Commissary Management Specialist (Intern) Job

Vacancy No. DECA-25-12700460-MP Department Defense Commissary Agency
Salary $34,454.00 to $44,786.00 Grade 5 to 5
Perm/Temp Permanent FT/PT Full-time
Open Date 6/26/2025 Close Date 7/13/2025
Job Link Apply Online Who may apply Status Candidates
Locations:
Davis Monthan AFB, AZLemoore Naval Air Station, CAPeterson AFB, COFort Campbell, KY


Summary

This is a Commissary Management Specialist Intern two-year developmental program. Trainees that successfully complete the two year program are placed in manager positions (e.g., store manager, grocery manager, or assistant grocery manager) in commissaries world-wide, armed with working knowledge for their career succession and advancement within DeCA.

Read the entire announcement before starting the application process.

This job is open to

Clarification from the agency

Current competitive service DeCA employees with career or career-conditional status.

Duties

This is an intern position. The intern program is intended to develop employees for placement into the management levels of the Defense Commissary system. The purpose of this position is to provide for the development of the incumbent through a combination of planned training and a variety of rotational work assignments in all departments of the commissary as outlined in the DeCA Career Intern Program guidance. The incumbent will be in a developmental capacity performing a variety of tasks in the grocery, meat, and produce departments. At the GS-05 grade level, the major duties are:

  • Participate in maintaining adequate quantities, quality and wholesomeness, proper pricing and signage, and availability of commissary product.
  • Participate in maintaining security, verifying accuracy of receiving documents, designating storage locations and space allocations, and ensuring proper storage and stocking procedures are followed.
  • Participate in conducting inventories, verifying inventory quantities, and maintaining records of orders,receipts, sales, and other operational data.
  • Participate in cash control functions to include, but not limited to, buying and selling change,processing refunds, validating daily cash receipts, clearing registers, and preparing bank deposits.
  • Become familiar with and utilizes a variety of DeCA information business systems to understand store operations and to perform tasks which affect operations.
  • Participate in validating and processing documents and reports related to orders, receipts, sales, vendor credits, and price changes.
Work conditions:
  • Most of the work is performed in the store display area which is well lighted and maintained at a comfortable temperature.
  • When working in the storage or receiving area, may be exposed to hot or cold weather, or damp and drafty conditions.
  • May be exposed to differences in temperature when storing or obtaining items from chill or frozen storage rooms.
  • There is a danger of minor injuries such as cuts, scrapes, bruises, and slipping on wet floors.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

  • Must be a U.S. citizen or national.
  • Males born after 12-31-1959 must be registered with or exempt from Selective Service.
  • Appointment is subject to a suitability or fitness determination, as required.
  • Must be able to obtain and maintain security clearance eligibility based on an appropriate background investigation.
  • May be subject to a probationary/trial period.
  • May be subject to one year supervisory probationary period.
  • Must sign a Mobility Agreement upon accepting a job offer from HR.
  • Direct deposit of pay is required.
  • Must successfully complete the two-year program to be placed in manager positions (e.g., store manager, grocery manager, or assistant grocery manager).
  • Must be willing to accept assignment at any of the duty locations listed on this vacancy announcement.

Qualifications

You must meet qualifications and requirements by the announcement closing date. Your resume (and/or transcript if necessary) must clearly show that you meet the qualifications (i.e., specialized experience and/or education requirements) for the below grade level.

Qualifications
(a) Three years of general experience with one year of experience equivalent to at least the GS-04 grade level that equipped you with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities, (KSAs), to perform successfully the duties of the position, and is directly in or related to this position. General Experience that provided an understanding of the basic principles of any of the following: merchandising, market research, sales promotion/advertising, or the accounting, administration, and/or distribution of goods and services. Such experience may have been gained in store worker, sales, clerical, or related work that demonstrated a familiarity with food retail operations and the ability to perform the duties of the position to be filled.
OR
(b) Four (4) years of education from a college or university, leading to a bachelors degree, and accredited by an organization approved by the U.S. Department of Education (https://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/) and in an appropriate field of study in business administration, public administration, agricultural economics (food industry management), or other fields related to this position
OR
(c) A combination of education and experience. To be creditable, the computed percentage of the requirements must equal at least 100%. Only education in excess of the first 60 semester hours (i.e., beyond the second year) is creditable toward meeting the experience requirement. One full academic year of study (30 semester hours) beyond the second year is equivalent to 6 months of experience. To compute the percentage of the requirements, divide your total months of experience by 36. Then divide your total number of completed undergraduate semester hours (or equivalent) by 120. Add the two percentages.

Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service program (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.

See the Group Coverage Qualification Standard for Administrative and Management Positions and Individual Occupational Requirement for the Commissary Management Series for more information about qualifications.

Physical requirements: (1) Lift, push, pull, carry, and handle commissary products weighing up to 40 pounds unassisted and occasionally over 40 pounds with assistance. (2) Stand, stoop, kneel, bend, and climb for prolonged periods. You will attest to your ability to perform these physical requirements in the Questionnaire.

You must also meet time after competitive appointment requirements by the announcement close date.

Time after competitive appointment. Current federal civilian employees must have completed at least 90 days of federal civilian service since being selected for a non-temporary appointment from a competitive examination register of eligibles (an announcement opened to the public) or under a direct hire authority.

As part of the online application process, you will respond to a series of questions designed to evaluate your possession of these competencies:
  • Commissary Operations
  • Data Extraction and Analysis
  • Interpersonal Skills

Overtime: Occasional
Bargaining Unit Status: Not covered
Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA): Exempt
Obligated Position: If obligated, you occupying the position is subject to the former incumbent returning. If the former incumbent does not return to the position, your occupancy may become permanent. Tentative job offers identify if the position you are offered is obligated.
Those retired under CSRS or FERS considered: No. DoD criteria not met.
Recruitment/Relocation Incentives Offered: None

Education

Your education must be from a college or university accredited by an organization approved by the U.S. Department of Education. See https://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/ for more information. To be creditable, education must be in a major field such as business administration, public administration, agricultural economics (food industry management), or other fields related to the position. The education must have equipped you with the knowledge and ability to perform the work of the position. This would be evidenced by on-the-job training in food retail management or in internship or practicum in food retail management.

Unofficial transcripts from U.S. Department of Education accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions listing your name, the name of the school, the date and degree awarded, and the list of classes and credits earned are acceptable for the application process. If selected, official transcripts are required before a firm job offer is made. A photocopy of your degree/diploma is not acceptable.

Foreign education may be qualifying if a private organization specializing in interpreting foreign education programs has deemed the foreign education equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program or a U.S. accredited college or university has given full credit for the foreign courses. See Required Documents for more information.

When relying on foreign education, submit transcripts and a copy of the equivalency evaluation results letter with a course by course listing. Documents must be in English or include an English translation. The hiring employer for this position does not evaluate degrees from foreign colleges or universities.

Additional information

Executive Order 12564 requires a federal workplace to be free of illegal drugs and prohibits the use of illegal drugs both on and off duty by federal employees. As a reminder, marijuana is still classified as an illegal drug by the Federal government and is prohibited for use by Federal employees even if such use is legal in the state where the Federal employee resides and/or works. The Defense Commissary Agency is a Drug-Free Federal Workplace where the use of illegal drugs will not be tolerated and may result in penalties up to and including removal from Federal service.

  • DeCA employees accepting a downgrade (i.e., change to lower grade) into this position may be entitled to pay retention.
  • Applicants with financial difficulty are not automatically removed from consideration.
  • Selectees are required to complete an online onboarding process.
  • PCS is authorized. If you PCS'd at government expense within the past 12 months, additional government funded PCS may not be authorized; however, you may choose to pay your own moving expenses.
  • Most civilian PCS entitlements are now taxable. The Relocation Income Tax Allowance (RITA) reimburses eligible employees for additional Federal, State, and local income taxes incurred because of receiving taxable travel income. More information is available at Civilian Relocation/PCS Tax Changes.
  • The preferred locations selected during the application process are not guaranteed. Management reserves the right to assign selectees to any of the locations listed in this announcement.
  • Applicants will be selected at the GS-5 level with promotion potential to GS-9. Your work assignments will be progressively complex and intended to broaden your skills and provide you with practical experience to prepare you for the GS-9 grade level. Promotion up to and including GS-9 is neither guaranteed nor automatic but may be made without further competition and with your supervisor's recommendation.

The following may result in a rating of ineligible. Ineligible applicants receive no consideration.
  • Not selecting an eligibility.
  • Submitting an incomplete application package may result in your not being considered for this position. Your resume must reflect that you are either Part-Time with the number of hours listed, Full Time, or 40 hours per week as your work schedule. If you fail to provide this information in your resume, your resume will be considered as incomplete.
  • Submitting encrypted documents or uploading Adobe portfolio documents.
  • Submitting any document that contains a photo or image of you.
  • Including social media links, inappropriate material/content, classified or government sensitive information, or personal information such as age, gender, race, religion, or social security number on your resume.
  • Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or questionnaire responses.
  • Deliberately attempting to falsify your application information, such as copying portions of this announcement into your resume.

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.

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.

HR reviews your resume and supporting documents to determine if you meet the qualifications and requirements, and to determine if you meet the eligibility/eligibilities you selected. Your questionnaire score is a preliminary measure of how well your background matches the competencies. If you submit multiple resumes, the last one received is used for this evaluation and sent to the hiring manager if you are referred for selection consideration.

Appointment Eligibility Criteria. You choose how you wish to be considered for this position by selecting one or more of the eligibilities listed in the Assessment Questionnaire and providing the supporting documents for the selected eligibility/eligibilities. Documents required to prove you can be considered for the selected eligibility/eligibilities are listed within the eligibility description.

HR does not select or change your eligibility/eligibilities for you, regardless of the supporting documents you submit. You are considered ONLY for the eligibility or eligibilities you select and for which you provide all required supporting documents. You will not be considered if you do not select an eligibility. If you have questions about which eligibility/eligibilities apply to you, contact the HR POC listed on this announcement.


Selections are subject to restrictions of the DoD referral system for displaced employees.

Required Documents

Resume. Learn more about creating a suitable resume by watching this video or reading What to include. Using the USAJOBS Resume Builder will help you submit a complete resume. Applying for a Federal job requires more information than applying for a job in the private sector. Therefore, a resume is typically longer than two (2) pages and usually does not need to be more than five (5) pages.

Your resume must thoroughly describe how your skills and experiences align to the criteria defined in the Qualifications section of this announcement and it must support your responses to the assessment questionnaire. We do not assume you have the necessary experience to successfully perform in this job regardless of your employment history or academic career.

At a minimum, your resume MUST contain your name, address, and contact information, and the following for each listed job experience: Job title; Pay Plan, Series and grade, if it is a federal civilian position; Employer's name and address; Employment beginning and ending dates (Month/Year); and Description of duties performed. Part-Time employment MUST include work hours for each job entry.

Transcripts. Required when using education to meet qualifications or when education is required.

Questionnaire. Preview at https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12700460.


SF 50 Notification of Personnel Action. To obtain copies of your SF 50s, all current Department of Defense (DoD) employees can access MyBiz, employees receiving HR servicing from DLA can access eOPF and former civilian employees can request a copy from the National Archives.

All DeCA employees, regardless of location or human resources provider, submit the following:.

  • A copy of your most recent SF 50 showing your current position title, pay plan-series-grade, tenure and position occupied and
  • When applying for a promotion (higher grade than you currently hold), you must also submit an SF 50 which clearly demonstrates you meet the time-in-grade requirements. Examples of appropriate SF50s include Promotions, Within-grade Grade/Range Increases, and SF-50s with an effective date more than one year old. You may need to submit more than one SF 50 to show you meet this requirement.

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

Your complete application package must be received by 11:59 PM ET on 07/13/2025.

You are responsible for verifying your application package is complete, accurate, and submitted timely. As uploaded documents may take one or more hours to clear the virus scan, plan accordingly to ensure your application process is complete and your application package is submitted by the specified closing date and time.

To begin, click Apply to access an online application. Follow the prompts to select your resume, required documents, and/or other supporting documents. You need to be logged into your USAJOBS account to apply or create an account before applying. You will be taken to an online application. Follow all prompts and complete the online application, verify you've included all required and supporting documentation, and submit your application. Additional information on how to complete the online application process and submit your online application is found at the USA Staffing Applicant Resource Center. To receive consideration, you must complete all steps of the application process.

You can verify your application status by logging into your USAJOBS account, selecting the Application Status link, and then selecting the More Information link for this position. The Application Status page displays your application status, the documents received and processed, and your questionnaire responses.

Agency contact information

DECA 1144 Team
Phone
614-692-9215
Fax
215-516-6082
Email
DECA-1144CCP@dla.mil
Address
DECA HQ
1300 Eisenhower Street
Fort Gregg-Adams, VA 23801
US

Next steps

Notices post to your USAJOBS account and are emailed to you. You can expect to receive a notice when you complete the application process, when your referral status is determined, when your selection status is determined and then a final notice of decision approximately 180 days after this announcement closes.

If a vacancy for the location(s) you selected does not occur within 90 days after this announcement closes, you may not receive a qualifications status or referral status notice.

The hiring manager may choose to conduct interviews and may conduct telephone interviews to preclude travel hardships for applicants. Someone from the hiring agency (i.e., DeCA) will contact you if the hiring manager decides to interview you.

Should you receive a tentative job offer, be aware such offers are automatically withdrawn if you fail to (1) record an acceptance or declination by the response date provided in the offer notice and/or (2) meet any pre-employment requirements, including failure to report to a scheduled appointment. If you receive a job offer, use a computer to submit your response rather than a mobile/cell phone.

Additional Locations

  • Fort Knox, KY
  • Keesler AFB, MS
  • Fort Eustis, VA


Note: We cannot accept applications on behalf of Federal Agencies. Application instructions are listed within the Job Description.


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