Summary

This position is part of the U.S. Trade and Development Agency. The incumbent serves as a key member of the Office of Administration team, responsible for coordinating a wide range of complex administrative and program management functions for personnel security, human resources, records management, facilities and equipment maintenance, internal controls, contracts, and travel and transportation.

This job is open to

Federal employees - Competitive service

Current federal employees whose agencies follow the U.S. Office of Personnel Management's hiring rules and pay scales.

Career transition (CTAP, ICTAP, RPL)

Federal employees whose job, agency or department was eliminated and are eligible for priority over other applicants.

Military spouses

Military spouses of active duty service members or whose spouse is 100 percent disabled or died on active duty.

Individuals with disabilities

Individuals who are eligible under Schedule A.

Family of overseas employees

Family members of a federal employee or uniformed service member who is or was, working overseas.

Peace Corps & AmeriCorps Vista

Individuals who have served at least 2 years with the Peace Corps or 1 year with AmeriCorps VISTA.

Special authorities

Individuals eligible under a special authority not listed in another hiring path.

Clarification from the agency

Special Authorities: other miscellaneous authorities

Duties

Serves as the Agency travel advisor, responsible for providing guidance in support of preparation for making travel, hotel and other arrangements related to domestic and international business mission related travel by agency staff.

Conducts training for the Agency on travel related processes and procedures and period reviews of Agency processes to ensure accuracy and proper use. Works closely with Agency offices to implement new travel processes and/or initiatives, including working directly with partnering organizations.

Serves as a Contracting Officer Representative responsible for the management of administrative/operational contracts including managing and tracking contract related funds and working with the Acquisition's Office to ensure effectiveness of contract support.

Provides assistance related to staff recruitment, payroll, hiring and retention, training and workforce development programs, and informational technology support for operational applications.

Provides support for the Personnel Security Program and Assistant Information Systems Security Officer, including support with applying Department of State and agency regulations for all personnel security related processes and procedures.

Works closely with the Director and Deputy Director of Administration to ensure that the operational needs of the agency are met efficiently, expeditiously, and in accordance with agency and federal policies and procedures.

Evaluates, recommends and facilitates implementation of new approaches and alternatives to address current or anticipated implementation issues. Analyzes the workflow of specific administrative programs to determine if processes can be streamlined or made more customer friendly.

Participates in the continual review and evaluation of activities to remove any barriers to achieve streamlined, cost-effective operations. Highlights redundancies and areas for improvement.

Requirements

Conditions of employment

US Citizenship is required.
Suitable for Federal employment, determined by background investigation.
Direct Deposit of pay is required.
Selective Service registration required for male applicants, unless exempt.
Status candidates must meet time-in-grade (see Qualifications).
Background and security investigation for a Secret Clearance.

Qualifications

At the GS-9 level, you must meet one of the following qualifications:

One year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-7 level. Specialized experience is that which has equipped the applicant with the competencies to successfully perform the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the position to be filled. Specialized experience for this position includes: assisting with coordinating and monitoring a variety of administrative functions and services within an office, including those associated with acquisition/financial management, human resources, personnel security programs and clearance processing, travel management, and general administrative functions; experience evaluating management operations and making recommendations to address process and workflow efficiencies; making facilities and space utilization recommendations; and overseeing facilities maintenance contracts and performance; OR

A master's or equivalent graduate degree; or 2 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree; or LL.B. or J.D., if related; OR

A Combination of education and experience as list above.

At the GS-11 level, you must meet one of the following qualifications:

One year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-9 level. Specialized experience is that which has equipped the applicant with the competencies to successfully perform the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the position to be filled. Specialized experience for this position includes: coordinating and monitoring a variety of administrative functions and services within an office, including those associated with acquisition/financial management, human resources, personnel security programs and clearance processing, travel management, and general administrative functions; experience evaluating management operations and making recommendations to address process and workflow efficiencies; making facilities and space utilization recommendations; and overseeing facilities maintenance contracts and performance; OR

A Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree; or 3 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree; or LL.M., if related; OR

A Combination of education and experience as list above.

Applicants must carefully review the information in the "How You Will Be Evaluated" section for important information and instructions pertaining to the multi-hurdle assessment process for this position.

Only experience and education obtained by the closing date of this announcement will be considered.

TIME-IN-GRADE: Current career or career-conditional employees of the Federal government, or former career or career-conditional employees, who have a break in service of less than one year, are required to meet the time-in-grade restriction of one year of Federal experience at the next lower grade, with few exceptions outlined in 5 CFR 300.603(b).

Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community, student, social). You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

Education

If qualifying based on EDUCATION you MUST provide transcripts or other documentation to support your educational claims. Unless otherwise stated: (1) official or unofficial transcripts are acceptable, or (2) you may submit a list with all of your courses, grades, semester, year, and credit for the course. All materials must be submitted by the closing date of the announcement. Note: PDF Portfolio documents will not be processed or accepted as they appear as a one-page document.

Only education from institutions which are accredited or preaccredited/candidate for accreditation may be used to meet education requirements.

FOREIGN EDUCATION: If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show that the education credentials have been evaluated by a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign education programs and such education has been deemed equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program; or full credit has been given for the courses at a U.S. accredited college or university. For further information, visit: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/

Additional information

Career Transition Assistance Programs: CTAP/ICTAP provides placement assistance to permanent Federal employees who are surplus, displaced, or involuntarily separated. To be considered under CTAP/ICTAP, applicants must be well-qualified (i.e., meet the minimum qualification requirements, including any selective placement factors; education, and experience requirements), score at least 85 on the assessment questionnaire, and be able to perform the duties of the position upon entry. Please refer to Required Documents section for additional details. For information on CTAP and ICTAP visit here.

Appointment Authorities: For more information on appointment authority eligibility requirements:

Persons with Disabilities-Schedule A
Special Hiring Authorities for Veterans
Special Hiring Authority for Certain Military Spouses
Other Special Appointment Authorities
OPM Interchange Agreement and Other Miscellaneous Authorities

Telework Suitability:
The duties of this position are suitable for occasional telework and the selectee may be allowed to telework with supervisor approval and if they meet the eligibility criterion in the 2010 Telework Act.

Stipulations of Employment:

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you may be required to serve a 1-year probationary period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider:

Your performance and conduct;
The needs and interests of the agency;
Whether your continued employment would advance the organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and
Whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service.

Upon completion of your probationary period, your employment may be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

This position is subject to a negative drug test prior to entrance on duty, and random drug testing while you occupy the position.

If selected, you will be required to file a Confidential Financial Disclosure Report (OGE Form 450).

Applicants must be eligible to obtain and keep a security clearance. Appointment is subject to the successful completion of a background investigation and favorable adjudication. Failure to successfully meet these requirements will be grounds for termination.

Work Schedule:

This position allows for a flexible work schedule.

Miscellaneous:

TDA uses E-Verify to confirm the employment eligibility of all newly hired employees. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, please visit http://www.uscis.gov/e-verify.

This vacancy announcement may be used to fill similar positions within 90 days.

If selection is made below the full performance level, promotion up to the full performance level may be made without further competition. However, promotion(s) will depend on the performance of the incumbent and are not guaranteed.

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

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.

Review our 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.

You will be evaluated based on how well you meet the qualifications listed in this vacancy announcement. Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g., resume, supporting documents), the responses you provide on the application questionnaire, and the result of the USA Hire Competency Based Assessment(s) required for this position. You will be assessed on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics):

Attention to Detail
Attention to Detail
Customer Service
Customer Service
Decision Making
Flexibility
Integrity/Honesty
Interpersonal Skills
Learning
Oral Communication
Problem Solving
Reading Comprehension
Reasoning
Self-Management
Stress Tolerance
Teamwork
Technical Competency – Administrative Operations
Written Communication

Note: Duplicative competencies indicate that the competency is being assessed in both the Assessment Questionnaire and additional assessment.

In order to be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. In addition to the application and application questionnaire, this position requires an online USA Hire Competency Based Assessment. The online assessment measures critical general competencies required to perform the job.

Due Weight Consideration is a review process used to provide consideration to performance appraisals and awards submitted with each application on a used merit promotion certificate and factoring the results into the merit promotion selection process.

Please submit 1) a copy of your most recent performance appraisal/evaluation and 2) a list of any awards (e.g. superior performance awards, special act or achievement awards, quality step increase, etc.) you received in the last 5 years. Any performance appraisal/evaluation and award documentation you provide will be forwarded to the selecting official. The selecting official will review this documentation and give it due weight consideration during the overall selection process. If you do not have your most recent performance appraisal/evaluation, please submit a statement as to why it is not available. Please indicate if any prior performance appraisals/evaluations were at an acceptable level.

It is your responsibility to obtain and upload your performance appraisal/evaluation and/or list of awards prior to the closing of the vacancy announcement.

Required Documents

To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package which includes:

1. Your Resume listing work schedule, hours worked per week, dates of employment mm/yy and duties performed. If multiple resumes are submitted, only the most current resume will be reviewed for qualifications.

Please limit your resume to no more than 2 pages. If more than 2 pages are submitted, only the first 2 pages will be reviewed to determine your eligibility/qualifications.

2. SF-50 or DD-214

Current/Former Career/Career-Conditional Eligible: Your most recent non-award Notification of Personnel Action (SF-50 or equivalent) showing that you are/were in the competitive service, as well as the highest grade (or promotion potential) held, on a permanent basis

3. Other supporting documents:

College transcript(s), if qualifying based on education
SF-15 Form and VA letter, or certification of expected discharge or release from active duty from Veterans for consideration under Veteran hiring authorities
Non-competitive appointment authority documentation, if applicable
Career Transition Assistance Program/Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program Documentation: If you are applying under CTAP or ICTAP, you MUST submit proof of eligibility under 5 CFR 330.602(a) for CTAP and 5 CFR 330.704 for ICTAP. This includes a copy of the agency notice, a copy of your most recent performance rating, and a copy of your most recent SF-50 (Notification of Personnel Action) showing your position, grade level, and duty location. Please annotate your application to reflect that you are applying as a CTAP or ICTAP eligible
Most recent Performance Appraisal, if applicable
Cover letter, optional

Do not submit photographs with your application package. Documents with photographs may not be seen by hiring officials - you must remove your image from any badges, licenses, etc.

Do not upload Adobe portfolio documents. Adobe portfolio documents are not viewable by our agency's staffing offices. Note: A PDF Portfolio contains multiple files assembled into an integrated PDF unit. The files in a PDF Portfolio can be in a wide range of file types created in different applications. To ensure the document is not a PDF Portfolio document, open the document and if there are multiple different documents with a variety of extensions, it is a PDF Portfolio document and will not be processed.

It is your responsibility to ensure all required documents have been submitted prior to the closing date of the announcement.

If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:

Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.

How to Apply

Please read the entire announcement and all the instructions before you begin an application. To apply and be considered for this position, you must complete the initial online application, to include the initial online assessment and submission of the required documentation specified in the Required Documents section of this vacancy.

The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on the closing date to receive consideration or when the announcement reaches 100 applicants.

To begin the application process, click Apply Online button.
Answer the questions presented in the application and attach all necessary supporting documentation. You may preview the Application Questionnaire at:https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12928866
Click the Submit Application button prior to 11:59PM (ET) on the announcement closing date.
Read the Eligibility questions carefully. The questions address if you are eligible to apply to this JOA. Your responses will affect your consideration for the position. You may qualify for more than one eligibility, so please choose carefully. You will only be considered under the options you have selected. If you respond that you do not meet any of the eligibility questions, you will not be considered for this position.
If you are required to complete any USA Hire Assessments, you will be notified after submitting your application. The notification will be provided in your application submission screen and via email. The notification will include your unique assessment access link to the USA Hire system and the completion deadline. Additionally, in USAJOBS you can click "Track this application" to return to your assessment completion notice.
Access USA Hire using your unique assessment link. Access is granted through your USAJOBS login credentials.
Review all instructions prior to beginning your assessments. You will have the opportunity to request a testing accommodation before beginning the assessments should you have a disability covered under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended.
Set aside at least 3 hours to take the assessment; however, most applicants complete the assessment in less time. If you need to stop the assessment and continue at a later time, you can re-use your unique assessment link.
Your responses to the USA Hire Assessments will be reused for one year (in most cases) from the date you complete an assessment. If future applications you submit require completion of the same assessments, your responses will be automatically reused.

Visit the USA Hire Applicant Resource Center for general information, practice assessments and assessment preparation resources.

To update your application, including supporting documentation: During the announcement open period, return to your USAJOBS account (https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login). There you will find a record of your application, the application status, and an option to Edit Application. This option will no longer be available once the announcement has closed.

To view the announcement status or your application status: Click on this: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/howto/application/status/. Your application status page is where you can view your application status, USA Hire assessment completion status, and review your notifications sent by the hiring agency regarding your application.

Reasonable Accommodation (RA) Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a RA in your online application. Requests for RA for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for RA must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for RA are made on a case-by-case basis. If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, based on your adjudication decision. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, if you received the link after the close of the announcement. To determine if you need a RA, please review the Procedures for RA for Online Assessments.

Agency contact information

Michael Robie

Phone: 303-969-7246
Email: Michael_Robie@ibc.doi.gov

Address: US Trade and Development Agency
1101 Wilson Boulevard, Suite 1100
Arlington, VA 22209
US

Next steps

If you have questions about this job, please contact the HR Office representative listed in the "Agency Contact Info" section of this vacancy announcement. If you need assistance in applying on-line, please refer to the How to Apply section above and explore the Federal Application Process information on the USA Jobs website.

Online Assessment Helpdesk - If you have any questions about the assessments, please submit a help desk ticket here: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/HelpTicket

For status updates on your application, please follow the directions listed above in the How to Apply section. Once your online application is submitted you will receive a confirmation notification by email. If you are selected for an interview for this position, you will be contacted directly. A final job offer for this position is typically made within several weeks after the closing date of the vacancy announcement. After confirming a job offer, all other applicants will be notified of their non-selection.

Based on your application and your responses to the application questionnaire, you may be presented with instructions on how to access the USA Hire system to complete the online assessments. The online assessments must be completed within 48 hours following the close of this announcement. You will have the opportunity to request a testing accommodation for the assessment should you have a disability covered under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended.

Your assessment results will be kept on record for one year and used toward future positions for which you might apply that require the same assessments.

Administrative Specialist Job in Arlington, VA