Supervisory Law Enforcement Specialist

Summary

This position is located within the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), Office of Operations, Security, and Preparedness (OSP), Field Operations, VA Police Service. VA Police Service provides Federal law-enforcement, protective, investigative, emergency-response, and related public-safety services in support of Veterans, employees, affiliates, contractors, visitors, and others who receive services, work, or visit VA facilities and properties.

Duties

• Duties include, but may not be limited to the following: Second-Level Supervision and Operational Direction Directs, coordinates, and evaluates law-enforcement operations through subordinate first-level Supervisory Police Officers. Ensures subordinate supervisors apply law, policy, procedures, and professional policing standards consistently. Uses incident reviews, case reviews, inspections, operational data, crime trends, after-action findings, training results, and other information to improve law-enforcement operations, investigative quality, officer safety, service delivery, accountability, and continuity of police operations. Technical Law-Enforcement Direction and Complex Investigations Serves as a senior operational and technical law-enforcement resource for subordinate supervisors on complex matters involving Federal police authority. Directs or provides senior supervisory oversight of investigations and enforcement actions that exceed normal shift-level resolution because of complexity, sensitivity, seriousness, duration, multi-jurisdictional issues, conflicting or incomplete evidence, substantial operational risk, or the need for coordination with other law-enforcement organizations, prosecutors, courts, VA counsel, or senior VA officials. Resolves technical disagreements among subordinate supervisors concerning enforcement authority, investigative methods, evidence, case disposition, operational tactics, and application of policy. Critical Incident Command and Emergency Operations Provides second-level command and supervisory direction during significant incidents, including active threats, violent crimes in progress, major uses of force, serious assaults, high- risk searches or apprehensions, barricaded subjects, threats to Government officials or VA facilities, major disturbances, missing high-risk persons, infrastructure failures, disasters, and other events that threaten life, property, continuity of operations, or critical VA functions. Applies National Incident Management System {NIMS) and Incident Command System {ICS) principles to establish or transition command and control, define operational objectives, assign responsibilities, integrate responding resources, establish perimeters and access controls, coordinate evacuations or protective actions, and synchronize VA Police activity with other VA elements and outside public-safety agencies. Assesses evolving risk and directs subordinate supervisors concerning deployment, tactical posture, specialized resources, scene integrity, evidence preservation, officer safety, public safety, and continuity of law-enforcement operations. Policy Interpretation, Compliance, and Quality Assurance Monitors changes in Federal and State law, court decisions, legal precedent, VA law -enforcement authority, Departmental directives, operational policy, technology, policing practices, threat information, and other developments that may affect VA Police operations. Conducts or directs second-level quality assurance of police operations and work products. Collaborates with the Chief of Police, Deputy Chief of Police, peer supervisors, legal counsel, prosecutors, facility officials, and other stakeholders in developing or refining law-enforcement procedures and operational plans. Supervisory and Managerial Authorities Exercises recurring delegated supervisory and managerial authorities over subordinate supervisors and employees. Uses subordinate supervisors and leaders to direct, coordinate, and oversee police work and makes decisions on work problems presented by them. Uses subordinate supervisors and leaders to direct, coordinate, and oversee police work and makes decisions on work problems presented by them. Participates in or makes recommendations concerning selections, promotions, reassignments, recognition, awards, training, staffing, scheduling, overtime, leave, and other personnel actions within delegated authority. Identifies and addresses significant operational bottleneck…

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 11/09/2026. Time-In-Grade Requirement: Applicants who are current Federal employees and have held a GS grade any time in the past 52 weeks must also meet time-in-grade requirements by the closing date of this announcement. For a GS-11 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-9. The grade may have been in any occupation, but must have been held in the Federal service. An SF-50 that shows your time-in-grade eligibility must be submitted with your application materials. If the most recent SF-50 has an effective date within the past year, it may not clearly demonstrate you possess one-year time-in-grade, as required by the announcement. In this instance, you must provide an additional SF-50 that clearly demonstrates one-year time-in-grade. Note: Time-In-Grade requirements also apply to former Federal employees applying for reinstatement as well as current employees applying for Veterans Employment Opportunities Act of 1998 (VEOA) appointment. You may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below: Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-09 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: experience leading and coordinating complex law enforcement operations; supervising subordinate personnel; evaluating operational performance; ensuring compliance with established policies and procedures; developing operational plans; managing critical incidents; assessing staffing and resource requirements; implementing corrective actions; communicating effectively with executive leadership and external stakeholders; exercising sound judgment; maintaining accountability; improving operational efficiency; supporting organizational readiness in a complex law enforcement environment. 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 a PhD. or equivalent graduate degree, or 3 full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree, in a field related to physical security that demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of this position or LL.M., if related. 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 an combination of specialized experience and education beyond. NOTE: Transcripts (unofficial or official) must be submitted with your application materials. Education cannot be credited without documentation. Creditable specialized experience may have been gained in work on a police force; through service as a military police officer; in work providing visitor protection and law enforcement in parks, forests, or other natural resource or recreational environments; in performing criminal investigative duties; or in other work that provided the required knowledge and skills. Security guard or corrections officer experience is generally not qualifying. Note: Experience must be fully documented on your resume and must include job title, duties, month and year start/end dates AND hour worked per week. You must provide detailed information of your experience performed. Information such as "I was a Patrolman", "I was a Police Officer for a number of years," or "I enforced Federal, State, county, and laws" is insufficient to determine your qualifications. Experience must be f…

Education

A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education. Note: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/. If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/.