Summary This position is located in the United Stated Department of Agriculture (USDA), Agricultural Research Service (ARS), National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility (NBAF) in Manhattan, KS. The primary purpose of this position is to serve as a senior SOC Controller, responsible for working with other SOC Controllers in the daily operations of the electronic security system (ESS). Responsibilities Participates in the overall implementation of electronic security system operation, and the monitoring of security policy and procedures intended to safeguard personnel. In coordination with Supervisor, troubleshoots and resolves problems with access, security hardware, closed circuit video, interrupted communications, and other issues by making required system adjustments to ensure an operational system. Coordinates work with Supervisor in identifying and reporting security incidents immediately. Provides mentoring and on-the job training to other junior staff as required. Requirements Conditions of Employment Qualifications Applicants must meet all qualifications and eligibility requirements by the closing date of the announcement including time-in-grade restrictions, specialized experience and/or education, as defined below. Time in grade: Current federal employees applying for a promotion opportunity must meet time-in-grade (TIG) requirement of 52 weeks of service at the next lower grade level in the normal line of progression for the position being filled. Specialized Experience: Specialized experience is experience directly related to the position to be filled and which provided the applicant with the Knowledge, Skills & Abilities needed perform the duties of the position. GS-0080-09: Experience: Qualifying experience for GS-09 includes one year of specialized experience comparable to GS-07 grade level or its non-federal equivalent For this position, specialized experience is experience monitoring the electronic security systems (e.g. access control, alarm system, or Lenel system); identifying and reporting security incidents; training and overseeing other security controllers, ensuring their actions are in accordance with directives and plans. OR Education: 2 years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a master's degree or master's or equivalent graduate degree, if related. Related degrees may include Security Systems Design, Security Engineering, Security and Intelligence, Information Assurance and Security, Homeland Security, and Criminal Justice. OR Combination of specialized experience and graduate level education. This position involves a rotating shift schedule, which may include day, evening, and night shifts, and weekends and holidays. Employees will receive shift differential pay and holiday worked pay as appropriate. WORK CONDITIONS: The work is performed in an office setting, infectious diseases laboratories, and as required, indoor animal holding facilities, necropsy rooms, insectaries and building mechanical spaces involved with inspections. Temperature extremes may occur as well as exposure to disagreeable odors, working around frightened, unpredictable, and ill-natured animals, and exposure to the risks and hazards of harmful biological, chemical, and physical agents. Immunizations with vaccines may be required to enter facilities conducting work with human diseases. The work requires special safety precautions and PPE. Use of protective equipment, such as respirators, disposable personal protective clothing, encapsulated air pressurized suits, and eye protection, may be required. A degree of potential risk is involved due to biohazard laboratories. The health status of personnel is monitored periodically using biologic and serologic tests and physical examinations. To comply with USDA personnel security requirements and requirements of the Federal Select Agent Program (FSAP) for access to information and areas with Biological Select Agents and Toxins (BSAT), including Tier One Select Agents at NBAF, the incumbent must meet the following: Pre-employment and random testing for substances abuse; Participation in and adherence to the facility's Occupational Health Program; Participation in and adherence to the facility's Personal Reliability Program; The ability to obtain/maintain favorably adjudicated Background Investigations or Security clearances (required by USDA); The ability to obtain/maintain a favorable Security Risk Assessment (required by FSAP). As a condition of employment, ALL the requirements listed above must be met. The mission of NBAF includes research, diagnosis and training for animal diseases foreign to the United States (U.S.) for the purpose of protecting American agriculture and domestic food sources from their potentially devastating effects. NBAF is vital to successfully protecting U.S. agriculture from the intentional or non-intentional introduction of foreign animal diseases such as Foot-and-Mouth disease. The position supports the biocontainment facilities and may require entry into biosafety level (BSL) 3, 3 enhanced, 3 Ag and BSL-4 labs. The incumbent must demonstrate the physical and psychological capability to conduct normal duties that are appropriate to their position. To prevent the transmission of disease out of biocontainment and retention of the position, the incumbent must meet the following medical standards in a pre-employment medical examination conducted after the receipt of a preliminary job offer and on a periodic basis: Ability to shower out of biocontainment one or more times per day; Not have any skin condition which would prevent this; Body piercings must be able to be removed prior to entry; External medical assist devices must have the ability to be removed prior to entering or not impede the ability to enter biocontainment, and the individual must still be able to shower out safely without assistance; Ability to follow instructions regarding decontamination from biocontainment; Any medical condition which could create an unsafe environment for the individual or his/her co-workers, such as: insufficient control of a medical disorder which could result in sudden loss of consciousness; and inadequate vision and hearing required for safety in a laboratory environment. Medical confidentiality will be maintained by the examining physician and only fitness (or unfit) for duty determination will be indicated. The incumbent will also be required to pass periodic fitness for duty physicals. In addition, a medical clearance will be required in the event that it becomes necessary to enter an area where an air purifying respirator or other respiratory protection is required. A baseline blood sample may be required for employees entering and working in the biocontainment facilities. For the health and safety of the incumbent and to prevent the spread of disease, immunization against diseases being studied at NBAF which are transmissible to humans may be required where the vaccine has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration for safety and effectiveness under the provision of the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act, as amended 21 USC 321-392. Where the vaccine has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration for investigational purposes, the incumbent will be advised that such immunization is voluntary. Due to the contagious nature to livestock of Foot-and-Mouth disease, and other diseases under study at NBAF, biosafety protocols specify a personal quarantine for employees working on specific infectious agents in designated areas of NBAF. As a condition for employment, all personnel entering these areas at NBAF shall not be in contact with specific susceptible animals and their premises away from NBAF for a period of five (5) days after leaving the area. Currently, restricted species are cattle, sheep, goats, deer, other ruminants, and swine. Contact with horses, birds (agricultural and pet birds) and rabbits are normally permitted, but restrictions may be placed on staff working with or near infectious agents affecting these species. Restricted livestock or other restricted animals may not be housed on the premises where the employee lives and where the quarantine cannot be enforced. Employees who violate this requirement may be removed from employment or subject to other disciplinary actions. 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 and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. Education This position does not have an education qualification requirement. Additional Information Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP), Reemployment Priority List (RPL), or Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP): Visit the OPM website for information on how to apply as a CTAP, RPL, or ICTAP eligible. To exercise selection priority for this vacancy, CTAP/RPL/ICTAP candidates must meet the basic eligibility requirements and all selective factors. CTAP/ICTAP candidates must be rated and determined to be well qualified (or above) based on an evaluation of the competencies listed in the How You Will Be Evaluated section. When assessed through a score-based category rating method, CTAP/ICTAP applicants must receive a rating of at least 85 out of a possible 100. Veterans who are preference eligible or who have been separated from the armed forces under honorable conditions after three years or more of continuous active service are eligible for consideration under the Veteran's Employment Opportunity Act (VEOA). Farm Service Agency (FSA) County Employees: Permanent County employees without prior Federal tenure who are selected for a Civil Service position under Public Law 105-277 will be given a career-conditional appointment and must serve a 1-year probationary period. For more information on applying under special hiring authorities such as the Veteran's Recruitment Act (VRA), 30 percent disabled veterans, certain military spouses, Schedule A Disabled, etc., explore the different Hiring Paths on the USAJOBS website. Land Management Workforce Flexibility Act (LMWFA) provides current or former temporary or term employees of federal land management agencies opportunity to compete for permanent competitive service positions. Individuals must have more than 24 months of service without a break between appointments of two or more years. Service must be in the competitive service and have been at a successful level of performance or better. Refer to PUBLIC LAW 114-47-AUG. 7, 2015 for more information. This position is being concurrently announced under Delegated Examining Announcement Number ARS-S25PA-12798611-mds. This announcement is open to all qualified candidates. Applying to both announcements may expand the possibilities of consideration since different referral criteria apply to each @type of announcement. See the above announcement for more information. This is a Testing Designated Position (TDP). Selectee must submit to a urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment and random testing thereafter. Final appointment and continued employment is conditional on negative results for illegal drug use. Recruitment or Relocation Incentive may be authorized. Final determination to pay an incentive will be made by the hiring official at time of job offer.
