Program Support Assistant (OA)
Job Summary
These three (3) positions are located within the USDA Agricultural Research Service (ARS) National Animal Disease Center in Ames IA. One (1) position in the Virus and Prion Research Unit one (1) position in Ruminant Diseases & Immunology Research and one (1) in Infectious Bacterial Disease Research Unit.
In these positions you will serve as a personal assistant to the Research Leader and other staff coordinating a wide variety of administrative and clerical tasks.
- Participates in program planning support work such as research project coordination travel documentation budget coordination/tracking agreements and purchasing/procurement of supplies and equipment and human resources administration.
- Provides training and advisory services to the Research Leader (RL) and professional staff in all program administrative procedures ensuring compliance with regulations.
- Participates in the annual Resource Management Plan (ARMPS) process by assisting in developing and executing the annual budget.
- Serves as the primary administrative business process point of contact for the unit.
- You must be a US Citizen or US 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.
- Direct Deposit - 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 a condition of employment for accepting this position you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary period unless previous federal service is creditable. During this time your employment will be evaluated and we may consider: your performance and conduct the needs and interests of the agency whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government and whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service. Upon completion of your probationary period your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification in writing that your continued employment advances the public interest.
Applicants must meet all qualifications and eligibility requirements by the closing date of the announcement including specialized experience and/or education as defined below.
GS-06: Specialized experience is experience directly related to the position to be filled. Specialized experience must be described for each grade level advertised. Qualifying experience for GS-06 includes one year of specialized experience comparable to GS-05 which is directly related to the work of this position and which has equipped the applicant with the knowledge skills and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position. For this position specialized experience is experience assisting with preparing and tracking financial or budget information for an office; reviewing outgoing correspondence for proper format grammar or punctuation; and assisting with maintaining detailed records or files for an office; and using a variety of database software packages to enter data into systems.
GS-07: Specialized experience is experience directly related to the position to be filled. Specialized experience must be described for each grade level advertised. Qualifying experience for GS-07 includes one year of specialized experience comparable to GS-06 which is directly related to the work of this position and which has equipped the applicant with the knowledge skills and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position. For this position specialized experience is experience participating in program planning support work including research project coordination travel documentation budget coordination/tracking agreements purchasing/procurement of supplies and equipment or human resources administration; preparing and tracking financial or budget information; maintaining detailed records or files for an office; and coordinating all aspects of travel for staff or supervisors.
In addition to meeting experience requirements applicants must be able to type 40 words per minute.
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 and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience including volunteer experience.
This job does not have an education qualification requirement.
- Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) Reemployment Priority List (RPL) or Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP): Visit the OPM website for information on how to apply as a CTAP RPL or ICTAP eligible. To exercise selection priority for this vacancy CTAP/RPL/ICTAP candidates must meet the basic eligibility requirements and all selective factors. CTAP/ICTAP 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/ICTAP applicants must receive a rating of at least 85 out of a possible 100.
- Reasonable Accommodation (RA) Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e. physical or mental) covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments you will be granted the opportunity to request a RA in your online application. Requests for RA for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for RA must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for RA 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 based on your adjudication decision. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments if you received the link after the close of the announcement. To determine if you need a RA please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments here.
- 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 neither implied nor guaranteed.
- Recruitment and Relocation Incentive may be authorized. The final determination to pay an incentive will be made by the hiring official.
- This position is designated as a bargaining unit position and is represented by the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE).
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.
Required Experience:
Junior IC