Security Assistant (OA)

Security Assistant (OA)

Department: Department of Veterans Affairs

Location(s): Portland, Oregon

Salary Range: $43457 - $56489 Per Year

Job Summary: This position resides within the Police Service, VA Portland Health Care System (VAPORHCS) and is physically located at the Portland Healthcare Center. The primary purpose of the position is to assists with administrative functions of the operations section, as well as dispatch duties and responsibilities. Providing high-quality customer service and provides information to employees and the public on a variety of subjects related to the mission of the Police Service.

Major Duties:

• The major duties include but are not limited to: Monitors and receives routine and emergency calls from a variety of sources that need police, fire, medical or other emergency services. Determines the nature and location of the emergency; uses their judgment to prioritize events and commit police resources appropriately; determines what notifications are necessary based upon event type, makes such notifications and coordinates follow-up communications. Receives and process emergency calls maintains contact with law enforcement units on assignment, maintains status and location of police and coordinates communication between agencies as needed. Monitors direct emergency alarms, answers non-emergency calls for assistance. Enters, updates and retrieves information from a variety of computer systems and sensitive databases. Receives and compiles information from various sources related to police and emergency incidents, taking appropriate actions regarding intrusion, duress, and hold-up alarms. Directs response and modifies responsible personnel depending on the type of incident or request. Operates a variety of communications and security equipment, such as computers, multi-frequency radios, multi-line telephone system, and other related peripherals. Compiles and prepares reports related to events occurring in the operation of the police office for the dissemination of the completed products to various management officials. Coordinates with various Federal, State & local law enforcement officials for coordination of emergency situations. Responsible for the orderly flow of communications between the police dispatch center, agency leadership, and the work force. Performs system checks on a variety of equipment used in the dispatch area. Troubleshoots systems when problems arise and resolve issues whenever possible. Conducts equipment inventories; completes records and other logs. Performs monthly alarm checks, submits reports documenting the operational status of each circuit tested. Initiates work orders for malfunctioning circuits and equipment. Maintains accurate radio/alarm activity records/logs to include dates, times, and results of communications and activities and types completed reports. Performs and documents emergency call-backs when necessary. Tracks critical information and reports findings to the supervisor. Implements policies, procedures, and methods for identifying and protecting information, personnel, property, facilities, operations, or material; performs work in support of established security programs; or performs protective work in guarding Federal buildings, personnel, and materials. Requires knowledge of Federal statutes, policies, and procedures relating to the various types of law enforcement jurisdictions and the criminal laws of the United States and State of Oregon and Washington. Requires a knowledge of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPPA), the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), and Privacy Act statutes and regulations as they pertain to the work being performed. Protects data from unauthorized release or loss, alteration, or unauthorized deletion. Follows applicable regulations and instructions regarding access to computerized files, the release of access codes, etc., as set out in the computer access agreement that the employee signs. Work Schedule: Monday - Wednesday OR Thursday - Saturday with alternating Sundays; 7:00pm - 7:00am OR 7:00am - 7:00pm (PST) Compressed/Flexible Schedule: Candidates must be willing to work on off-tours, rotating shifts or regular overtime if determined by the needs of the service. Position Description/PD#: Security Assistant (OA)/PD21427A Physical Requirements: The work is typically sedentary in nature. However, there may be some walking; standing; bending; carrying of light items such as papers, books, small parts; or driving an automobile, etc. No special physical demands are required to perform the work. Working on off-tours, rotating shifts or regular overtime may be required. Work Conditions/Environment: The work environment involves everyday risks or discomforts which require normal safety precautions typical of such places as offices, meeting and training rooms, or libraries. The work area is adequately lighted, heated, and ventilated.

Qualifications: To qualify for this position, applicants must meet specialized experience requirements within 30 days of the closing date of this announcement, 11/12/2025. Minimum Qualifications; GS-05 grade level: One year of specialized experience (equivalent to the GS-04 grade level in the federal service); experience that equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities (KSA's) and other characteristics to perform successfully the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled, in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Specialized experience includes: Knowledge of security or law enforcement objectives and programs; carrying out support tasks related to law enforcement and security administration; monitoring and/or responding to physical alarm systems and security cameras; dispatching officers; monitoring computers for video surveillance; and maintaining reports and logs. NOTE: Applicants wishing to receive credit for such experience must indicate clearly the nature of their duties and responsibilities in each position and the number of hours a week spent in such employment. OR, Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have successfully completed four (4) years of education above the high school level. This education must have been obtained in an accredited business, secretarial or technical school, junior college, college or university for which high school graduation or the equivalent is the normal prerequisite. One year of full-time undergraduate study is defined as 30 semester hours, 45 quarter hours, or the equivalent in a college or university or at least 20 hours of classroom instruction per week for approximately 36 weeks in a business, secretarial or technical school. NOTE: Transcripts (unofficial or official) must be submitted with your application materials. Education cannot be credited without documentation. OR, Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have equivalent combinations of successfully completed post-high school education (beyond the second year) and specialized experience to meet total qualification requirements at the GS-05 level. This education must have been obtained at an accredited business, secretarial or technical school, junior college, college or university. Typing Proficiency: In addition to meeting experience requirements, applicants for this position must show possession of the following proficiency: Ability to type 40 words per minute. Applicants may meet this requirement by passing the appropriate performance test, presenting a certificate of proficiency from a school or other organization authorized to issue such certificates by the Office of Personnel Management local office, or by self-certifying their proficiency. Performance test results and certificates of proficiency are acceptable for 3 years. For more information on these qualification standards, please visit the United States Office of Personnel Management's website at https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/. Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at the GS-05 level. To calculate, first identify the percentage of required education you have earned (when substituting, you cannot use the first 60 semester hours that you earned). Then identify the percentage of required experience you possess. Add the two percentages. The total percentage must equal at least 100 percent to qualify at the GS-05. For example, an applicant who has 9 semester hours of graduate level education (i.e. 50% of graduate education required) and 6 months of creditable specialized experience (i.e. 50% of the required experience) would equal 100% of the required experience for the position A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education. To calculate, first identify the percentage of required education you have earned (when substituting, you cannot use the first 60 semester hours that you earned). Then identify the percentage of required experience you possess. Add the two percentages. The total percentage must equal at least 100 percent to qualify at the GS-05. For example, an applicant who has 9 semester hours of graduate level education (i.e. 50% of graduate education required) and 6 months of creditable specialized experience (i.e. 50% of the required experience) would equal 100% of the required experience for the position A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education.

How to Apply: Please read the entire announcement and all the instructions before you begin an application. To apply for this position, you must complete the initial online application, to include the initial online questionnaire and submission of the required documentation specified in the How to Apply and Required Documents section. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on the closing date of the announcement to receive consideration. To preview the application questionnaire, click https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12828651. The application process is as follows: To begin, click Apply Online to create a USA JOBS account or log in to your existing account. Follow the prompts to select your USA JOBS resume and/or other supporting documents. Answer the questions presented in the application and attach all necessary supporting documentation. Click the Submit Application button prior to 11:59 PM (ET) on the announcement closing date, 11/12/2025. 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 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. NOTE: 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. Visit the USA Hire Applicant Resource Center for practice assessments and assessment preparation resources at https://support-usahire.opm.gov/hc/en-us. To update your application, including supporting documentation: During the announcement open period, return to your USAJOBS account, find your application record, and click Edit my application. This option will no longer be available once the announcement has closed. To view the announcement status or your application status: https://help.usajobs.gov/how-to. Your application status page is where you can view your application status, USA Hire assessment completion status, and review your notifications sent by the hiring agency regarding your application. Beginning September 27, 2025, Federal agencies will only accept resumes up to two pages in length to comply with the Merit Hiring Plan. Resumes longer than two pages will result in ineligibility for further consideration for the position. USAJOBS will not allow you to upload or build resumes longer than two pages, and you will need to update the resumes in your profile before applying for a job. Resumes should include information relevant to the knowledge, skills, abilities, and competencies of the position to which you are applying. VA is unable to make assumptions about qualifications if not clearly listed. Resumes must be legible so they can be reviewed for eligibility, minimum qualifications and other position requirements listed in the job announcement. Your resume must be 5MB or less. We recommend saving and uploading your resume as a PDF to maintain formatting and number of pages. We also accept GIF, JPG, JPEG, PNG, RTF, TXT, PDF, ODT or Word (DOC or DOCX). We do not accept PDF portfolio files. We recommend using a sans-serif font size like Lato, if available. Other widely available options are Calibri, Helvetica, Arial, Verdana, Open San Source Sans Pro, Roboto or Noro Sans. Make your page margins 0.5 inches. Consider using 14-point size font for titles and 10-point for the main text in your resume. The resume builder can help you create a resume using these recommendations and uses the information in your USAJOBS profile to help you get started. Helpful Hints for Creating a Two-Page Resume: Prioritize most relevant and recent experience Use concise, results focused language Align language from the job announcement Focus on demonstrating skills and competencies Remove outdated or unrelated experience Use the USAJOBS resume builder Additional guidance on this new requirement and resume building tools can be found at: https://help.usajobs.gov/faq/application/documents/resume/page-limit.

Application Deadline: 2025-11-12