Summary

This position is located at a Forest Service (FS) research station. The incumbent serves in a confidential position as assistant to a Research Program Manager (PM) or Assistant Director (AD), and as Program Specialist for the unit.

For additional information about the duties of this position, please contact Charles Luce at Charles.Luce@usda.gov.

Duties

• The duties listed below are at the GS-09 grade level.
• Reviews and interprets regulations, manuals, and guides for consistency with local policy and maintains regulations.
• Uses own judgment in screening matters which can be handled personally or by the PM/AD’s subordinates.
• The incumbent is responsible for managing or supervising all record keeping aspects of the PM/AD’s budget.
• The incumbent provides a variety of office and facilitation services essential to support the overall research effort, which may include grants and agreements, procurement, personal property, travel, etc.
• Maintains a system to ensure that performance standards and appraisals of Program staff are accomplished within the established due dates.
• This position serves as the key focal point for the Program, providing advice, counsel, and assistance to Program employees, supervisors, and managers on the interpretation and application of established laws, regulations, and procedures.
• Performs supervisory duties 20% or less of the time.

Requirements

Conditions of employment

• Must be a U.S. Citizen or National.
• Males born after 12/31/1959 must be Selective Service registered or exempt.
• Subject to satisfactory adjudication of background investigation and/or fingerprint check.
• Per Public Law 104-134 all Federal employees are required to have federal payments made by direct deposit to their financial institution.
• Successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, visit e-verify.gov.

Qualifications

In order to qualify, you must meet the eligibility and qualifications requirements as defined below by the closing date of the announcement. For more information on the qualifications for this position, visit the Office of Personnel Management's General Schedule Qualification Standards.

Your application and resume must clearly show that you possess the experience requirements. Transcripts must be provided for qualifications based on education. Provide course descriptions as necessary.

Specialized Experience Requirement:

For the GS-07 level: Applicants must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-05 grade level.

OR

One full year of graduate level education in a geographic information systems related field of study.

OR

Appropriate combination of specialized experience and graduate level education.

OR

Superior Academic Achievement (to determine if you are eligible, go to: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-policies/. The education was obtained in an accredited college or university and demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work.

Qualifying specialized experience is defined as one or more of the following:

• Served as an office assistant managing the activities, correspondence, and inquiries directed to an organization's management staff;
• Prepared, reviewed and edited drafts of reports and similar products;
• Utilized a range of automated systems to carry out administrative functions on behalf of the management staff e.g., word processing, spreadsheets, presentation, email, scheduling, travel, budget and/or other comparable software and systems;
• Performed studies or analyses of administrative programs and made recommendations for improving methods.

For the GS-09 level: Applicants must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-07 grade level;

OR

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;

OR

Appropriate combination of specialized experience and education (only graduate education in excess of 18 semester hours may be used to qualify applicants for this grade level). The education must have been obtained in an accredited college or university and demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work.

Qualifying specialized experience is defined as one or more of the following:

• Prepared, reviewed and edited drafts of written correspondence, presentations, reports and similar products;
• Utilized a range of automated systems to carry out administrative functions on behalf of the management staff e.g., word processing, spreadsheets, presentation, email, scheduling, travel, budget and/or other comparable software and systems;
• Reviewed and analyzed administrative procedures for an organization or business and recommended changes to improve administrative effectiveness;
• Provided technical assistance to employees on administrative matters.

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 REQUIREMENT: If you are a current federal employee in the General Schedule (GS) pay plan and applying for a promotion opportunity, you must meet time-in-grade (TIG) requirements of 52 weeks of service at the next lower grade level in the normal line of progression for the position being filled. This requirement must be met by the closing date of this announcement.

Education

See above for education that may be qualifying for the specific grade level.

Additional information

This is a temporary promotion not-to-exceed 1 year and may be extended without further competition or may end earlier due to lack of work or funds, or at the discretion of the Hiring Manager. This temporary promotion may be made permanent without further competition. If the temporary promotion is not made permanent, you will be returned to your permanent position of record or to a different position of equivalent grade and pay in the Forest Service, in the same geographic location, if possible. Your salary will be adjusted to the grade level and step that you would normally have been in had you remained in your position.

Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) or Reemployment Priority List (RPL): To exercise selection priority for this vacancy, CTAP/RPL candidates must meet the basic eligibility requirements and all selective factors. CTAP candidates must be rated and determined to be well qualified (or above) based on an evaluation of the competencies listed in the How You Will Be Evaluated section. When assessed through a score-based category rating method, CTAP applicants must receive a rating of at least 85 out of a possible 100.

Forest Service daycare facilities may be available.

Government housing may be available

This is a non-bargaining unit position.

PROMOTION POTENTIAL: If you are selected for a position with further promotion potential, you will be placed under a career development plan, and may be non-competitively promoted if you successfully complete the requirements and if recommended by management. However, promotion is not guaranteed.

The Forest Service may use certain incentives and hiring flexibilities, currently offered by the Federal government, to attract highly qualified candidates. Additional Information is available on the OPM Website.

The position will be located at a Forest Service office, except Atlanta, Georgia; Milwaukee, Wisconsin; Washington, D.C.; and Portland, Oregon. Final determination of the duty station(s) will be made by the selecting official at the time of the job offer. Pay rates vary depending on location. The salary shown is for the Rest of the U.S. See OPM.gov for additional information on pay rates.

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.

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.