Department of Homeland Security

Protective Vehicle Specialist

Washington, District of Columbia Full time

Protective Vehicle Specialist

Department: Department of Homeland Security

Location(s): Washington, District of Columbia

Salary Range: $64788 - $131826 Per Year

Job Summary: Joining the Secret Service, Office of the Protective Operations, Special Services Division will allow you to use your expertise in the field of Automotive Technology to maintain, equip, and repair a state-of-the-art protective vehicle fleet, as well as support protective driving operations to ensure the secure and efficient transportation of protectees.

Major Duties:

  • The selectee will serve as a Protective Vehicle Specialist in the Office of Protective Operations, Special Services Division. The official title for this position is Protective Armor Specialist. Typical work assignments include: Ensuring maintenance of fleet management in accordance with all inspectional procedures, guidelines, policies and procedures to ensure the safety of all stakeholders. Maintaining and tracking vehicle performance data, operational reports, customer service records, and safety records. Participating in logistics and strategic planning efforts to arrange protective services and transportation support for internal and external law enforcement partners. Maintaining proficiency in USSS protective motorcade operations, including tactical driving of armored vehicles and defensive tactics to ensure the secure transport of authorized personnel. Apply for this exciting opportunity to support the Secret Service mission by utilizing your skills to maintain the superior performance of the US President's state-of-the-art fleet of protective vehicles. This Protective Vehicle Specialist position starts at a salary of $64,788.00, GL-07 step 1, with promotion potential to $131,826.00, GS-12 step 10.

Qualifications: You are minimally qualified for the GL-07 Level (starting salary $64,788) if you possess one of the following: A bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university with superior academic achievement (S.A.A.) which is based on class standing, grade-point average, or honor society membership as described below. Maintained a grade-point average of "B" (a GPA of 3.0 or higher) for all completed undergraduate courses, or those completed in the last two years of undergraduate study; OR Rank in the upper one-third of your class in the college, university, or major subdivision; OR Be a member of a national honor (other than freshman honor societies) recognized by the Association of College Honor Societies. Please submit a college transcript(s) showing your grade point average for all four years of undergraduate study, including all transferred courses. NOTE: GPAs are rounded to one decimal place. For example, 2.95 will round to 3.0 and 2.94 will round to 2.9. If more than 10 percent of your undergraduate course work (credit hours) were taken on a pass/fail or similar basis, your claim must be based on class standing or membership in an honor society. At least one full year of graduate level education (i.e., 18 semester hours); OR At least 1 year of specialized experience equivalent to the GL-05 level performing duties, such as assisting with fleet management, armored vehicle maintenance, protective driving, physical security, access control, and/or logistics support; OR A combination of specialized experience, as described above, and successfully completed post-high school education. You are minimally qualified for the GL-09 Level (starting salary $72,254) if you possess one of the following: A master's or equivalent graduate degree (such as LL.B. or J.D.) or two full years of progressively higher graduate education, in a related field, leading to such a degree from an accredited college or university; OR Have at least 1 year of specialized experience equivalent to the GL-07 level performing duties such as assisting with diagnosing and repairing protective armored vehicles, solving mechanical problems, and/or communicating with high-level officials; OR A combination of specialized experience, as described above, and related graduate level education, beyond the first full year of graduate level study. 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. In addition to the minimum qualifications described above, applicants must possess certification(s) as identified in one of the following categories: GL-07 Three (3) or more National Institute of Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) certifications or equivalent; or, GL-09 Four (4) or more National Institute of Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) certifications or equivalent; or, Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) Master certificate or equivalent; or, Major Automobile manufacturer certification; or, Major Manufacturer College Co-Op program e.g., General Motors Automotive Service Educational Program (GM ASEP), Ford's Automotive Student Service Educational Training (Ford ASSET), or Mopar Career Automotive Program (MOPAR CAP). Qualification and Eligibility Requirements: The qualification and eligibility requirements listed above must be met by the closing date of this announcement. Applicants must successfully complete and pass Phase 1 assessments (see below) to receive a Conditional Job Offer. In addition, applicants must successfully complete and pass Phase II (see below) to receive final consideration for employment. Phase I: National Crime Information Center (NCIC) Phase II: Credit Check Security Interview Polygraph Examination Drug Screening Medical Examination Background Investigation (Top-Secret Clearance) The Secret Service follows stringent guidelines relating to illegal drug usage. An applicant's history is reviewed and a determination for employment is made according to our guidelines. For more information regarding the U.S. Secret Service drug guidelines, please click here to view our Drug Policy. As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you may be required to serve a 2-year trial period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider: your performance and conduct; the needs and interests of the agency; whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service. Upon completion of your trial period your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

How to Apply: To apply and be considered for this position, you must complete all required questionnaires, assessments and required documentation as specified in the How to Apply and Required Documents section. PLEASE NOTE: Only resumes up to a total of two pages will be accepted. Applicants with resumes exceeding two pages will be removed from consideration. The application process is as follows: Click the Apply Online button Answer the questions presented in the application and submit the required documents. Click the Submit Application button prior to 11:59PM (ET) on the announcement closing date. If you are required to complete any USA Hire Assessments, you will be notified after submitting your application. The notification will be provided in your application submission screen and via email. The notification will include your unique assessment access link to the USA Hire system and the completion deadline. Additionally, in USAJOBS you can click "Track this application" to return to your assessment completion notice. Access to USA Hire using your unique assessment link. Access is granted through your USAJOBS login credentials. Review all instructions prior to beginning your assessments. You will have the opportunity to request a testing accommodation before beginning the assessments should you have a disability covered under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended. Set aside at least 3 hours to take the USA Hire assessments; however, most applicants complete the assessments in less time. If you need to stop the assessments and continue later, you can re-use your unique assessment link. Your responses to the USA Hire Assessments will be reused for one year (in most cases) from the date you complete an assessment. If future applications you submit require completion of the same assessments, your responses will be automatically reused. To preview the questionnaire please click the link https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12828901. The questionnaire is required in addition to the USA Hire assessments. For more general information, system requirements, reasonable accommodation information, and to request assistance regarding the USA Hire Assessments, review the following resources: https://help.usastaffing.gov/Apply/index.php?title=USA_Hire_Assessments. Reasonable Accommodation (RA) Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a RA in your online application. Requests for RA for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for RA must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for RA are made on a case-by-case basis. If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, based on your adjudication decision. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, if you received the link after the close of the announcement. To determine if you need a RA, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments here: https://help.usastaffing.gov/Apply/index.php?title=Reasonable_Accommodations_for_USA_Hire. Applying to this announcement certifies that you give permission for DHS to share your application with others in DHS for similar positions. The Department of Homeland Security encourages persons with disabilities to apply, to include persons with intellectual, severe physical or psychiatric disabilities, as defined by 5 CFR 213.3102(u), and or Disabled Veterans with a compensable service-connected disability of 30 percent or more as defined by 5 CFR 315.707. Veterans, Peace Corps, VISTA volunteers, and persons with disabilities possess a wealth of unique talents, experiences, and competencies that can be invaluable to the DHS mission. If you are a member of one of these groups, you may not have to compete with the public for federal jobs. To determine your eligibility for non-competitive appointment and to understand the required documentation, click on the links above or contact the servicing Human Resources Office listed at the bottom of this announcement. The Secret Service provides reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities, on a case-by-case basis. Please contact us if you require this for any part of the application and hiring process.

Application Deadline: 2025-12-31