The application process is as follows: To begin, click Apply Online to create a USA JOBS account or log in to your existing account. Follow the prompts to select your USA JOBS resume and/or other supporting documents. Answer the questions presented in the application and attach all necessary supporting documentation. Click the Submit Application button prior to 11:59 PM (ET) on the announcement closing date, 09/22/2026. 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. NOTE: 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: https://help.usajobs.gov/how-to. 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. Beginning September 27, 2025, Federal agencies will only accept resumes up to two pages in length to comply with the Merit Hiring Plan. Resumes longer than two pages will result in ineligibility for further consideration for the position. USAJOBS will not allow you to upload or build resumes longer than two pages, and you will need to update the resumes in your profile before applying for a job. Resumes should include information relevant to the knowledge, skills, abilities, and competencies of the position to which you are applying. VA is unable to make assumptions about qualifications if not clearly listed. Resumes must be legible so they can be reviewed for eligibility, minimum qualifications and other position requirements listed in the job announcement. Your resume must be 5MB or less. We recommend saving and uploading your resume as a PDF to maintain formatting and number of pages. We also accept GIF, JPG, JPEG, PNG, RTF, TXT, PDF, ODT or Word (DOC or DOCX). We do not accept PDF portfolio files. We recommend using a sans-serif font size like Lato, if available. Other widely available options are Calibri, Helvetica, Arial, Verdana, Open San Source Sans Pro, Roboto or Noro Sans. Make your page margins 0.5 inches. Consider using 14-point size font for titles and 10-point for the main text in your resume. The resume builder can help you create a resume using these recommendations and uses the information in your USAJOBS profile to help you get started. Helpful Hints for Creating a Two-Page Resume: Prioritize most relevant and recent experience Use concise, results focused language Align language from the job announcement Focus on demonstrating skills and competencies Remove outdated or unrelated experience Use the USAJOBS resume builder Additional guidance on this new requirement and resume building tools can be found at https://help.usajobs.gov/faq/application/documents/resume/page-limit