Support Services Specialist

Summary

This position is located in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), with one vacancy in Honolulu, HI. This position is also announced under vacancy number NMFS-26-13039642-DE, which is open to all US Citizens or Nationals. You must apply to both announcements if you want to be considered for both.

Duties

As a Support Services Specialist, you will perform the following duties: Serve as a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Trust Agent who acts as the government sponsor to initiate the security process for contractors and associates to enable the issues of a Common Access Card (CAC). Determine security level required and collect pertinent information to verify employees' need for access to certain NOAA facilities. Review all types of travel, including foreign, domestic, invitational, Gift and Bequest to ensure eligibility for travel. Review complex travel issues to resolve processing or payment issues. Make recommendations for improvement to work processes and initiate documents to establish standard operating procedures. Oversee the implementation of administrative support in onboarding and separation of staff. Research and interpret policies to advise employees on time and leave regulations and policies. Requirements

This position will be filled under the DOC Alternative Personnel System (CAPS). Under CAPS, positions are classified by career, pay plan, and pay band. This ZA-2 is equivalent to the GS-07/08/09/10. Key Requirements: Applicants must be U.S. Citizens. Suitable for Federal employment, as determined by background investigation. More requirements are listed under Qualifications and Additional Information. Must be registered for Selective Service, if applicable (www.sss.gov) Qualification requirements must be met by the closing date of the announcement. If you are a Federal employee applying for a promotion (under merit promotion procedures) you must meet time-in-grade requirements by the closing date of the announcement. Additional Considerations: One year probationary period may be required. Payment of relocation expenses (PCS) is not authorized. Payment of relocation incentives OR recruitment incentives may be authorized. Note: Relocation incentives are for current federal employees only. This position requires Low Risk Security Clearance. Background investigation will be required. Continued employment is subject to applicant's successful completion of security investigation and favorable adjudication. Failure to successfully meet these requirements will be grounds for termination. As a condition of employment for accepting this position, for those required to serve a 1-year probationary period, we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider: Your performance and conduct; 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 then 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. Throughout the recruitment and hiring process we will be communicating with you via email; therefore, it is imperative that the email address you provide when applying for this vacancy remains active. Should your email address change, please notify the point of contact identified in the vacancy announcement as soon as possible so that we can update our system. Qualifications

Qualification requirements in the vacancy announcements are based on the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Qualification Standards Handbook, which contains federal qualification standards. This handbook is available on the Office of Personnel Management's website located at: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/ EDUCATION: There is no positive education requirement for this position. SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: Applicants must possess one year of specialized experience equivalent in difficulty and responsibility to the next lower grade level in the Federal Service. Specialized experience is experience that has equipped the applicant with the particular competencies/knowledge, skills and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position. This experience need not have been in the federal government. 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. To qualify at the ZA-2 or GS-07 level: SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: Applicants must possess one full year (52 weeks) of specialized experience equivalent to the ZA-1 or GS-06 in the Federal service. Specialized experience MUST include all of the following: Assisting in administrative work such as human resources, security, mail, personal property, procurement, or other related administrative areas; Providing information to staff on travel, administering travel, time or leave regulations and policies; and Operating electronic databases, automated communication systems, tracking systems, data-entry and retrieval systems, reports or other automated office tools. OR SUBSTITUTION OF EDUCATION: One full year of graduate-level education in public administration, business administration, industrial engineering, industrial management, or other administrative or management fields related to the position to be filled. OR COMBINATION OF EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE: A combination of successfully completed graduate-level education and specialized experience may be used to meet the total experience requirements.

Education

College Transcript: If you are qualifying based on education, submit a copy of your college transcript that lists college courses detailing each course by the number and department (i.e., Bio 101, Math 210, etc.), name of accredited institution, course title, number of credit hours and grade earned. You must submit evidence that any education completed in a foreign institution is equivalent to U.S. education standards with your resume. You may submit an unofficial copy of the transcript at the initial phase of the application process. If course content cannot be easily identified from the title of the course as listed on your transcript, you must submit an official course description from the college/university that reflects the content at the time the course was taken. Note: Your college transcript is used to verify successful completion of degree, or college course work. An official college transcript will be required before you can report to duty. Education completed in colleges or universities outside the United States may be used to meet the above requirements. You must provide acceptable documentation that the foreign education is comparable to that received in an accredited educational institution in the United States. For more information on how foreign education is evaluated, visit: OPM Foreign Education Evaluation. How You Will Be Evaluated

Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g., resume, supporting documents) and a Job Knowledge Test. The Job Knowledge Test is designed to assess technical and professional expertise directly relevant to the requirements of this announcement. This assessment measures the specialized knowledge and skills accumulated over time, which are critical for successful performance in this position. The best-qualified candidates will be identified for referral to the hiring manager and may be invited for an interview. You will be assessed on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics): Customer Service, Security, and Standards Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or application questionnaire may result in your removal from consideration. Cheating on an assessment may also result in your removal from consideration. To preview the announcement questionnaire, click here: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/13039643 Other Information

During the application process you will have an option to opt-in to make your resume available to hiring managers in the agency who have similar positions. Opting in does not impact your application for this announcement, nor does it guarantee further consideration for additional positions. ICTAP and CTAP Candidates: Eligible for selection priority if it is determined that they have exceeded the minimum qualifications by attaining at least a rating of 85 out of 100. Information about ICTAP eligibility is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website at: Employee Guide to Career Transition. ICTAP applicants MUST submit the following documents: Copy of your RIF separation notice; notice of proposed removal for failure to relocate; notice of disability annuity termination; certification from your former agency that it cannot place you after your recovery from a compensable injury; or certification from the National Guard Bureau or Military Department that you are eligible for disability retirement; Copy of your SF-50 "Notification of Personnel Action" documenting your RIF separation, noting your positions, grade level, and duty location, and/or Agency certification of inability to place you through RPL, etc; Copy of your latest performance appraisal including your rating; and Any documentation from your agency that shows your current promotion potential. CTAP applicants MUST submit the following documents: Copy of your specific RIF notice; notice of proposed removal for failure to relocate; a Certificate of Expected Separation (CES); or certification that you are in a surplus organization or occupation (this could be a position abolishment letter, a notice eligibility for discontinued service retirement, or similar notice). Copy of your SF-50 "Notification of Personnel Action", noting current position, grade level, and duty location; Copy of your latest performance appraisal including your rating; and Any documentation from your agency that shows your current promotion potential. Non-Competitive Reinstatement to a Higher Grade/Band than Previously Held MUST submit the following documents: SF-50, "Notification of Personnel Action": You must provide the most current Notification of Personnel Action (SF-50) that verifies career/career-conditional status, title, series, and highest grade level held on a permanent basis for your previous position, AND the SF-50 that verifies your separation date; AND Performance Appraisal: Most recent performance appraisal showing the official rating of record, signed by a supervisor, or statement why the performance appraisal is unavailable. NOAA participates in e-Verify, an Internet-based system operated by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in partnership with the Social Security Administration (SSA) that enables participating employers to electronically verify the employment eligibility of their newly hired employees.The Federal Government is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Candidates will not be hired based on their race, sex, color, religion, or national origin.