Supervisory Training Instructor (Canine)

Summary

The Canine Training Center (CTC), a component of TSA's Training and Development, is the designated "Center for Excellence" and the largest explosives detection canine program in the Department of Homeland Security. Located at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland in San Antonio, Texas, the CTC features a state-of-the-art $12 million campus with 21 training labs simulating real world transportation environments, including airport terminals, aircraft, and rail systems.

Duties

This Supervisory Training Instructor (Canine) position is located Training and Development- Canine Training Center, Transportation Security Administration, Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Duties include but are not limited to: Designs, develops, revises, and instructs complex subject matter to ensure the effective and efficient delivery of basic and advanced canine training programs that meets the goals and objectives of T&D and the National Explosives Detection Canine Team Program (NEDCTP). Incumbent serves as a recognized TSA subject-matter expert in canine training. May be called upon to represent TSA at interagency, inter-governmental, international, and stakeholders' meetings, symposia, or conferences. Advises management on the operational effectiveness and efficiency of assigned program(s). Provides recommendations to address areas of concern; oversees implementation of fixes and assesses effectiveness of solutions. Advises management on unusual or complex operational issues. Establishes and maintains collaborative relationships with multiple law enforcement organizations at all levels in support of canine programs/teams within those organizations. The major duties described above reflect the full performance level of this position. Requirements

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. You must complete a favorable Background Investigation (BI). Selective Service registration is required. Position requires frequent travel and occasional work on weekends. Incumbent may be required to work with various hazardous chemicals including explosives.Position is subject to hazardous duty pay. Physical Demands: Incumbent must be physically able to work outdoors, often under adverse weather conditions. May have to lift dogs (up to 80lbs) or heavy supplies. Work requires walking, bending, and standing. Work environment: The work environment involves high risks with regular and recurring exposure to weather extremes and to potentially dangerous situations with aggressive dogs. For example, works closely with potentially dangerous animals, where safety precautions cannot completely eliminate the danger. Incumbent is subject to scratches, bites, unpleasant odors, and loud barking noises. Must be able to obtain and maintain a Secret security clearance. This position is subject to the supervisory probationary period, unless the incumbent has previously completed the probationary requirement. If you fail to meet the conditions of employment or any other pre-employment requirements, such as missing any of the scheduled appointments, the hiring agency may rescind their tentative offer of employment. Applying to this announcement certifies that you give permission for TSA to share your application with others in DHS for similar positions. Any offers of employment made pursuant to this announcement will be consistent with all applicable authorities, including Presidential Memoranda, Executive Orders, interpretive U.S. Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) guidance, and Office of Management and Budget plans and policies concerning hiring. These authorities are subject to change. Qualifications

In addition to the minimum qualifications described above, you must meet the following specialized experience to be considered qualified for the position: To qualify for the SV-J Pay Band (equivalent to GS-14), you must have one year of specialized experience at the SV-I or GS-13 in the Federal service or equivalent experience in the private sector. Specialized experience is defined as experience that has equipped you with the knowledge, skills and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position. Specialized experience is defined as: Develop and implement canine training programs to meet organizational goals and objectives and ensure compliance with government regulations and policies; AND Overseeing matters related to the training and evaluation of canine handlers and explosives detection canines; AND Experience advising management on program effectiveness and efficiency to identify operational concerns and recommend corrective actions. 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. You must meet the qualification requirements for this position no later than the closing date of the vacancy announcement.

How You Will Be Evaluated

You will be evaluated based on how well you meet the qualifications listed in this vacancy announcement. Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g., resume, supporting documents), your responses on the application questionnaire, and your responses to all assessments required for this position. You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above. The evaluation includes: A comparison of the position requirements against the quality and extent of the experience and/or related education as reflected in your resume and supporting documentation. Specifically, the following job-related competencies will be evaluated based upon the information provided in your resume: · Training Development: Applies learning theories, methods, and principles of adult education to one or more of the five phases of the Instructional System Design process to create and/or review training programs. · Training Instruction: Delivers or facilitates using a combination of training delivery techniques and technical subject matter expertise; applies adult learning methodology to implement educational techniques which best complement the curriculum and the audience. · Leadership: Inspires, influences, and guides others toward goal accomplishments; coaches, mentors, and encourages others to maximize potential; models high standards of honesty, integrity, trust, openness, and respect for individuals by applying these values to daily behaviors. · Partnering: Develops networks and builds alliances; collaborates across boundaries to build strategic relationships and achieve common goals. · Program Management: Directs and facilitates the resources, planning, organization, monitoring, and completion of all aspects of an ongoing program in order to achieve established objectives within agreed upon time, budget allocation, and performance criteria. The competencies will be rated by trained raters against pre-established benchmarks. Those ratings will be used to rate and rank candidates into one of three Category Groupings: - Best-Qualified: Applicants possessing experience that substantially exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position and demonstrate high proficiency in all of the critical competencies as determined by the job analysis. - Well-Qualified: Applicants possessing experience that exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position and demonstrates acceptable proficiency in all of the critical competencies as determined by the job analysis. - Qualified: Applicants possessing experience that meets the minimum qualifications of the position and demonstrate basic proficiency in most of the critical competencies as determined by the job analysis. If you are best qualified, you may be referred to the hiring manager for consideration and may be called for an interview. Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials may result in your removal from consideration. Cheating on an assessment may also result in your removal from consideration. Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or application questionnaire may result in your removal from consideration. Cheating on an assessment may also result in your removal from consideration. You may preview the questions for this vacancy here: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/13084792 Benefits

DHS offers competitive salaries and an attractive benefits package, including: health, dental, vision, life, and long-term care insurance; retirement plan; Thrift Savings Plan [similar to a 401(k)]; Flexible Spending Account; Employee Assistance Program; personal leave days; and paid federal holidays. Other benefits may include flexible work schedules; situational telework may be permitted in accordance with departmental policy telework; tuition reimbursement; transportation subsidies; uniform allowance; health and wellness programs; and fitness centers. DHS is committed to employee development and offers a variety of employee training and developmental opportunities. For more information, go to the DHS Careers website and select "Benefits." Disabled veteran leave will be available to any Federal employee hired on or after November 5, 2016, who is a veteran with a service-connected disability rating of 30 percent or more. Employees who transfer to TSA from an agency that allows employees to maintain an annual leave balance higher than the maximum accumulation for the appointed position will have their leave ceiling set to the maximum accumulation for the appointed position (e.g., United States duty location - 240 hours, foreign duty location - 360 hours, or TSES position - 720 hours). TSA will not make a monetary payment for any leave forfeited under these circumstances. Other Information

Eligibility to apply for other Federal positions: TSA is an Excepted Service agency exempt from most of Title 5 United States Code, including regulations which apply to displaced Federal employees (CTAP/ICTAP) of other agencies, and employment with TSA does not confer "Competitive Status" that generally results from selection and service in Competitive Service agencies. The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) has established an Interchange Agreement, which allows most permanent TSA employees to apply and be considered for vacancies in Competitive Service agencies. Information from OPM on this or other Interchange Agreements is available at: www.opm.gov/ To ensure the accomplishment of our mission, DHS requires every employee to be reliable and trustworthy. To meet those standards, all selected applicants must undergo and successfully pass a background investigation as a condition of placement into this position. DHS uses E-Verify, an Internet-based system, to confirm the eligibility of all newly hired employees to work in the United States. Learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities. If you receive a conditional offer of employment for this position, you will be required to complete an Optional Form 306, Declaration for Federal Employment, and to sign and certify the accuracy of all information in your application, prior to entry on duty. False statements on any part of the application may result in withdrawal of offer of employment, dismissal after beginning work, fine, or imprisonment. TSA employees who are absent for the purpose of performing military duty may apply for any vacancies announced in their absence. More than one position may be filled from this announcement. If you are entering TSA employment on an appointment without time limitations, you must serve a basic trial period unless you have already met the requirement. 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. (https://appsupport.usastaffing.gov/hc/en-us/sections/28980686389652-Reasonable-Accommodation-Information)