Security Officer Career Progression
What It Means For Our Employees
Overview & Purpose
TSA has introduced a Career Progression Program for its 43,000 Transportation Security Officers, or TSOs.
The program includes new pay bands that significantly broaden career opportunities for our Security Officers.
Purpose
Implement an integrated Security Officer Career Progression Program to:
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Ensure increased focus on technical proficiency;
- Establish career path options for TSOs for recruiting and retention improvement; and,
- Enhance motivation of employees, leading to improved morale, attendance and performance.
What is it?
Career Progression includes a new Full Performance, non-competitive advancement, E Band for Security Officers who have completed two years with the agency and have a favorable performance review.
It includes a technical career track at advanced grade levels for Security Officers serving as TSA-approved instructors or in specialized programs such Screening Passengers by Observation Technique and bomb appraisal. These advanced positions have higher qualification requirements and are filled competitively.
The screening manager (H/I Bands) has been retitled to security manager (H/I Bands) and now includes program management qualifications and responsibilities. Security managers will include current screening managers and new program managers overseeing programs such as bomb appraisal and SPOT.
The E Band also will include a new specialized position, the Security Officer equipment technician, for employees who provide maintenance on security equipment.
When?
The Career Progression Program will be implemented in phases beginning in August 2006.
About 20 percent of our Security Officer workforce will be eligible for E Band in August-September based on annual re-certification performance, three years of TSA service, and FSD recommendation.
The rest of the D Band workforce who meet the two-year and performance criteria will be eligible for the E Band in January 2007.
Master Transportation Security Officer and expert Transportation Security Officer, which are competitively selected positions, will be announced beginning in August/September.
Why?
TSA has conducted workforce studies over the past four years that substantiate the necessity of this career path in order to retain our best-skilled and -performing TSOs. Advanced security programs recognize the requirement for highly skilled personnel with higher pay grades.
Career Progression is essential to retain our high-performing Security Officer workforce.
The Transportation Security Officer position is designated a “mission critical” occupation within the Department of Homeland Security, and this career path aligns specifically with other federal security and protective services occupations.
The new pay bands complement other Security Officer initiatives including local federal security director recruiting and hiring efforts, the new pay-for-performance system, and more extensive and advanced Security Officer training.
Those initiatives combine with improved technology and risk-based threat assessment to enhance security for the traveling public.
Memo from Kip Hawley
Our Security Officer Career Progression is another initiative aimed at strengthening the security we provide to America's transportation network. This program will have two major effects, learn more.
