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.

Salary Information: The salary range for Columbus, OH (LCK - Rickenbacker International Airport) is $45,784 to $58,730 or $21.94 to $28.14 per hour and includes locality pay of 22.15%. This Transportation Security Officer position is located in Transportation Security Administration, Department of Homeland Security (DHS). As a Transportation Security Officer (TSOs) 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.
• 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:

• Maintain physical agility to ensure ability to squat and bend.
• Ability to repeatedly lift and manipulate baggage, containers, weighing approximately 50 pounds and other objects subject to security processing.
• Ability to walk up to three (3) miles during a shift and stand for prolonged periods (up to 4 hours) of time.

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:

• A. Experience: At least one year of full-time work experience in the security industry, aviation screening, or as an X-ray technician.
• OR B. Education: Have a high school diploma, General Educational Development (GED), High School Equivalency Test (HiSET), or Test Assessing Secondary Completion (TASC) high school equivalency certificate.

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.

TSO Dress and Appearance Responsibilities

TSOs must adhere to the current Master Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA). For example, with the exception of half-inch diameter stud-style earrings, non-protruding ear gauges or spacers that match your skin and do not exceed one half-inch diameter, inconspicuous nose or tongue piercings that match your skin or tongue, body piercings may not be visible to the public. The CBA dictates if you have a tattoo that would be visible beyond the standard TSO uniform in areas such as the head and face including a partial tattoo that extends more than one inch beyond the upper neck or behind the ear, it could potentially render you ineligible for the position unless it was able to be covered at all times and not visible to the general public. Additionally, tattoos that are indecent, commonly associated with gangs, extremists, and/or supremacist organizations or that advocate sexual, racial, or religious discrimination, or have a negative impact on TSA's ability to carry out its mission must be covered at all times.

Work Schedules

Specific work shifts and schedules will be determined by the airport. Full-time positions require 40 hours per week; Full-time work consists of shift-work on any day from Sunday through Saturday, which may include irregular hours, nights, holidays, overtime, extended shifts and weekend shifts, changing shifts, and split shifts. A "split-shift" consists of any two work shifts, each lasting at least two (2) hours in one 24-hour period, with at least two (2) hours between work shifts. Part-time shifts generally range from 16-32 hours per week Part-time work consists of shift-work on any day from Sunday through Saturday, which may include irregular hours, nights, holidays, overtime, extended shifts and weekend shifts, changing shifts, and split shifts. A "split-shift" consists of any two work shifts, each lasting at least two (2) hours in one 24-hour period, with at least two (2) hours between work shifts.

Maintaining Employment

All TSOs must maintain the standard level of certification and fitness for duty, to include: Completing classroom training, on-the-job training, and all initial certification testing Recurrent and specialized training and recertification tests on a periodic basis Passing background investigations, including a criminal check and credit check, and all randomly administered drug and alcohol screening tests.

No moving, relocation or pre-employment travel expenses will be paid for this position, or while in application for this position. This position is not a law enforcement position and therefore, is not covered by Law Enforcement Availability Pay or Law Enforcement Retirement. Per the President's 2014 Fair Employment memo, TSA policy is to not adversely consider a candidate based on unemployment or financial difficulty through no fault of their own. TSA is an excepted service agency. Employment with TSA does not confer the "Competitive Status" that generally results from selection and service in Competitive Service agencies. However, permanent employees who have at least one year of continuous service with TSA will be eligible to apply for positions in other Federal agencies under the OPM-DHS Interchange Agreement