Program Specialist

This Program Specialist position is with Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (Department of Agriculture) in Phoenix, AZ. The Program Specialist is responsible for performing staff analytical and evaluative duties in support of the Deputy Administrator, Assistant Deputy Administrator and Chief of Staff; providing their office and its employees assistance to execute travel, financial, human resources, and administrative policies and systems as they relate to Veterinary Service and its animal health programs. Key duties: • The duties described are for the full-performance level. At developmental grade levels, assignments will be of more limited scope, performed with less independence and limited complexity. • The duties may include, but are not limited to: • Provides support for the administrative and operational aspects of the VS Office of the Deputy Administrator based on assignment. • Recommends quality improvements to procedures or process, and guides staff efforts to implement continuous improvements and innovations. • Coordinates travel commitments and complex schedule maneuvering for the Deputy Administrators team based on assignment • Updates the VS Deputy Administrator’s Chief of Staff on significant concerns or topics of interest arising during his or her absence; provides background materials as required. • Reviews and analyzes new administrative policy issuance to determine the influence on the Office of the Deputy Administrator. Qualifications: Applicants must meet all qualifications and eligibility requirements by the closing date of the announcement including time-in-grade restrictions, specialized experience and/or education, as defined below. TIME-IN-GRADE: Current federal employees applying for a promotion opportunity must meet time-in-grade (TIG) requirement of 52 weeks of service at the next lower grade level in the normal line of progression for the position being filled. FOR THE GS-07 LEVEL: Applicants must have one year of specialized experience (equivalent to the GS-05 grade level) that demonstrates: Providing administrative support and data management to handle correspondence flow with stakeholders. Producing and filing various routine correspondence, reports, contracts, permits, presentations, etc. Proficiency with office software tools such as Outlook, Teams, Excel, and Word. OR 1 full year of graduate level education leading to a degree in Business, Business Administration, Business Management, Communications, Management, Organizational Management, Public Administration or other related fields. OR Superior Academic Achievement: To qualify based on superior academic achievement, you must have completed the requirements for a bachelor's degree from an accredited institution AND 1) have a class standing in the upper third of the graduating class, 2) membership in a national scholastic honor society (excluding Freshman honor societies), or 3) must meet certain GPA requirements. GPA requirements: 3.0 or higher out of a possible 4.0 as recorded on official transcripts or as computed based on 4 years of education, or courses completed during the final 2 year of the curriculum; OR 3.5 or higher out of a possible 4.0 based on the average of the required course completed in the major field or courses completed during the final 2 years of the curriculum (GPA will be rounded to one decimal place, e.g., 2.95 rounds to 3.0 and 2.94 rounds to 2.9). Equivalent combinations of education and experience are qualifying for this grade level. TRANSCRIPTS are required if: You are qualifying for the position based on education. You are qualifying for this position based on a combination of experience and education. You are qualifying for this position based on Superior Academic Achievement. This education must have been successfully completed and obtained from an accredited school, college, or university. COMBINATION OF EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE AT THE GS-07 GRADE LEVEL: Applicants may have combinations of successfully completed education and specialized experience to meet total qualification requirements. The total percentages must equal at least 100 percent to qualify for that grade level. 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. View the full announcement and apply on USAJOBS.gov.