Program Support Assistant (Leadership Support) Job in Saint Paul, MN

Vacancy No. CASK-12541206-24-CM (DE) Department Veterans Benefits Administration
Salary $48,018.00 to $62,426.00 Grade 6 to 6
Perm/Temp Permanent FT/PT Full-time
Open Date 9/23/2024 Close Date 9/27/2024
Job Link Apply Online Who may apply Public
Locations:
Saint Paul, MN


Job Description (Please follow all instructions carefully)

Summary

This position is located in the Support Services Division (SSD) of the St Paul, MN. Regional Office, where the incumbent provides program, technical and administrative assistance to the SSD Chief and other subordinate management within the division.

This job is open to

Clarification from the agency

All U.S. Citizens

Duties

  • Processes incoming and outgoing materials such as correspondence, reports, memoranda, and other forms of written communications.
  • Reviews and analyzes various materials, determines action necessary, researches and assembles background information, and refers said materials to the appropriate section when necessary.
  • Edits documents, composes letters and reports, reviews correspondence for accuracy and completeness, prepares public presentation outlines, and develops standard for form letters and replies to inquiries.
  • Liaises with the customer and identifies requirements for equipment purchase, lease, trade-in, excess, move to another location, warranty periods, etc. and then passes those requirements on to the appropriate Administrative Section staff for action.
  • Maintains the confidential records for SSD, including records concerning individual performance, disciplinary actions, awards, and similar information for all employees of the Division.
  • As a purchase card holder, always secures purchase card, identifies correct accounting string or budget object codes (BOCs) for appropriate transactions as required within VA 's credit card system.
  • Serves as the principal timekeeper for SSD and may support other division timekeeper needs by serving as an alternate timekeeper.
  • Reviews and makes corrections to the RO's controlled publications (circulars, bulletins, memoranda) to ensure proper format is used.
  • May have duties in the PIV issuance process and may serve as one of the facility's PIV Card issuers.
  • Prepares information in connection with surveys and one-time reports required by Central Office, or Division management regarding administrative support functions from other divisions and outside sources of data.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

  • You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job
  • Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959
  • You may be required to serve a probationary period
  • Subject to background/security investigation
  • Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 09/27/2024.

You may qualify based on your experience as described below:
  • Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least to the next lower grade GS-05 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Qualifying specialized experience includes: composing, reviewing, and editing correspondence, auditing statistical data, assessing organizational workflow, providing budgetary recommendations, and serving as the principal timekeeper.

Education: There is no education substitute at this grade level.


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; religions; 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.

Note: A full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week. Part-time experience will be credited on the basis of time actually spent in appropriate activities. Applicants wishing to receive credit for such experience must indicate clearly the nature of their duties and responsibilities in each position and the number of hours a week spent in such employment.

For more information on these qualification standards, please visit the United States Office of Personnel Management's website at http://://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/.

Education

There is no educational substitution at this grade level.

Additional information

This is not a Virtual/Remote/Telework Position.

Work Schedule: Regular office hours, Monday -Friday, 8:00 AM - 4:30 PM. Alternate work schedules may be available.

Physical Demands: Work requires some physical exertion such as extended periods of standing, frequent bending, reaching or similar activities necessary to set up, operate, adjust and monitor operation of the equipment. I he employee lifts a variety of moderately heavy materials and supplies such as mailbags or large quantities of paper stock.

Work Environment: Work is performed in an office setting that is adequately lighted, heated and ventilated.

Promotion Potential: The full performance level of this position is grade GS-06.

Receiving Service Credit for Earning Annual (Vacation) Leave: Federal employees earn annual leave at a rate (4, 6 or 8 hours per pay period) which is based on the number of years they have served as a Federal employee. VA may offer newly-appointed federal employee's credit for their job-related non-federal experience or active duty uniformed military service. This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave. Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment date and is not guaranteed.

Placement Policy: The posting of this announcement does not obligate management to fill a vacancy or vacancies by promotion. The position may be filled by reassignment, change to lower grade, transfer, appointment, or reinstatement. Management may use any one or any combination of these methods to fill the position.

"Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicant's criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer (TJO). Please visit the Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP), https://www.va.gov/EMPLOYEE/docs/The-Fair-Chance-to-Compete-Act.pdf.

This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.

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.

In describing your experience, please be clear and specific. We will not make assumptions regarding your experience. Applicants who do not fully address in their resumes the specialized experience needed for the position (as described in the job announcement) will not be referred for further consideration.

If you are referred for consideration you will be rated on the following competencies (knowledge, skills and abilities) based on your application for this position:

  • Customer Service (Clerical/Technical)
  • Decisiveness
  • Information Assurance
  • Reasoning
  • Technology Application


You may be asked to submit additional job related information, which may include responses to the knowledge, skills and abilities identified in the announcement; and/or completion of a work sample; and/or an interview. Your resume and/or supporting documentation will be verified. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your rating or your further consideration for employment.

After we receive application packages (including all required documents) and the vacancy announcement closes, we review applications to ensure qualification and eligibility requirements are met. During our review, if your résumé and application package does not support your questionnaire answers, we will adjust your rating accordingly.

Your application will be evaluated using the category rating method based on your responses to the assessment questions and the documents you submit. If you meet the basic requirements for the position, your application will be evaluated and placed into one of three categories:
  1. Best Qualified Category - Candidates who meet the minimum qualification requirements and demonstrate a high level of the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to perform the duties of the position.
  2. Well Qualified Category - Candidates who meet the minimum qualification requirements and demonstrate a satisfactory level of the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to perform the duties of the position.
  3. Qualified Category - Candidates who meet the minimum qualifications requirements.
Note: Candidates eligible for veterans' preference will be placed ahead of other candidates in the appropriate category for which they have been rated. Additionally, preference eligibles who have a compensable service-connected disability of at least 10 percent and who meet the minimum qualification requirements will automatically be placed in the best qualified category.

Required Documents

Required Documents:

  • Resume


Resume
  • Your resume may be submitted in any format, however, we strongly recommend using USA Jobs resume builder as it contains all of the information required on Federal resumes.
  • For qualifications determinations your resume must reflect hours worked per week, the inclusive dates of employment, and the level of your experience. If your resume does not reflect this information you will not receive credit for the experience.
  • If you submit more than one copy of your resume, the most recent version will be reviewed. The latest timestamp will be used to determine which version of your resume is "most recent." It is your responsibility to check the status and timestamp of all documents you submit as part of your application. We would recommend that you not submit more than one version of your resume.
  • If your resume includes a photograph or other inappropriate material or content, we will not use it to make eligibility and qualification determinations, and you may not be considered further for the vacancy.
Accepted Documents:
  • Cover Letter
  • DD-214/ Statement of Service
  • Disability Letter (Schedule A)
  • Disability Letter (VA)
  • CTAP/ ICTAP documents, if applicable
  • PCS Orders
  • Performance Appraisal
  • Proof of Marriage Status
  • Resume
  • Separation Notice (RIF)
  • SF-15
  • SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action
  • Transcript

Applicants claiming veterans' preference must also submit:
  • A legible copy of your DD Form 214, "Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty," showing all dates of service, as well as character of service (Honorable, General, etc.) is required. The member copy 2 or 4 of your DD Form 214 is preferable, as they show the characterization of service. Copies of DD-214's can be requested: Here
  • Current active duty members must submit a signed statement of service from their commander dated within the last 120 days that reflects their expected discharge date, their release from active duty under honorable conditions, any medals awarded, and the timeframe of their service so that eligibility can be determined.
  • Veterans and others (Spouse, Parents, Widows/Widowers) claiming 10 point preference must also submit an SF-15 and all documents indicated on the form as proof of type of preference. This includes a VA letter supporting your disability claim with the overall percentage listed.
  • If you are unsure as to whether you qualify for veterans' preference, please consult the U.S. Department of Labor's Veterans' Preference Advisor: Here

Applicants claiming CTAP/ICTAP eligibility must also submit: Here
  • Certification of expected separation, reduction-in-force separation notice, or notice of proposed removal; and your most recent performance evaluation; and an SF-50 demonstrating your separation or the position you will be separated from; or
  • Worker's compensation separation (agency certification of inability to place employee and notification of separation or a separation SF-50; or
  • Disability annuity termination (notification from OPM of disability annuity termination and separation SF-50 of the last position held); or
  • Military reserve or National Guard technician special disability retirement annuity under 5 U.S.C. 8337(h) or 8456 (certification of special disability retirement annuity from a military department or National Guard bureau and separation SF-50 of the last position held).
Failure to submit any of the above mentioned required documents may result in loss of consideration due to an incomplete application package. It is your responsibility to ensure that all required documents have been submitted by the closing date of the announcement. You will not be contacted for additional information.

How to Apply

To apply for this position, you must complete the Application Preview and submit the documentation specified in the required documents section below.
https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12541206

The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on 09/27/2024 to receive consideration.
1. To begin, click apply online to create a USAJOBS account or log in to your existing account. Follow the prompts to select your USAJOBS résumé and/or other supporting documents and to complete the occupational questionnaire.
2. Click submit my answers to submit your application package.

Note: It is your responsibility to ensure that your response and any appropriate documentation is submitted by the closing date of the announcement. To verify that your application is complete, log into your USAJOBS account, select the application status link, and then select the more information link for this position. The details page will display the status of your application, the documentation received and processed, and any correspondence the agency has sent related to your application. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process. To return to an incomplete application, log into your USAJOBS accountand click update application in the vacancy announcement. You must re-select your resume and/or other documents from your USAJOBS account or your application will be incomplete.

To return to an incomplete application, log into your USAJOBS account and click Update Application in the vacancy announcement. You must re-select your resume and/or other documents from your USAJOBS account or your application will be incomplete.

Additional information for your consideration when making application: The Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) and Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provide eligible displaced Federal competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. To be qualified you must submit appropriate documentation and be found well-qualified for this vacancy. A well-qualified candidate is defined as meeting all of the minimum qualification standards and eligibility requirements as well as possessing skills that clearly exceed the minimum qualifications requirements for this position. Specifically, a well-qualified candidate will score 90 or above within the assessment portion of this vacancy. Information about ICTAP and CTAP eligibility can also be found: Here

Notice to Applicants: Itis the policy of the Government not to deny employment simply because an individual has been unemployed or has had financial difficulties that have arisen through no fault of the individual. Information about an individual's employment experience will be used only to determine the person's qualifications and to assess his or her relative level of knowledge, skills, and abilities. Although an individual's personal conduct may be relevant in any employment decision, including conduct during periods of unemployment or evidence of dishonesty in handling financial matters, financial difficulty that has arisen through no fault of the individual will generally not itself be the basis of an unfavorable suitability or fitness determination.

If you are unable to apply online or need an alternate method to submit documents, please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement.

Agency contact information

HRC-Detroit DEU
Address
St Paul Regional Benefit Office
1 Federal Dr, Fort Snelling
St Paul, MN 55111-4050
US
Learn more about this agency

Next steps

After the review is complete, a referral certificate will be issued and applicants will be notified of their status by email (if provided). Referred applicants will be notified as such and may be contacted directly by the hiring office for an interview. All referred applicants receive a final notification once a selection decision has been made.

You may check the status of your application at any time by logging into your USAJOBS account: Here
For a more detailed update of your status, click on "more information." Information regarding applicant process can be found: Here


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