Quality Assurance Specialist (Keystone)

Department of Defense

Defense Contract Management Agency

DCMA Geographic & Systems Support (PO)

Summary

See below for important information regarding this job.

Additional vacancies may be filled from this announcement.

This position is a Defense Contract Management Agency (DCMA) Keystone Program Opening.
Prior to appointment, all candidates will be required to sign a Keystone Conditions of Employment Agreement.
Additional vacancies may be filled from this announcement.

This job is open to

The public

U.S. Citizens, Nationals or those who owe allegiance to the U.S.

Military spouses

Military spouses of active duty service members or whose spouse is 100 percent disabled or died on active duty.

Clarification from the agency

This announcement is open to All U.S. Citizens and is being filled under the Direct Hire Authority (DHA) for Certain Personnel of the Department of Defense.

Duties

Serves as a Quality Assurance developmental intern within DCMA.
Completes classroom and on-the-job training to acquire, exercise, and maintain knowledge of the duties inherent quality assurance mission support activities.
Observes and assists with quality or manufacturing surveillance activities on assigned contracts or other delegated support activities.
Observes and assists with the performance of pre-award and/or post-award contract reviews to help assess the appropriate level of quality assurance recommendations and requirements.
In a developmental capacity observes and assists with: quality system validation; ensuring critical characteristic inspections are performed and processes validated; participating in material review boards for nonconforming hardware.
In a developmental capacity observes and assists with: special tooling, test equipment and facilities inspections; evaluating first article inspections according to approved plans; documenting QA activity findings.

Requirements

Conditions of employment

Must be a U.S. citizen
Security Requirements: Non-Critical Sensitive with Secret Access
Appointment is subject to the completion of a favorable suitability or fitness determination, where reciprocity cannot be applied; unfavorably adjudicated background checks will be grounds for removal.
Selective Service Requirement: Males born after 12-31-59 must be registered or exempt from Selective Service.

Qualifications

To qualify for a Quality Assurance Specialist (Keystone), your resume and supporting documentation must support:

A. Specialized Experience: One year of specialized experience that equipped you with the particular competencies to successfully perform the duties of the position and is directly in or related to this position. To qualify at the GS-07 level, applicants must possess one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-05 level or equivalent under other pay systems in the Federal service, military or private sector. Applicants must meet eligibility requirements including minimum qualifications, and any other regulatory requirements by the cut-off/closing date of the announcement. Creditable specialized experience includes:

Monitoring, controlling, or maintaining the quality of products or services in quality assurance, procurement, inspection, and production; OR
Reviewing production activities and capabilities in light of contract quality requirements; OR
Reviewing written quality or inspection procedures for adequacy and evaluating the implementation and effectiveness of quality/inspection systems, including sampling plans; OR
Analyzing quality data to detect unsatisfactory trends or weaknesses in the quality/inspection system; OR
Verifying by test or inspection, using sampling inspection or intensive product inspection techniques, that products comply with requirements prior to acceptance; OR
Identifying inadequacies and requesting corrective action; OR
Computing data, summarizing results, and preparing reports or charts depicting pertinent relationships using statistical methods; OR
Investigating customer complaints and deficiency reports, and providing identification of causes to appropriate authorities; OR
Reading, interpreting, and applying technical data such as blueprints, engineering drawings, product specifications, or technical manuals; OR
Reviewing and evaluating supply systems operations and procedures through periodic audits and surveillance inspections

B. Education Substitution: Such education must demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work. Education must be from a college or university accredited by an organization approved by the U.S. Department of Education. See http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/Search.aspx. If using education to meet basic qualifications, YOU MUST SUBMIT A TRANSCRIPT as supplemental documentation. To qualify based on education in lieu of specialized experience, you must possess: 1 full year of graduate level education or superior academic achievement.

C. Combination: Combinations of successfully completed post-high school education and experience may be used to meet total qualifications and may be computed by first determining the applicant's total qualifying experience as a percentage of the experience required for the grade level; then determining the applicant's education as a percentage of the education required for the grade level; and then adding the two percentages. The total percentages must equal at least 100 percent to qualify an applicant for that grade level. Only graduate education in excess of the amount required for the next lower grade level may be used to qualify applicants for positions at grade GS-07.

Education

If the position has a minimum education requirement you MUST provide transcripts (unofficial are acceptable at the time of application) to support your educational claims. Or, if you are using education to qualify in lieu of specialized experience you MUST provide transcripts (unofficial are acceptable at the time of application) to support your educational claims. The transcripts must include your name, the name of the college or university, class/course list, completed number of credits/hours, and the date degree conferred (if applicable). Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Licenses must be current at time of application.

GRADUATE EDUCATION: One academic year of graduate education is considered to be the number of credits hours that your graduate school has determined to represent one academic year of full-time study. Such study may have been performed on a full-time or part-time basis. If you cannot obtain your graduate school's definition of one year of graduate study, 18 semester hours (or 27 quarter hours) should be considered as satisfying the requirement for one year of full-time graduate study.

FOREIGN EDUCATION: If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show that the education credentials have been evaluated by a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign education programs and such education has been deemed equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program; or full credit has been given for the courses at a U.S. accredited college or university.

Additional information

This position does not meet criteria for appointment of Reemployed Annuitants. The DoD criteria for hiring Reemployed Annuitants can be found at: DoDI 1400.25-V300.
Tour of Duty: 1st Shift
FLSA: Non-Exempt
Bargaining Unit: No
Selectee may be required to serve a trial/probationary period.
Financial Disclosure Required
Acquisition, Technology & Logistics (AT&L) NON-CAP: Position requires DoD Acquisition Engineering & Tech Management, Foundational certification within required timeframes. Selectee must also achieve 80 hours of Continuous Learning Points (CLPs) every 2-years. Click here for more details and Resources.
Current federal employees may be entitled to pay retention, if selected.
Military spouses working remotely are exempt from in-person work under the conditions explained by OPM's February 12, 2025 memorandum and the March 20, 2025 Frequently Asked Questions.

NOTE: During the Keystone Program, participants will receive specialized formal classroom training, computer-based training, and on-the-job (OJT) training. The training development program will consist of the following:

Report initially to the Contract Management Office (CMO)/Center in the duty location for which you were selected.
Travel TDY (Temporary Duty Travel) for one week to attend training at the DCMA Learning Campus (DLC) in Fort Lee, VA.
Spend 6 months in the CMO/Center for on-the-job (OJT) and developmental training.
Return within the three-year developmental training to the DLC, HQ or other CMO locations for assessment/various functional specific training.

Reasonable Accommodation Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended and Americans with Disabilities Act 1990 as amended, that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a reasonable accommodation in your online application. Requests for Reasonable Accommodations for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for Reasonable Accommodation must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for Reasonable Accommodations are made on a case-by-case basis. If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. To determine if you need a Reasonable Accommodation, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments here: https://help.usastaffing.gov/Apply/index.php?title=Reasonable_Accommodations_for_USA_Hire.

Positions will be filled at any of the locations listed below. Site specific salary information as follows:

Austin, TX: $51,878 - $67,443
Fort Worth, TX: $54,857 - $71,315

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

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.

Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your eligibility and/or score.

Once the application process is complete, a review of your resume and supporting documentation may be completed and compared against your responses to the assessment questionnaire to determine if you are qualified for this job. The rating you receive is based on your responses to the assessment questionnaire and USA Hire assessments. The score is a measure of the degree to which your background matches the competencies required for this position. If your resume and/or supporting documentation is reviewed and a determination is made that you have inflated your qualifications and or experience, you may lose consideration for this position. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your rating.

Direct Hire Evaluation: Once the application process is complete, a review of your application will be made to ensure you meet the job requirements. This vacancy will be filled through OPM's Direct Hire Authority. All applicants who meet the basic qualification requirements will be forwarded to the Selecting Official for consideration. The rule of Three, Veteran's Preference and traditional rating and ranking of applicants do not apply to this vacancy. We will evaluate your application for basic eligibility and to determine if your experience meets the basic qualification requirements described in the announcement. All applicants who meet the qualifications and other basic requirement are eligible for referral and selection consideration. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your rating.

Required Documents

Required documents for submission vary based on the authority you are using to apply (e.g., applying as a veteran, a current permanent Federal employee, a reinstatement, etc). Your complete application includes your resume, your responses to the online questionnaire, and documents which prove your eligibility to apply. If you fail to provide these documents, you will be marked as having an incomplete application package and you will not be considered any further.

The following documents are REQUIRED:
1. Your resume:

IMPORTANT UPDATE: Your resume must not exceed two (2) pages. If your resume exceeds the two-page limit, you will be removed from consideration for this announcement. The resume and required supporting documentation should provide the minimum qualifications and relevant experience for the announced position. Must include the work schedule, hours worked per week, dates of employment, and duties performed. If multiple resumes are submitted by an applicant, only the last resume submitted will be reviewed for qualifications and referred for selection consideration, if eligible. The resume must not be more than 5MB and should be saved and uploaded as a PDF to maintain formatting and number of pages. We also accept GIF, JPG, JPEG, PNG, RTF, TXT, PDF, ODT or Word (DOC or DOCX). We do not accept PDF portfolio files. Page margins should be 0.5 inches, and font styles must be legible. Consider using 14-point size font for titles and 10-point for the main text. We recommend using a font like Lato, if available. Other widely available options are Calibri, Helvetica, Arial, Verdana, Open San Source Sans Pro, Roboto or Noro Sans.
Additional guidance on writing a federal resume can be found at: USAJOBS Help Center - How do I write a resume for a federal job? The resume builder can help you create a resume using these recommendations and uses the information in your USAJOBS profile to help you get started.
To ensure full credit for time worked regarding qualifications determinations your resume must include your work schedule. You are strongly encouraged to ensure your resume contains the number of hours worked per week and the specific dates of employment (i.e.,"40 hrs per week; 1/15/2020 - 1/14/2022" or "30 hrs per week; 1/15/2020 - Present").

2. Transcripts (must include your name, the name of the college or university, class/course list, completed number of credits/hours, and the date degree conferred (if applicable): Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Licenses must be current at time of application.

College transcript(s), required if qualifying based on education.

PLEASE REVIEW THE LINK FOR OTHER SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS needed for proof of eligibility: Supporting Documents

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

Please read the entire announcement and all the instructions before you begin an application. To apply for this position, you must complete the initial online application, to include submission of the required documentation specified in the Required Documents section below.

The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on 11/02/2026 to receive consideration.

To begin, click Apply Online to access an online application. Follow the prompts to select your USAJOBS resume and/or other supporting documents. You will need to be logged into your USAJOBS account or you may need to create a new account.
You will be taken to an online application. Complete the online application, verify the required documentation, and submit the application. NOTE: Resumes up to a total of two pages will be accepted. Resumes exceeding two pages will be removed from consideration.
You will receive an email notification when your application has been received for the announcement.
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.
Visit the USA Hire Applicant Resource Center for practice assessments and assessment preparation resources at https://support-usahire.opm.gov/hc/en-us.
To verify the status of your application, log into your USAJOBS account, https://www.usajobs.gov, select the Application Status link and then select the More Information link for this position. The Application Status page will display the status of your application, the documentation received and processed, and your responses submitted to the online application. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process.

To update your application, including supporting documentation, at any time during the announcement open period by returning to your USAJOBS account (https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login). There you will find a record of your application, the application status, and an option to Update Application. This option will no longer be available once the announcement has closed.

To verify the status of your application both during and after the announcement open period, log into your USAJOBS account: https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login. All of your applications will appear on the Welcome page. The application record in your USAJOBS account provides an Additional Application Information page that provides information regarding the documentation you submitted and any correspondence sent related to this application. 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/.

Notifications: All notifications on application status will be sent to you via email and posted to your USAJOBS account.

To preview the questionnaire, please go to https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/13093586.

As required by 5 C.F.R. § 302.106., DLA will provide Section 508 conformant ICT to employees with disabilities. All ICT interfaces with the public related to vacancy announcements and career transition opportunities must conform to the applicable requirements in the current ICT Standards and Guidelines (36 C.F.R. § 1194).

Agency contact information

DHRSStaffing DCMA Central

Phone: 614 693-6765
Email: DHRSStaffing.DCMA.Central@dla.mil

Address: DEFENSE CONTRACT MGT - GSS SYS - PO
3901 A Ave
Bldg 10500
Fort Lee, VA 23801
US

Next steps

If you meet the minimum qualifications of this position, you may be presented with instructions on how to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments (CBA) system. These additional online assessments must be completed within 48 hours following the close of this announcement unless you have requested Reasonable Accommodation for the USA Hire CBA. Your results will be kept on record for one year when applying for future jobs that require the same USA Hire CBA.

NOTE: If the USA Hire CBA is altered within a year of your last application, you will be required to take the new USA Hire CBA. If no additional online assessments are required you will receive an OPM notification stating "It has been determined that you have completed all required online assessments and your application is complete. No further action is required."

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/

Quality Assurance Specialist (Keystone) Job