Special Assistant Job in Woodlawn, MD

Vacancy No. CMS-CMMI-26-12816683-IT Department Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
Salary $142,488.00 to $185,234.00 Grade 14 to 14
Perm/Temp Permanent FT/PT Full-time
Open Date 10/22/2025 Close Date 10/28/2025
Job Link Apply Online Who may apply Status Candidates
Locations:
Woodlawn, MD


Summary


This position is located in the Department of Health & Human Services (HHS), Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMMI), Office of the Director (OD).

As a Special Assistant, GS-0301-14, you will provide authoritative recommendations on key issues affecting the operations of the Center and CMS programs.

Duties

  • Directs, monitors, and reports on major projects assigned to subordinate components by the Center Director and Deputies to ensure the CMMI goals, objectives, and deadlines are understood and met.
  • Makes authoritative recommendations to the Center Deputies about needed changes, new program initiatives, or project terminations and actively participates with Deputies and senior managers in the decision-making process.
  • Oversees or personally conducts work that develops and produces various written products, including briefing documents, correspondence, reports, and issue papers.
  • Attends meetings and conferences with the Center Deputies and serves as a source of background data based on research performed in preparation for the meetings and conferences.
  • Acts as a consultant and advisor to the Center Deputies on policies, procedures, and critical issues that majorly impact CMMI programs.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

  • You must be a U.S. Citizen or National to apply for this position.
  • You will be subject to a background and suitability investigation.
  • Time-in-Grade restrictions apply.

Qualifications

ALL QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS MUST BE MET WITHIN 30 DAYS OF THE CLOSING DATE OF THIS ANNOUNCEMENT.

Your resume must include detailed information as it relates to the responsibilities and specialized experience for this position. Evidence of copying and pasting directly from the vacancy announcement without clearly documenting supplemental information to describe your experience will result in an ineligible rating. This will prevent you from receiving further consideration.

In order to qualify for the GS-14 grade level, you must meet the following: You must demonstrate in your resume at least one year (52 weeks) of qualifying specialized experience equivalent to the GS-13 grade level in the Federal government, obtained in either the private or public sector, to include:
1) Writing/preparing communications such as special reports, briefing materials, etc.;
2) Presenting information to senior management and assimilating relevant data for dissemination; AND
3) Leading the analysis of planning and coordinating programs and/or projects.

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.

Time-in-Grade: To be eligible, current Federal employees must have served at least 52 weeks (one year) at the next lower grade level from the position/grade level(s) to which they are applying.

Click the following link to view the occupational questionnaire: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12816683

Education

This job does not have an education qualification requirement.

Additional information

Bargaining Unit Position: No
Tour of Duty: Flexible
Recruitment Incentive: Not Authorized
Relocation Incentive: Not Authorized
Financial Disclosure: Not Required

Workplace Flexibility at CMS: This position has a regular and recurring reporting requirement to the CMS office listed in this announcement. CMS offers flexible working arrangements and allows employees the opportunity to participate in alternative work schedules at the manager's discretion.

The Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) and Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provide eligible displaced federal employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. To be qualified you must submit the required documentation and be rated well-qualified for this vacancy. Click here for a detailed description of the required supporting documents. A well-qualified applicant is one whose knowledge, skills and abilities clearly exceed the minimum qualification requirements of the position. Additional information about ICTAP and CTAP eligibility is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website at www.opm.gov/rif/employee_guides/career_transition.asp.

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.

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 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) and the responses you provide on the application questionnaire. A Subject Matter Expert will assist in the resume review process to help determine whether you meet the minimum job qualifications. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your rating.

Required Documents

To apply for this position, you must submit a complete Application Package which includes:

1. Resume showing relevant experience; cover letter optional. Your resume must indicate your citizenship and if you are registered for Selective Service if you are a male born after 12/31/59. Your resume must also list your work experience and education (if applicable) including the start and end dates (mm/yyyy) of each employment along with the number of hours worked per week. For work in the Federal service, you must include the series and grade level for the position(s). Your resume will be used to validate your responses to the assessment tool(s). For resume and application tips visit: https://help.usajobs.gov/faq/application/documents/resume/what-to-include.

2. CMS Required Documents (e.g., SF-50, DD-214, SF-15, etc.). Current CMS employees are REQUIRED to submit a copy of their most recent Notification of Personnel Action (SF-50) at the time of application. Additional documents may also be required to be considered for this vacancy announcement. Click here for a detailed description of the required documents. Failure to provide the required documentation WILL result in an ineligible rating OR non-consideration.

3. College Transcripts. Although this position does not require a degree, you may substitute college credit in whole, or in part, for experience at specified grade levels. You must submit a copy of your transcript at the time of application in order to substitute your education for the required experience. If you do not submit a transcript, your education will not be considered in determining your qualifications for the position. You may submit an unofficial transcript or a list of college courses completed indicating course title, credit hours, and grades received. An official transcript is required if you are selected for the position.

College Transcripts and Foreign Education: Applicants who have completed part or all of their education outside of the U.S. must have their foreign education evaluated by an accredited organization to ensure that the foreign education is comparable to education received in accredited educational institutions in the U.S. For a listing of services that can perform this evaluation, visit the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services website. This list, which may not be all inclusive, is for informational purposes only and does not imply any endorsement of any specific agency.

If you are applying for a position for which a state license is issued (e.g., physician, engineer, attorney) possession of a valid and current U.S. professional license by a graduate of a foreign professional school or program is sufficient proof that the foreign education has been determined to be equivalent to the requisite U.S. professional education in that occupational field.

PLEASE NOTE: A complete application package includes the online application, resume, and CMS required documents. Please carefully review the full job announcement to include the "Required Documents" and "How to Apply" sections. Failure to submit the online application, resume and CMS required documents, will result in you not being considered for employment.

If you are unable to apply online or need to fax a document you do not have in electronic form, view the following link for information regarding an Alternate Application.

How to Apply

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 all required questionnaires and submit all 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 10/28/2025.

IN DESCRIBING YOUR WORK EXPERIENCE AND/OR EDUCATION, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE OR EDUCATION. We strongly encourage applicants to utilize the USAJOBS resume builder in the creation of resumes. Determining length of general or specialized experience is dependent on the below information and failure to provide ALL information WILL result in a finding of ineligible.

  • Official Position Title (include series and grade if Federal job)
  • Duties (be specific in describing your duties)
  • Employer's name and address
  • Supervisor name and phone number
  • Start and end dates by month and year (e.g. June 2007 to April 2008)
  • Full-time or part-time status (include hours worked per week)
  • Salary
The application process is as follows:
  1. Click the Apply button.
  2. Answer the questions presented in the application and attach all necessary supporting documentation.
  3. Click the Submit Application button prior to 11:59 PM (ET) on 10/28/2025.
To update your application, including supporting documentation: During the announcement open period, return to your USAJOBS account, find your application record, and click Edit my application. This option will no longer be available once the announcement has closed.

To view the announcement status or your application status: Visit https://help.usajobs.gov/how-to/application/status. Your application status page is where you can view your application status and review your notifications sent by the hiring agency regarding your application.

This agency provides reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application or hiring process, please send an email to hrinquiries@cms.hhs.gov. The decision to grant reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis.

Commissioned Corps Officers (including Commissioned Corps professionally boarded applicants) who are interested in applying for this position must send their cover letter and professional resume (not PHS Curriculum Vitae) to CMSCorpsJobs@cms.hhs.gov in lieu of applying through this announcement. The resume should specifically explain how you are qualified for this position and draw specific attention to your skills and experiences that demonstrates these qualifications. Also, send any transcripts, licenses, or certifications as requested in this announcement. Please send all documents in 1 PDF file. In the subject line of your e-mail, include only the Job Announcement Number. In the body of your e-mail, include your current rank name and serial number. Failure to provide this information may impact your consideration for this position.

Additional selections may be made for similar positions across the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) within the local commuting area(s)of the location identified in this announcement. By applying, you agree to have your application shared with any interested selecting official(s) at HHS. Clearance of CTAP/ICTAP will be applied for similar positions across HHS.

Agency contact information

CMS HR Inquiries
Address
Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation
7500 Security Blvd
Woodlawn, MD 21244
US

Next steps

Within 30 business days of the closing date, 10/28/2025, you may check your status online by logging into your USAJOBS account (https://login.usajobs.gov/Account/). We will update your status after each key stage in the application process has been completed.


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


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