Program Assistant Job in Chicago, IL

Vacancy No. FAMS-CHI-728537-12576763-P Department Transportation Security Administration
Salary $44,180.00 to $87,024.00 Grade D to F
Perm/Temp Permanent FT/PT Full-time
Open Date 11/8/2024 Close Date 11/18/2024
Job Link Apply Online Who may apply Public
Locations:
Chicago, IL


Summary

Securing Travel, Protecting People - At the Transportation Security Administration, you will serve in a high-stakes environment to safeguard the American way of life. In cities across the country, you would secure airports, seaports, railroads, highways, and/or public transit systems, thus protecting America's transportation infrastructure and ensuring freedom of movement for people and commerce.

This job is open to

Clarification from the agency

Open to All U.S. Citizens and U.S. Nationals

Duties

This Program Assistant position is located in the Chicago Field Office, Field Operations Division, Law Enforcement/Federal Air Marshal Service (LE/FAMS), Transportation Security Administration (TSA), Department of Homeland Security (DHS). If selected for this position, you will serve as a Program Assistant and Point of Contact (POC) responsible for providing overall operational support on general administrative and program issues regarding policies, procedures, and requirements governing office operations. Duties include, but are not limited to:

  • Provides general support to the Administrative Unit.
  • Performs data entry where appropriate with a high level of accuracy, and little or no supervision. Initiating personnel actions for employee awards, promotions, reassignments, demotions, etc.
  • Maintains a purchase card for supplies, materials, professional development classes, etc. Assisting with the budget by running reports from financial system and updating a record keeping workbook.
  • Processes time and attendance for the field office by entering leave and payroll data into the time and attendance database.
  • Serves as a custodian for the field office government vehicles; tracks information, log-in books, and vehicle maintenance; tracks/managing government fleet credit card.
  • Serves as Workers Compensation Coordinator (WCC); uploads and maintains claim records, etc. with the Department of Labor/Office of Workers Compensation.
  • Serves as the travel regulations and policies POC; verifies and certifies all travel authorizations and vouchers in the government travel system, ensures that all travelers get reimbursed; and handles all travel arrangements for the Supervisory Air Marshal in Charge (SAC).
  • Maintains files, records, schedules and calendars for assigned squads within the field office such as Employee Performance Files (EPFs), administrative files, and physical/stress exams, recording TSA Online Learning Center training courses, etc.
  • Updates specific squad rosters, and other FAM contact information.
The major duties described above reflect the full performance level of this position. Typically, the lower pay bands (D and E Bands) perform the same duties but will receive more guidance and training; and/or projects/work assignments may be less complex.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

  1. You must possess U.S. Citizenship or be a U.S. National.
  2. You must have reached the minimum age (18) at the time of application.
  3. You must complete a favorable Background Investigation (BI).
  4. Selective Service registration is required.
  5. Must be able to obtain and maintain a Secret Clearance.
If you fail to meet the conditions of employment or any other pre-employment requirements, such as missing any of the scheduled appointments, the hiring agency may rescind their tentative offer of employment.

Applying to this announcement certifies that you give permission for TSA to share your application with others in DHS for similar positions.

Any offers of employment made pursuant to this announcement will be consistent with all applicable authorities, including Presidential Memoranda, Executive Orders, interpretive U.S. Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) guidance, and Office of Management and Budget plans and policies concerning hiring. These authorities are subject to change.

Qualifications

To qualify at the SV-D Pay Band (equivalent to GS-3-6), you must meet one of the qualification requirements (A, B, OR C) outlined below:

A. Experience: If you are qualifying based on experience, your application must clearly outline at least six months of progressively responsible general experience. General Experience is defined as clerical, office, or other work that indicates the ability to acquire the particular knowledge and skills needed to perform the duties of the position to be filled. Specialized experience is defined as:
  • Experience filing and maintaining simple office records, compiling and tracking data, providing basic computer assistance, scheduling meetings, typing correspondences and providing standard information on administrative policies.
OR

B. Education: At least one full year of full-time academic study in an accredited business, secretarial or technical school, junior college, college or university.

OR

C. Combining Education and Experience: Combinations of successfully completed post-high school education and experience may be used to meet total qualification requirements for this position and may be computed by first determining your total qualifying experience as a percentage of the experience required for the band level; then determining your education as a percentage of the education required for the band level; and then adding the two percentages. The total percentages must equal at least 100 percent.

Applicants who meet the qualifications listed above based on education or a combination of education and experience MUST provide proof of education such as a list of completed college courses or the date and school of degree including the number of semester or quarter hours or a transcript from an accredited college or university. The information must be provided as an attachment to the application by the closing date of the announcement. If selected, the applicant must supply a transcript or certification of degree.

To qualify at the SV-E Pay Band (equivalent to GS-7/8), you must have one year of specialized experience at the SV-D Pay Band or GS-6 in the Federal service or equivalent experience in the private sector. Specialized experience is defined as experience that has equipped you with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position. Specialized experience is defined as:
  • Experience compiling, tracking and analyzing data, providing advanced computer assistance, scheduling meetings, preparing agendas and supplemental information, preparing written correspondence, providing standard information on administrative policies, maintaining records, monitoring metrics and obtaining and supplying readily available information to staff and superiors.
To qualify at the SV-F Pay Band (equivalent to GS-9/10), you must have one year of specialized experience at the SV-E Pay Band or GS-8 in the Federal service or equivalent experience in the private sector. Specialized experience is defined as experience that has equipped you with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position. Specialized experience is defined as:
  • Experience performing a wide range of diverse administrative support assignments by assisting managers in compiling, tracking and analyzing data, providing advanced computer assistance, serving as a point of contact for travel and custodial issues, preparing correspondence and documents, maintaining records, monitoring metrics, researching files and records and assembling technical information.
Credit for experience is given based on a 40-hour workweek. Part-time experience is credited on a part-time ratio, i.e., working 20 hours per week for two months equals one month of experience. No additional credit is given for overtime.

National Service Experience (i.e., volunteer experience): 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.

The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) must authorize employment offers made to current or former political appointees. If you are currently, or have been within the last 5 years, a political Schedule A, Schedule C, Non-career SES or Presidential Appointee employee in the Executive Branch, you must disclose this information to the Human Resources Office.

Resumes must include the following:
  1. Narrative description of duties with start and end dates (including the month and year) for work experience.
  2. State the number of hours worked in a position (i.e. full-time or part-time). If part-time, state the total number of hours worked per week.
  3. Performance level (i.e. band or grade)
Utilizing the USAJOBS Resume Builder and completing all available fields is strongly encouraged.

You must meet the qualification requirements for this position no later than the closing date of the vacancy announcement.

Education

For positions requiring positive education requirements, or if you are using education to meet all or part of the qualification requirements, you MUST submit a copy of your transcripts or an itemized list of college courses from an accredited college or university, which includes equivalent information from the transcript (course title, semester/quarter hours, and grade/degree earned) in your resume. The information must be provided with the application by the closing date of the announcement. If selected, the applicant must supply a transcript or certification of degree.

Additional information

Eligibility to apply for other Federal positions: TSA is an Excepted Service agency exempt from most of Title 5 United States Code, including regulations which apply to displaced Federal employees (CTAP/ICTAP) of other agencies, and employment with TSA does not confer "Competitive Status" that generally results from selection and service in Competitive Service agencies. The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) has established an Interchange Agreement, which allows most permanent TSA employees to apply and be considered for vacancies in Competitive Service agencies. Information from OPM on this or other Interchange Agreements is available at: www.opm.gov/

To ensure the accomplishment of our mission, DHS requires every employee to be reliable and trustworthy. To meet those standards, all selected applicants must undergo and successfully pass a background investigation as a condition of placement into this position.

DHS uses E-Verify, an Internet-based system, to confirm the eligibility of all newly hired employees to work in the United States. Learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities.

If you receive a conditional offer of employment for this position, you will be required to complete an https://www.opm.gov/forms/pdf_fill/OF0306.pdf, and to sign and certify the accuracy of all information in your application, prior to entry on duty. False statements on any part of the application may result in withdrawal of offer of employment, dismissal after beginning work, fine, or imprisonment.

TSA employees who are absent for the purpose of performing military duty may apply for any vacancies announced in their absence.

More than one position may be filled from this announcement.

If you are entering TSA employment on an appointment without time limitations, you must serve a basic trial period unless you have already met the requirement.

DHS offers competitive salaries and an attractive benefits package, including: health, dental, vision, life, and long-term care insurance; retirement plan; Thrift Savings Plan [similar to a 401(k)]; Flexible Spending Account; Employee Assistance Program; personal leave days; and paid federal holidays. Other benefits may include flexible work schedules; telework; tuition reimbursement; transportation subsidies; uniform allowance; health and wellness programs; and fitness centers. DHS is committed to employee development and offers a variety of employee training and developmental opportunities. For more information, go to the DHS Careers website and select "Benefits." Disabled veteran leave will be available to any Federal employee hired on or after November 5, 2016, who is a veteran with a service-connected disability rating of 30 percent or more.

Employees who transfer to TSA from an agency that allows employees to maintain an annual leave balance higher than the maximum accumulation for the appointed position will have their leave ceiling set to the maximum accumulation for the appointed position (e.g., United States duty location - 240 hours, foreign duty location - 360 hours, or TSES position - 720 hours). TSA will not make a monetary payment for any leave forfeited under these circumstances.

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.

You will be evaluated based on a comparison of the position requirements against the quality and extent of the experience and/or related education as reflected in your resume and supporting documentation. You are encouraged to ensure work experiences clearly show possession of the competencies required for this position. We will compare your resume and supporting documentation to your responses on the assessment questionnaire. If, after reviewing your resume and any supporting documentation, a determination is made that you have rated yourself higher than is supported by your application materials, your category placement may be adjusted and/or you may be excluded from consideration for this job.

Candidates will be rated and ranked using Category Grouping procedures. Under Category Grouping, candidates will be rated and ranked into one of three categories:

  • Best-Qualified: Applicants possessing experience that substantially exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position and demonstrate high proficiency in all of the critical competencies as determined by the job analysis.
  • Well-Qualified: Applicants possessing experience that exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position and demonstrates acceptable proficiency in all of the critical competencies as determined by the job analysis.
  • Qualified: Applicants possessing experience that meets the minimum qualifications of the position and demonstrate basic proficiency in most of the critical competencies as determined by the job analysis. If you are best qualified, you may be referred to the hiring manager for consideration and may be called for an interview.
Veterans: Qualified veterans who have a compensable service-connected disability of at least 10% are listed in the best-qualified category, except when the position being filled is scientific or professional at the GS-09 grade level, or higher. (This position is not considered scientific/professional.) Other 10-point preference eligibles and veterans with 5-point preference who meet the eligibility and qualification requirements are placed above non-preference eligibles within the category in which they qualify. View information on Veterans' Preference.

Your qualifications will be evaluated on the following competencies that are relevant to the duties of this position and must be fully supported by information in your resume:

  • Attention to Detail
  • Computer Skills
  • Organizational Awareness
  • Written Communication


You may preview the questions for this vacancy here: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12576763

Required Documents

In addition to a resume and the assessment questions, you must submit copies of any of the following documents if you are applying based on current or former Federal Government Status, Veterans' Preference or eligible Veterans' Service (a veteran who was honorably discharged from the armed forces after completing at least three (3) years of continuous active duty service), or education or a combination of education and experience:

DD-214 - If you are claiming Veterans' Preference or eligible Veterans' Service, provide a copy of your DD-214 (Member Copy 4), Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty, or other appropriate documentation to prove your entitlement and to provide verification of an Honorable Discharge.

SF-15 and VA Letter - If you are claiming Veterans' Preference based upon a Compensable Disability, Widow or Spouse Entitlement, or as a Purple Heart recipient, you must submit your DD-214 or other proof of entitlement; an SF-15, and the required proof of disability, i.e., Department of Veterans Affairs letter dated 1991 or later.

SF-50 Notification of Personnel Action - Current TSA employees are strongly encouraged to submit the most recent non-Award SF-50, at the time of application, to support eligibility for Status consideration. TSA employees who do not submit the SF-50 with the application must document their current TSA position in their resume and may be required to provide the SF-50 document during the selection process. TSA employees may obtain a copy of their most recent non-Award SF-50 at https://eopf.opm.gov/dhs/.

Transcripts - If you are qualifying based on education OR if there are mandatory education requirements listed under the Qualifications and Evaluations section, you MUST submit a copy of your college transcript(s) with your application. If selected, an official/sealed college transcript(s) will be required to verify education prior to employment.

If you do not submit required documentation described in this job opportunity announcement, your application will be deemed incomplete and you will be ineligible for further consideration for this vacancy.

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

All of the following must be received in our office by 11:59 PM EDT (Eastern Daylight time) on the closing date of this announcement. If we do not receive all required information by the closing date, your application may not be considered.

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

  1. Resume
  2. Self-Assessment Questionnaire for this position
  3. Applicable supporting documents (see Required Documents Section)
To begin, click Apply to access the online application.
  • You will need to be logged into your USAJOBS account to apply. If you do not have a USAJOBS account, you will need to create one before beginning the application.
  • Follow the prompts to select your resume and/or other supporting documents to be included with your application package. 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. You must re-select your resume and/or other documents from your USAJOBS account or your application will 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.
  • We encourage you to apply online. If you are unable to apply online or need to fax a document you do not have in electronic form, please contact HC-ServeU@tsa.dhs.gov .

Veterans and Persons with disabilities possess a wealth of unique talents, experiences, and competencies that can be invaluable to the DHS mission. If you are a member of one of these groups, you may not have to compete with the public for federal jobs. To determine your eligibility for non-competitive appointment and to understand the documentation that is required, click on the links above or contact the Servicing Human Resources Office listed at the bottom of this announcement.

Agency contact information

HC ServeU Customer Care
Address
LE/FAMS - Field Operations
6595 Springfield Center Dr
Springfield, VA 22150
US
Learn more about this agency

Next steps

The questionnaire will assess your qualifications for the job, and will be used to identify the best qualified applicants to be referred to the hiring manager for further consideration and possible interview. We will notify you of the outcome of these steps when they have been completed.

To verify the status of your application, log into your USAJOBS account (https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login), 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://www.usajobs.gov/Help/how-to/application/status/.


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


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