Special Assistant

Summary

This position is being filled under a stream-lined hiring authority, Title 21 of the United States Code (21 US Code 379d-3a) as amended by the 21st Century Cures Act of 2016, section 3072 and the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023, Section 3624. The candidate selected for this position will serve under a career or career-conditional appointment and be paid under the provisions of this authority. This position is being recruited based on the Title 21 Pay Table 7, Band D.

Duties

• Works with Senior Advisors in support of the Office of Talent and Workforce Solutions, Immediate Office leadership, providing high-level administrative and programmatic coordination to ensure seamless execution of priority functions.
• Serves as a primary point of contact for internal and external stakeholders seeking access to or information from leadership, managing communications with discretion and professionalism
• Prepares agendas, briefing materials, and supporting documentation in advance of meetings, and tracks follow-up actions to ensure timely completion.
• Prepares detailed analytical reports, briefing materials, and decision memoranda for executive leadership on high-priority organizational issues.
• Develops and implements project management frameworks, timelines, and performance metrics for complex, multi-year initiatives.
• Conducts comprehensive analyses of programs and operations to identify inefficiencies, gaps, and recommends improvements across the Office.

Qualifications

In order to qualify for the Special Assistant position which falls under the 0301 occupational Series, you must meet the following requirements by 11:59 pm EST on 10/16/2026: Basic Qualification Requirements: In order to qualify for the Special Assistant AD-0301-D, you must demonstrate in your resume at least seven (7) years of qualifying experience: Providing direct executive-level support to senior leadership by managing high-priority calendars, leading special initiatives, and driving strategic planning efforts that shape organizational outcomes; serving as a trusted resource by anticipating executive needs, translating complex analyses into authoritative reports, briefings, and strategic guidance, and delivering actionable recommendations that address critical organizational issues and advance the HR Office's strategic priorities. In accordance with Office of Personnel Management policy, federal employees are assumed to have gained experience by performing duties and responsibilities appropriate for their official series and grade level as described in their position description. Experience that would not normally be part of the employee's position is creditable, however, when documented by satisfactory evidence, such as a signed memorandum from the employee's supervisor or an SF-50 or SF-52 documenting an official detail or other official assignment. The documentation must indicate whether the duties were performed full time or, if part time, the percentage of times the other duties were performed. It is expected that this documentation is included in the employee's official personnel record. In order to receive credit for experience in your resume that is not within the official series and grade level of your official position, you must provide a copy of the appropriate documentation of such experience as indicated above. PHS Commissioned Corps Officers interested in performing the duties of this position within the Commissioned Corps may apply online to this announcement. Candidates will be referred to (CC) personnel and not as candidates for conversion to a permanent career or career-conditional appointment. You must submit documentation to verify your eligibility to apply for this vacancy. For most applicants, an SF-50 will be required. However, if you are applying based as a Veteran, person with a disability, or a displaced former employee, you will be required to provide other supporting documents as applicable. See the Required Documents section for more details.

Education

There is no education substitution for this position. How You Will Be Evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above. This is a Title 21 announcement. Traditional rating and ranking of applications, and veterans' preference does not apply to this vacancy. If you are referred to the hiring manager for consideration, you may be further evaluated based on an interview; review of requested work samples, writing samples, most recent performance evaluation(s), or professional references; or results of an oral presentation or work-related test. Failure to comply with any of the additional assessment requirements will result in removal from further consideration. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your eligibility. Other Information

The application limit, if applicable, for this advertisement is: 150 . Additional Conditions of Employment: Pre-employment physical required: NO Drug testing required: NO License required: NO Mobility agreement required: NO Immunization required: NO Bargaining Unit: NO Telework eligible position: Telework is at the discretion of the supervisor. Financial disclosure statement, OGE-450, required: Please be advised that this position may be subject to FDA's prohibited financial interest regulation and may require the incumbent of this position to divest of certain financial interests. Applicants are advised to seek additional information on this requirement from the hiring official before accepting this position. This position may require financial disclosure reporting and will be subject to FDA's prohibited financial interest regulation. If you are hired, you may be required to divest of certain financial interests. You are advised to seek additional information on this requirement from the hiring official before accepting any job offers. For more information please visit the FDA Ethics web page: https://www.fda.gov/about-fda/jobs-and-training-fda/ethics. Additional Information: Additional selections may be made for similar positions within the commuting area(s) of the locations listed through this vacancy announcement. Incentives may be authorized; however, this is contingent upon funds availability. If authorized, certain incentives will require you to sign a service agreement to remain in the Federal government for a period of up to 3 years. Note: This statement does not imply nor guarantee an incentive will be offered and paid. Incentives include the following: moving expenses, recruitment or relocation incentive; student loan repayment, superior qualifications appointment, creditable service for annual leave for prior non-federal work experience or prior uniformed military service, etc. If you are serving, or have served in the last 5 years (from 10/16/2026) as an Executive Branch political, Schedule C, or Non-career SES appointee, HHS/FDA may be required to obtain approval by the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) prior to beginning employment. You can find out if you have held one of these appointment types by looking at your Standard Form 50s in your Electronic Official Personnel Folder (eOPF), in Section 5 where the legal authorities are listed. If you have served or are currently serving, you must provide a copy of your SF-50, Notification of Personnel Action, documenting this appointment. In addition, you will be required to respond to the question in the assessment and certify your responses to the questionnaire. See Political Appointee FAQ - OPM for more. Active-duty U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps Officers are encouraged to apply. If selected, officers may either (1) remain on active duty assigned to the designated billet for PHS assignment, or (2) separate or retire from the Commissioned Corps before entering a Title 21 civilian appointment. All requirements must be met by the closing date of this announcement (10/16/2026); only education and experience gained by this date will be considered. You must continue to meet all requirements throughout the entire hiring process.