Program Support Assistant

This position is located in the (Division) Complaint Adjudication Office. The CAO is responsible for issuing final agency decisions (FAD) for the Department of Justice (Department) in administrative cases. The Program Support Assistants are the only professional administrative support staff (PASS) in the CAO, and play a significant role in ensuring that the duties of the CAO are discharged properly.

Overview

• Open & closing dates

  10/16/2024 to 10/25/2024

• Salary

  $61,933 – $80,510 per year

  
  
• Pay scale & grade
  

  GS 8

• Location

  1 vacancy in the following location:

  
  
• Remote job
  

  No

• Telework eligible

  Yes-as determined by the agency policy.

  
  
• Travel Required

  Occasional travel – You may be expected to travel for this position.

• Relocation expenses reimbursed
  

  No

• Appointment type
  

  Permanent

• Work schedule
  

  Full-time

• Service
  

  Competitive

• Promotion potential
  

  8

• Job family (Series)
• Supervisory status
  

  No

• Security clearance
• Drug test
  

  Yes

• Position sensitivity and risk
• Trust determination process
• Financial disclosure
  

  No

• Bargaining unit status
• Announcement number

  25-RDH-CAO-12574132 MPP

  
  
• Control number
  

  814206500

This job is open to

Clarification from the agency

Duties

As the federal agency whose mission is to ensure the fair and impartial administration of justice for all Americans, the Department of Justice is committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive work environment. To build and retain a workforce that reflects the diverse experiences and perspectives of the American people, we welcome applicants from the many communities, identities, races, ethnicities, backgrounds, abilities, religions, and cultures of the United States who share our commitment to public service.

The incumbent will serve as a Program Support Assistant. Duties include, but are not limited to:

• Properly classifies the case as a hearing case, non-hearing case, “mixed” case, or inmate case, and, in accordance with Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) governing regulations, computes the due date for the final agency decision (FAD) depending on the classification of the case.
• Stores and maintains all case related materials, including, but not limited to, the record of investigation (ROI), the correspondence file, relevant decisions by Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) Administrative Judges (AJ), and the parties’ pleadings and/or briefings.
• Maintains database to track incoming and outgoing cases and maintains database of cases assigned to attorneys.
• Prepares reports that identify and calculate:
  • The number of cases received;
  • The number of cases closed;
  • The number of cases in which a finding of discrimination was made;
  • The number of cases in which the CAO accepted, rejected, or modified the findings of an EEOC AJ;
  • The type of relief ordered in cases in which the CAO made a finding of discrimination or accepted a finding of discrimination and/or relief ordered by an EEOC AJ.
  
  
• Ensures that all final documents to be issued by the CAO meet all administrative requirements, including containing correct case numbers, recipient lists, and addresses (email or mailing) for each recipient, and are in the proper format for the respective document. Proofreads FADs for spelling and grammatical mistakes.
• Communicates with the Department officials, component officials, EEOC officials, Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB) officials, and officials of other agencies to resolve administrative matters, such as status of a case investigation, a ROI, and dates and methods of issue of relevant materials for the purposes of accurately computing regulatory deadlines and due dates for briefs by the parties.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

• You must be a U.S. Citizen or National.
• You may be required to complete a pre-employment security screening to initiate your background investigation, which includes a drug screening. Continued employment is contingent upon successful completion and adjudication of your investigation.
• Selective Service registration is required for males born on, or after, December 31,1959. Those not registered should have an approved exemption on file.
• You may be required to complete a one-year probationary period.
• Status candidates must meet time-in-grade requirements (52 weeks at the next lower grade level) by the closing date of this announcement. Only experience and education obtained by the closing date of this announcement will be considered.
• ALL APPLICANTS, regardless of eligibility(ies) selected, MUST submit their most recent (within the past 18 months) performance evaluation or appraisal, which shows a final rating. If an evaluation or rating is not available, you must provide a statement indicating the reason. If you do not submit an appropriate appraisal or statement, you WILL NOT receive consideration for this position.
• DOJ uses E-Verify, an internet-based system, to confirm the eligibility of all newly hired employees to work in the United States. Learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, by visiting www.e-verify.gov/.

Qualifications

Specialized Experience Requirements

For the GS-08, candidates must have one (1) year of specialized experience at a level of difficulty and responsibility equivalent to the GS-07 grade level in the Federal service, public or other private sectors that is directly related to the position as listed above and which has equipped the candidate with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position. Examples of specialized experience for this position may include:

• Reviewing files for completeness, sorting files, and calendaring deadlines for work;
• Reviewing outgoing documents for formatting and grammatical errors;
• Entering information into spreadsheets using Microsoft Excel or equivalent program and generating reports based on those spreadsheets;
• Processing time and attendance; and
• Performing other administrative and clerical duties (e.g., scanning filing, maintaining calendars, and preparing and sending correspondences).

Other experience that is preferred may include:
Using file-sharing applications (e.g., USAFx, JEFs); using Microsoft Office (Word, Excel), Adobe, and Outlook to accomplish business objectives; and using virtual meeting platforms (e.g., Zoom, WebEx, MS Teams).

Time-In-Grade Requirement: Applicants who are current Federal employees applying for a higher grade must meet time-in-grade requirements by the closing date of this announcement. You MUST provide an SF-50, which shows position, type of service appointment, tenure group, grade, duty location, and salary. If your most recent SF-50 has an effective date within the past year, it may not clearly demonstrate you possess one-year (52 weeks) time-in-grade, as required by the announcement. Consider providing an additional SF-50 that clearly demonstrates one-year time-in-grade (examples of appropriate SF-50s include: Promotions; Within Grade/Range Increases; and SF-50s dated a year apart within the same grade/position. No award SF-50s will be accepted). Failure to submit the required SF-50 document will result in an ineligible rating under merit promotion procedures.

Note: Time-In-Grade requirements also apply to former Federal employees applying for reinstatement and current Federal employees applying for Veterans Employment Opportunities Act of 1998 (VEOA) appointment.

In order to be rated as qualified for this position, we must be able to determine that you meet the specialized experience requirement – please be sure to include this information in your resume. To be creditable, this experience must have been equivalent in difficulty and complexity to the next lower grade of the position to be filled.

Specialized experience is defined as experience that has equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position, and is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled.

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.

All qualifications, time-in-grade, and education requirements, if applicable, must be met by the closing date of this announcement and clearly documented in your resume.

YOUR RESUME MUST support your responses to the online questionnaire and provide specific details as to how your experience meets the specialized experience as described in the vacancy announcement. If you are using experience to meet all or part of the qualification requirements, please ensure that your resume includes the month and year that you began and ended each position held or that position will not be credited toward meeting the specialized experience requirement. Part-time employment will be prorated in crediting experience. Failure to provide details will result in an ineligible rating. Your latest resume submitted for this vacancy announcement will be used to determine qualifications and supersedes previous submissions.

Your latest resume submitted for this vacancy announcement will be used to determine qualifications and supersedes previous submissions.

Education

This position does not have an education qualification requirement.

Additional information

The bullets below outline the various groups of applicants that fall under the term “status candidates”. This vacancy is open to applicants from any of the groups listed below. Read each statement, and any links provided, to ensure you select all applicable eligibilities.

See a full list and learn more at USAJOBS, see: or

1. CURRENT AND FORMER FEDERAL EMPLOYEES: For more information, see .
2. CAREER TRANSITION PROGRAMS (): For more information visit:
3. VETERANS : Please see for more details.
4. MILITARY SPOUSES: Please see
5. SCHEDULE A, PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES: Learn more at . DOJ welcomes and encourages applicants from persons with disabilities and is firmly committed to satisfying its affirmative obligations under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 to ensure that persons with disabilities have every opportunity to be hired and advance on the basis of merit. The Civil Rights Division also encourages eligible Schedule A applicants to submit their resumes directly to Diane Turner by email to .
6. PEACE CORP & AMERICORPS VISTA: Please see:
7. LAND MANAGEMENT: Please see:

DOJ EEO Statement/Policy:

Reasonable Accommodation Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended and Americans with Disabilities Act 1990 as amended, that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a reasonable accommodation in your online application. Requests for Reasonable Accommodations for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for Reasonable Accommodation must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for Reasonable Accommodations 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. 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 Reasonable Accommodation, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments here: .

The Division’s telework policy requires employees to be in the office at least four (4) days per pay period, or as required by the Division’s policy.

This position is in the bargaining unit: JMD American Federation of State County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) Local 3097.

Any documentation submitted other than that required in the job announcement will not be considered.

Please Note : Additional candidates may be selected if more positions become available in the Division within 90 days after the HR office issues the selection certificate.

• 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. .

  
  
  

  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.

Your application will be evaluated and rated under DOJ’s Merit Promotion Procedures. Once the announcement closes, of your and will be conducted by the HR Specialist. This information will be compared against your responses to the assessment questionnaire to determine your for Federal employment, and then whether you are for this particular position. If a determination is made that you have inflated your responses when compared to your application materials, you may be deemed ineligible, or your score may be adjusted to more accurately reflect your skills and abilities.

If it is determined you meet minimum qualification requirements, your application will then be placed in one of three groups: Best Qualified, Highly Qualified, or Qualified. If you are found to be among the top candidates, you will be referred to the selecting official for employment consideration.

Your qualifications will be evaluated on the following competencies:

• Accountability
• Attention to Detail
• Clerical
• Customer Service
• Customer Service (Clerical/Technical)
• Decision Making
• Flexibility
• Influencing/Negotiating
• Integrity/Honesty
• Interpersonal Skills
• Interpersonal Skills
• Learning
• Manages and Organizes Information
• Reading Comprehension
• Reasoning
• Self-Management
• Stress Tolerance
• Teamwork
• Writing

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.

All qualified Non-Competitive applicants and the best qualified Merit Promotion applicants will be referred to the hiring manager for consideration.

The assessment includes a cut score based on the minimum level of required proficiency in these critical general competencies. You must meet or exceed the cut score to be considered. You will not be considered for the position if you score below the cut score or fail to complete the assessment.

We recommend that you preview the online questions for this announcement before you start the application process. You may preview the assessment questionnaire by clicking here: .

APPRAISALS/AWARDS: Hiring Managers use objective methods and consider previous performance appraisals and awards in the selection process. Current Federal Civilian employees should list any relevant performance related rating and/or awards in your resume.

Career Transition Programs ( ): These programs apply to Federal and/or DOJ employees who meet the definition of surplus or displaced from a position in the competitive service. To receive selection priority for this position, you must:

1. Meet eligibility criteria;
2. Be rated well-qualified for the position with a score of 85 or above based on the competencies listed above; and
3. Submit the appropriate documentation to support your eligibility: most recent performance appraisal, a copy of your written notification of ICTAP eligibility or a copy of our separation personnel action, and most current SF-50 noting position, grade level, tenure, and duty station.

• 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. .

  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.

  he following documents are required for your application to be complete.

  
  
  • Required, – All Applicants: YOUR RESUME MUST support your responses to the online questionnaire and provide specific details as to how your experience meets the specialized experience as described in the vacancy announcement. To receive credit for experience contained in your resume, your employment history must include the start and end dates in the month and year format (MM/YYYY), and include the number of hours worked per week. Failure to follow this format may result in disqualification. Part-time employment will be prorated in crediting experience. Failure to provide details will result in an ineligible rating. For additional information: ” “.
  • Required, if you are a :
    • SF-50 : If you are a current or former federal employee applying under merit promotion procedures, you must submit a copy of your SF-50 or equivalent personnel action form reflecting your permanent, competitive status. Your SF-50 should document how you meet the requirements including grade levels and full performance levels of current/past positions. Your SF-50 (or equivalent personnel action form) must reflect in Block 24 – Tenure: 1 – Permanent or 2 – Conditional; AND in Block 34 – Position Occupied: 1 – Competitive Service. Failure to submit the required SF-50 document will result in an ineligible rating under merit promotion procedures.
    
    
  • Performance Appraisal : ALL APPLICANTS, regardless of eligibility(ies) selected, MUST submit their most recent (within the past 18 months) performance evaluation or appraisal, which shows a final rating. If an evaluation or rating is not available, you must provide a statement indicating the reason. If you do not submit an appropriate appraisal or statement, you WILL NOT receive consideration for this position.
  • Required, documentation, if applicable: If you are claiming CTAP/ICTAP eligibility, you must submit proof by the closing date of the announcement that you meet the requirements of 5 CFR 330.605(u) for CTAP and 5 CFR 330.704 for ICTAP or you will not receive priority consideration. The proof includes a copy of the Agency notice, your most recent performance rating, and your most recent SF-50 Notification of Personnel Action for Competitive Appointment.
  • Military Reserve or National Guard Technician Special Disability Retirement Annuity under 5 U.S.C. 8337(h) or 8456: Certification of special disability retirement annuity from a military department or National Guard Bureau AND Separation SF-50 of the last position held.
  • Disability Annuity Termination: Notification from OPM of disability annuity termination AND Separation SF-50 of the last position held.
  • Worker’s Compensation Separation: Agency certification of inability to place employee AND Notification of Separation OR Separation SF-50.
  • Required, if you are applying as a : Schedule A letter from a physician, local, state or federal rehabilitation office citing your eligibility under 5 CFR 213.3102 (u). This letter must be separate from any Veterans Preference documentation. If you are selected and your Schedule A letter is more than three years old, you will be asked to provide an updated letter. .
  • Required, if you are applying as a : SF-15 Form, VA letter, and DD214 or certification of expected discharge or release from active duty within 120 days, under honorable conditions.
  • Required, if you are eligible under Certain Family Members Eligible under E.O. 12721: Your most recent non-award SF-50 and performance appraisal.
  • Required, if you are eligible under Certain Military Spouses Eligible under E.O. 13832: A copy of Permanent Change of Station (PCS) orders; OR verification of the member’s 100% disability (VA Letter); and/or verification of the member’s death while on active duty (DD-1300 and Death Certificate). You must include verification of the marriage to the service member (i.e., a marriage license or other legal documentation verifying marriage) AND Member 4 copy of the DD-214. See more information at
  • Required, if you are eligible under Interchange Agreement with Other Merit Systems Eligible: Documentation of eligibility as listed in each individual interchange agreement.
  • Former or current Political Appointees: OPM must authorize employment offers for former or current Political Appointees. If you are currently, or have been within the last 5 years, a political Schedule A, Schedule C or Non-Career SES employee in the Executive Branch, you must disclose this information. Submit proof of your former or current status, such as your SF-50. Please see
  
  

  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 .

  
  
  

  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.

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