OTI Security Specialist – Washington, D.C. (GS-13)

The OTI Security Specialist is a full-time Personal Services Contract (PSC) position at the GS-13 equivalent level and located in Washington, DC. Offers for this position are due no later than March 9, 2021 at 1:00pm Eastern Time. For full information about this position, as well as instructions on how to apply, please read the entire solicitation at www.OTIjobs.net.

INTRODUCTION:

The Security Specialist will work with the Adjudications Team, within the Personnel Security Division, Office of Security (SEC). This individual will develop policies, criteria, and procedures for USAID regarding the scope and conduct of personnel security investigations. The incumbent provides support and guidance in all areas of personnel security to ensure timely processing of cases, and customer service at an extremely high level. This individual will serve as a liaison between the Bureau for Conflict Prevention and Stabilization (CPS)/OTI and SEC offices to ensure effective and efficient communication relative to existing and emerging priorities for CPS/OTI

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

● Exercise independent judgment as a liaison between OTI and SEC to determine priorities and maintain regular communication with OTI as the primary point of contact in USAID/SEC for security clearances, revalidations and security clearance upgrades for OTI program funded staff;

● Serve as OTI’s primary contact for expediting security clearance processing to ensure the office is rapidly staffed to respond and deploy in the event of a crisis (e.g. badging, access, clearance transfers, etc.);

● Review and evaluate reports of investigation and other records to determine whether to grant, deny, revoke, or suspend security clearances consistent with National Security Adjudicative Guidelines;

● Identify the need for, and recommend Special Investigations for complex and extremely sensitive and critical national security issues requiring issue resolution to facilitate a clearance determination;

● Compose correspondence and prepare written reports highlighting potential security concerns and the related resolution;

● Provide status reports as required for OTI and/or other CPS administrative support teams;

● Plan, organize, and carry out work with diverse and competing priorities; monitor and report on the status of in-progress assignments, and adhere to supervisory guidance on work priorities; ensure all deadlines and quality standards are met; and use initiative and resourcefulness to develop new methods;

● Provide policy guidance and prepare analytical summaries with corresponding recommendations for related course of action. Provide a clear basis for the course of action when potentially disqualifying information is identified, and adverse actions are recommended;

● Participate in recurring meetings with OTI and CPS Bureau offices as needed to discuss areas of concentration for SEC and coordinate all outstanding issues of concern in a timely manner. Identify trends and propose solutions to resolve processing or communication challenges, and escalate to management as appropriate;

● Specify goals and obstacles to achieving those goals, generate alternatives, consider risks, and evaluate and choose the best alternative in order to make a determination, draw conclusions, or solve a problem. Identify and analyze problems; use sound reasoning to arrive at conclusions; find alternative solutions to complex problems; and distinguish between relevant and irrelevant information to make logical judgments;

● Advocate for and train other OTI staff to have access to systems to streamline the badging and the security clearance verification processes;

● Assist with streamlining OTI candidate background investigations by obtaining any additional information on behalf of SEC directly such as reciprocity requests for information;

● Resend any Interim and Final clearance notifications to AMS and/or selecting officials if not notified; and,

● Notify the responsible SEC branch for CPS and OTI candidates that need or will be in need of a periodic reinvestigation.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

At a minimum, the offeror must have:

At the GS-13 Security Specialist level:

(1) A High School diploma with a minimum of nine (9) years of work experience;

OR

A Bachelor’s degree with a minimum of least seven (7) years of work experience;

AND

(2) At least three (3) years of experience working on personnel security;

AND

(3) At least two (2) years of experience supporting operations for a US government federal agency.

Please direct questions about this position or the offer process to the OTI Recruitment Team at [email protected].