I applied and received an offer with a contractor for the DOE. A labor/field supervisor position.
As the company is a government contractor, at a government site, I assume I am going to be subjected to a Federal BI, but I am not certain I need security clearance? Would this have been disclosed to me?
The verbage on my offer is below:
is an at-will employer and this offer is contingent upon your successful completion of our security background check, pre-employment drug screen, a post offer physical and fit for duty assessment prior to your start date. Furthermore, on your first day of work you will complete a more extensive security application as part of the government’s Homeland Security measure. This includes providing two forms of work eligibility identification, one of which must be a federal or state issued picture ID; completing a more extensive background questionnaire; and being fingerprinted for a National Agency Check.
I am just unsure of what to expect. I was told the security back ground check mentioned above will take two weeks. I did fill out a form asking extensive background information, but it seemed to be an in house form.
I am nervous, as this is a great opportunity for me, and I do have some past financial issues from 3 years ago when I was laid off. I’m seeking insight on if this is truly a Federal BI or if it is just an in house back ground check, and what I should expect if it is a BI for clearance.
From what you describe it sounds like both a company check (which is becoming more and more standard these days) as well as some kind of background investigation, maybe some kind of public trust. HR is notoriously unreliable for info on security matters so dont put too much faith in that “two weeks” estimate.
I have lost track of the tiers but this sounds like a moderate risk public trust? With a National Agency Check? My two cents anyway.
Yeah sounds like a T-2 Investigation for Public Trust, maybe T-4. If your financial issues are delinquent and you have ignored them, start working them and have a resolution plan in place. If they are old issues and taken care of there won’t be an issue. Just have your house clean and affairs in order or a plan in place that is being worked. Don’t worry unless you’re trying to hide something else…
Did you have to fill out an SF-86 for this position or an SF-85P?
I believe the tiers are as follows:
Tier 1 - Low Risk Public Trust
Tier 2 - Moderate Risk Public Trust
Tier 3 - Non-Critical Sensitive National Security Positions (DOD Confidential & Secret Clearances, DOE L Clearance)
Tier 4 - High Risk Public Trust
Tier 5 - Critical Sensitive National Security Positions (DOD TS, TS/SCI, & DOE Q Clearance)
No. The form they had me fill out was an in-house form. It asked for similar information to the SF-85P, minus the financial information. It asked for 10 years of work history, residence history, personal and professional references that can verify information.
What has me confused is this part pf the offer letter :
contingent upon your successful completion of our security background check, pre-employment drug screen, a post offer physical and fit for duty assessment prior to your start date.
and an email that says : Our personnel security department requires a copy of the passport to verify US citizenship and process the federal government background check
based on that and because the letter says it is contingent on their background check, and they did not have me fill out another form, it makes me think it is not a full federal check? I have nothing to be hide. I’m just ready and need to go to work ASAP, so I’m hoping that the two week timeline is valid.
This is needed to fill out an I-9 form for USCIS. This is simply to provide proof that you are eligible to work in the U.S. and is supposed to be required for ALL jobs. It’s not really a “background check” but they may have worded it that way in error. Of course, that begs the question: How are some of these people working?
Well given that you didn’t fill out the SF-85P or SF-86 and they specifically stated “our background check”, I think it’s pretty safe to say this is not a typical federal background check and you are not being investigated for a clearance.