Clarification from the agency

Open to current permanent federal employees with competitive status; reinstatement eligibles; VEOA eligibles; Land & Base Management; Military Spouses; OPM Interchange Agreement and Other Miscellaneous Authorities; Peace Corps & AmeriCorps VISTA; CTAP/ICTAP eligibles in the local commuting area.

This is a career ladder progression position; the duties described below are at the full performance level, GS-12. If selected at a grade below GS-12, the incumbent will serve in a developmental capacity, wherein the work is less complex in nature and the supervisor or a senior level employee provides specific instruction and guidance.

Major Duties at the GS-12 grade level:

• Works on grants management and cooperative agreements for one of several major grants programs within the ETA; participates in the administration of grant/cooperative agreements including, but not limited to technical panel reviews of applications, building grant awards, modification reviews and processing, assisting with financial reporting, researching policy questions, resolving audits or performing closeout duties.
• Performs work in the development of federal assistance objectives for applicable programs in compliance with governing regulations federal assistance standards.
• Supports grantee financial reporting by responding to questions, conducting training, reconciling e-grants reports and assisting with system enhancements; reviews and analyzes closeout documents.
• Communicates with grantees regarding any closeout deficiencies and submits final closeout packages to the Closeout Grants Officer for approval; forwards audits assigned to grantees for response.
• Reviews and analyzes documentation submitted by grantees. Prepares Initial and Final Determinations within specified timeframes for approval by the Grants Officer; responds to various inquiries including - formal protests/appeals, congressional inquiries, program office fiscal or regulation interpretations and grantee questions.
• Prepares position papers/answers questions relating to the overarching program legislations, federal assistance regulations or other application laws/regulations.
• Performs grants management and cooperative agreement administration typically including incremental funding, reviewing and preparing modifications, reviewing and processing grant extensions and incorporating grant revisions into the grant agreement.
• Assists with the preparation/review/publication of Funding Opportunity Announcements (FOAs), developing and incorporating language for the FOA to ensure compliance with assistance requirements and merit review procedures; receives and controls applications.
• Provides guidance to program officials, grants applicants and recipients in the interpretation, application and implementation of applicable laws and regulations, policies, procedures pertaining to all aspects of federal assistance program activities, e.g., grants, cooperative and interagency agreement planning and solicitation through program administration, expiration and closeout, etc.
• Participates in various meetings and conferences in the field and at headquarters where grants and cooperative agreement items are discussed; may serves as a trainer for grantee orientations or workshops.
• Develops planning of negotiation strategy, participates in negotiations conducted with grantees to develop the budget and grants terms and assists in the preparation of award document for signature.
• Responds to official written inquiries from members of Congress, other federal agencies and instrumentalities of the Federal Government, public and private organizations, and interested citizens concerning specific questions about individual grants managed and/or general questions about the intricacies of grants management and federal assistance activities.

Conditions of employment

• Must be at least 16 years old.
• Must be a U.S. Citizen.
• Candidate required to obtain the necessary security/investigation level.
• Requires a probationary period if the requirement has not been met.

Qualifications

For the GS-09: Applicants must have 52 weeks of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level, GS-07, in the Federal Service. Specialized Experience is the experience that equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSA's) to perform the duties of the position successfully, and that is typically in or related to the position to be filled. To be creditable, specialized experience must have been equivalent to at least the next lower grade level.

Qualifying specialized experience for GS-09 includes ALL of the following:

• Experience working with grants/cooperative agreements programs by providing grants-related assistance and services covering the grant life cycle;
• Experience developing formal written recommendations to senior leadership based on research and interpretation of authoritative sources such as program regulations, directives, curriculars, Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP), Generally Accepted Government Auditing Standards (GAGAS), etc; and
• Experience analyzing grant policies and/or procedures to provide recommendations to improve grant program operations.

OR
Education: 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
Combination of experience and education: Possess a combination of specialized experience as described above AND graduate education as described above, which when combined would equate to at least 100%.

For the GS-11: Applicants must have 52 weeks of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level, GS-09, in the Federal Service. Specialized Experience is the experience that equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSA's) to perform the duties of the position successfully, and that is typically in or related to the position to be filled. To be creditable, specialized experience must have been equivalent to at least the next lower grade level.

Qualifying specialized experience for GS-11 includes ALL of the following:

• Experience working with grants/cooperative agreements programs by providing grants-related assistance and services covering the grant life cycle;
• Experience evaluating and researching a variety of sources such as regulations, policies, and/or directives in order to make gram program interpretations;
• Experience developing formal written recommendations to senior leadership based on research and interpretation of authoritative sources such as program regulations, directives, curriculars, Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP), Generally Accepted Government Auditing Standards (GAGAS), etc; and
• Experience analyzing grant policies and/or procedures to provide recommendations to improve grant program operations.

OR
Education: 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
Combination of experience and education: Possess a combination of specialized experience as described above AND graduate education as described above, which when combined would equate to at least 100%.

For the GS-12: Applicants must have 52 weeks of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level, GS-11, in the Federal Service. Specialized Experience is the experience that equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSA's) to perform the duties of the position successfully, and that is typically in or related to the position to be filled. To be creditable, specialized experience must have been equivalent to at least the next lower grade level.

To qualify at the GS-12 you must have experience in any of the following areas working with workforce development programs (youth, apprenticeship, adult, dislocated workers, older workers, homeless) through grants/cooperative agreements.

In addition to the requirement above, you must have at least five of the six specialized experience statements below:

• Experience working with grants/cooperative agreements programs by providing grants-related assistance and services covering the grant life cycle;
• Experience evaluating and researching a variety of sources such as regulations (e.g. Uniform Guidance), policies, and/or directives in order to make grant program interpretations;
• Experience developing formal written recommendations to senior leadership based on research and interpretation of authoritative sources such as program regulations, directives, Curriculars, Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP), Generally Accepted Government Auditing Standards (GAGAS), etc.;
• Experience analyzing grant policies or procedures to provide recommendations to improve grant program operations;
• Experience developing and providing training (technical assistance) to internal and external stakeholders on grants management including fiscal and administrative topics;
• Experience participating or leading workgroups or program teams on projects.

Education Requirements: There is no education substitution at the GS-12 level.

How you will be evaluated

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

Your evaluation will be based on how well you meet the qualifications outlined in this vacancy announcement, as demonstrated through your resume and supporting documentation.

You may preview application questions for this vacancy here: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12939701

USA Hire

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

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

Click here for Evaluation details.

The information you provide may be verified by a review of your paid, unpaid, and volunteer, as it demonstrates the competencies or skills required for the position to be filled. Your evaluation may include an interview, reference checks, or other assessment conducted by HR specialists, subject matter experts, or panel members and may include other assessment tools (ex. interview, structured interview, written test, work sample, etc.).

INFORMATION FOR ICTAP/CTAP ELIGIBLE(S) ONLY: If you are eligible for special priority selection under ICTAP/CTAP, you must be well-qualified for the position to receive consideration. ICTAP/CTAP eligible(s) will be considered well-qualified if they attain at least a rating score of 85 in a numerical rating scheme. Be sure to review the eligibility questions to reflect that you are applying as an ICTAP or CTAP eligible and submit supporting documentation.

When Employment and Training Administration completes its hiring, the remaining list of qualified candidates may be shared with additional sub-agencies in the Department. You will have an opportunity to opt-in if you would like your name, application material, and assessment results shared to be considered for employment with additional sub-agencies at DOL. There is no guarantee of further consideration, and you can continue to explore other job opportunity announcements.

The following documents must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. (ET) on the vacancy closing date.

ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS: Applicants must meet the eligibility requirements of time-in-grade (52 weeks at the next lower grade), time-after-competitive-appointment (90 days), and minimum qualifications (52 weeks equivalent to the next lower grade in federal service). These requirements must be met within 30 days of 05/06/2026 the announcement closing date.

The following documents are required from all applicants (PLEASE READ CAREFULLY):

• FEDERAL STATUS APPLICANTS: When applying as a status candidate with current or former Federal Service, please provide a copy of your last or most recent SF-50, Notification of Personnel Action which shows your appointment eligibility for the position for which you are applying. Your SF-50 must identify the highest grade you held on a permanent basis, Pay Plan/Pay Schedule, Series, Grade/Pay Band, and career status. Multiple SF-50 may be submitted to demonstrate your highest previous rate and eligibility.

*WARNING: An award SF-50 (ex. cash or time off award) may not indicate grade, step, and competitive status. For current DOL employees, an award SF-50 DOES NOT indicate grade and step.

• Resumes are required - provide a resume either by creating one in USAJOBS or uploading one from your computer and USAJOBS profile. To receive full consideration for relevant and specialized experience, please list the month, year, and number of work hours worked for the experience listed on your resume. We also suggest that you preview the vacancy questions and confirm that your resume supports your question responses.
• Most recent performance appraisal/evaluation signed and dated within 18 months is requested by the agency but will not disqualify candidates if not submitted. If not submitted during the application process, one may/will be requested at the time of the interview if the opportunity is extended. *In most cases, ICTAP/CTAP applicants must submit this document - please see ICTAP/CTAP links below for more details.

The following documents are required (if applicable):

• Displaced Employee Placement Documents - Only required if requesting priority consideration under Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) and Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) Eligibility. Click/Review these ICTAP/CTAP links to confirm what must be submitted as proof that the requirement has been met.
• DD-214 - verifying military service, eligibility for consideration under the Veterans Employment Opportunity Act (VEOA), and showing the character of discharge (ex. Member Copy 4 and 2 are acceptable vs. Copy 1 which is not acceptable to adjudicate veteran's preference)
• Special/Non-Competitive Appointing Authority Documents - Applicants who are eligible for consideration, and wish to be considered, under one of the following non-competitive hiring authorities must submit appropriate documentation (click on the links below to see the documentation requirements): (a) Former Peace Corps Volunteers (PCV) OR AmeriCorps VISTA Volunteers OR Current or Former Peace Corps Employees (PCE) (b) Military Spouses (MISP) (c) Other
• Land Management Eligible(s): a copy of your most recent Notification of Personnel Action (SF-50 or equivalent) proving your eligibility for appointment under the Land Management Workforce Flexibility Act. This service must have been performed in competitive service, under a time-limited appointment in a Land Management Agency, as defined by P.L. 114-328. For more information, click here.

Reference the Education Section for College Transcript and Evaluation of Foreign Education.

Do not upload password-protected documents.

Applicants selected for employment who are not current DOL employees will be required to provide proof of citizenship, and the E-Verify system will be used to confirm the employment eligibility of all new hires.

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 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 will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

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