Staff Assistant

Summary

Pathways Recent Graduate Eligibility - This announcement is being opened under the Pathways Program - Recent Graduates option. The Pathways Program offers opportunities to grow in your career through formal training and mentorship while earning valuable real-world experience. While the Pathways appointment is one year in length, individuals who successfully complete the program can be converted into either a time-limited or permanent appointment.

This job is open to

• Recent graduates
  
  Individuals who have graduated from an accredited educational institute or certificate program within the last 2 years or 6 years for Veterans.

Clarification from the agency

United States Citizens eligible for Pathways, Recent Graduates

Duties

This position is located in the Office of the Deputy Chairman for Management and Budget (DCMB), National Endowment for the Arts (NEA). In this position, you will:

-Report to the Deputy Chair and provide administrative assistance in support of calendar, project management and administrative operations of the Office.

-Work closely with staff in the immediate Office of the DCMB and in offices that report to the DCMB n completing a variety of administrative actions.

Provide assistance and support for travel, procurements, time and attendance, records management, office supply and material management, SharePoint site and page maintenance, and interagency agreement processing and tracking.

-Coordinate a variety of internal communications and administrative activities on behalf of the DCMB, and monitors status.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

• Must be a U.S. Citizen or National.
• Must be found suitable for Federal employment, determined by a background investigation.
• Males born after 12 -31-59 must be registered for Selective Service.
• Complete the initial online assessment and USAHire Assessment, if required
• All qualification requirements must be met by the closing date of this announcement and clearly documented in your resume.
• If selected, you must sign the Pathways Participant agreement.
• If selected, you must sign an Individual Development Plan.
• Recent Graduate appointments are intended to last for a 1-year period.
• Recent Graduate appointment may be extended up to an additional 120 days under rare or unusual circumstances to complete the program requirements.
• The duration of the Recent Graduates appointment in the excepted service is a trial period.
• If Recent Graduate successfully completes the program requirements and converted to competitive service, time spent in trial period will count towards the required one-year probationary period.
• Recent Graduates may be non-competitively converted to a term or permanent position in the competitive service, provided that there is an available position. Recent Graduates converted to term appointments may later be non-competitively converted to a permanent competitive service position. Placement in the program does not guarantee conversion to a permanent appointment, nor is it mandatory.
• Individuals who successfully complete the program can be converted into either a time-limited or permanent appointment.

Qualifications

To qualify under Recent Graduates, you must meet one of the following:

1. A recent graduate who has completed a qualifying associate's, bachelor's, master's, professional, doctorate, vocational, or technical degree, or a certificate from a qualifying educational institution within the previous 2 years; or
2. A recent graduate who has completed a qualifying career or technical education program that awards a recognized post-secondary credential (such as a Registered Apprenticeship Program or Job Corps) within the previous 2 years; or
3. A veteran, who, due to a military service obligation, was precluded from applying to the Recent Graduates Program during any portion of the 2-year eligibility period described above. (Note: A veteran's eligibility period may not extend beyond 6 years from the date on which the individual completed the requirements of an academic course of study or career or technical education program).

In addition to qualifying as a Recent Graduate, you must also meet one of the following qualification requirements:

A. Have at least one year of full-time specialized experience equivalent to the GS-5 grade level in the federal government (obtained in either the public or private sectors) with experience in the following duties:

1) Providing administrative assistance in support of projects, activities and operations;

2) Assisting with the preparation and processing of office administrative actions; and

3) Providing direct assistance in the communication, implementation and monitoring of office projects and activities.

(You must clearly show in your resume and claim on the questionnaire how you meet the above experience if you are claiming this option, or you will be rated ineligible)

-OR-

B. Have a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university, AND meet one of the following provisions of Superior Academic Achievement:

1. Maintained a grade-point average of "B" (a GPA of 3.0 or higher) as recorded on your official transcript, or as computed based on 4 years of education, or as computed based on courses completed during the final 2 years of the curriculum;
2. Maintained a grade-point average "B+" (a GPA of 3.5 or higher) based on the average of the required courses completed in the major field or the required courses in the major field completed during the final 2 years of the curriculum;
3. Rank in the upper one-third of your class in the college, university, or major subdivision;
4. Be a member of a national honor society (other than freshman honor societies) recognized by the Association of College Honor Societies.

-OR-

C. Have one full year of graduate level study, in a field that provided the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work. NOTE: One academic year of graduate education is considered to be the number of credit hours that your graduate school has determined to represent one academic year of full-time study. If you cannot obtain your graduate school's definition of one year of graduate study, 18 semester hours (or 27 quarter hours) should be considered as satisfying the requirement for one year of full-time graduate study.

-OR-

D. Have a combination of some specialized experience as described above, but less than one year; and have some graduate education but less than one year of education as described above. However, you have a combination of specialized experience and graduate level education that when combined, equals at least 100% of the total requirement.

Note: You must submit transcripts to document any educational claims, or you will be rated ineligible.

You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer and part time experience. You must clearly identify the duties and responsibilities in each position held and the total number of hours per week.

Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (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 must submit transcripts to document any educational claims, or you will be rated ineligible.

Education

This position requires specific coursework and/or a degree to meet the basic education requirement. You must submit an official transcript, unofficial transcript, or a list including courses, grades earned, completion dates, and quarter and semester hours earned. Your transcript(s) must clearly demonstrate the course(s) listed in the qualification requirement section. If the transcript(s) does not clearly demonstrate this you must submit a copy of the course description and/or other documentation demonstrating that the courses are equivalent.

If you are claiming education as any part of your qualifications for this position, you must submit an official transcript, unofficial transcript, or a list including courses, grades earned, completion dates, and quarter and semester hours earned.

Special Instructions for Foreign Education: If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show that the education credentials have been evaluated by a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign education programs and such education has been deemed equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program; or full credit has been given for the courses at a U.S. accredited college or university. Failure to provide such documentation with your application will result in lost consideration. For further information, visit: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/.

Additional information

Identification of promotion potential in this announcement does not constitute a commitment or an obligation of management to promote the employee selected at some future date.

Current or Former Political Appointees: The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) must authorize employment offers made to current or former political appointees. If you are currently, or have been within the last 5 years, a political Schedule A, Schedule C, Non-career SES or Presidential Appointee employee in the Executive Branch, you must disclose this information to the Human Resources Office.

Veterans' Preference: For more information on veterans' preference see: https://www.opm.gov/fedshirevets/veteran-job-seekers/#

If you are selected for this Federal position, you will be required to complete a "Declaration of Federal Employment", (OF-306), prior to being appointed to determine your suitability for Federal employment and to authorize a background investigation. Failure to answer all questions truthfully and completely or providing false statements on the application may be grounds for not hiring you or dismissing you after you begin work, and may be punishable by fine or imprisonment (U.S. Code, Title 18, Section 1001).

The application contains information subject to the Privacy Act (P.L. 93-579, 5 U.S.C. 552a). The information issued will be used to determine qualifications for employment, and is authorized under Title 5 U.S.C. Section 3302 and 3361.

Recruitment methods and selection procedures will based solely on merit after fair and open competition, and will be made without regard to political, religious, or labor organization affiliation or non-affiliation, marital status, race, color, sex, national origin, non-disqualifying disability, sexual-orientation or age.

• 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.

How you will be evaluated:

You will be evaluated based on how well you meet the qualifications listed in this vacancy announcement. Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g., resume, supporting documents), the responses you provide on the application questionnaire, and the result of the online assessments required for this position. You will be assessed on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics):

Attention to Detail, Decision Making, Flexibility, Integrity/Honesty, Interpersonal Skills, Reading Comprehension, Reasoning, Self-Management, and Stress Tolerance

In order to be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. In addition to the application and application questionnaire, this position requires an online assessment. The online assessment measures critical general competencies required to perform the job.

Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or application questionnaire may result in your removal from consideration. Cheating on the online assessment may also result in your removal from consideration.

Category Rating Procedures: If you meet the minimum qualifications, you will be placed in one of the following categories:

1. Best-Qualified: Applicants possessing experience that substantially exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position and demonstrate high proficiency in all of the critical competencies, including all Selective Placement Factors (SPF) and appropriate Quality Ranking Factors (QRF) as determined by the job analysis.
2. Well-Qualified: Applicants possessing experience that exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position and demonstrates acceptable proficiency in all of the critical competencies, including all SPFs and appropriate QRFs as determined by the job analysis.
3. Qualified: Applicants possessing experience that meets the minimum qualifications of the position and demonstrate basic proficiency in most of the critical competencies, including all SPFs and appropriate QRFs as determined by the job analysis.

Veterans: Qualified veterans who have a compensable service-connected disability of at least 10% are listed in the best-qualified category, except when the position being filled is scientific or professional at the GS-09 grade level, or higher. This position is not considered scientific/professional. Other 10-point preference eligibles and veterans with 5-point preference who meet the eligibility and qualification requirements are placed above non-preference eligibles within the category in which they qualify. View information on www.fedshirevets.gov

• 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.
• Required Documents
  
  As a new or existing federal employee, you and your family may have access to a range of benefits. Your benefits depend on the type of position you have - whether you're a permanent, part-time, temporary or an intermittent employee. You may be eligible for the following benefits, however, check with your agency to make sure you're eligible under their policies.
  
  
  1. Your resume showing a detailed description of your job-related qualifications that includes beginning and ending dates with the month and year and hours worked per week for each paid and non-paid work experience job title listed.
  2. Cover letter (optional)
  3. Your transcripts. Unofficial copies are sufficient with the application; however, if selected, official transcripts will be required. Submit a complete, unofficial copy of your transcripts that shows your entire college academic record as of the date of this announcement. The transcript can be retrieved by following the academic institutions instructions to obtain an unofficial copy. Please do not submit screenshots of your coursework.
  4. Other supporting documents (only submit if applicable to you):
     
     • Are you claiming veterans' preference? Submit Member Copy 4 of your DD-214 or other (Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty) or notice form. Those applying for 10-Point preference must fill out the SF-15 and provide an official document dated 1991 or later, from the Department of Veterans Affairs or from a branch of the Armed Forces, and/or any other associated documentation based on your preference. If applying based on eligibility under the Veterans Opportunity to Work (VOW) Act, you must submit certification from the Armed Forces that you will be discharged or released from active duty within 120 days from the date you submit your application. This must indicate your dates of service, your rank, and confirm that you will be separated under honorable conditions. For more information on veterans' preference see http://www.fedshirevets.gov/.
     • Are you a current or former political Schedule A, Schedule C, Non-career SES or Presidential Appointee employee? The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) must authorize employment offers made to current or former political appointees. If you are currently, or have been within the last 5 years, a political Schedule A, Schedule C, Non-career SES or Presidential Appointee employee in the Executive Branch, you must disclose this information to the Human Resources Office. Submit a copy of your applicable SF-50, along with a statement that provides the following information regarding your most recent political appointment:
     • Position title;
     • Type of appointment (Schedule A, Schedule C, Non-career SES, or Presidential Appointee);
     • Agency; and
     • Beginning and ending dates of appointment.
  
  
  
  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
  
  Please read the entire announcement and all the instructions before you begin an application. To apply and be considered for this position, you must complete all required questionnaires, assessments and required documentation as specified in the How to Apply and Required Documents section. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on the closing date of the announcement to receive consideration.
  
  PLEASE NOTE: If your materials are not received by the closing date, your application will be evaluated solely on the information available and you may not receive full consideration or may not be considered eligible. Also, if you do not provide a valid email address, you may not be notified of the outcome of your application.The application process is as follows:
  
  1. Click the Apply Online button.
  2. Answer the questions presented in the application and attach all necessary supporting documentation.
  3. Click the Submit Application button prior to 11:59PM (ET) on the announcement closing date.
  4. If you are required to complete any USA Hire Assessments, you will be notified after submitting your application. The notification will be provided in your application submission screen and via email. The notification will include your unique assessment access link to the USA Hire system and the completion deadline. Additionally, in USAJOBS you can click "Track this application" to return to your assessment completion notice.
  5. Access to USA Hire using your unique assessment link. Access is granted through your USAJOBS login credentials.
  6. Review all instructions prior to beginning your assessments. You will have the opportunity to request a testing accommodation before beginning the assessments should you have a disability covered under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended.
  7. Set aside at least 3 hours to take the USA Hire assessments; however, most applicants complete the assessments in less time. If you need to stop the assessments and continue later, you can re-use your unique assessment link.
  8. Your responses to the USA Hire Assessments will be reused for one year (in most cases) from the date you complete an assessment. If future applications you submit require completion of the same assessments, your responses will be automatically reused.
  
  For more general information, system requirements, reasonable accommodation information, and to request assistance regarding the USA Hire Assessments, review the following resources: https://help.usastaffing.gov/Apply/index.php?title=USA_Hire_Assessments.
  
  To update your application, including supporting documentation, at any time during the announcement open period, return to your USAJOBS account https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login. There you will find a record of your application, the application status, and an option to Update Application. This option will no longer be available once the announcement has closed.
  
  To view the announcement status or your application status: Click on this: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/how-to/application/status/. Your application status page is where you can view your application status, USA Hire assessment completion status, and review your notifications sent by the hiring agency regarding your application.
  
  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: https://help.usastaffing.gov/Apply/index.php?title=Reasonable_Accommodations_for_USA_Hire
  
  Agency contact information
  
  Philadelphia Services Branch
  
  Email
  
  philadelphia@opm.gov
  
  Address
  
  Office of the Deputy Chairman for Mgmt and Budget
  
  400 7th Street SW
  
  Washington, DC 20506
  
  US
  
  Next steps
  
  Your assessment results will be kept on record for one year and used toward future positions for which you might apply that require the same assessments. Best qualified applicants will be referred to the hiring manager. The hiring manager may choose to conduct interviews. Once the selection is made, you will receive a notification of the decision.
  
  Thank you for your interest in the National Endowment for the Arts!
  
  For more information on applying for Federal employment, please visit USAJOBS.
• Fair and Transparent
  
  The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
  
  
  • Criminal history inquiries
  • Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Policy
  • Financial suitability
  • New employee probationary period
  • Privacy Act
  • Reasonable accommodation policy
  • Selective Service
  • Signature and false statements
  • Social security number request

Required Documents

1. Your resume showing a detailed description of your job-related qualifications that includes beginning and ending dates with the month and year and hours worked per week for each paid and non-paid work experience job title listed.
2. Cover letter (optional)
3. Your transcripts. Unofficial copies are sufficient with the application; however, if selected, official transcripts will be required. Submit a complete, unofficial copy of your transcripts that shows your entire college academic record as of the date of this announcement. The transcript can be retrieved by following the academic institutions instructions to obtain an unofficial copy. Please do not submit screenshots of your coursework.
4. Other supporting documents (only submit if applicable to you):
   
   • Are you claiming veterans' preference? Submit Member Copy 4 of your DD-214 or other (Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty) or notice form. Those applying for 10-Point preference must fill out the SF-15 and provide an official document dated 1991 or later, from the Department of Veterans Affairs or from a branch of the Armed Forces, and/or any other associated documentation based on your preference. If applying based on eligibility under the Veterans Opportunity to Work (VOW) Act, you must submit certification from the Armed Forces that you will be discharged or released from active duty within 120 days from the date you submit your application. This must indicate your dates of service, your rank, and confirm that you will be separated under honorable conditions. For more information on veterans' preference see http://www.fedshirevets.gov/.
   • Are you a current or former political Schedule A, Schedule C, Non-career SES or Presidential Appointee employee? The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) must authorize employment offers made to current or former political appointees. If you are currently, or have been within the last 5 years, a political Schedule A, Schedule C, Non-career SES or Presidential Appointee employee in the Executive Branch, you must disclose this information to the Human Resources Office. Submit a copy of your applicable SF-50, along with a statement that provides the following information regarding your most recent political appointment:
   • Position title;
   • Type of appointment (Schedule A, Schedule C, Non-career SES, or Presidential Appointee);
   • Agency; and
   • Beginning and ending dates of appointment.

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

Please read the entire announcement and all the instructions before you begin an application. To apply and be considered for this position, you must complete all required questionnaires, assessments and required documentation as specified in the How to Apply and Required Documents section. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on the closing date of the announcement to receive consideration.

PLEASE NOTE: If your materials are not received by the closing date, your application will be evaluated solely on the information available and you may not receive full consideration or may not be considered eligible. Also, if you do not provide a valid email address, you may not be notified of the outcome of your application.The application process is as follows:

1. Click the Apply Online button.
2. Answer the questions presented in the application and attach all necessary supporting documentation.
3. Click the Submit Application button prior to 11:59PM (ET) on the announcement closing date.
4. If you are required to complete any USA Hire Assessments, you will be notified after submitting your application. The notification will be provided in your application submission screen and via email. The notification will include your unique assessment access link to the USA Hire system and the completion deadline. Additionally, in USAJOBS you can click "Track this application" to return to your assessment completion notice.
5. Access to USA Hire using your unique assessment link. Access is granted through your USAJOBS login credentials.
6. Review all instructions prior to beginning your assessments. You will have the opportunity to request a testing accommodation before beginning the assessments should you have a disability covered under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended.
7. Set aside at least 3 hours to take the USA Hire assessments; however, most applicants complete the assessments in less time. If you need to stop the assessments and continue later, you can re-use your unique assessment link.
8. Your responses to the USA Hire Assessments will be reused for one year (in most cases) from the date you complete an assessment. If future applications you submit require completion of the same assessments, your responses will be automatically reused.

For more general information, system requirements, reasonable accommodation information, and to request assistance regarding the USA Hire Assessments, review the following resources: https://help.usastaffing.gov/Apply/index.php?title=USA_Hire_Assessments.

To update your application, including supporting documentation, at any time during the announcement open period, return to your USAJOBS account https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login. There you will find a record of your application, the application status, and an option to Update Application. This option will no longer be available once the announcement has closed.

To view the announcement status or your application status: Click on this: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/how-to/application/status/. Your application status page is where you can view your application status, USA Hire assessment completion status, and review your notifications sent by the hiring agency regarding your application.

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: https://help.usastaffing.gov/Apply/index.php?title=Reasonable_Accommodations_for_USA_Hire

Agency contact information

Philadelphia Services Branch

Email

philadelphia@opm.gov

Address

Office of the Deputy Chairman for Mgmt and Budget

400 7th Street SW

Washington, DC 20506

US

Next steps

Your assessment results will be kept on record for one year and used toward future positions for which you might apply that require the same assessments. Best qualified applicants will be referred to the hiring manager. The hiring manager may choose to conduct interviews. Once the selection is made, you will receive a notification of the decision.

Thank you for your interest in the National Endowment for the Arts!

For more information on applying for Federal employment, please visit USAJOBS.

Fair & Transparent

The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.

• Criminal history inquiries
• Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Policy
• Financial suitability
• New employee probationary period
• Privacy Act
• Reasonable accommodation policy
• Selective Service
• Signature and false statements
• Social security number request