Program Specialist

This Research Program Specialist position is located in a Forest Service Research and Development unit that serves as senior advisor for a the Deputy Chief Research and Development program area that involves the formulation, programming and guidance of projects or continuing programs of great difficulty, significance, and critical importance.

For additional information about the duties of this position, please contact Valerie Hipkins at Valerie.Hipkins@usda.gov.

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• Duties are listed at the GS-14 grade level.
• Serves as the program authority and principal advisor to Forest Service Leadership for a program or specialty area of great importance and significance to the Agency.
• Formulates, programs, and provides national policies, objectives, and standards on projects or assigned program.
• Develops and promulgates long term and annual program budget goals and objectives for assigned program consistent with agency program goals.
• Actively seeks and builds public and private sector partnerships to promote effective program opportunities.
• Serves as liaison, maintaining productive working relationships between policy makers of interagency teams and Forest Service counterparts to resolve mutual problems and develop integrated strategic approaches for problem resolution.
• Supervises 20% or less of the time.

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• Must be a U.S. Citizen or National.
• Males born after 12-31-59 must be registered for Selective Service or exempt.
• Subject to satisfactory adjudication of background investigation and/or fingerprint check.
• Per Public Law 104-134 all Federal employees are required to have federal payments made by direct deposit to their financial institution.
• As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider: your performance and conduct; the needs and interests of the agency; whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service. Upon completion of your probationary period your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

In order to qualify, you must meet the eligibility and qualifications requirements as defined below by the closing date of the announcement. For more information on the qualifications for this position, visit the Office of Personnel Management's General Schedule Qualification Standards.

Your application and resume must clearly show that you possess the experience requirements. Transcripts must be provided for qualifications based on education. Provide course descriptions as necessary.

Specialized Experience Requirement:

For the GS-13: You must have one-year specialized experience equivalent to the GS-12. Specialized experience is defined as 2 or more of the following:

• Performed administrative program functions to include analyzing components, planning and evaluating, budgeting, coordinating, and monitoring;
• conducted administrative and management studies to identify program implementation issues;
• analyzed and reviewed program performance to make recommendations to sustain program effectiveness; and/or
• collaborated with customers and/or partners to establish the program of work, priorities, policies and operations.

For the GS-14: You must have one-year specialized experience equivalent to the GS-13. Specialized experience is defined as 3 of the following:

• Performed comprehensive analysis on complex issues to gather information, devise plans and policies, design strategies, provide advice, and formulate solutions;
• developed long- and short-range plans to include programming, budgeting, integrating, and evaluating complex programs;
• Initiated and lead high priority special projects, studies, and initiatives encompassing difficult and diverse functions or issues;
• recommended and revised programs and procedures to facilitate operations in the face of technical or administrative obstacles.

There is no substitution of education for specialized experience.

The USDA Forest Service has legislative authority to recruit and fill Permanent (Career/Career-Conditional), Temporary, and Term Appointments under the USDA Demonstration Project. Under this authority, any U.S. citizen may apply.

Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP), Reemployment Priority List (RPL), or Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP): To exercise selection priority for this vacancy, CTAP/RPL/ICTAP candidates must meet the basic eligibility requirements and all selective factors. CTAP/ICTAP eligibles must meet the agency's definition for a quality candidate as provided in the How You Will Be Evaluated section of this announcement to be considered.

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 not guaranteed.

Salary wage as shown is for Rest of the U.S. Final salary will be determined at the time of selection dependent on the duty location for more information, refer to the Office of Personnel Management, Salary and Wages web page.

The Forest Service may use certain incentives and hiring flexibilities, currently offered by the Federal government, to attract highly qualified candidates. Additional Information is available on the OPM Website.

This is a non-bargaining unit position.

We may select from this announcement or any other source to fill one or more vacancies. Multiple positions may be filled from this announcement.

The position will be located at a Forest Service office, except Atlanta, Georgia; Milwaukee, Wisconsin; and Portland, Oregon. Final determination of the duty station will be made by the selecting official at the time of the job offer.

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Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

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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.