Program Support Specialist

Applicants must meet the following eligibility requirements to participate in this Recent Graduate Program: A. Completed all requirements for an associates, bachelors, masters, professional, doctorate, vocational, or technical degree or qualifying certificate from an accredited educational institution within the 2 years preceding the closing date of this announcement. -OR- B. Released or discharged from active duty within the previous two years by 10/24/2024, where as a veteran who, due to a military service obligation, was precluded from applying to the Recent Graduate Program during any portion of the 2-year eligibility period following completion of degree or certificate requirements, are entitled to a full 2-year period of eligibility upon release or discharge from active duty. In no event, however, may the eligibility period extend beyond 6 years from the date on which the preference eligible veteran completed the requirements of the degree or certificate. -OR- C. Individuals who are expected to graduate with a qualifying Associate’s, Bachelor’s, Master’s, Doctorate, professional, vocational or technical degree or certificate program by the closing date of this announcement. Current students must meet all eligibility and qualification requirements before a final offer can be made. NOTE: You must submit transcripts or official documentation to verify your eligibility under the Recent Graduate Program. Transcripts MUST reflect the degree/certificate program and the degree conferred date. If your degree/certificate has not been conferred, you must provide proof of the anticipated graduation date. Selectee’s entry on duty date will be upon degree conferment. In addition to the eligibility requirements for the Pathways Recent Graduate Program, you must also meet the following OPM Qualification Requirements listed below by 10/24/2024 in order to qualify for the Program Support Specialist, 0301, at GS – 5/7. For GS-5: A. Successfully completed a full 4-year course of study in any field leading to a Bachelor’s degree, in an accredited college or university. (Must submit transcript). -OR- B. Possess 3 years of progressively responsible experience gained in administrative, professional, technical, investigative or other responsible work, 1 year of which is equivalent to at least the GS-04 grade level or higher in the Federal service which includes providing administrative support; preparing, maintaining, and assembling files and records; and utilizing office software such as Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. -OR- C. Possess a combination of six months of general experience in letter B above and post high school education described in letter A above in excess of the first 60 semester hours (i.e., beyond the second year) that totals at least one year. One full academic year of study (30 semester hours) beyond the second year is equivalent to 6 months general experience. (Must submit transcript). For GS-7: A. Applicants must have at least one full year of specialized experience, equivalent to at least the GS-05 level in the Federal service which includes providing administrative support; preparing, maintaining, and assembling files and records; utilizing office software such as Word, Excel, and PowerPoint; and analyzing problems to identify significant factors and gathering pertinent data. -OR- B. Completion of one year of graduate level education related to the position being filled from an accredited college and/or university. (Must submit transcript). -OR- C. Successful completion of all the requirements for a bachelor’s degree AND meet the Superior Academic Achievement provision (S.A.A.) criteria (visit the site for more detail information). In order to be creditable under this provision, Superior Academic Achievement must have been gained in a curriculum that is qualifying/related to the position to be filled. Superior Academic Achievement is based on: (1) Class Standing – Applicants must be in the upper third of the graduating class in the college, university, or major subdivision, such as the College of Liberal Arts or the School of Business Administration, based on completed courses; OR (2) Grade-Point Average (G.P.A.) – Applicants must have a grade-point average of either (a) 3.0 or higher out of a possible 4.0 (“B” or better) 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; or (b) 3.5 or higher out of a possible 4.0 (“B+” or better) 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.; OR (3) Honor Society Membership which may be considered eligible based on membership in one of the approved national scholastic honor societies listed by the Association of College Honor Societies (https://www.achsnatl.org/). (Must submit transcript). -OR- D. Have a combination of experience as described in “A” above and education as described in “B” above. When combining education with experience, first determine the applicant’s total qualifying education as a percentage of the education required for the grade level; then determine the applicant’s experience as a percentage of the experience required for the grade level; finally, add the two percentages. The total percentage must equal at least 100 percent to qualify. Note: One year of full-time graduate education is considered to be the number of credit hours that the school you attended has determined to represent one year of study. If this information cannot be obtained from your school, we will consider 18 semester/27 quarter hours to be equal to one year of full-time study. This position requires a degree or completion of specific courses in order 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 Basic 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. Degree requirements must be met by the closing date of this job announcement and your transcript(s) submitted must reflect this. IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. Qualifications are based on breadth/level of experience. In addition to describing duties performed, applicants must provide the exact dates of each period of employment (from MM/YY to MM/YY) and the number of hours worked per week if part time. As qualification determinations cannot be made when resumes do not include the required information, failure to provide this information may result in disqualification. Applicants are encouraged to use the USAJBS Resume Builder to develop their federal resume. 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. Qualification standards and additional information for this position can be found here: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/
This position is located in the Food and Drug Administration, Office of the Commissioner (OC), Office of External (OEA), Operations Staff. This is a junior-level developmental trainee position and the incumbent will receive tailored instructions, guidance, training, and supervision designed to provide the knowledge and skills necessary for successful performance.