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The U.S. Department of State is developing a rank-ordered list of eligible hires for a limited number of Foreign Service Special Agent (SA) vacancies based on the needs of the Department. Learn more about a career in the Foreign Service and about the Bureau of Diplomatic Security.
Joining the Foreign Service is more than just salary. Refer to the Benefits section for more information on total compensation.
This is a 2501 Foreign Service position equivalent to the 1811 Civil Service series.
Learn more about this agency10/01/2024 to 09/30/2025
$57,932 - $92,797 per year
FP 06
No
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Occasional travel - Diplomatic Security applicants will be notified of an in-person assessment requirement in Washington, D.C. or select alternate sites within the United States. For those applicants, travel and other expenses incurred in connection with the assessment are solely the responsibility of the applicant.
Yes—After completing orientation and initial training, a Special Agent will be assigned to a two-year tour of duty, generally in one of the field offices throughout the United States, followed by another two-year assignment directed by the Department. After the initial two tours, assignments will be for periods of one to three years overseas or in the United States.
Permanent - Permanent after tenure granted by a Foreign Service Specialist Tenure Board.
Full-time
Excepted
MC
Yes
Yes
SA-2025-0001
812401300
Must be a U.S. citizen. Candidates should read the entire announcement to ensure they meet all requirements and understand a Foreign Service career. Candidates may reapply one year after their most recent DSSAT Job Knowledge test for the same position. Candidates are ineligible to apply if a U.S. Department of State Suitability Review Panel denied suitability in the last two years.
Diplomatic Security (DS) Special Agents (SA) are sworn federal law enforcement officers who are responsible for the security of personnel, property, and sensitive information throughout the world. DS SAs also are responsible for the protection of the Secretary of State, certain foreign dignitaries during their visits to the U.S., and others as designated by the Secretary of State. DS SAs investigate passport, visa, and document fraud, as well as federal crimes in the Special Territorial and Maritime Jurisdiction.
Depending upon assignment, DS SAs are responsible for U.S. Department of State security policies, provision of a range of security services, management of security operations, supervision of subordinate staff, and the performance of some, or all, of the following functions:
Domestic SA duties can entail long hours and extended periods of travel, including overseas travel. Domestic assignments include criminal investigations related primarily to the enforcement of statutes protecting the integrity of U.S. passports and entry visa documents. Throughout their careers, SAs can expect to work substantial overtime, and occasional irregular schedules that require duty on weekends and holidays.
When assigned abroad, which is about half a typical career, SAs serve as security program managers at U.S. diplomatic or consular posts. At overseas posts, DS SAs are referred to as Regional Security Officers (RSO) and are responsible for the leadership and management of a broad range of security programs to protect personnel, facilities, operations, and information against foreign intelligence, criminal, and terrorist activities. DS also conducts overseas investigations for the U.S. Department of State and other federal agencies. DS RSOs are assigned regional responsibilities and may serve Foreign Service posts in several countries, which may require frequent travel.
Diplomatic Security (DS) Special Agents (SA) manage a range of security programs worldwide. SAs live and serve at U.S. diplomatic or consular posts abroad, as well as in the Washington, DC area or at eight field offices and 22 resident offices in locations throughout the U.S., according to the needs of the service. As members of a diplomatic team, SAs help to accomplish the mission of the U.S. Department of State and represent the United States to people of other nations. The Foreign Service is more than a job – it is a career.
Foreign Service Specialists generally spend at least half of their careers assigned to our overseas missions and may, at times, live away from family and/or in hardship conditions. Once newly hired SAs have successfully completed their required training, they generally will be assigned to one of eight domestic Field Offices for their first two years of service. There may, however, be occasions when new SAs will be assigned to other domestic units, support temporary duty assignments, or sent directly overseas. Needs of the service will have a significant bearing on SA assignments; sometimes domestic assignments will be shortened for re-assignment to a Regional Security Office at an overseas post.
SAs must be willing and able to travel extensively, and on short notice, throughout the world using whatever means available. Traveling and assignments abroad may involve working in remote areas where traditional comforts and medical facilities are limited. SAs may be required to travel to locations of civil unrest, where conditions are potentially hostile, and where performance of duties are conducted under hazardous circumstances.
In addition to the bachelor’s degree requirement, candidates must possess at the time of application at least one year of work experience or academic achievements that reflect progressively increasing levels of responsibility.
Work experience must demonstrate basic knowledge of management, such as supervision, initiative, and leadership, and teamwork, English skills, including writing, speaking, and listening, conceptual skills, such as planning and organizing, critical thinking, active learning, and sound judgment, interpersonal skills, including perceptiveness, persuasion, working with others, cultural adaptability, objectivity, and integrity.
Knowledge of security principles and procedures and the administration of security programs, such as conducting investigations, threat assessments, service in a law enforcement agency, or service in the U.S., military, is preferred, but not required. Proficiency in a foreign language is preferred, but not required.
Candidates with 18 credit hours of graduate level study may substitute that academic achievement for a year of work experience. Candidates who do not have a minimum of 18 credit hours of graduate study may substitute the following educational achievements for one year of work experience: 2.75 GPA (or above) for the bachelor’s degree and two internships totaling at least four months duration.
Candidates are required to qualify with firearms during initial training and maintain that proficiency thereafter. Candidates must be willing to use and carry firearms throughout their career. Candidates must not have been convicted of any felony charge or be prohibited from possessing a firearm.
SAs must perform duties in the field that are physically and mentally demanding. SAs must be willing and able to meet these physical demands in high-stress, life-and-death situations. For this reason, SA candidates must satisfy medical, suitability, and physical readiness standards that are more rigorous than for other professions. Candidates must be fit for strenuous physical exertion and pass a Bureau of Diplomatic Security-administered pre-employment physical readiness test. The current physical readiness standards can be found at and the Physical Readiness Guide can be found at https://careers.state.gov/uploads/40/cb/40cb27c284be5d1700aef20231c253b4/DS-PRT-Guide-Revised-161019.pdf. Please note that these standards are subject to change.
SAs are required to perform protective security assignments with physical demands that may include, but are not limited to, intermittent and prolonged periods of running, walking, standing, sitting, squatting, kneeling, climbing stairs, quickly entering and exiting various vehicles, pushing, pulling, dragging objects or people, wearing heavy body amour and gear, as well as carrying and fully operating a variety of firearms. SAs must also endure long or unusual hours, inclement weather, lack of sleep, rest, or meals, jetlag, extremes of heat and cold, and wet or polluted environments. Candidates must pass a thorough medical examination authorized by the U.S. Department of State’s Office of Medical Services.
SA candidates must meet certain minimum sensory standards, including various tests for vision in each eye, with and without correction, as well as audio-metric standards for hearing in each ear (use of a hearing aid is not permitted), sufficient to satisfactorily perform an Agent’s duties. For example, uncorrected distant vision must be 20/100 or better in each eye and corrected to 20/20 in one eye and 20/30 or better in the other eye. Candidates must also pass color vision and depth perception tests.
SAs conduct raids, make arrests, and perform other law enforcement or related functions that may require running, jumping, kneeling, squatting, dodging, lying prone, as well as wrestling, restraining, and subduing suspects, attackers, or detainees. SAs must be able, if necessary, to conduct security inspections that may require crawling under vehicles and other low clearances or in tight spaces such as attics and crawl spaces.
It may also be necessary for SAs to assist with installing or maintaining security countermeasures, which might involve lifting heavy objects and working on ladders or rooftops.
At the time of application, SAs must possess, and maintain a valid U.S. driver’s license and be skilled at driving and maneuvering a motor vehicle defensively or evasively in a variety of situations, and at various speeds. Individuals must be able to pass specialized driving courses during initial training. Those invited to the in-person assessment will be required to provide proof of a valid U.S. driver’s license.
SA candidates will be trained in many of the above skills to include firearms training, defensive tactics, how to physically restrain a suspect, and specialized driving techniques. SA candidates must be able to participate in and complete all aspects of their training. Any physical condition that would cause the candidate to be a hazard to himself/herself or others, including those they are protecting or placing under arrest, is potentially disqualifying.
Candidates must successfully complete all aspects of the seven month initial training program for their candidacy and their employment to be continued; failure to pass any aspect of the initial training, including Physical Readiness Tests, is grounds for separation.
All SA candidates must undergo a thorough background investigation to determine eligibility for a security clearance. SA candidates and, with few exceptions, all immediate family members, must be citizens of the United States for the candidate to qualify for SCI access.
The background investigation will also determine the extent to which candidates can provide credible testimony. Candidates must disclose as part of the investigation information that could be used to impeach their character, including: (a) any finding of misconduct that reflects on the truthfulness or possible bias of the candidate, including a finding of lack of candor during an administrative inquiry; (b) any past or pending criminal charge brought against the candidate; and (c) any credible allegation of misconduct that reflects upon the truthfulness or possible bias of the candidate that is the subject of a pending investigation. Candidates whose backgrounds contain impeachment information of the kind described above may be unqualified for this position.
At the time of application, candidates must possess at least a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university.
Education from a program or institution within the United States must be accredited at the time of program completion by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education, http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation.
Foreign Education
Foreign education acquired outside of any state of the U.S., the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, a Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands, or any territory or possession of the U.S. must be evaluated by a member organization of one of the two national associations of credential evaluation services (NACES or AICE) in order to be given credit towards qualification.
For further information on the evaluation of foreign education, please refer to the Office of Personnel Management, Foreign Education section, and the U.S. Department of Education. The U.S. Department of State neither endorses nor recommends any individual evaluation service.
OPM: www.opm.gov
U.S. Department of Education: http://www.ed.gov
Please refer to the Required Documents Section on how to submit the required educational documentation for this position.
*EMPLOYMENT ELIGIBILITY VERIFICATION PROGRAM (E-Verify) – Verification of employment eligibility in the United States is required.
U.S. law requires companies to employ only individuals who may legally work in the United States – either U.S. citizens, or foreign citizens who have the necessary authorization. This agency uses E-Verify to compare information from the Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification, to data from U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Social Security Administration (SSA) records to confirm employment eligibility. If the employee’s information does not match DHS and/or SSA records, the employee is given an opportunity to resolve the problem. If eligibility cannot be verified, employment will be terminated.
**By authority of the Omnibus Diplomatic Security and Antiterrorism Act, the Department requires that all career candidates (except for preference-eligible veterans) be at least 21 years old to be appointed and must be appointed prior to the month in which they reach age 37. There is no waiver for current GS-1811s seeking a 2501 appointment at or above age 37 (except for preference eligible veterans.)
For more information about Veteran’s Preference and how it is applied in the selection process, please visit:
***The U.S. Department of State Suitability Review Panel and standards are defined in Chapter 3 of the Foreign Affairs Manual. For more information please visit: https://fam.state.gov/.
No candidate will be considered who has previously been separated from the Foreign Service under sections §607, §608, §610 or §612 of the Foreign Service Act of 1980, as amended, or who resigned or retired in lieu of separation under these provisions. In addition, no candidate will be considered who has previously been separated for failure to receive a career appointment under section §306 of the Foreign Service Act of 1980, as amended, or who resigned or retired in lieu thereof.
A Foreign Service Specialist separated for failure to receive a career appointment under section 306 may not re-apply to be in the same skill code, but may apply for another skill code or to be a Foreign Service Generalist.
Executive Branch agencies are barred by 5 US Code 2302(b)(2) from soliciting or considering prohibited political recommendations and are required to return any prohibited political recommendations to sender. In addition, as mandated by 5 US Code 3110, relatives of public officials may not be appointed, employed, promoted, or advanced in or to a position if such employment is advocated by their relative.
It is the policy of the Federal Government to treat all employees with dignity and respect and to provide a workplace that is free from discrimination whether discrimination is based on race, color, religion, sex (including gender identity or pregnancy), national origin, disability, political affiliation, marital status, membership in an employee organization, age, sexual orientation, or other non-merit factors.
The U.S. Department of State provides reasonable accommodation to candidates with disabilities. Procedures vary by test type, and all candidates must request reasonable accommodations in advance. For more information visit Requesting Reasonable Accommodations - Careers (state.gov). Decisions for granting reasonable accommodations are made on a case-by-case basis.
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
Candidates will be evaluated on their total background including experience, education, awards, training, and self-development as it relates to the position. Selection for this position will be made only from among candidates possessing the best qualifications. Part-time work experience will be prorated.
The Department of State prohibits candidates from plagiarizing any portion of their employment application materials to include responses to questions in which candidates must provide a narrative response. Candidates must create their own responses originally and not copy or adapt them from other sources. The Department analyzes candidate submissions for plagiarism and will discontinue any individual’s candidacy if found to have violated this plagiarism policy.
While the Department of State encourages candidates to create their narratives with great care, including correct use of grammar and style, candidates are prohibited from using any artificial intelligence (AI) tool, to include but not limited to ChatGPT, to aid in their written responses. The Department will discontinue any individual’s candidacy if found to have violated this prohibition on use of AI tools in the application process.
REQUIRED TRAINING
Selected candidates will complete approximately seven months of specialized initial training and orientation. About three months of that training will occur at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC) in Brunswick, Georgia. Orientation will take place in the Washington, DC area and additional training will be provided in Blackstone, VA. During their careers, SAs must serve both overseas and domestically, for assignments of one to three years in duration. Additional training, including training for high risk, high threat assignments, will be periodically required throughout a Special Agent’s career.
The Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC) program develops and tests proficiency in job-related subjects that include criminal law, federal court procedures, use of firearms, physical readiness, personal defensive tactics, driving skills, emergency medical procedures, protective security techniques, and criminal investigations. Proficiency is measured through a series of scored practical exercises, as well as subject matter-specific and comprehensive written examinations. Upon satisfactory completion of FLETC, students will continue with approximately four additional months of DS Basic Special Agent training. Failure to successfully complete any portion of the overall training program is grounds for separation.
Within one year after graduating from the Basic Special Agent Course, newly hired SAs will be required to enroll in the “Advanced Tactics, Leadership, and Skills” (ATLaS) course offered through the Diplomatic Security Training Center. The ATLaS course is 11 weeks long and focuses on enhanced tactics, training and leadership skills. All SAs are required to take this course and complete a refresher course every five years.
It is the candidate's responsibility to ensure the application is complete. Candidates must answer all questions, include 10-years of work history, and complete the Personal Narrative Questions and Statement of Interest. Applications missing any responses will be terminated.
This required narrative should discuss:
Candidates with qualifying DSSAT scores must submit the following documentation to demonstrate they possess the educational level required for this position when requested. Candidates should add *@state.gov as a trusted sender. Neither the Department of State nor Pearson Vue are responsible for the failure of candidates’ internet service provider to deliver messages.
Transcripts must comply with the following requirements:
Veteran’s Preference documentation is required for candidates aged 37 to 64. If claiming Veteran’s Preference a copy of the DD-214, "Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty" that must include the candidate’s Character of Service, or a Certification of Service must be submitted. If claiming a 10-point Veteran’s Preference, the candidate’s VA letter and SF15 (available here) must be submitted with the DD-214. A certification from the armed forces is required only if a veteran has not yet received their DD-214. It must confirm that the service member is expected to be discharged under honorable conditions within 120 days after the Certification is submitted and include service dates, expected discharge date, character of service, and any applicable disability rating.
Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.
Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.
The application submission deadline is 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on the closing date of announcement.
It is the candidate’s responsibility complete and submit the application and all required documents before the closing deadline. There are no exceptions.
Submit your application and register to take the Diplomatic Security Special Agent Test (DSSAT) as indicated in step 1 below. Do not apply through USAJobs.
Candidates experiencing technical difficulties with the application process must contact the Pearson Vue’s Customer Service Desk by calling 1-866-389-8339 (toll free), 1-952-905-7483 (toll) or by utilizing the Chat function on on www.pearsonvue.com. The Department of State does not have access to the Pearson Vue system. The Help Desk is available Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Central Time; closed on local holidays.
For more information on the Diplomatic Security Special Agent hiring process, please visit Diplomatic Security Special Agent - Careers.state.gov.
If your DSSAT results qualify, you will receive an email from the Bureau of Diplomatic Security’s Human Resources Office requesting documentation by a specific deadline. Please add the U.S. Department of State domain name (*.state.gov) as a trusted sender and check your spam/junk mail folder to ensure receipt of email messages regarding your candidacy.
Due to the high volume of applications, we ask all candidates to remain patient and await communication. It is not uncommon for several months to pass before you are informed of the results of your application.
For more information on the selection process, visit Diplomatic Security Special Agent - Careers.state.gov or email DSFSApplicantss@state.gov.
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
This job originated on www.usajobs.gov. For the full announcement and to apply, visit www.usajobs.gov/job/812401300. Only resumes submitted according to the instructions on the job announcement listed at www.usajobs.gov will be considered.
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