Summary
This position is located in one of the Offices within Volunteer Recruitment and Selection (VRS), U.S. Peace Corps. The primary responsibility of the Administrative Officer (AO) is to manage the day-to-day administrative operations of the staff it supports. The major duties and responsibilities of the VRS AO include: Financial and Contract Management, Travel Management, Administrative Management and Policy Interpretation, Supervisory and Personnel Management.
This job is open to
Clarification from the agency
Internal agency employees; including agency temporary employees, eligible agency Experts, and eligible agency personal services contractors.
Recently Returned Peace Corps Volunteers and qualified Returned Peace Corps Response Volunteers with Peace Corps Eligibility.
Duties
The ADMIN OFFICER performs the following major duties:
- Financial and Contract Management: The AO prepares and submits the Annual Operating Plan (budget). Executes budget authority, in consultation with the Office Managers/Directors and CAO. Odyssey transactions completed by the Administrative Specialists including obligations, are reviewed by the AO to ensure accurate fiscal coding and funds availability. Periodic open obligation reviews and reports must be completed and reported to the CAO. Conducts quarterly spending reviews; forecasts needs and advises CAO of any potential issues. The AO manages year-end close out deadlines and prepares for and complies with Continuing Resolutions as required. Exercise critical thinking skills and research complex budget inquiries and independently addresses unresolved issues and perform cost benefit analysis before making financial decisions. S/he is responsible for complying with all applicable U.S. Government regulations. The AO reviews and certifies Travel Authorizations and Vouchers as a 'Travel Approving Officer.' At least once per year, s/he must research and analyze the most advantageous methods of transportation for the Office. Coordinates the travel logistics related to any group trainings and/or conferences for the Office, in compliance with procurement regulations.
- Administrative Management and Policy Interpretation: Acts as the primary point of contact for office staff regarding HR processes and issues, liaising with the VRS Management Analyst at HQ for guidance and support. Provides accurate guidance and training to office and administrative staff on HR procedures, in compliance with MS 653. Trains and supports the Administrative Specialist as needed with the Orientation and On-boarding process for new staff according to CAO guidance and the processes for performance plans and exiting of staff. When applicable, ensures required paperwork is reviewed and returned to HQ with little to no errors within specified deadlines. Evaluates and monitors administrative activities and makes substantive recommendations for program improvements. Ensures effective use of office staff and recommends needed changes to enhance central support services. Assists operating managers in implementing actions designed to improve administrative operations or resources. Provides advice and technical assistance to managers and supervisors in a wide variety of administrative program areas. Oversees the management of VRS inventory by the Administrative Specialist and acts a liaison for the Warehouse to address issues that may arise.
- Supervisory and/or Managerial Responsibilities: The AO supervises employees performing work at the FP-05 level or below. S/he assists the Office Managers/Directors and CAO in establishing guidelines and performance expectations for those employees, which are clearly communicated through the formal employee performance management system. The AO performs the administrative and human resource management functions relative to the employees supervised, including, but not limited to, observing employees performance, providing informal feedback, providing training, conducting formal performance reviews, developing improvement plans, recommending personnel actions and resolving informal complaints and grievances. The AO initiates nondiscriminatory practices and affirmative action for the area under his/her supervision in the following: (1) merit promotion of employees and recruitment and hiring of applicants; (2) fair treatment of all employees; (3) encouragement and recognition of employee achievements; (4) career development of employees; and (5) full utilization of their skills.
Requirements
Conditions of Employment
Please read this announcement in its entirety prior to submitting your application.
- You must be a U.S. Citizen.
- All Federal employees are required to have federal salary payments made by direct deposit to a financial institution of their choosing.
- You must successfully complete a background security investigation with favorable adjudication. Failure to successfully meet this requirement will be grounds for employment termination.
- This is not a bargaining unit position.
- A one-year probationary period is required
Peace Corps Information
- This is a Federal civilian job in the Excepted Service. Peace Corps employees are paid on the Foreign Personnel (FP) pay scale.
- Initial appointment of employment cannot exceed five years.
- Qualified internal applicants will be given full consideration.
- Additional hiring needs may be filled through this vacancy.
- The Peace Corps is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy and gender identity), national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, membership in an employee organization, retaliation, parental status, military service, or other non-merit factors.
- The Peace Corps is a drug-free workplace and promotes a drug-free environment.
- The Peace Corps is committed to maintaining a diverse and inclusive culture. Our goal is to attract and develop the best and brightest from all lifestyles and backgrounds. The Peace Corps strives to create a culture of inclusion where individuals feel respected and are treated fairly in all aspects of differences. Our commitment is to make a difference in the lives of people around the world.
The Peace Corps provides reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the hiring process, please notify the Office of Human Resources by calling 202-692-1200 or the Office of Civil Rights and Diversity on 202-692-2139. Decisions on granting reasonable accommodation are made on a case-by-case basis.
Qualifications
All qualification requirements must be met by 07/05/2024 (the closing date of the announcement). You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. To ensure full credit for your experience, please indicate the start and end dates (month, day, and year) of employment, the number of hours worked per week, and the location of employment in your resume. Qualification claims will be subject to verification.
This vacancy is being announced at two grade levels:
FP-4Qualifying experience for the FP-4 level includes one year of specialized experience at least equivalent to the FP-5 or GS-9 level which is in or directly related to the line of work of the position to be filled and which has equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position. Specialized experience includes: Experience exercising critical thinking skills, researching complex budget inquiries and independently addressing unresolved issues; Experience evaluating and monitoring administrative activities and making substantive recommendations for program improvements; Experience performing the administrative and human resource management functions relative to the employees supervised.
FP-3Qualifying experience for the FP-3 level includes one year of specialized experience at least equivalent to the FP-4 or GS-12 level which is in or directly related to the line of work of the position to be filled and which has equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position. Specialized experience includes: Experience exercising critical thinking skills, researching complex budget inquiries and independently addressing unresolved issues; Experience preparing and submitting an annual budget plan; Experience evaluating and monitoring administrative activities and making substantive recommendations for program improvements; Experience performing the administrative and human resource management functions relative to the employees supervised.
Additional information on qualification requirements is outlined in the OPM Qualifications Standards Handbook of General Schedule Positions. It is available for your review on the OPM web site at https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/
Time-in-Grade Requirements: Internal applicants and Federal employees who are currently holding, or who have held within the previous 52 weeks, a position under a non-temporary appointment in the competitive or excepted service, must meet "time-in-grade" requirements (have served 52 weeks at the next lower grade of the grade for which you are applying (FP-5 or GS-9; FP-4 or GS-12).Note: All current or former Federal employees (including internal employees) must provide a copy of their SF-50 (you may need to submit more than one), "Notice of Personnel Action" that indicates proof of status and time-in-grade eligibility. The SF-50 must include your position, title, series, grade, step, tenure, and type of service (Competitive or Excepted).
All qualification requirements must be met by July 4, 1014 (the closing date of this announcement). Qualification claims will be subject to verification.
Education
This job does not have an education qualification requirement.
Benefits
A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.
Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.
How You Will Be Evaluated
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
Applications will be reviewed once the vacancy announcement closes. We use a multi-step process to review and evaluate applicants:
1. Eligibility and Minimum Qualifications
We will review your submitted resume and documents to determine if you meet the eligibility and minimum qualification requirements, including any required education, experience, and/or selective placement factors. You will be rated as ineligible if you are outside of the area of consideration (i.e., who may apply) or your application is missing any required documents. If, after reviewing your resume and/or supporting documentation, a determination is made that you have inflated or falsified your qualifications, education, eligibility claims, and/or experience, this is cause for disqualification. Please follow all instructions carefully when applying, errors or omissions may affect your eligibility. You will be rated as not qualified if you do not possess the minimum qualification requirements.
2. Rating and Ranking
If you are found to meet both the eligibility and minimum qualification requirements, we will assess the quality of your experience and the extent to which you possess the required experience by comparing your submitted resume and documents against your responses to the occupational questionnaire and the specialized experience at the grade level(s) for which you are applying. The occupational questionnaire is the list of questions in the automated system that you will have an opportunity to answer once you apply for the position. Based on the outcome of this evaluation, you will be assigned a numerical score (out of 100 possible). If your responses to the occupational questionnaire are not substantiated by your submitted resume, you may be disqualified from receiving further consideration.
3. Referral and Selection
If you are found to be amongst the most highly qualified applicants, you will be referred to the selecting official. As part of the assessment and selection process, the selecting official may invite you to participate in a structured interview, check your references, and/or request that you submit a writing sample or complete a written assessment or exercise to further evaluate your qualifications for this position.
Your qualifications will be evaluated on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities and other characteristics):
- Administration and Management
- Financial Management
- Leadership
You may preview the questionnaire for this vacancy here: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12453851
Required Documents
Your complete application includes your resume, your responses to the online questionnaire, and documents which establish your eligibility to apply. If you fail to provide any of these documents, your application will be marked as incomplete and disqualified from further consideration.
All required documents listed below, that are applicable to you, must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) on July 4, 2024 (the closing date of this announcement).
1. Resume: All applicants must submit a detailed resume showing all relevant work experience (paid and unpaid) including job title and duties performed. Your resume must show complete information for each job entry to support your qualifications. The following information must be provided in your resume:
- Full name and address of the employer;
- Official position titles;
- Start and end dates of your prior employment (including month, day, and year);
- Work schedule (part-time, full-time, number of hours if intermittent);
- Number of hours worked per week;
- Salary;
- If you are a current Federal employee or former Federal employee, provide your pay plan, series, and grade level (e.g. GS-0201-09);
- A detailed list of duties & accomplishments; and
- Any completed education and training (program title, subject area, number of hours completed, and completion date).
TIP: A good way to ensure you include all essential information is to use the Resume Builder in USAJOBS to create your resume. If your resume does not contain this information, your application may be marked as incomplete and disqualified from further consideration.
If your resume includes a photograph or other inappropriate material or content, you will not be considered for this vacancy.
2. Proof of Eligibility to Apply: Your application must include the documents which prove you are eligible to apply for the vacancy. You must meet the requirements of at least one of the authorities listed in the "Who May Apply" section of this announcement to receive further consideration.
- SF-50(s): If you are a current or former federal employee (including current Peace Corps employees), you are required to submit a legible copy/copies of a recent SF-50, Notification of Personnel Action.
- Time-in-grade documentation: If you are applying for a higher grade and your SF-50 has an effective date within the past year, it may not clearly demonstrate you meet the one year time-in-grade requirement so you will need to provide an SF-50 which clearly demonstrates you meet the time-in-grade requirements. Award 50's do not provide sufficient information and will not be accepted for the purpose of verifying time-in-grade. Examples of appropriate SF-50s include:
- Within grade increases at the highest grade held; or
- Promotions with an effective date more than one year old; or
- SF-50s at the highest grade held with an effective date more than one year old.
- Peace Corps Eligibility (PCE) documentation of qualifying volunteer service: Applicants claiming PCE are required to submit documentation verifying that you are eligible.
- In most cases, this will be your Description of Service (DOS). Please include this under the "Proof of Volunteer with PC, VISTA, ACTION etc." document place holder.
- The following statement must be included in the final paragraph of the signed DOS: This is to certify in accordance with Section 6.0 of Peace Corps Manual Section 285 that (NAME) served satisfactorily as a Peace Corps (Response) volunteer for a full term of service under an appointment of (X) months.
- PCRVs should also include their Verification of Service letter, which is important retirement and leave documentation.
- Transcripts: If you are using education as a substitute for some or all of the experience requirement or there a basic education requirement for this position, an official or unofficial transcript is required. While unofficial transcripts are acceptable for initial application, official transcript(s) will ultimately be required if you are selected for the position. Check the "Education" section of this announcement for more information
How to Apply
To apply for this position, you must complete the online questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the "Required Documents" section of this announcement. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on 07/05/2024 to receive consideration.
- To begin, click "Apply Online" to create an account or log into your existing USAJOBS account.
- Follow the prompts to select your resume and/or other supporting documents to be included with your application package.
- You will be taken to the online application which you must complete in order to apply for the position. Complete the online application, the assessment questionnaire, verify the required documentation is included with your application package, and submit the application. Please ensure you click the "Submit My Answers" button to submit your application.
- It is your responsibility to verify that your application package (resume, supporting documents, and responses to the questionnaire) is complete, accurate, and submitted by the closing date. HR will not modify answers/documents submitted by an applicant. If more than one resume is received, only the last resume received and processed will be reviewed.
- Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process so please plan appropriately. You are encouraged to apply online. Applying online will allow you to review and track the status of your application.
- Additional information on how to complete the online application process and submit your online application may be found on the USA Staffing Applicant Resource Center.
To verify the status of your application, log into your USAJOBS account https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login), all of your applications will appear on the Welcome screen. The Application Status will appear along with the date your application was last updated. For information on what each Application Status means, visit: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/how-to/application/status/.
Your experience must be fully documented in your resume. See the "Required Documents" section of this announcement for more information on what you must include in your resume. Be clear and specific when describing your experience in your resume. We will not make assumptions regarding your experience.
The Peace Corps is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy and gender identity), national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, membership in an employee organization, retaliation, parental status, military service, or other non-merit factors.
We are committed to maintaining a diverse and inclusive culture. Our goal is to attract and develop the best and brightest from all lifestyles and backgrounds. The Peace Corps strives to create a culture of inclusion where individuals feel respected and are treated fairly in all aspects of differences. Our commitment is to make a difference in the lives of people around the world.
The Peace Corps provides reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the hiring process, please notify the Office of Human Resources by calling 202-692-1200 or the Office of Civil Rights and Diversity on 202-692-2139. Decisions on granting reasonable accommodation are made on a case-by-case basis.
Next steps
- If you provided an email address, you will receive an email message acknowledging receipt of your application. Your application package will be used to determine your eligibility, qualifications, and quality ranking for this position.
- You may check the status of your application at any time by logging into your USAJOBS account and by going to the "My Account" tab and clicking on "Application Status". For a more detailed update of your application status, you may go to "more information" under the individual vacancy.
- Applications will be reviewed once the vacancy announcement closes.
- If you are determined to be ineligible or not qualified, your application will be disqualified from receiving further consideration.
- If you are among the top qualified candidates, your application may be referred to the Selecting Official for further consideration.
- USAJOBS has added an alert setting to their system to provide status updates for applicants. You can elect to activate the status updates from your USAJOBS profile at any point during the application process.
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