Executive Secretary for the United States Attorney (USA)

Clarification from the agency

All United States Citizens and Nationals

If selected for this position, you will serve as the secretary to the United States Attorney (USA) for the Northern District of Texas, providing a variety of technical and administrative support services. A confidential relationship is required between the incumbent and the United States Attorney. Typical work assignments will include:

• Managing and overseeing the day-to-day activities of the immediate office of the USA
• Exercising exclusive control over the USA's calendar for all appointments, meetings, engagements, and conferences with complete authority for commitment of time.
• Independently handling matters addressed to the USA that do not require his/her personal attention by referring such to appropriate staff members, or personally performing the work needed to resolve the matter.
• Representing the USA when addressing leading figures with the government, business, law enforcement community, members of the media, and others.
• Arranging conferences and meetings for the USA, preparing agenda, notifying participants, and arranging luncheons
• Developing a variety of recurring reports and documents which involve obtaining information from the staff, subject files or other sources, and formatting the needed information properly in narrative, table, or graph formats.
• Producing a variety of written documents utilizing varied and advanced functions in one or more types of office automation software.
• Editing written material for adherence with supervisor's established policies, writing style, and previously expressed views, as well as for conformity with office policies and correspondence procedures.

Responsibilities will increase and assignments will become more complex as your training and experience progress.

Conditions of employment

• You must be a United States Citizen or National.
• You will be required to complete a pre-employment security investigation and background check which includes a drug screening.
• You may be required to complete a one-year probationary period. See “Additional Information” section for specific details.
• Selective Service registration is required for males born on, or after, December 31st 1959. Those not registered should have an approved exemption on file.
• A USA Hire assessment is required. An email will be sent with additional information after you submit your application. You will have 48 hours from the closing date of this announcement to complete the assessment.
• You must meet all qualification requirements upon the closing date of this announcement.

Qualifications

To qualify for the position of Executive Secretary for the United States Attorney (USA), at GS-0318-10, you must meet the qualification requirements listed below.

GS-10: To be eligible at the GS-10 level, you must have at least ONE year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-9 level.

Specialized experience is defined as performing highly complex and confidential administrative support and secretarial tasks for superiors; maintaining and exercising control over supervisors' calendar for all appointments, meetings, engagements and conferences; reading, screening and controlling incoming mail; receiving and screening visitors and callers; composing a variety of written material; ensuring accuracy of outgoing correspondence for procedural and grammatical accuracy; developing, modifying and implementing office administrative procedures; and making complex and confidential travel arrangements.

To be qualified, you must type at least 40 words per minute based on a 5 minute sample with three or fewer errors. (A typing test may later be required.)

Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP)- The ICTAP provides eligible displaced Federal competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. If your agency has notified you in writing that you are a displaced employee eligible for ICTAP consideration, you may receive selection priority if: 1) this vacancy is within your ICTAP eligibility; 2) you apply under the instructions in the announcement; and 3) you are found well-qualified for this vacancy. To be well-qualified, you must satisfy all qualification requirements for the vacant position and receive a score of 85 or better on established ranking criteria. You must provide proof of eligibility to receive selection priority. Such proof may include a copy of your written notification of ICTAP eligibility or a copy of your separation personnel action form. Additional information about ICTAP eligibility is at: http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/workforce-restructuring/employee-guide-to-career-transition/.

Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP)-The CTAP provides eligible surplus and displaced competitive service employees in the Department of Justice with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. If your Department of Justice component has notified you in writing that you are a surplus or displaced employee eligible for CTAP consideration, you may receive selection priority if: 1) this vacancy is within your CTAP eligibility, 2) you apply under the instructions in this announcement, and 3) you are found well-qualified for this vacancy. To be well qualified, you must satisfy all qualification requirements for the vacant position and receive a score of 85 or better on established ranking criteria. You must provide a copy of your written notification of CTAP eligibility with your application. Additional information about CTAP eligibility is at http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/workforce-restructuring/employee-guide-to-career-transition/.


You MUST meet all qualification requirements by the 08/03/2026 of this announcement.

Your resume must support your responses to the online questionnaire and the qualification requirements. Failure to do so may result in an ineligible rating.See the Required Documents section for important notes about what must be included in your resume.

After you submit your application, you will receive notification indicated whether or not the USA Hire assessment is required. You will have 48 hours from the closing date of this announcement 08/03/2026 to complete the assessment which is part of your application.

How you will be evaluated

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

Your application will be evaluated and rated under DOJ's Category Rating and Selection Procedures. Your resume and supporting documentation will be used to determine whether you meet the job qualifications listed on this announcement. If you are qualified for this job, your resume and supporting documentation will be compared to your responses on the application questionnaire. If you rate yourself higher than is supported by your application materials, your responses may be adjusted and/or you may be excluded from consideration for this job

You will be assessed on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics):

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

If it is determined that you meet minimum qualification requirements and the technical or alternative assessment, your application will then be placed in one of three categories based on the assessment results: Best Qualified, Highly Qualified, or Qualified. Within these categories veterans' preference eligibles will receive selection priority over non-veteran preference eligibles.

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

The assessment includes a cut score based on the minimum level of required proficiency in these critical general competencies. You must meet or exceed the cut score to be considered. You will not be considered for the position if you score below the cut score or fail to complete the assessment.

Your USAHIRE 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.

If you would like to preview the application questionnaire, please see: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/13015592.

It is your responsibility to carefully review the list of required documents below and submit the necessary documentation based on your eligibility. To apply for this position, you must submit a complete Application Package, which includes:

-Required: Your responses to the Online Occupational Questionnaire (This is completed automatically during the apply online process).

-Required: Your resume showing relevant experience and dates (month/day/year) of employment and work schedule for each (e.g., part-time XX hours per week or full-time). 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. (cover letter optional).

-Required, if applicable: Veterans' Preference documentation.

Veterans' Preference- If you are entitled to Veterans' Preference, you must indicate the type of preference you are claiming in your application and submit the appropriate documentation, as specified below.In order to verify your Veterans' Preference entitlement, please submit a copy of the Member Copy 4 of your DD-214 (Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty); or if you are a current Active Duty member you must submit a certification on appropriate military branch letterhead that indicates: 1) your service dates, 2) expected discharge or release date from active duty with a release/discharge date no later than 120 days from the closing date of this announcement, and 3) the character of service (e.g., Honorable); or other official documentation (e.g., documentation of receipt of a campaign badge or expeditionary medal) that shows your military service was performed under honorable conditions.

In addition, if you are a disabled veteran, a Purple Heart recipient, or widow/widower if a veteran, the spouse of a disabled veteran or the parent of a disabled or deceased veteran, you must submit a Standard Form (SF) 15, "Application for 10-Point Veteran Preference" dated October 2013 and all the other required documentation identified on the reverse side of the SF-15 to support your preference claim.

-Required, if applicable: CTAP/ICTAP documentation (a copy of a separation notice or other proof of eligibility for priority selection; a copy of an SF-50, Notification of Personnel Action, showing current position, grade, promotion potential, and duty location; AND a copy of your most recent performance appraisal.

-If you are requesting a reasonable accommodation to the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you must submit documentation to support your request, including the Reasonable Accommodation Request Form found at: https://help.usastaffing.gov/Apply/index.php?title=Reasonable_Accommodations_for_USA_Hire

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