Clarification from the agency

FWS- wide: Open to current U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service employees serving under a Career or Career-Conditional appointment, Land Management eligibles, CTAP.

As a Administrative Specialist your duties will include but are not limited to the following:

• Collaborates with program and other Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) officials in the long-range planning, development and coordination of operations and procedures pertaining to administrative office support functions, ensuring the proper and effective workflow, follow-up and tracking.
• Serves as liaison between the Director, Deputy Directors, their staff, and other offices within the FWS and the Department of the Interior, providing information, instruction, and guidance on implementation of Office administrative processes and procedures.
• Reviews and edits briefing statements, event memos, and other documents on behalf of the Directorate in response to Departmental, Administration, and/or congressional inquiries and requests.
• Develops and implements office procedures and practices and devises ways and means of relieving the Director and Deputy Directors of day-to-day details and personally coordinating matters without referring them to his/her attention.
• Interprets Department of the Interior and FWS administrative policies and procedures, provides assistance and guidance to team members, identifies issues that may affect the workflow of activities, and ensures appropriate staff is notified of new information and incorporates it into their work processes.

Conditions of employment

• Must be a U.S. Citizen or National.
• Merit promotion applicants must meet time-in-grade requirement as defined in 5 CFR 300, Subpart F.
• Suitability for employment, as determined by background investigation.
• Individuals assigned male at birth after 12-31-59 must be registered for the Selective Service. To verify registration visit SSS.gov.

Qualifications

Only experience and education obtained by 05/12/2026 will be considered.

In order to qualify for this position you must possess the Minimum Qualification.

Minimum Qualification [GS-12]

One year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-11 grade level in Federal service. Specialized experience may include the following: Providing assistance and guidance to team members; developing recommendations that promote effectiveness and efficiency of work operations and administrative processes of an organization; meeting short deadlines with multiple, competing priorities; coordinating and overseeing travel of staff; purchasing office supplies and equipment; preparing time and attendance records for staff; evaluating operating procedures, making recommendations for improvement and coordinating office support, secretarial and clerical processes; and experience with FWS and DOI administrative policies, procedures and regulations.

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). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

Time In Grade Requirement: Applicants must meet both eligibility and qualification requirements for the position of interest by the closing date of the JOA. Specifically,
i. Area of Consideration.
ii. Time-in-grade (TIG) requirements as specified in 5 CFR 300, Subpart F.
iii. Time after competitive appointment as specified in 5 CFR 330.502.
iv. Qualification requirements outlined in OPM's Qualifications Standards for General Schedule Positions

How you will be evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

Resumes must not exceed two single-sided pages and resumes longer than two pages will not be accepted. The minimum font size is 10-point for all body text. Headers may be slightly larger but must remain legible. All resumes must maintain a minimum 0.5-inch margins on all sides to ensure readability and prevent excessive content compression. Including supplemental pages or attachments disguised as resume extensions are prohibited and will not be reviewed to determine your eligibility/qualifications.

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 additional assessments required for this position. You will be assessed on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics):

Competencies:

• Attention to Detail
• Customer Service
• Decision Making
• Flexibility
• Integrity/Honesty
• Interpersonal Skills
• Learning
• Reading Comprehension
• Reasoning
• Self-Management
• Stress Tolerance
• Teamwork

• Skill with Department of the Interior and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service administrative policies and procedures.
• Skill in analyzing and evaluating issues related to the efficiency and effectiveness of off administrative processes and operations; used to develop plans and approaches for improvement and implementation.
• Skill in coordinating and supporting multiple projects and events for highest level Service staff.
• Skill in written communication ensuring formatting, grammar and content are appropriate.
• Skill in supporting and/or partnering with a group of people and working as a team member and/or leader.
• Knowledge of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service mission and objectives, and how they relate to the bureaus and offices of the Department.

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 assessment. The online assessment measures critical general competencies required to perform the job.

Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or application questionnaire may result in your removal from consideration. Cheating on the online assessment may also result in your removal from consideration.

To preview the application questionnaire, click the following link:https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12951553

You must submit a complete application package. We will not make assumptions about your experience and/or education.

Required Documents:

1. Resume: You may only submit one resume. Only the resume submitted under the "Resume" "Document Type" will be used to determine your qualifications and for rating purposes. Your resume must describe your job-related qualifications (paid and non-paid work experience) that includes job title, beginning and ending dates (month and year), hours worked per week, and description of job duties. You are highly encouraged to use USAJOBS Resume Builder to ensure all required information is included. If you use your own resume, curriculum vitae, or any other written form, you must ensure this information is provided. Your resume must show complete information for each job entry to support minimum qualifications. Failure to provide ALL required information on your resume will result in loss of consideration due to an incomplete application package. Note: Current and former Federal employees should include pay plan, series, and grade level for relevant federal experience. If experience is for a career ladder position, please ensure to clearly distinguish the job duties for each grade level and how long you were working in each grade level.

• Do not include the following types of information in your resume:
  • Classified or government sensitive information
  • Social Security Number (SSN)
  • Photos of yourself
  • Personal information, such as age, gender, religious affiliation, etc.
  • Encrypted and digitally signed documents.

2. SF-50: (non-award), or equivalent Notification of Personnel Action if you are a current or former Federal employee. Your SF-50 (non-award) must show tenure code 1 or 2 in block 24, and position occupied code 1 (competitive service) in block 34. If you have previously held a higher grade than the grade/position you currently occupy, you must submit a copy of the last non-award SF-50 you received for that position.

If you have any questions regarding which SF-50's to submit, it is highly recommended that you contact the person listed on this vacancy announcement before the closing date.

3. Performance Appraisal: 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.

Additional Documentation if applicable:

1. Cover Letter

2. Veterans' Preference Documentation: If you are a veteran with preference eligibility and you are claiming 5-point veterans' preference, you must attach a copy of your DD-214 Member Copy 2 or 4 showing you were honorably discharged. If you are claiming 10-point veterans' preference, you must also submit an SF-15, "Application for 10-Point Veterans' Preference" plus the proof required by that form. (i.e. VA letter). You may not be awarded preference if you do not attach the correct Veteran Documentation as specified above.

3. CTAP Documentation: If you are applying under CTAP, 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 eligible.

4. Applicants applying under PL-114-47, Land Management Workforce Flexibility Act must submit documentation verifying eligibility. Required documentation includes: First and last SF-50 (Notification of Personnel Action) for each appointment verifying the Position Occupied code (block 34, code 1-Competitive Service), AND Documentation of satisfactory performance for each appointment, such as, performance evaluations, memorandum of record, whereas the supervisor(s) documented an acceptable performance level for a specified rating/employment period. Failure to submit required documentation may result in loss of consideration.

Failure to submit any of the above-mentioned required documents will result in loss of consideration due to an incomplete application package. It is your responsibility to ensure all required documents have been submitted.

Next steps