This position is critical to ensuring the effective protection and management of highly sensitive information, technologies, and operations within the department. It provides oversight of Sensitive Compartmented Information (SCI) and Special Access Program (SAP) security requirements, ensuring classified programs remain compliant with established policies and security standards. The role supports the development and implementation of safeguarding measures, access controls, and security policies that protect mission-critical capabilities while enabling personnel to effectively support sensitive programs. It also coordinates with stakeholders to ensure secure facility identification, accreditation, and compliance requirements are met before classified activities occur. Additionally, the position contributes to security governance through policy development, training, guidance, and support of compliance inspections, helping strengthen security processes and overall operational effectiveness.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

The responsibilities of this role include, but are not limited to:

Personnel Responsibility and Support

SCI/SAP Personnel Security

• Support the processing, verification, and maintenance of SCI/SAP personnel security requirements, ensuring personnel meet applicable eligibility, access, and need-to-know requirements prior to authorization.
• Serve as the CSSO in administering day-to-day SCI and SAP security operations and ensuring compliance with regulations and applicable program security requirements.
• Manage the complete SCI/SAP access lifecycle, including eligibility, Program Access Requests (PARs), indoctrinations, debriefings, suspensions, terminations, and other personnel security status changes.
• Maintain and reconcile SCI/SAP personnel records and access rosters, identifying discrepancies between clearance eligibility, personnel status, organizational assignments, and authorized program access.
• Support personnel security actions associated with new hires, transfers, promotions, changes in duties, organizational moves, and separations, ensuring timely updates to SCI/SAP access and security documentation.
• Administer security education and training, provide security briefings, and ensure personnel understand classified information protection, reporting requirements, insider threat responsibilities, and program-specific security procedures.
• Support facility security, classified material accountability, inspections, and security incident management, including investigations, corrective actions, inventories, secure handling, and protection of classified information and assets.
• Coordinate with SSOs, GSSOs, PSOs, FSOs, ISSMs, government security representatives, and program leadership to implement SCI/SAP security requirements, resolve security discrepancies, and maintain continuous program compliance. 

FSO Responsibilities and Support

The Personnel Security Specialist shall support the FSO in the administration of the National Industrial Security Program, including:

• Processing personnel security clearance requirements for employees and contractors.
• Monitoring personnel clearance eligibility, access, and investigation status.
• Supporting initial, interim, upgrade, transfer, reinvestigation/continuous-vetting, and other personnel-security actions as applicable.
• Maintaining accurate personnel-security records and databases.
• Supporting required security briefings, refresher briefings, and debriefings.
• Supporting execution and maintenance of applicable nondisclosure agreements.
• Assisting with required personnel-security reporting.
• Identifying and promptly escalating potentially reportable security concerns to the FSO.
• Supporting security out-processing and termination of classified access.
• Maintaining documentation necessary to demonstrate compliance with NISPOM requirements.
• Supporting FSO self-inspections and DCSA assessments.
• Assisting with corrective-action tracking and resolution of personnel-security findings.
• Supporting implementation of security requirements identified in DD Form 254s and applicable security classification guidance.
• Coordinating personnel-security actions with Human Resources, recruiting, program management, IT, and other internal organizations.
• Maintaining strict control and confidentiality of personnel-security information and PII.

Physical & Additional Security Support

 ·   Manage day-to-day physical security operations for a Sensitive Compartmented Information Facility (SCIF) ensuring compliance
     with applicable ICD 705 security requirements and maintaining continuous facility accreditation.

• Monitor and respond to security alarms, access-control events, and physical security incidents.
• Conduct security checks and inspections of designated controlled, restricted, SAP, SCI, and classified areas.
• Help monitor personnel access, badges, escorts, and other physical security controls as authorized.

Minimum Qualifications (Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities)

Preferred Qualifications (Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities)

• Bachelor’s degree in security management or a related field; or an equivalent combination of education and relevant professional experience supporting classified security programs.
• Experience supporting or managing security programs involving classified information, including Sensitive Compartmented Information (SCI), and Special Access Programs (SAP), or similar controlled environments.
• Knowledge of security policies, procedures, and regulations governing the protection of classified information, access control, and secure facility accreditation.
• Experience supporting security compliance reviews, inspections, or program security activities.
• Strong communication and organizational skills with the ability to coordinate with stakeholders and provide security guidance to personnel.
  
  
• Clearance Requirements
• Preferred TS clearance with SCI eligibility. Active U.S. security clearance, or the ability to obtain and maintain the clearance level required to access classified information.