PROGRAM ASSISTANT

Summary Positions are located with the Department of Agriculture; Natural Resources Conservation Service; LWR WILLAMETTE & N COAST BASIN Oregon. As a program support assistant (farm bill), you will be responsible for processing and maintenance of records related to NRCS conservation programs and the day-to-day business and offices processes of the NRCS. Note: These are not remote positions. Learn more about this agency Requirements Conditions of Employment 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. Successful completion of one-year probationary period, unless previously served. Subject to one-year supervisory/managerial probationary period unless prior service is creditable. New USDA supervisors must successfully complete all components of the required training program before the end of their probationary period. 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 E-Verify at https://www.e-verify.gov/. Must possess and maintain a valid state motor vehicle operator's license for the type of vehicle(s) operated to perform the duties of this position. Qualifications Applicants must meet all qualifications and eligibility requirements by the closing date of the announcement including specialized experience and/or education, as defined below. Applicants must meet the following Minimum Qualifications Requirement to be considered: Specialized Experience GS-05: To qualify for the GS-05 level, you must possess at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-04 level or higher in Federal service, or comparable experience not gained through Federal service providing clerical and administrative support for an organization. Examples of specialized experience include: Processing, organizing and filing records for business program operations; Responding to questions on office program policies, procedures and operations to employees and outside parties; Receiving and processing applications (including reviewing applications for completeness); Reviewing incoming/outgoing correspondence for format, grammar, and punctuation; Maintaining office filing system; Providing telephone and reception services; and Scheduling meetings. OR Substitution of education in lieu of specialized experience for the GS-05 level: You must have completed 4 or more years of education above the high school level; OR Combination of Education and Experience: A combination of education 4 years above high school and experience, as described above, may be used to qualify for this position. This combination must have equipped you with the necessary knowledge and/or experience to successfully perform the duties of this position. Combinations of experience and education must total at least 100% as outlined in OPM Qualifications policy. Note: There is no education substitution for the GS-06 and GS-07 grade levels. For more information on the qualifications for this position, click here: Clerical and Administrative Support Positions Specialized Experience GS-06: To qualify for the GS-06 level, you must possess at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-05 level or higher in Federal service, or comparable experience not gained through Federal service performing administrative duties in support of conservation planning (Resource Management, Farm Plan, Record of Decisions). Examples of specialized experience include: Designing or developing financial and transactional reports, and correspondences for conservation projects; Developing processes and procedures for administrative functions to provide consistency within the office and to outside parties. Specialized Experience GS-07: To qualify for the GS-07 level, you must possess at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-06 level or higher in Federal service, or comparable experience not gained through Federal service performing administrative duties in support of conservation planning (Resource Management, Farm Plan, Record of Decisions). Examples of specialized experience include: Providing contract administration support services, such as using a variety of electronic tools to input, organize and manipulate data; Communicating program information and verifying participant eligibility; Creating and maintaining case files; Tracking contract status and following-up with participants to ensure deadlines are met; Reviewing contracts, payments and other technical documents for accuracy and compliance with policy; and Working with staff and customers to resolve program issues and problems. 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. Education Note: There is no education substitution for the GS-06 and GS-07 grade levels. For more information on the qualifications for this position, click here: Clerical and Administrative Support Positions You must submit a copy of your college transcripts or a list of college courses with credit hours, dates completed, and grades received to verify all education requirements (i.e. substitution of education and/or basic education requirement). If a relevant course is not clearly qualifying (e.g. special topic, seminar, research, thesis, obscure or misleading course title, etc.), please submit an official course syllabi and/or detailed course description from the university/college for that particular course to ensure you are properly evaluated. Please note that qualifications determinations are based solely on the information submitted for each particular vacancy announcement. You must document all requirements on every vacancy; we cannot use previous determinations as a basis for rating. All required information must be received by the closing date of this announcement, and non-submission of all required documents/documentation will result in non-consideration. Unofficial transcripts will be accepted. This information must be received by the closing date of this announcement. Non-submission of these documents will result in non-consideration. 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. Applicants must, therefore, only report attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Applicants can verify accreditation via this link. All education claimed by applicants will be verified accordingly. Important: If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. Click on this link for more information. Additional information This is not a remote position. Locality Pay: The salary for each location may vary depending on locality. Locality tables my be found at https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/salaries-wages/. 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. 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. This position is eligible for telework within the local commuting area of the position and other flexible work arrangements. Employee participation is at the discretion of the supervisor. Physical Demands: The work is sedentary but involves some light to moderate lifting and carrying. The incumbent is required to perform repetitive work involving the use of arms and hands. Use of a computer keyboard is required. Work Environment: The work is performed in an office setting which provides adequate light, heat and ventilation. Observance of normal office safety precautions is required. PLEASE NOTE: In the interest of filling these positions as efficiently as possible, we are requiring the following: If called for an interview, applicants must be available to interview within 3 business days of being contacted. If a tentative job offer is extended, selectee will have 2 business days in which to accept or decline. It is the policy of the Government not to deny employment simply because an individual has been unemployed or has had financial difficulties that have arisen through no fault of the individual. See more information at: http://www.chcoc.gov/transmittals/TransmittalDetails.aspx?TransmittalID=6465 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 neither implied nor guaranteed. Read more 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 window Learn 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.