Talent Acquisition Director Job

Vacancy No. DAU-25-12785710-EN Department Defense Acquisition University
Salary $129,169.00 to $195,200.00 Grade 4 to 4
Perm/Temp Permanent FT/PT Full-time
Open Date 8/21/2025 Close Date 8/31/2025
Job Link Apply Online Who may apply Status Candidates
Locations:
Huntsville, ALSan Diego, CACalifornia, MDKettering, OH


Summary

This position is under the DoD Acquisition Workforce Personnel Demonstration Project (AcqDemo) within Title 5 Competitive Service.For more information on Acq Demo please go to the DoD AcqDemo website at https://acqdemo.hci.mil/ and Fact Sheet at https://acqdemo.hci.mil/faq.html

This job is open to

Clarification from the agency

This announcement is open to current, permanent DoD Federal Civilian Employees in the competitive service, eligible Priority Placement Program DoD Military Spouse Preference applicants and eligible PPP applicants, Veterans Employment Opportunities Act (VEOA) eligibles, and Eligible Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan applicants (ICTAP).

Duties

  • Serves as the team lead and an active team member for the Human Resources Talent Acquisition team, conducting recruitment and staffing actions on behalf of DAU in systems that include but are not limited to USAStaffing, other Defense Civilian Personnel Systems of Record, and internal DAU Business Systems.
  • Provides expert advice and authoritative information to top management and program directors throughout the enterprise on a wide variety of highly complex, controversial, and sensitive recruitment and placement problems and issues.
  • Develops, initiates, and directs human resources program strategic planning activities; identifies long and short-term objectives, and formulates enterprise-wide recruitment and placement program strategies for senior leaders.
  • Evaluates new or modified legislation and regulations to determine impact on short- and long-term recruitment and placement policies and program initiatives. Monitors legislation and other proposals affecting Federal recruitment and placement programs and develops and advocates the agency position.
  • Leads planning, drafting and finalizing of plans, instructions, guides, and other substantive material for use by management officials and operating human resources offices in administering recruitment and placement programs.
  • Serves as a lead or principal team member in planning, organizing, and directing team efforts in conducting major evaluations of agency recruitment and placement operations and other comparable studies. Research, identifies, and develops criteria and procedures to conduct program evaluations and to measure program accomplishment.
  • Create sourcing and recruiting strategies to hire highly sought-after talent establishing relationships with candidates through social networking, media channels, professional organization and industry relationships, internal and external referrals, and other means.
  • Guide university-wide procedures with respect to recruitment and staffing initiatives, classifying positions and establishing a comprehensive Selection Process Handbook with associated coaching or training for managers.
  • Research and explore methods for screening and assessing candidates to include Customer Relationship Management platforms, alternative or new assessment tools, and other industry benchmarking.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

  • U.S. Citizenship is required
  • Males must be registered for Selective Service, see Legal and Regulatory Guidance, please go to http://www.sss.gov for more information
  • This position is subject to provisions of the DoD Priority Placement Program
  • Incumbent may be required to obtain and maintain an appropriate security clearance.
  • You may be required to serve a one (1) year probationary period.
  • The incumbent of this position may be required to work overtime, irregular shifts, and/or on the weekend.
  • Work may require travel away from the normal duty station on commercial aircraft.

Qualifications

You must have specialized experience directly relating to the specific duties of the position, and demonstrate that you have the required knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully with the experience that demonstrated a practical knowledge in:

SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: One (1) year of specialized experience at the next lower broadband, NH-03, equivalent to the next lower grade, GS-13 or equivalent, in other personnel pay systems including experience as follows:

1) Substantial knowledge, skill and experience addressing, a wide range of federal recruitment and placement, strategic workforce planning and execution issues associated with title 5 competitive service and/or title 10 excepted service civilian personnel authorities.
2) Substantial knowledge, skill, and experience researching federal statutory and regulatory civilian personnel administration regulations and operations and the interrelationships with general employment law topics to be used to propose personnel policy.
3) Knowledge of and ability to develop creative and innovative methods to support the overall talent acquisition strategy for an agency.

If applicable, in addition to the above qualifications, the following as been determined to be a Quality Ranking Factor. Applicants who possess QRFs are considered to be Well-Qualified.

1) Demonstrated capability to establish strategic partnerships with senior leaders within the organization.

PART-TIME OR UNPAID EXPERIENCE: Credit will be given for appropriate unpaid and or part-time work. You must clearly identify the duties and responsibilities in each position held and the total number of hours per week.

VOLUNTEER WORK EXPERIENCE: Refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service Programs (i.e., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community; student and social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge and skills that can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

Education

There is no substitution of education for experience at this grade level.

Additional information

The intent is to use AcqDemo Direct Hiring Authority to fill this position to fill from internal to DOD.

This position is in the Competitive Service. For more information regarding Competitive Service employment please visit: https://www.usajobs.gov/help/working-in-government/service/

DAU participates in e-Verify with the Department of Homeland Security and United States Citizenship and Immigration Services.

If selected for this position, you must be able to start employment within 30 days of acceptance (unless otherwise approved by DAU).

DAU requires reporting to the assigned duty location during each pay period. DAU supports part-time telework, but remote work and full-time telework are not offered.

Duty location determined upon selection.

Direct Deposit: All federal employees are required to have direct deposit.

Temporary and Term Appointments: If you are selected for a temporary or term position in the competitive service, your appointment may be extended to the maximum period allowed by law without further competition

If applicable, AcqDemo Expanded Probationary Period for Supervisors and Managers: An additional supervisory probationary period of one year may be required when an employee is officially assigned to a different supervisory position that constitutes a major change in supervisory responsibilities from any previously held supervisory position, (e.g., moving from a journeyman level supervisory acquisition position to a Critical Acquisition Position or moving from a Critical Acquisition Position to a Key Leadership Position).

Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP): For information on how to apply as an ICTAP eligible click here. To be well-qualified and exercise selection priority for this vacancy, displaced Federal employees must be rated well qualified or above for this position. You must submit a copy of the agency notice, your most recent performance rating, and your most recent SF-50 noting position, grade level, and duty location.

Employed Annuitants (Reemployed Annuitants): Applicants in receipt of an annuity based on civilian employment in the Federal Service are subject to the DoD Policy on The Employment of Annuitants. Click here for more information.

Priority Placement Program (PPP) Military Spouse Preference (MSP) eligible candidates will receive priority consideration at the highest grade level for which they have applied and been determined best qualified up to and including the full performance level.

PPP Application Based Preference Eligibles (Military Reserve and National Guard technicians, Military Reserve and National Guard technicians receiving disability retirement, and Retained Grade employees) will receive priority consideration at the full performance level only.

Military Spouse Preference (MSP) Eligible: Military Spouse Preference applicants, if determined best qualified, must be selected at the full performance level and placed at the full performance level. You must include a completed copy of the Military Spouse PPP Self-Certification Checklist dated within 30 days along with the documents identified on the checklist to verify your eligibility for Military Spouse Preference. Click here to obtain a copy of the Military Spouse PPP Self-Certification Checklist.

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.

Traditional rating and ranking of applications does not apply to this vacancy. Your application (resume and supporting documentation) will be evaluated to determine if you meet the minimum qualifications required as listed on the announcement under qualification requirements. Errors or omissions may affect your consideration for employment.

Veterans' preference eligibility is treated as a positive factor when making a selection from external sources. It is applied when the organization makes a final selection from the candidates with substantially equal qualifications as described in the Best Meets Mission Requirements definition below. If you are a veteran claiming veterans' preference, as defined by section 2108 of Title 5 U.S.C., you must submit documents verifying your eligibility with your application package.

Best Meets Mission Requirements definition: Applicant has the knowledge, skills, abilities, and/or competencies to substantially exceed the minimum qualification requirements for the position. This equates to the best qualified assessment criteria established for the vacancy and based on overall demonstrated experience, education, training, appraisals/evaluations, job-related awards, certifications, honors and relevant outside activities.

Criminal History Inquiries- If you apply to this position and are selected, we will not ask about your criminal history before you receive a conditional job offer. If you believe you were asked about your criminal history improperly, contact the agency @ dfas.indianapolis-in.zh.mbx.ssc-cc@mail.mil

Required Documents

The following documents are required and must be provided with your application. Applicants who do not submit required documentation to determine eligibility and qualifications may be eliminated from consideration. Other documents may be required based on the eligibility/eligibilities you are claiming.They MUST be received by the closing date of the announcement.

  1. Online Application
  2. Resume: For qualification determinations your resume must contain hours worked per week (if part-time) and dates of employment (i.e., month/year to month/year or month/year to present). If your resume does not contain this information, your application may be marked as insufficient and you will not receive consideration for this position. If you are a current Federal employee or previous Federal employee, provide your pay plan, series and grade, i.e. GS-0301-09. Current Federal Civilian Employees should list any relevant performance related rating (given within the last three years) and/or incentive awards in your resume. Do NOT include photographs (or links to social media such as LinkedIn), inappropriate material, inappropriate content, nor personal information such as age, sex, religion, social security number, etc., on your resume. Your name MUST be included on your resume.
  3. Veterans: If claiming VEOA, VRA or 30% Disabled Veteran - Submit VOW certification memo or copy of the official DD-Form 214, which must include the character of service (i.e., with an honorable or general discharge). This will be annotated in block 24 on member copy 2, 4, or 7 of the DD-Form 214. If claiming 30% Disabled Veteran, you must also submit a VA Letter or a disability determination from a branch of the Armed Forces. NOTE: All veterans claiming 10-point preference must also submit a SF-15. For additional Veteran's information please visit: http://www.usajobs.gov/ei/VetPreference.asp or http://www.fedshirevets.gov
  4. Current or Former Federal Civilian Employees (includes current DAU employees): You must submit a legible copy of your most recent SF-50, Notification of Personnel Action.
  5. Promotion Consideration (Current Federal Employees): If you wish to be considered as a promotion candidate and your SF-50 has an effective date within the past year, it may not clearly demonstrate you meet the one year of specialized experience required at next lower grade/band level. You will need to provide additional SF-50s which clearly demonstrates you meet the one year specialized experience requirements (examples of appropriate SF-50s include Promotions, Within Grade, Grade/Range Increases, and SF-50s with an effective date more than on year old).
  6. Military Spouse Preference (MSP) Eligible: Military Spouse Preference applicants, must be selected and placed at the highest grade level for which they have applied and been determined best qualified up to and including the full performance level. You must include a completed copy of the Military Spouse PPP Self-Certification Checklist dated within 30 days along with the documents identified on the checklist to verify your eligibility for Military Spouse Preference. To download the checklist, select "Save" or "Save As" instead of "Open." Save the document to your device then open it as a PDF. Once the form is opened, select "Enable All Features" and the form will populate so that it can be completed. https://www.esd.whs.mil/Directives/forms/dd3000_3499/DD3145-4/
  7. Military Reserve (MR) and National Guard (NG) Technicians PPP Eligible: MR and NG technicians PPP applicants must be selected and placed at the full performance level if determined well qualified. You must include a completed copy of the Military Reserve and National Guard Technician PPP Self-Certification Checklist to verify your eligibility for Military Reserve and National Guard Technician preference. Click here to obtain a copy of the Military Reserve and National Guard Technician PPP Self-Certification Checklist.
  8. Military Reserve (MR) and National Guard (NG) Technicians Receiving Disability Retirement PPP Eligible: MR and NG technicians receiving disability retirement PPP applicants must be selected and placed at the full performance level if determined well qualified. You must include a completed copy of the Military Reserve and National Guard Technician Disability PPP Self-Certification Checklist to verify your eligibility for Military Reserve and National Guard Technician Disability preference. Click here to obtain a copy of the Military Reserve and National Guard Technician Disability PPP Self-Certification Checklist.
  9. Retained Grade PPP Eligible: Retained Grade PPP applicants, must be selected and placed at the full performance level if determined well qualified. You must include a completed copy of the Retained Grade PPP Self-Certification Checklist to verify your eligibility for Retained Grade preference. Click here to obtain a copy of the Retained Grade PPP Self-Certification Checklist.

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

To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package and completed by 11:59 PM (ET) by the closing date of this announcement. See required documents below.

To begin the process, click the Apply Online button to create an account or log in to your existing USAJOBS account. Follow the prompts to complete the application questionnaire. Please ensure you click the Submit My Application button at the end of the process.

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

1. Your Resume (your latest resume will be used to determine your qualifications). If you submit more than one copy of your resume, only the most recent (latest) 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.
  • If your resume includes photographs (or links to social media), inappropriate material, inappropriate content, or personal information such as age, sex, religion, social security number, etc., you will not be considered for this vacancy.
  • For qualification determinations your resume must contain hours worked per week (if part-time) and dates of employment (i.e., hours per week and month/year to month/year or month/year to present). If your resume does not contain this information, your application may be marked as insufficient and you will not receive consideration for this position.
2. A complete Application Questionnaire

3. Additional Required Documents (see Required Documents section). Ensure all submitted documents contain your full name.

PLEASE NOTE: It is the applicant's responsibility to verify that information entered and/or uploaded, (i.e., resume) is received, accurate, and submitted by the closing date. You may verify your documents have been processed with your application package successfully. You can access your USAJOBS account to do so by clicking here. Uploaded documents may take up to one hour to clear the virus scan.

The DFAS Human Resources WILL NOT modify or change any answers submitted by an applicant.

ACTIVE DUTY SERVICE MEMBERS: The Veterans Opportunity to Work (VOW) Act requires federal agencies to treat an eligible active duty service member as a veteran, disabled veteran, and preference eligible (as applicable) when applying for civil service positions before the effective release or discharge date. Appointment of military members before the release or discharge date is permissible if the member is on terminal leave. At the time the active duty member applies for a civil position, he or she must submit a "certification" memo in lieu of a DD-Form 214, Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty. Active duty members applying for a civil service position without submitting a valid certification memo or DD-Form 214 with their application will render the member ineligible for the position. The certification memo must originate from the member's military service branch on official letterhead and contain the following:
  • Name/Rank/Grade of Service Member
  • Branch of Armed Forces
  • Dates of Active Service (Start and End Date(s)
  • Expected Date of Discharge/Release from Active Duty
  • Terminal leave start date (if applicable)
  • Expected character of service/discharge and type of separation (i.e. separation or retirement)
  • Must be certified within 120 days of anticipated discharge
  • Signature by, or by direction of the adjutant, personnel office, unit commander, or higher headquarters commander.
Note: The VOW Act provides tentative preference. If appointed, a DD Form-214 must be submitted upon receipt.

Note: It is the applicant's responsibility to verify that information and documents entered or uploaded are received, legible, and accurate.

Agency contact information

HR Customer Care Center
Address
DEFENSE ACQUISITION UNIVERSITY
9820 Belvoir Road
Ft. Belvoir, VA 22060
US

Next steps

Once the online questionnaire is received you will receive an acknowledgement email that your submission was successful. Your application package will be used to determine your eligibility and qualifications for consideration. If you are determined to be ineligible or not qualified, your application will receive no further consideration. All eligible candidates will be forwarded to the DAU hiring official for consideration. DAU will have a panel review all referred applicants and will contact individuals for interviews, if applicable. You will be notified of the outcome after each of these steps has been completed. After making a tentative job offer, you will be requested to conduct a suitability/security background investigation.

You will no longer need to call the DFAS HR Customer Care Center to determine your application status. USAJOBS has added an alert setting to their system to drive status updates notification for applicants. You can elect to activate the proactive notification from your USAJOBS profile at any point during the application process to sign-up for automatic alerts when there are status changes for jobs to which you have applied. To check the status of your application or return to a previous or incomplete application, log into your USAJOBS account, select My Applications, and click on the more information link under the application status for this position. If you do not provide an email address, you are responsible for checking status updates and notifications in USAJOBS. Hard copy notifications will not be sent to you.

Additional Locations

  • Fort Belvoir, VA


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


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