Currently I am a fed employee looking to transfer closer to family. My current position required an SF-85 as it was a low risk position, in the job description is stated “Security Clearance: Not Required”.
The job I am applying to does have me puzzled though. The job posting lists the following:
Security Clearance:
Other
Drug Test Required:
Yes
Position sensitivity and risk:
Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk
Trust determination process:
National security
Am I looking at another SF-85? Or something completely different? When I google the Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk, it tells me SF-85 but because the trust determination process is national security does that make it something else?
Most fed job listings don’t have the clearance/PT info correct. I ignore it and call the POC listed in the posting. And if you get the interview, you’ll be told an entirely different answer. Welcome to ambiguity in security.
So it sounds like it’ll be a lower level “clearance”. There are tier levels. T1 through T5. Upper level(s) are commonly referred to as security clearances whereas the lower levels are referred to as things like “public trust positions”. Different places use different wording but what you’re describing sounds like it’ll be one of the lower level public trust type positions.
“Nonsensitive” implies it’s a public trust position because sensitivity levels are applied to clearances whereas risk levels are applied to public trust positions.
So the description you gave is saying that it’s a nonsensitive (which means not a clearance), low risk (which means public trust position).
If I looked at the “Trust Determination Process: National Security” part by itself, I would most definitely say this job requires a security clearance and hence, an SF-86 submission.
However, the rest of the info makes it seem like a public trust (SF-85) position.
As HARPOON stated, there may be some inaccuracies in the posting.