Community Planner Job in Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD

Vacancy No. MCFT-26-12924375-DHA Department United States Army Installation Management Command
Salary $102,415.00 to $133,142.00 Grade 12 to 12
Perm/Temp Permanent FT/PT Full-time
Open Date 3/31/2026 Close Date 4/10/2026
Job Link Apply Online Who may apply Public
Locations:
Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD


Summary

This is a Direct Hire Authority (DHA) solicitation utilizing the DHA for Certain Competitive Service Positions to recruit and appoint qualified candidates to positions in the competitive service.

About the Position: Located at Aberdeen Proving Ground (APG), MD. APG sits on more than 72,500 acres in Harford County, MD and offers recreation, sports, golf, pools, child and day care facilities. The area offers housing, public, private & parochial school systems, and major colleges.

This job is open to

The public

U.S. Citizens, Nationals or those who owe allegiance to the U.S.

Duties

  • Develop, review and coordinate project justifications, cost estimates, infrastructure repair and modernization conceptual designs and restoration and modernization
  • Prepare and recommend changes to the Real Property Master Plan for the purpose of infrastructure stewardship.
  • Develop innovative space utilization strategies to respond to alternative work environments.
  • Develop feasible operational approaches for infrastructure consolidation and stewardship to include, but not limited to recapitalization, modernization, leasing, conversions, diversions, and demolition.
  • Interview Commands and installation tenants to determine operational and mission real property requirements for the purpose of improving efficiencies and reducing excessive expenditures consequent of excess or inefficient real property inventory.
  • Derive holistic and innovative urban planning strategies and presents findings to Master Planning Real Property Division Chiefs and Director of Public Works.
  • Present findings and space management strategies to community stakeholders and mission command leadership at formal planning boards, meetings, workshops, and planning practicums.
  • Coordinate, host, and lead planning practicums, studies, planning workshops, and planning boards to include but not limited to the Real Property Planning Board, Space Management Board, and Real Property Utilization Reconciliation Board.
  • Participate, facilitate, and organize master planning conferences with supported Army mission commands and intra-DOD tenant organizations.
  • Provide recommendations addressing program development, mission accomplishment, organizational and Command relationships, engineering considerations, local civilian impact, and environmental impact.
  • Review and develop strategies for modifying the Real Property Master Plan components to ensure that they support the Army and the Installation's stated goals and objectives.
  • Compare available assets in the Real Property Inventory (RPI) with tabulations of mission required facilities in Real Property Planning and Analysis System (RPLANS).
  • Advise the Commander and Installation staff on policies and procedures for facility management.
  • Manage the Real Property Planning and Analysis System (RPLANS), Enterprise Proactive Real Property Interactive Space Management System (ePRISMS), and Army Stationing and Installation Plan (ASIP).
  • Serve as the RPLANS and space utilization manager in support of infrastructure consolidation efforts.
  • Conduct complex and wide-ranging space utilization studies in coordination with the Real Property Offices through their annual physical inventory, facility utilization survey, and tenant reconciliation processes and boards.

Requirements

Conditions of employment

  • Appointment may be subject to a suitability or fitness determination, as determined by a completed background investigation.
  • This position requires the incumbent be able to obtain and maintain a determination of eligibility for a Secret security clearance or access for the duration of employment.
  • Appointment to this position is subject to a one-year probationary period unless the appointee has previously met the requirements.

Qualifications

Who May Apply: US Citizens

In order to qualify, you must meet the education AND experience requirements described below. 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. Your resume must clearly describe your relevant experience; if qualifying based on education, your transcripts will be required as part of your application. Additional information about transcripts is in this document.

Basic Requirement for Community Planner:
A. Degree:
Bachelor's degree (or higher degree) in community planning; or related field such as urban affairs, architecture, landscape architecture, engineering, sociology, geography, economics, political science, or public administration that included at least 12 semester hours in the planning process, socioeconomic and physical elements of planning, urban and regional economic analysis, and development finance.
OR
B. Degree and Work Experience:
Bachelor's degree (or higher degree) in a field related to community planning such as urban affairs, architecture, landscape architecture, engineering, sociology, geography, economics, political science, or public administration and possess at least one-year of work experience in community planning acquired under the supervision and guidance of a community planner.
OR
C. Combination of Education and Experience: Courses equivalent to a major in one of the disciplines, as shown in A above, or a combination of related courses totaling at least 24 semester hours in any combination of the disciplines, as shown in A above, of which at least 12 semester hours were in the planning process, and socioeconomic and physical elements of planning, plus appropriate experience or additional education.

In addition to meeting the basic requirement above, to qualify for this position you must also meet the qualification requirements listed below:
Specialized Experience:
One year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-11 grade level in the Federal service which includes: 1) Prepares correspondence, technical reports, estimates, fact sheets, budgets, status reports, and schedules to complete assignments; 2) Sorts, Analyzes, and contextualizes data from real property and force management systems of record to identify discrepancies, patterns, and relationships, deficiencies and excesses for the purpose of provisioning adequate facilities to support the installation and its supported mission commands. And 3) Composes and prepares decision and information papers for proposed real property management and stationing plans to ensure they follow regulation, reduce risk, adequately support mission requirements, and safeguard the health and wellbeing of the public.

Time in Grade Requirement: Applicants who have held a General Schedule (GS) position within the last 52 weeks must have 52 weeks of Federal service at the next lower grade or equivalent (GS-11).

Education

FOREIGN EDUCATION: If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show 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

  • Male applicants born after December 31, 1959, must complete a Pre-Employment Certification Statement for Selective Service Registration.
  • You will be required to provide proof of U.S. Citizenship.
  • One year trial/probationary period may be required.
  • Direct Deposit of Pay is required.
  • Selection is subject to restrictions resulting from Department of Defense referral system for displaced employees.
  • If you have retired from federal service and you are interested in employment as a reemployed annuitant, see the information in the Reemployed Annuitant information sheet.
  • This is a(n) Career Program 18 -Construction, Engineering, and Infrastructure Career Field position.
  • Multiple positions may be filled from this announcement.
  • Salary includes applicable locality pay or Local Market Supplement.
  • When you perform a Civilian Permanent Change of Station (PCS) with the government, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) considers the majority of your entitlements to be taxable. Visit https://www.dfas.mil/civilianemployees/civrelo/Civilian-Moving-Expenses-Tax-Deduction/ for more information.
  • Permanent Change of Station (PCS) allowances may be authorized, subject to the provisions of the Joint Travel Regulations and an agency determination that a PCS move is in the Government Interest.
  • Relocation/Recruitment incentive may be authorized.
  • Student Loan Repayment may be authorized.
  • Salary Negotiations for those candidates who are new to Federal service may be authorized.
  • Credit for Prior Non-Federal Work Experience and Certain Military Service for Determining Annual Leave Accrual Rate may be authorized.

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.

Once the announcement has closed, a review of your application package (resume, supporting documents, and responses to the questionnaire) will be used to determine whether you meet the qualification requirements listed on this announcement. Please follow all instructions carefully when applying, errors or omissions may affect your eligibility.

If, after reviewing your resume and/or supporting documentation, a determination is made that you have inflated your qualifications and/or experience, you may lose consideration for this position.

You may claim Priority Placement Program (PPP) preference.

Veterans and Military Spouses will be considered along with all other candidates.

Required Documents

The documents you are required to submit vary based on whether or not you are eligible for preference in federal employment. A complete description of preference categories and the associated required documents is in the Applicant Checklist for Public Announcements.

As described above, your complete application includes your resume, your responses to the online questionnaire, and documents which prove your eligibility to apply. If you fail to provide these documents, you will be marked as having an incomplete application package and you will not be considered any further.

1. Your resume:

  • Your resume must be two pages or less and must support the specialized experience described in this announcement. Resumes exceeding two pages will be removed from consideration.
  • For each relevant work experience, make sure you include the employer's name, job title, start and end dates (include month and year), for qualifications purposes, the number of hours worked per week, and a brief description that show you can perform the tasks at the required level listed in the job announcement. If your resume does not contain this information, your application may be marked as incomplete, and you may not receive consideration for this position.
  • Use plain language. Avoid using acronyms and terms that are not easily understood. The hiring agency will not make assumptions about what's in your resume.
  • If your resume includes a photograph or other inappropriate material or content, it will not be used to make eligibility and qualification determinations, and you may not be considered for this vacancy.
  • For additional information, to include formatting tips, see: What to include in your resume.
2. Other supporting documents:
  • Cover Letter, optional
  • Most recent Performance Appraisal, if applicable
  • This position has an individual occupational requirement and/or allows for substitution of education for experience. If you meet this requirement based on education you MUST submit a copy of your transcript with your application package or you will be rated ineligible. See: Transcripts and Licenses

NOTE: Documents submitted as part of the application package, to include supplemental documents, may be shared beyond the Human Resources Office. Some supplemental documents such as military orders and marriage certificates may contain personal information for someone other than you. You may sanitize these documents to remove another person's personal information before you submit your application. You may be asked to provide an un-sanitized version of the documents if you are selected to confirm your eligibility.

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

To apply for this position, you must complete the online questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section above.

The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on 04/10/2026 to receive consideration

  • Follow the prompts to select your resume and/or other supporting documents to be included with your application package. As a reminder, your resume must be two pages or less and must support the specialized experience described in this announcement. Resumes exceeding two pages will be removed from consideration. For additional information, refer to the 'Required Documents' section.
  • You will have the opportunity to upload additional documents to include in your application before it is submitted. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process.
  • After acknowledging you have reviewed your application package, complete the Include Personal Information section as you deem appropriate and click to continue with the application process.
  • You will be taken to the online application which you must complete in order to apply for the position. Complete the online application, verify the required documentation is included with your application package, and submit the application. Your resume selected in USAJOBS will be included, but you must re-select other documents from your USAJOBS account or your application may be incomplete.
  • 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. Uploaded documents may take up to one hour to clear the virus scan.
  • 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://www.usajobs.gov/applicant/profile/dashboard/), 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://help.usajobs.gov/how-to/application/status.

Agency contact information

Army Applicant Help Desk
Website
https://portal.chra.army.mil/hr_public?id=app_inq
Address
FT-W4QVAA US ARMY IMCOM-USAG APG
DO NOT MAIL
Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD 21005
US

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 (as applicable) for this position. If you are determined to be ineligible or not qualified, your application will receive no further consideration.

United States Army Installation Management Command

Civilian employees serve a vital role in supporting the Army mission. They provide the skills that are not readily available in the military, but crucial to support military operations. The Army integrates the talents and skills of its military and civilian members to form a Total Army.

Agency contact information

Army Applicant Help Desk
Website
https://portal.chra.army.mil/hr_public?id=app_inq
Address
FT-W4QVAA US ARMY IMCOM-USAG APG
DO NOT MAIL
Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD 21005
US