Program Support Specialist Job in Washington, DC

Vacancy No. CVC-2025-155 Department Architect of the Capitol
Salary $69,923.00 to $90,898.00 Grade 09 to 09
Perm/Temp Permanent FT/PT Full-time
Open Date 1/31/2025 Close Date 2/17/2025
Job Link Apply Online Who may apply Public
Locations:
Washington, DC


Summary

This position is located in the Capitol Visitor Center (CVC) in the Planning, Operations and Evaluation Division. The incumbent serves as a Program Support Specialist responsible for administrative, purchasing and procurement, contracting, project support, and travel and records management activities.

This job is open to

Clarification from the agency

This announcement is open to all U.S. citizens.

Duties

MAJOR DUTIES INCLUDE:

Financial and Budget Management

  • Assists in the strategic allocation of funding to areas of need across a wide audience to ensure that CVC budgetary and purchasing needs can be met.
  • Completes small purchase orders, monitors and tracks purchase card orders, and processes invoices and other financial information.
  • Responsible for procuring supplies, services, equipment and other resources through a variety of purchasing methods and procedures.
  • Performs all phases of procurement from receipt of purchase request through final delivery.
  • Verifies delivery and correctness of purchases. Reconciles credit card accounts monthly and resolves problems to balance accounts. 
  • Uses Financial Management System (FMS) and Maximo operating systems to perform purchasing duties.

Contracting Responsibilities 

  • Liaises with contracting officers and contracting officer representatives and provides administrative support for the CVC’s contracting needs.
  • Assists in the creation of new contracts through support for scope of work creation, cost estimations, contracting package development and technical evaluation review.
  • Reviews progress reports on contracts and assists others in addressing issues with proposals and contracts as they arise.

Management, Administrative and Project Support

  • Manages office operations and provides administrative support for the CVC’s POE Division.
  • Develops and documents standard procedures to support office operations and ensure consistency and continuity.
  • Manages the division’s filing and record-keeping systems, including records management liaison and confidentiality of related personally identifiable information and archiving requirements.
  • Serves as point of contact and or back up for various business processes including WebTA, Workers Compensation, Badging, Travel, Onboarding, Separations, Proxy and Transit Subsidy program.
  • Integrates several types of software, such as spreadsheet, database, word processing, desktop publishing and graphics applications, to compile data and generate specific working documents, reports and forms.
  • Provides guidance and support to CVC staff on financial and administrative policies and procedures.
  • Collaborates with others to draft, review and revise communications and reports.
  • Coordinates the acquisition and on-going maintenance of office equipment, such as copiers, phones and computers.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

  • You must be a U.S. Citizen.
  • Your resume and question responses must demonstrate the job-related KSAs.
  • You must meet the definition of specialized experience.

  • A citizen of the United States;
  • A person who is lawfully admitted for permanent residence and is seeking citizenship as outlined in 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3)(B);
  • A person who is admitted as a refugee under 8 U.S.C. 1157 or is granted asylum under 8 U.S.C. 1158 and has filed a declaration of intention to become a lawful permanent resident and then a citizen when eligible;
  • A person who owes allegiance to the United States (nationals of American Samoa, Swains Island, and the Northern Mariana Islands, and nationals who meet other requirements described in 8 U.S.C. 1408); or
  • A person who is currently an officer or employee of the Government of the United States.

Qualifications

You must meet the United States Office of Personnel Management's (OPM) qualification requirements (including specialized experience and/or educational requirements) for the advertised position. You must meet all eligibility and qualifications requirements by the closing date of the job announcement. Additional information on the qualification requirements is outlined in the OPM Qualifications Standards Handbook of General Schedule Positions. It is available for your review on the OPM web site at OPM qualification standards
 
Specialized experience: is experience that has equipped you with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position, 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 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization.
 
Candidates for the GS-09 grade level must have at least 52 weeks of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-07) in the Federal service. 

Specialized experience for this position is defined as having at least 4 of the following: 

Specialized experience for this position is defined as having at least 4 of the following: (1) Practical knowledge of federal budgeting processes, regulations, and procedures. (2) Skilled in records and database management. (3) Skilled in financial records management and analysis. (4) Practical knowledge of contracting laws, regulations, procedures and policies to support a wide range of contracting services. (5) Skilled in planning projects, collecting and analyzing information, drawing conclusions, executing plans, and taking corrective actions when needed. (6) Ability to collaborate with internal and external stakeholders and achieve common goals.

Qualifying on 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 to the duties of the position.

OR Combination of Education and Experience

Additional information

Welcome Veterans. The Veterans Employment Opportunities Act of 1998 (VEOA) gives veterans' preference rights in the legislative branch to certain veterans as applied by the Congressional Accountability Act. Veterans' preference is applied on this vacancy announcement. If you are a veteran and have been separated under honorable conditions, you must submit a copy of your DD-214 or other proof of eligibility; SF-15, if applicable; and Department of Veterans Affairs documentation of disability, if applicable. For more information, please visit OPM vet guide

If you are a male applicant born after December 31, 1959, you must certify that you have registered with the Selective Service System.  If you are exempt from registration under Selective Service Law, you must provide appropriate proof of exemption. Please visit the Selective Service System website for more information.

DRUG TESTING: The Architect of the Capitol (AOC) is a Drug Free Workplace. As part of the AOC’s suitability assessment, a candidate tentatively selected for a position who is not currently an AOC employee is required to submit to screening for illegal drug use. Satisfactory completion of a drug test is a condition of employment with the Agency. A candidate must test negative prior to being eligible for appointment into a position. We will schedule, provide, and cover the cost for the drug test.
 
The selectee(s) under the vacancy announcement for this position is subject to a criminal record check by the U.S. Capitol Police and satisfactory adjudication to be eligible for employment at the Architect of the Capitol.
 
The Architect of the Capitol is an E-VERIFY Participant. E-VERIFY is an Internet-based system that compares information from an employee's Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification, to data from U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Social Security Administration records to confirm employment authorization in the United States. If you are selected for this position, the documentation that you present for purposes of completing the DHS Form I-9 will be verified through the DHS "E-VERIFY" electronic system. For more information on E-Verify, please visit http://www.dhs.gov/files/programs/gc_1185221678150.shtm

The Architect of the Capitol is an Equal Opportunity Employer and prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, age, national origin, genetic information, sexual orientation and/or disability.
This agency provides reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process, please notify the agency. The decision on granting reasonable accommodation will be on a case-by-case basis.
 
Moving expenses are not authorized.
 
Relocation expenses are not authorized.
 
Probationary Period - A newly appointed selectee(s) is subject to the completion of a one-year trial/probationary period, regardless of whether or not a trial/probationary period has been completed previously with the Architect of the Capitol or another Federal agency.

This vacancy announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies in any of the jurisdictions of the Architect of the Capitol.

Please be advised that federal retired annuitant candidates may only be considered as a temporary employee if the role can be filled in that capacity.

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.

A variety of health insurance plans; retirement system with investment options; paid holidays; paid sick and annual (vacation) leave; life insurance; incentive systems; subsidized transportation; training and development opportunities, etc.

The Architect of the Capitol offers eligible employees opportunity to participate in the Student Loan Repayment Program.

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.

Review your resume and responses carefully. Your eligibility for consideration and qualifications for the position will be determined based upon a review of your detailed resume and your responses to job specific self-assessment questions.  

Your resume will be evaluated based on evidence of your ability to demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) for this position, possession of any specialized experience, and how well your background and experience relates to the self-assessment questions in the job announcement. The self-assessment questions relate to the following knowledge, skills, abilities, and competencies:

- Practical knowledge of administrative principles as well as the ability to present their findings in a clear persuasive manner. Required to use various analytical techniques.

- Practical knowledge of administrative principles as well as the ability to present their findings in a clear persuasive manner. Required to use various analytical techniques.

- Communication skills to discuss issues with supervisors within the team as well as those in other organizations in order to gather information, make recommendations or make decisions.

- Knowledge of budgetary needs and skill in applying the principles, practices and methods of budget execution to control funds.

- Practical knowledge of contractual management principles and guidelines to coordinate performance and compliance between the government and contractor.

- Knowledge of grammar, writing and style practices or requirements particular to the type of publication being prepared.

- Skill in operating a variety of automated office equipment.

Your responses to the self assessment questions serve as the basis for your initial rating. You will receive a numerical score based on your responses to these questions. Next, your responses will be evaluated by a Human Resources Specialist and/or a subject matter expert against the information provided in your resume and optional cover letter. Your resume must support your answers to the self assessment questions. Falsifying your background, education, and/or experience is cause for not hiring you or disqualification for further consideration.

Please note that a complete application is required for consideration. (Please review the “Required Documents” section of this job announcement to see what must be included in a complete application).


You may preview questions for this vacancy.

Required Documents

The Architect of the Capitol's job application process is designed to ensure that we only ask you for the information that is absolutely needed to evaluate your qualifications and eligibility for the position.

To apply for this position, you only need to submit online the following: a) your resume and 2) answer the online vacancy assessment questionnaire. The online questionnaire contains eligibility and screening questions and other relevant supplemental information. No additional documentation or attachment is required at the time of application. 

We ask that you prepare and submit a resume that best describes fully your background experience, skills, abilities, education, training and other relevant credentials. The resume should include dates of employment.

Nothing further is required until it is requested by the staff of the Human Capital Management Division. If additional documentation is required for a position, you will be asked to provide it during the selection process or upon selection. At that point, we may ask you to submit documentation to support statements made in your resume.

For example, we may ask you to provide documents such as college transcripts, copy of diploma or proof of Federal employment status. If the position requires a license or certification, we will ask candidate(s) to provide proof at the time of selection.

If you are claiming veterans' preference, we may ask you to submit proof of Veterans preference (DD-214, and, if claiming 10-point preference, the SF-15 plus proof required by that form).

If you fail to provide the required documents, we will withdraw a tentative job offer made and/or remove you from further consideration.

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

You MUST apply online. FORMS RECEIVED BY FAX, EMAIL OR U.S. POSTAL SERVICE DELIVERY WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED.

If you are a new user to the USAJobs Site and have never registered for an account; you will first need to create an account profile with your basic contact information and a resume to begin applying. You must be a registered USAJobs user AND you must be signed-in to your account in order to apply for this position. For help setting up an account or for general help using USAJobs, go to USAJobs Help Page.

NEED HELP?
If you experience any difficulties with the application site, help is available! If you have problems completing your on-line application, contact the Monster Hiring Management Help Desk at 1-866-656-6831 or by e-mail at MGSHELP@monster.com. The help desk is available Monday - Friday 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Eastern Time. You may call and leave a voice mail message at all other times.

All required supporting documents will be collected electronically via the USAJobs “Saved Documents” feature.

If you are unable to apply on-line, you may visit our Employment Center for technical assistance in entering your application. The Employment Center is located at 441 Second & D Streets S.W., Washington, D.C., Room H2-178, and is open Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. You may call (202) 226-7000 for directions.

Agency contact information

London Holliway
Address
Architect of the Capitol
United States Capitol
Washington, District of Columbia 20515
United States

Next steps

You will receive a notice generated by the USAJobs System when you have successfully submitted your application. We will review your application and transcript(s) (if you are qualifying based on education) to ensure you meet the basic qualification requirements.

You can check the status of your application by logging into http://www.usajobs.gov. You may also sign up to receive automatic emails anytime the status of your application has changed by logging into your USAJobs Account, editing your profile and changing the ‘Notification Settings’ to indicate that you want to be notified by email when the status changes. Information regarding the status of your application should be updated in the system within 2 weeks after the closing date of this job announcement.


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


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