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Position Title
Biometric System Program Specialist
Agency
DHS Headquarters
Announcement Number
ST-12057253-23-OBIM Opens in new window
Open Period
Monday, September 11, 2023 to Friday, September 15, 2023
For preview purposes only. To apply, please return to the USAJOBS announcement and click the Apply button.
Eligibilities
The following set of questions focus on how you are eligible to apply for this announcement. Eligibilities are known as the specific hiring authorities that allow you to be considered for this announcement. Applicants will only be considered for eligibilities for which they claim during the online application and provide documentation displaying their eligibility for the hiring authority. Please see the required documents section of this announcement for documentation information. For more information regarding what hiring authorities you may be eligible for, please see the following link https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/working-in-government/unique-hiring-paths/

Note, the Promotion Potential question applies to current or former Federal employees only. If you are not a current or former Federal employee, select No. Selecting No or answering this question incorrectly will not remove you from consideration. However, if you only claim the promotion potential eligibility, you will not receive further consideration for this position.
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1. Are you a current federal employee who has received notice that you will be displaced from the Department of Homeland Security? If yes, confirm:
  • you occupy a position in the same local commuting area of the vacancy; AND
  • you are applying to a position that is at or below the grade level of the position from which you were or will be separated; AND
  • you are applying to a position that does not have greater promotion potential than the position from which you will be separated; AND
  • your last performance rating of record is at least fully successful or the equivalent.
To verify your eligibility, you must submit supporting documentation to validate your claim of CTAP eligibility, such as:
  • Reduction in Force (RIF) separation notice or a Proposed Removal/Separation notice, AND
  • Copy of your latest Notification of Personnel Action, Standard Form 50.
For more information, review the USAJOBS Resource Center.
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2.

The following question applies to a current permanent federal employee in the competitive service.  If you are not a current permanent federal employee in the competitive service, select No.   

Are you a current federal civilian employee with the Federal government in a permanent competitive service position? 

To verify your eligibility as indicated above, you must submit a copy of your Notification of Personnel Action(s), Standard Form(s) 50 (SF-50) or equivalent personnel action form(s) reflecting your current permanent position in the competitive service 

  • Tenure (Box 24): Career or career-conditional (1 or 2)  
  • Position Occupied (Box 34): Competitive service (1)  

NOTE:  If you are a current federal employee in an expected service position or other than permanent competitive service position then you are not eligible under this current federal employee eligibility.  If you have prior permanent competitive service with the federal government, you may be eligible as a reinstatement applicant if the announcement is open to former federal employees. 

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3. Are you a current or former federal employee displaced from a position in a federal agency? If yes, confirm:
  • you occupy (or have been separated from) a position located in the same local commuting area of the vacancy;
  • you are applying to a position that is at or below the grade level of the position from which you were or will be separated; AND
  • your last performance rating of record is at least fully successful or the equivalent
To verify your eligibility, you must submit supporting documentation to validate your claim of ICTAP eligibility, such as:
  • Reduction in Force (RIF) separation notice or a Proposed Removal/Separation notice, AND
  • Copy of your latest Notification of Personnel Action, Standard Form 50.
For more information, review the USAJOBS Resource Center.
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4.

This question applies to current Federal employees. If you are not a current Federal employee, select No. Applicants who do not answer this question correctly are not removed from consideration.  However, if you claim only the promotion potential eligibility, you will not receive further consideration for this position.   

Promotion potential (also referred to as full performance level - FPL) means the highest level/grade that can be achieved in the career ladder progression of the position that is held on a permanent basis. Details and Temporary Promotions are not considered permanent positions. The examples provided below and are not all inclusive but are provided for informational purposes only.  

Examples:   

  • You currently hold a GS-09 position with promotion potential to the GS-12.  The progression is GS-09, GS-11, and GS-12.  You hold a position with the promotion potential of a GS-12. 
  • Your current position is a GS-12. You are temporarily promoted to a GS-13 position. The temporary promotion is not a permanent position, and your promotion potential is your current position of GS-12. 
  • Your current position is a GS-12. You previously held a GS-13 position on a permanent basis.  GS-13 would be considered the highest promotion potential you have held.  


To verify your eligibility as a current Federal civilian employee with promotion potential, you must submit a copy of your Notification of Personnel Action(s), Standard Form(s) 50 (SF-50) or equivalent personnel action form(s) that reflect:   

  • Tenure (Box 24): Career or career-conditional (1 or 2); AND 
  • Position Occupied (Box 34): Competitive service (1); OR 
  • Position Occupied (Box 34): Excepted service (2); when in another merit system which OPM has an interchange; AND 
  • Promotion Potential equivalent to or higher than the grade level being announced. 


Are you a current Federal employee who has held a permanent position in the Federal competitive service (or in a merit system with which OPM has an interchange agreement) with the promotion potential or equivalent of the position noted in the announcement? 

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5. Reasonable Accommodations for taking the online assessments are provided on a case-by-case basis only to qualified individuals with a disability covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended.

Do you have a disability (physical or mental) that you believe will interfere with completing the online assessments and require a Reasonable Accommodation?

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6. Are you a veteran whose latest discharge was under honorable conditions AND you:
  • served three or more years of continuous active duty service in the military (NOTE: if released shortly before completing a 3-year tour, you are considered to meet the eligibility); OR,
  • are entitled to veterans' preference?

For more information, review USAJOBS Veterans resources.

To verify your eligibility, you must submit a copy of your latest Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty, DD-214 (copy indicating character of service) or other proof of service which includes character of service. For information on how to request your veterans documentation please contact the Veterans Affairs Benefits and Services at 1-800-827-1000  or online via https://iris.custhelp.va.gov/app/ask/
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Preferences
1. Select the lowest grade you are willing to accept for this position. (limit characters)
2. There is a time-in-grade (TIG) requirement for promotion into this position for any individual who holds or within the previous 52 weeks held a General Schedule (GS) position under nontemporary appointment in the competitive or excepted service in the executive branch. Have you completed 52 weeks in a position at or above the GS-7 grade level?

If you are a current federal employee or former federal employee within the past 52 weeks, submit one or more SF-50s that support your selected response below showing you meet or are exempt from time-in-grade requirements.
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3. There is a time-in-grade (TIG) requirement for promotion into this position for any individual who holds or within the previous 52 weeks held a General Schedule (GS) position under nontemporary appointment in the competitive or excepted service in the executive branch. Have you completed 52 weeks in a position at or above the GS-9 grade level?

If you are a current federal employee or former federal employee within the past 52 weeks, submit one or more SF-50s that support your selected response below showing you meet or are exempt from time-in-grade requirements.
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4. There is a time-in-grade (TIG) requirement for promotion into this position for any individual who holds or within the previous 52 weeks held a General Schedule (GS) position under nontemporary appointment in the competitive or excepted service in the executive branch. Have you completed 52 weeks in a position at or above the GS-11 grade level?

If you are a current federal employee or former federal employee within the past 52 weeks, submit one or more SF-50s that support your selected response below showing you meet or are exempt from time-in-grade requirements.
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5. Are you a current political Schedule A or Schedule C Executive Branch employee or a former political Schedule A or Schedule C Executive Branch employee who held the position within the last five years applying to a competitive or non-political excepted service position under Title 5 of the United States Code or are you a current non-career Senior Executive Service (SES) Executive Branch employee or a former non-career SES Executive Branch employee who held the position within the last five years applying to a competitive or non-political excepted service position under Title 5 of the United States Code?

To verify, please submit a copy of your Notification of Personnel Action, Standard Form (SF-50) or other relevant documentation reflecting your status as a Political Appointee.
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6. Are you receiving a retirement annuity from OPM based on retiring from the Federal government? If you select yes and you are selected for this position, your salary will be off-set by the amount of your retirement annuity.

To verify, please submit a copy of your retirement SF-50 with your application package.
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7. I have read and understand the following statement: You will be considered for the highest grade level for which you qualify for. Eligibility will be verified based on your resume and transcripts. You must have gained the work experience by the closing date of this announcement. Full-time work experience is 35 or more hours worked per week and must be clearly stated on your resume. Qualifications based on work experience will be determined by what is listed on your resume. Work experience refers to both paid and unpaid experience, such as volunteer work.

Your resume must include the following:
  • Be in English
  • Include full legal name
  • Address
  • Phone number
  • Complete work history (which includes job titles)
  • Detailed description of your duties (including tasks performed)
  • The dates you performed those duties (MM/DD/YY - MM/DD/YY)
  • Hours worked per week for any position you worked that was not full time (less than 35 hours per week)
For Federal employment experience, your resume must also include:
  • Series
  • Grade level(s)
  • Salary
*Note- It is recommended that you upload your resume as a PDF instead of a Word document to ensure document quality. Ensure that your uploaded resume is not a password protected document, to include Office 365 passwords.

Do you agree to provide a resume that contains the necessary requirements listed in the instructions above?
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8. Please provide you government employee email address. (limit characters)
9.

This vacancy has a local commuting area requirement, as defined below (This restriction does not apply to VEOA eligibles):

  • The area surrounding the duty station by which people reasonably travel back and forth from home to work; Or
  • The employee's permanent duty station is located within the reasonable travel area surrounding the duty station of this vacancy; Or if applicable
  • For employees who are detailed or temporarily promoted (for less than 1 year) to another duty location, the permanent duty location is considered to be the duty location of record for commuting area purposes. 
  • For employees who are detailed or temporarily promoted (for more than 1 year) to another duty location, the detailed or temporary duty location is considered to be the duty location of record for commuting area purposes. 

Do you meet the local commuting area requirement?

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Assessment 1
The following questions will only be used to determine whether or not you meet the minimum qualification requirements for this position. You may wish to consult the vacancy announcement for a description of those requirements.
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1. Which of the following statements best describes your experience and/or education to qualify for the GS-09 grade level? (limit characters)
2. Which of the following statements best describes your experience and/or education to qualify for the GS-11 grade level? (limit characters)
3. Which of the following best describes your experience to qualify for the GS-12 grade level? (limit characters)
The following questions will be used to rate applicants who meet the minimum eligibility and qualification requirements. (limit characters)
4. Indicate the extent to which you have verified the accuracy of data.
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5. Indicate the extent to which you have gathered and analyzed facts, defined problems, and identified solutions.
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6. Indicate the extent of your experience in providing customer service to clients.
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7. Indicate the extent of your experience in using Microsoft Office software.
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8. Indicate the extent of your ability to communicate with all levels of managers, staff members, and outside groups. (limit characters)
9. Indicate the extent of your experience communicating in writing. (limit characters)
10. Indicate the extent of your experience in planning and organizing work.
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11. Indicate the extent to which you have developed and maintained effective relationships with individuals internal and external to your work group, office, and organization.
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12. Indicate the extent of your experience in responding to new information, changing conditions, or unexpected obstacles.
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13. Select the choice that best describes your ability to train others.
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14. Indicate the extent of your experience in working in work-related teams.
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