Transportation Security Officer

Transportation Security Officer

Transportation Security Officers are responsible for providing security and protection of travelers across all transportation sectors in a courteous and professional manner. Their duties may also extend to securing high-profile events, important figures and / or anything that includes or impacts our transportation systems. Responsibilities include operating various screening equipment and technology to identify dangerous objects in baggage, cargo and on passengers, and preventing those objects from being transported onto aircraft. They also perform searches and screening, which may include physical interaction with passengers, conducting bag searches and lifting / carrying bags, bins, and property weighing up to 50lbs. Officers control terminal entry and exit points, interact with the public, giving directions and responding to inquiries, and maintain a professional ability to identify and locate potentially life-threatening or mass destruction devices.

Salary Information : The salary range for Nome, AK (OME - Nome Airport) is $73,809 to $91,767 or $35.37 to $43.97 per hour and includes locality pay of 32.36% and COLA pay of 3%, and a retention incentive of 40% of adjusted pay that is unique to this duty location. The continuation of the incentive portion of this hourly rate is contingent upon annual approval and funding. Sign-on Bonus : The Transportation Security Administration is offering a sign-on bonus of up to $5,000 for this location; paid out in two installments during the first 12 months of service. The amount of the airport's sign-on bonus is subject to change or elimination based on operational needs, however, any applicable sign-on bonus amount will be communicated and agreed upon during the final job offer process.

This Transportation Security Officer position is located in Transportation Security Administration, Department of Homeland Security (DHS). As a Transportation Security Officer (TSO) within Security Operations (SO), you will provide security and protection of air travelers, airports and aircraft in a courteous and professional manner. Duties may include but are not limited to :

• Operating various screening equipment and technology to identify dangerous objects in baggage, cargo and on passengers, and preventing those objects from being transported onto aircraft.
• Performing searches and screening, which may include physical interaction with passengers (e.g., pat-downs, search of property, etc.), conducting bag searches and lifting / carrying bags, bins, and property weighing up to 50lbs.
• Controlling terminal entry and exit points.
• Interacting with the public, giving directions and responding to inquiries.
• Maintaining focus and awareness while working in a stressful environment which includes noise from alarms, machinery and people, crowd distractions, time pressure, and disruptive and angry passengers, in order to preserve the professional ability to identify and locate potentially life threatening or mass destruction devices, and to make effective decisions in both crisis and routine situations.
• Engaging in continuous development of critical thinking skills, necessary to mitigate actual and potential security threats, by identifying, evaluating, and applying appropriate situational options and approaches.
• This may include application of risk-based security screening protocols that vary based on program requirements.
• Retaining and implementing knowledge of all applicable Standard Operating Procedures, demonstrating responsible and dependable behavior, and is open to change and adapts to new information or unexpected obstacles.

Realistic Job Preview : The Realistic Job Preview gives you an honest, objective and vivid portrait of what it means to work as a Transportation Security Officer (TSO) and provides employee testimonies about both the good and the challenging aspects of being a TSO. To view the video, please Click Here.

If a sufficient number of applications are received, the announcement may close before the published closing date.

NOTE : Employees occupying frontline positions, i.e., individuals occupying positions that involve contact with the traveling public on a regular and recurring basis, may be required to wear TSA approved and issued personal protective equipment (PPE). PPE includes TSA issued surgical masks, face shields, and nitrile gloves. At TSA, the health and safety of our employees is a top priority.

Conditions of Employment

You must possess U.S. Citizenship or be a U.S. National. You must have reached the minimum age (18) at the time of application. Selective Service registration is required. Must pass a structured interview, drug screening, medical evaluation, and background investigation. Subject to post-employment random drug and / or alcohol testing. Must be available to work various shifts and overtime, as needed. Must be proficient in English (e.g., reading, writing, speaking, comprehending). Mandatory travel for training and occasional travel may be required. Exposure to potentially lethal devices and dangerous chemicals is inherent in this position.

Physical Demands : Must meet and maintain physical requirements (including an assessment of physical abilities) including, but not limited to, the following :

The requirements above must be met at the time of application submission. Additional requirements can be found in the Qualifications section.

Qualifications

To qualify for the SV-D pay band (equivalent to the GS-5 / 6), you must meet one of the qualification requirements (A OR B) outlined below :

Credit for experience is given based on a 40-hour workweek. Part-time experience is credited on a part-time ratio, i.e., working 20 hours per week for two months equals one month of experience. No additional credit is given for overtime. National Service Experience (i.e., 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.

The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) must authorize employment offers made to current or former political appointees. If you are currently, or have been within the last 5 years, a political Schedule A, Schedule C, Non-career SES or Presidential Appointee employee in the Executive Branch, you must disclose this information to the Human Resources Office.

Additional requirements :

Reemployed Annuitants : Since the TSO position is permanent, it does not meet the eligibility requirement for a salary offset waiver under the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2010. Therefore, former Federal or Postal Service employees who are receiving a civilian retirement annuity may have their salary reduced by the amount of their pension, which could