TSA Jobs and Roles

TSARs constitute the local transportation security representatives for missions located inside and outside the United States. The TSAR works under the administrative supervision of the Regional Director for a Zone of Responsibility (AOR) and has overall responsibility for developing and maintaining effective and professional relationships with U.S. and foreign government officials, with the aim of promoting consistency with international safety standards, foreign government requirements, and TSA regulatory programs.

Stakeholder Managers act as the lead liaison officers for the Federal Security Director (FSD) and the various stakeholders involved in aviation Safety Policy at a medium to small airport.

TSMs oversee and manage activities at screening checkpoints, which are designed to protect travelers and prevent the transport of dangerous objects on board an aircraft. TSMs have numerous job responsibilities which include recognizing and correcting improper use of equipment and coordinating local and national crisis management and incident response protocols.

Program Analysts support and assist the Federal Director of Security (FSD) and the Deputy Federal Director of Security (DFSD) at the airport. Program analysts are committed to carrying out the TSA's mission by evaluating program operations and recommending actions that will help improve the program's overall effectiveness.

The Supervisory Program Analyst's task is to liaise and act as an intermediary between the TSA program offices, the DAO central offices, and the Aviation Coordination Division (AVCOR). The Supervisory Program Analyst must be able to evaluate operational and performance parameters in order to ensure compliance with TSA programs.

Program Specialists/Supervisory Program Specialists act as individual contributors to the strategic security planning process, for the purpose of encouraging process documentation, communication, strategy development, as well as managing deployment of certain aspects of a program to ensure progress towards goals and objectives.

Management and Program Analysts work on new internal operational procedures to manage information sharing support tools, such as stakeholder contact lists, the Homeland Security Information Network (HSIN), portals and I-Share. Prepares in-depth reports on surface transportation safety programs and policies.

The RSD constitutes the TSA's senior executive and technical expert on issues relating to surface transport security operations in the geographic area of responsibility (AOR) assigned to him/her.

Transportation Security Officers (TSOs) provide security and protection for air travelers, airports, and aircrafts, in a courteous and professional manner. For more information about TSOs, please visit the dedicated page.

The LTSO is in charge of the management of at least three professional-level Transportation Security Officers (TSOs) and, depending on assignments, trainee, and apprentice TSOs. As an LTSO, you will need to identify, distribute, and balance workloads and tasks between employees, in accordance with the established work rate and skill level, as well as make workload-based adjustments in accordance with established priorities.

The STSO is responsible for mitigating real and potential threats to civil aviation and other modes of transportation. Each STSO specializes, practices, and supervises a certain field, such as Transport Security Officers (TSOs), Lead Transportation Security Officers (LTSO), or the performance of all security functions related to the control of persons, goods and goods through the use and application of procedures and technology.

The TSI/STSI is responsible for ensuring the safety of travelers and regulated transportation systems and entities. He/she are to perform in various missions, such as the application of basic technical inspection knowledge acquired through formal basic training and On-the-Job Training (OJT). He is also in charge of regulatory inspections and investigations and oversees criminal investigations related to alleged or suspected security violations.

The MTSO-STI's duty is to support the airport's training program by performing various functions related to the TSO training. In addition to the responsibilities related to the training program, he/she also performs pre-boarding security screening of passengers, cargo, carry-on, and checked baggage, as instructed by the Federal Director of Security (FSD) or his representative; this constitutes at least 20% of his work (time-wise).

The ETSO-STI delivers instructor development courses to support the STI position (e.g., instructor presentation skills and training courses for nationally developed programs). The ETSO-STI assists the Training Specialist in supervising Assistant Training Instructors (ATIs ) and other support staff. He/she evaluates the quality of education at local airports or transportation facilities and conducts quality assessments of TSA procedures (local or national).

The TSS-E is an expert serving the Federal Director of Security (FSD) at designated airports on all matters related to the threat that explosives and Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) pose to the travelling public.

The CCO/SCCO supports security from functions and operations such as Visible Intermodal Prevention and Response (VIPR), the Security Playbook (one of the many "security layers" at the airport), Screening of Passengers by Observation Techniques (SPOT), operations of Transportation Security Specialist - Explosives (TSS-E) and Travel Document Check (TDC).

AFSD-Screening/DAFSD-Screening staff mitigate threats to aviation and other transportation sectors by providing guidance and assistance to TSA personnel engaged in control operations. He/she constitutes the Senior Advisor to the Federal Director of Security (FSD) on all operational matters, and develops, plans, coordinates, and implements policies to support control operations, customer service, and stakeholder programs. He/she implements control standards and safety programs and evaluates their performance, in addition to supervision of passenger, baggage and air cargo security screening operations, airport security risk assessments, usage of security technology, preventive maintenance, crisis management, communication network protection, and other related programs, in accordance with SDF guidelines.

The DAFSD-Screening is the Assistant and Senior Advisor to the Deputy Federal Director of Security (AFSD) for the screening process. He/she's role is to help manage the staff of security screeners, checkpoint supervisors, and screening managers who carry out inspections and administer regulations and policies related to the TSA's aviation safety program.

The Scheduling Operations Officers' job is to provide airport administrative support and report to the AFSD. He/she leads extensive analysis missions on programming, resource management, staff assignment, and use, funding, and standard deviations to determine validated personnel requirements.

The Program Assistant carries out a range of administrative support missions that include spending at least 25% of their time helping managers evaluate programs and their effectiveness with regard to service provision. His/her job also includes providing advanced IT support and developing analytical techniques and methods to advance performance of various administrative and analytical tasks as part of TSA field operations.

The DAA serves as the TSA's senior executive on all personnel, physical security, and facility issues, as well as on administrative programs and activities. The DAA/CSO (Chief Security Officer) establishes strategic guidance and plans, as well as directing major and complex security activities, participating in the development, execution, and evaluation of operational and management programs, and business planning policies.

The ORA has several responsibilities. For example, the ORA conducts cost analysis of key systems and their associated subsystems, prepares independent cost estimates for key program decisions, defines, maintains, and conducts cost analyses of core competencies, and analyses of TSA programs. He/she also serves as a consultant to TSA and DHS senior management on the full range of program cost issues.

As the primary point of contact, the Supervisory Program Manager identifies objectives and strategies in order to achieve the goals and objectives elected by management. He/she interacts with both internal and external stakeholders at the executive and senior levels, such as the TSA Component Acquisition Executive, the Requirements and Capabilities Analysis (RCA), Security Operations (SO), the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the Science and Technology (S-T), the Directorate, academia, industry, and any other agencies and government stakeholders dealing with passenger control technology applications.

Contract Specialists provide comprehensive strategic planning for major acquisitions and ensure that the program/project meets the company's needs for overall program speed, functionality, efficiency, and profitability. He/she provides recommendations to senior management with regard to short- and long-term activities of the acquisition program, including recommendations dealing with problems encountered during compliance reviews, and suggests solutions.

An HRS serves as a senior classification specialist. He/she provides advice on job and organization structuring with the goal of maximizing performance, and also provides management with tools to organize and evaluate mission-based programs. The HRS works closely with management and senior human capital executives to determine the impact of classification decisions.

An HRA must be able to receive and accurately enter requests for various measures concerning TSA employees in the personnel database accurately, such as: entry into office, promotion, transfer, retirement, and separation. He/she must also submit Requests for Personnel Action (RPA) to fill vacancies, as well as other functions.

As section manager, the InfoSec's duties include developing and implementing various programs to ensure that users of systems, networks, and data have knowledge and understanding of systems security policies and procedures and abide by them. He/she acts as a key stakeholder in the underlying IT business processes and functions, and assures everything is running smoothly by assisting systems, providing guidance, and monitoring all important activities.

The Physical Security Specialist serves as the Contract Officer Representative (COR), Alternate COR, or Technical Monitor for physical security contracts (safeguards designed to protect personnel, facilities, national borders, and critical infrastructure).

The AA serves as the TSA's senior manager for personnel, facility, and administrative programs and activities (e.g., property management, health and safety, appropriate work environment, property management, fleet and transportation, file, forms and guidelines management, personnel security, sensitive security information, and physical security).

The DAA/CSO has many tasks: determining strategic directions and plans, directing major security activities, in addition to participation and completion in the formulation, execution, and evaluation of operational and management programs and policy planning activities. He/she provides leadership and executive-level coaching to a large staff of technical and administrative specialists, and also oversees the planning, direction, and coordination of personnel and facility safety management and evaluation programs.

The Supervisory Transportation Security Specialist is responsible for overseeing the design and implementation of intelligence and risk-based policies; he/she shapes and defines effective security policy development processes and ensures that the interests of the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) are aligned, both internally and externally.

General engineers implement the formal process of capacity necessities and deficits to suit TSA mission requirements, as well as identify and recommend action plans to address any such deficits.