How You Will Be Evaluated
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
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), your responses on the application questionnaire, and your responses to all assessments required for this position. You will be assessed on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics):
- Accountability
- Attention to Detail
- Customer Service
- Decision Making
- Factor 1: Systems Integration
- Factor 2: Software Development
- Factor 3: Project Management
- Factor 4: Communications
- Flexibility
- Influencing/Negotiating
- Integrity/Honesty
- Interpersonal Skills
- Learning
- Reading Comprehension
- Reasoning
- Self-Management
- Stress Tolerance
- Teamwork
The USA Hire 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. Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or application questionnaire may result in your removal from consideration. Cheating on an assessment may also result in your removal from consideration.
If you meet the minimum qualifications for this position, your application and responses to the online questionnaire will be evaluated under Category Rating and selection procedures for placement in one of the following categories:
- Best Qualified - for those who are superior in the evaluation criteria
- Well Qualified - for those who excel in the evaluation criteria
- Qualified - for those who only meet the minimum qualification requirements
The Category Rating Process does not add veterans' preference points but protects the rights of veterans by placing them ahead of non-preference eligibles within each category. Applicants determined to be Best Qualified will be referred for further consideration. Preference eligibles in the Best Qualified category are referred before all other applicants.
To be considered well qualified for the purposes of the
Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP) and the
Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP), you must be able to satisfactorily perform the duties of the position upon entry and substantively exceed the basic qualifications by scoring at least an 85 on the assessment and meet all eligibility, physical, medical, suitability, and all other requirements.
Required Documents
Required for All Applicants
RESUME:
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 cannot assume you have performed the necessary experience required for this position regardless of your employment history or academic career.
To ensure all of the essential information is in your resume, we encourage you to use the USAJOBS online Resume Builder. If you choose to use your own resume, you must ensure it contains all of the required information and you organize it so we can associate the following information for each experience/position:
- Job title
- Name of employer
- Beginning and ending dates of employment (month/day/year format)
- Hours worked per week. We will assume full-time unless otherwise stated. We will prorate part-time employment in crediting experience.
- Detailed description of job duties, accomplishments, related skills, and responsibilities to include any supervisory/managerial responsibilities and number of staff supervised (if applicable)
- Series and grade or equivalent (if a federal position).
Do not include a photograph or video of yourself, or any sensitive information (age, date of birth, marital status, protected health information, religious affiliation, social security number, etc.) on your resume or cover letter.
We will not access web pages linked on your resume or cover letter to determine your qualifications.
For resume writing guidance, please visit the following resources:
NIH Jobs website,
USAJOBS Resource Center, and the
USAJOBS Resume Writing Video Tutorial.
ASSESSMENT QUESTIONNAIRE:
You must submit a completed assessment questionnaire.
REQUIRED DOCUMENTATION FOR PREFERENCE OR ELIGIBILITY CLAIMS
To claim veterans' preference, career transition selection priority, Schedule A or military spouse eligibility, you must provide the documentation listed below
AND respond accordingly to the associated question on the online questionnaire.
- Veterans' preference (DD-214, VA Disability Letter, etc.): Reference Standard Form 15 (SF-15) for required documentation for 10 point claims. Submission of SF-15 is not required, unless you are claiming derived preference (XP) as described in questions 7, 8, or 9 on the SF-15. In those cases, you must submit a completed SF-15 and the required documentation. For 5 point claims, you must submit your DD-214 (if separated) or any written documentation from the armed forces that certifies you are expected to be discharged or released from active duty service in the armed forces under honorable conditions not later than 120 days after the date the certification is submitted with your application package.
- Visit our sites on Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP)/Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP) for more information and required documentation.
- Visit our site on the Appointment of Certain Military Spouses for more information and required documentation to verify eligibility.
- Schedule A Eligibility (Applicants with Disabilities) Applicants who are eligible to be considered under Schedule A must submit appropriate documentation to verify eligibility. Documentation must be obtained from a licensed medical professional (e.g., a physician or other medical professional certified by a state, the District of Columbia, or a U.S. territory to practice medicine); a licensed vocational rehabilitation specialist (i.e., state or private); or any Federal agency, state agency, or agency of the District of Columbia or a U.S. territory that issues or provides disability benefits. The letter must be on a medical professional's letterhead and signed. Veterans' preference takes precedence in these appointments.
The Schedule A and military spouse hiring authorities do not guarantee employment or give an individual preference in the hiring process.
Do not submit documentation that is not requested of you. To protect your personal information, we will only send your resume and cover letter to the selecting official(s).
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
This announcement accepts applications during the open period of 11/30/2024 through 12/09/2024; unless the applicant cut-off (200 applications) is reached. This announcement will close at 11:59PM Eastern Time (ET) on 12/09/2024, or on the day the 200th application is received, whichever comes first.
A complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM ET on the closing date of the announcement to receive consideration. Early submission of your application is highly encouraged.
Please read the entire announcement and all the instructions before you begin an application. To apply and be considered for this position, you must complete and submit all required questionnaires, assessments, and required documentation as specified in the How to Apply and Required Documents sections. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on the closing date of the announcement to receive consideration. The application process is as follows:
- Click Apply Online button.
- Follow the prompts to select your resume and/or other supporting documents to be included with your application package. See the "Required Documents" section for any additional forms and/or supplemental materials required.
- Read all Eligibility questions and respond accordingly to any Eligibility you wish to claim. You will only be considered for those Eligibility questions (Veteran, Schedule A, etc.) you respond in the affirmative to, regardless of what documentation you submit. We cannot assume you intended to respond differently to a question based on other information in your application package.
- Complete the application questionnaire. Applicants are asked all questions regardless of their consideration preferences. We will only consider you for the grades, series, locations, specialties, and other considerations that you self-identify as being qualified for or interested in. Preview application questionnaire before you apply: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12568255
- After submitting an online application, you will be notified whether or not you are required to take additional online assessments through the USA Hire Competency Based Assessment system. This message will be delivered to you via email notification. The email may be routed to your "Spam" or "Junk" folder.
- If you are required to complete any USA Hire Assessments, you will be notified after submitting your application. The notification will be provided in your application submission screen and via email. The notification will include your unique assessment access link to the USA Hire system and the completion deadline. Additionally, in USAJOBS you can click "Track this application" to return to your assessment completion notice.
- Access USA Hire using your unique assessment link. Access is granted through your USAJOBS login credentials.
- Review all instructions prior to beginning your assessments. You will have the opportunity to request a testing accommodation before beginning the assessments should you have a disability covered under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended.
- Set aside at least 3 hours to take the USA Hire assessments; however, most applicants complete the assessments in less time. If you need to stop the assessments and continue later, you can re-use your unique assessment link.
- Your responses to the USA Hire Assessments will be reused for one year (in most cases) from the date you complete an assessment. If future applications you submit require completion of the same assessments, your responses will be automatically reused.
- Verify all required documentation is included in your application package, review your responses to the assessment questionnaire for accuracy, and then submit your application.
In addition to the required documents, we encourage you to submit a cover letter, copy of your transcripts, and any applicable certifications or licenses. Even though this information is not required at the time of application, we may request this information later.
We cannot assume responsibility or grant extensions for personal issues (e.g., troubles navigating the application process, loss of internet, not understanding a question) when applying to our announcements. For technical difficulties, contact HR Systems Support between 8:00 AM and 4:30 PM ET Monday through Friday at hrss@nih.gov.
NIH's EEO and Diversity and Inclusion Policy Statement
For reasonable accommodations not related to USA Hire, please contact Douglas Bruno at brunoda2@mail.nih.gov. Requests for reasonable accommodations must be made before the announcement closing date.
Visit the NIH's Office of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion site for information on NIH's EEO program, Reasonable accommodation procedures, laws, policy statements, and the operation of the EEO complaint process.
Next steps
HHS has a critical preparedness and response mission: HHS protects the American people from health threats, researches emerging diseases, and mobilizes public health programs with domestic and international partners. In support of this mission, HHS offers its employees the opportunity to volunteer to become Federal Civilian Detailees and contribute their unique skills through voluntary temporary assignments to humanitarian emergencies or Departmental priorities countering new and emerging health, safety, and security threats.
Based on your application and your responses to the application questionnaire, you may be presented with instructions on how to access the USA Hire system to complete the online assessments. The online assessments must be completed within 48 hours following the close of this announcement. You will have the opportunity to request a testing accommodation for the assessment should you have a disability covered under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended.
Your 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. To be considered for the position, you must meet all qualifications, including meeting or exceeding the cut score on the required assessments.
Once you submit your application package, you will receive an acknowledgment email with the status of your application. To track or update your application or supporting documentation, during the announcement open period, return to your USAJOBS account. This option will no longer be available once the announcement has closed. The Additional Application Information page provides information regarding the documentation you submitted and any correspondence we have sent related to this application, including the invitation to take the USA Hire assessment.
At the discretion of the agency, you may be contacted via phone or email for an interview or to provide additional information up to several months from the closing date of the announcement. Please ensure you have provided accurate contact information. To remain in consideration, you must respond in a timely manner to our correspondence and requests for documentation or information throughout the hiring process.