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This job is open to

The public

U.S. Citizens, Nationals or those who owe allegiance to the U.S.

Career transition (CTAP, ICTAP, RPL)

Federal employees whose job, agency or department was eliminated and are eligible for priority over other applicants.

Clarification from the agency

Open to all U.S. Citizens and Well-qualified surplus/displaced Federal employees (CTAP/ICTAP) in the local commuting area.

Duties

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If selected for the Program Specialist position, the incumbent will work on various phases of the receipt and processing of library grant applications as well as the monitoring and assessing of awardee performance.

Typical work assignments will include:

Provides technical support in reviewing grants applications, annual reports, and required forms for the fulfillment of financial prerequisites and compliance with standard policies or regulations. Assists in researching administrative and regulatory citations and liaising with grant applicants and grantees as needed.
Coordinates the finalization and dissemination of grant documents. Assists with processing grant applications and contacting grant applicants.
Coordinates the peer review of grant applications and provides technical assistance to reviewers.
Works closely with program staff and other agency staff as needed to develop and deliver training workshops and presentations on grant processes, requirements, and other matters.
Responds to external and internal inquiries. Provides general guidance regarding basic program requirements but refers difficult questions or issues to a Program Officer. May contact grantees regarding incomplete reports or other matters as directed by program staff.
Tracks and manages official grant files and documentation both in hardcopy and electronic format.

Performs other duties as assigned.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

Must be a U.S. Citizen or National
Males born after 12-31-59 must be registered for Selective Service
May be required to successfully complete a probationary period.
If not previously completed, a background security investigation will be required for all appointees. Appointment will be subject to the applicant's successful completion of a background security investigation and favorable adjudication.
Documentation that you present for purposes of completing the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Form I-9 will be verified through the DHS "E-Verify" System.
Relocation expenses will not be authorized.
Resume and supporting documents (See Required Documents Section).
You must meet all qualification requirements upon the closing date of this announcement.

Qualifications

GS-11: To qualify at the GS-11 grade level, applicants must possess at least one year of specialized experience at or equivalent to the GS-09 grade level or pay band in the Federal service or equivalent experience in the private or public sector. Specialized experience is defined as the following: (1) knowledge and experience with interpreting grants management laws, policies, and procedures; (2) knowledge and experience with reviewing and administering awards for grants; (3) experience and skill in utilizing a web-based grants management database to process applications and create reports; (4) skill in oral and written communications to create policies, reports, and respond to internal/external inquiries.
Or
Three (3) full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree (i.e. PhD) or LL.M, if related in one or a combination of the following educational fields is required: Library science, Business, Education or American Indian Studies.
Or
A combination of specialized experience and graduate level education (i.e. PhD or LLM), if related in one or a combination of the following fields is required: library science, business, and education, or American Indian Studies that equates to one year of experience. To compute the percentage, divide your total months of qualifying experience by 12. Then divide your semester hours of graduate education beyond the first two years by 18. Add the two percentages. The total percentage must equal at least 100 percent to qualify.

NOTE:

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.
Combining Education and Experience: Combinations of successfully completed post-high school education and experience may be used to meet total qualification requirements for the grade levels specified in the table, and may be computed by first determining the applicant's total qualifying experience as a percentage of the experience required for the grade level; then determining the applicant's education as a percentage of the education required for the grade level; and then adding the two percentages. The total percentages must equal at least 100 percent to qualify an applicant for that grade level.
Graduate Education: To qualify for the GS-0301 position at the GS-11 grade level(s) on the basis of graduate level education, graduate education must be in one or a combination of the following fields is required: Library science, Business, Education or American Indian Studies.

An academic year of graduate education is considered to be the number of credit hours that the
school attended has determined to represent 1 academic year of full-time study. This
determination is made based on normal course loads for a full year of study in the graduate
program. If that information cannot be obtained from the school, 18 semester hours or 27 quarter
hours should be considered as satisfying the 1 year of full-time study requirement. Part-time
graduate education is creditable in accordance with its relationship to a year of full-time study at the
school attended.

Only graduate education in excess of the first two (2) years may be used to qualify
applicants for positions at the GS-11 grade level.

Education

ARE YOU USING YOUR EDUCATION TO QUALIFY?
You MUST provide transcripts or other documentation to support your educational claims. Unless otherwise stated: (1) official or unofficial transcripts are acceptable, or (2) you may submit a list with all of your courses, grades, semester, year, and credit for the course. All materials must be submitted by the closing date of the announcement. All academic degrees and coursework must be completed at a college or university that has obtained accreditation or pre-accreditation status from an accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. For a list of schools that meet this criteria, see the Department of Education website at www.ed.gov.

PASS/FAIL COURSES:
If more than 10 percent of your undergraduate course work (credit hours) were taken on a pass/fail basis, your claim of superior academic achievement must be based upon class standing or membership in an honor society.

GRADUATE EDUCATION:
One academic year of graduate education is considered to be the number of credit hours your graduate school has determined to represent one academic of full-time study. Such study may have been performed on a full-time or part-time basis. If you cannot obtain your graduate school's definition of one year of graduate study, 18 semester hours (or 27 quarter hours) should be considered as satisfying the requirement for one year of full-time graduate study.

FOREIGN EDUCATION:
if you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show that the education credentials have been evaluated by a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign education programs and such education has been deemed equivalent to that gained in accredited U.S. education program; or full credit has been given for the courses at a U.S. accredited college or university. For further information, visit: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html

Additional information

Career Transition Assistance Programs:
These programs apply to employees who have been involuntarily separated from a Federal service position within the competitive service or Federal service employees whose positions have been deemed surplus or no longer needed. To receive selection priority for this position, you must: (1) meet CTAP or ICTAP eligibility criteria; (2) be rated well-qualified for the position with a score of 85 or above; and, (3) submit the appropriate documentation to support your CTAP or ICTAP eligibility. For more information visit: http://www.opm.gov/rif/employee_guides/career_transition.asp .

Selective Service Registration:
Males born after 12-31-59 must be registered or exempt from Selective Service (see https://www.sss.gov/RegVer/wfRegistration.aspx).

Veterans Preference:
If you are a veteran with preference eligibility and are claiming 5-points veterans' preference, you must submit a copy of your DD-214 or other proof of eligibility. If you are claiming 10-point veterans' preference, you must also submit an SF-15, "Application for 10-Point Veterans' Preference" plus the proof required by that form. For more information on veterans' preference visit: https://www.usajobs.gov/Veterans.

HIRING INCENTIVES:

Eligible for Student Loan Repayment Program
Eligible for Tuition Assistance Program
This position is telework eligible

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 IMLSs Category Rating and Selection Procedures. Your resume and supporting documentation will be used to determine whether you meet the job qualifications listed on this announcement. If you are minimally qualified for this job, your resume and supporting documentation will be compared to your responses on the Occupational Questionnaire. If you rate yourself higher than is supported by your application materials, your responses may be adjusted and/or you may be excluded from consideration for this job. If it is determined you meet minimum qualification requirements, your application will then be placed in one of three categories:

Best Qualified
Highly Qualified
Qualified

The Category Rating Process does not add veterans' preference points or apply the "rule of three" but protects the rights of Veterans by placing them ahead of non-preference eligibles within each quality category. Veterans' preference eligibles who meet the minimum qualification requirements and who have a compensable service-connected disability of at least 10 percent will be listed in the highest quality category (except in the case of scientific or professional positions at the GS-09 level or higher).

If you are found to be among the top candidates, you will be referred to the selecting official for employment consideration. Within these categories, applicants eligible for Veterans' Preference will receive selection priority over non-veteran preference eligibles.

All applicants' qualifications will be evaluated on the below-listed competencies, which are required for this position. Please outline experience/ education for these competencies in your resume. The required competencies for this position are as follows:

Compliance: Knowledge of procedures for assessing, evaluating, and monitoring programs or projects for compliance with Federal laws, regulations, and guidance.

Computer Skills: Uses computers, software applications, databases, and automated systems to accomplish work.

Grants Management, Laws, Regulations, and Guidelines:Knowledge of principles, laws, regulations, policies, practices, and guidelines (for example, Executive Orders, Code of Federal Regulations, OMB circulars) of grant or agreement programs, including their order of precedence, and procedures for soliciting, receiving, reviewing, and processing proposals, and awarding and administering grants and agreements.

Planning and Evaluating: Organizes work, sets priorities, and determines resource requirements; determines short- or long-term goals and strategies to achieve them; coordinates with other organizations or parts of the organization to accomplish goals; monitors progress and evaluates outcomes.

The Occupational Questionnaire will take you approximately 20 minutes to complete. To preview the Occupational Questionnaire, click the following link:

Help

To apply for this position, you must complete the online application and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section below.

A complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on the closing date of the announcement to receive consideration.

To begin, click Apply to access the online application. You will need to be logged into your USAJOBS account to apply. If you do not have a USAJOBS account, you will need to create one before beginning the application.
Follow the prompts to select your résumé and/or other supporting documents to be included with your application package. You will have the opportunity to upload additional documents to include in your application before it is submitted. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process.
After acknowledging you have reviewed your application package, complete the Include Personal Information section as you deem appropriate and click to continue with the application process.
You will be taken to the online application which you must complete in order to apply for the position. Complete the online application, verify the required documentation is included with your application package, and submit the application.

To verify the status of your application, log into your USAJOBS account (https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login ), all of your applications will appear on the Welcome screen. The Application Status will appear along with the date your application was last updated. For information on what each Application Status means, visit: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/how-to/application/status/ .

If you are unable to apply online, you must request an alternative application which is available from the Human Resources Office. Please contact IMLSatrecruiting@imls.gov or202-653-4676 to obtain an alternative application.

To preview the Assessment Questionnaire, click on the following link:https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/10835089

Agency contact information

Elizabeth Lyons

Phone: 202-653-4676
Fax: 202-653-4608
Email: recruiting@imls.gov

Address: IMLS
955 L'ENFANT PLAZA NORTH, SW
SUITE 4000
WASHINGTON, DC 20024
US

Next steps

Once the announcement has closed, a review of your résumé and supporting documentation will be used to determine whether you meet the qualification requirements listed on this announcement. If you are minimally qualified, your résumé and supporting documentation will be compared against your responses to the assessment questionnaire to determine your level of experience. If, after reviewing your résumé and/or supporting documentation, a determination is made that you have inflated your qualifications and/or experience, you may lose consideration for this position. Please follow all instructions carefully when applying, errors or omissions may affect your eligibility.

You will receive another notification about the status of your application. If referred, you may be asked to conduct a structured interview.

We expect to make a job offer within 80 days after the closing date of the announcement. After making a tentative job offer, we will conduct a preliminary suitability/security background investigation to determine entry on duty.

Required Documents

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To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package which includes:
1. (Required): Your responses to the Online Occupational Questionnaire (This is completed automatically during the apply online process).
2. (Required): Your resume showing relevant experience and dates (month/year) of employment and work schedule for each (e.g., part-time XX hours per week or full-time) (cover letter optional). Please limit your resume to 5 pages and include only information that demonstrates you meet the eligibility for this position.
3. (Required if you meet qualifications based on education): An unofficial college transcript. (Note: If you are selected for this position, official transcript will be required prior to your first day.)
4. (Required, if applicable): If you are CTAP/ICTAP: Certification of Expected Separation, Reduction-In-Force Separation Notice, or Notice of Proposed Removal; SF-50 that documents the RIF separation action: a copy of an SF-50, Notification of Personnel Action, showing current position, grade, promotion potential, and duty location; AND a copy of your most recent performance appraisal.
5. (Required, if applicable): DD-214, SF-15 Form and VA disability letter, or certification of expected discharge or release from active duty from Veterans.

How to Apply

Help

To apply for this position, you must complete the online application and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section below.

A complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on the closing date of the announcement to receive consideration.

To begin, click Apply to access the online application. You will need to be logged into your USAJOBS account to apply. If you do not have a USAJOBS account, you will need to create one before beginning the application.
Follow the prompts to select your résumé and/or other supporting documents to be included with your application package. You will have the opportunity to upload additional documents to include in your application before it is submitted. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process.
After acknowledging you have reviewed your application package, complete the Include Personal Information section as you deem appropriate and click to continue with the application process.
You will be taken to the online application which you must complete in order to apply for the position. Complete the online application, verify the required documentation is included with your application package, and submit the application.

To verify the status of your application, log into your USAJOBS account (https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login ), all of your applications will appear on the Welcome screen. The Application Status will appear along with the date your application was last updated. For information on what each Application Status means, visit: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/how-to/application/status/ .

If you are unable to apply online, you must request an alternative application which is available from the Human Resources Office. Please contact IMLSatrecruiting@imls.gov or202-653-4676 to obtain an alternative application.

To preview the Assessment Questionnaire, click on the following link:https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/10835089

Agency contact information

Elizabeth Lyons

Phone: 202-653-4676
Fax: 202-653-4608
Email: recruiting@imls.gov

Address: IMLS
955 L'ENFANT PLAZA NORTH, SW
SUITE 4000
WASHINGTON, DC 20024
US

Next steps

Once the announcement has closed, a review of your résumé and supporting documentation will be used to determine whether you meet the qualification requirements listed on this announcement. If you are minimally qualified, your résumé and supporting documentation will be compared against your responses to the assessment questionnaire to determine your level of experience. If, after reviewing your résumé and/or supporting documentation, a determination is made that you have inflated your qualifications and/or experience, you may lose consideration for this position. Please follow all instructions carefully when applying, errors or omissions may affect your eligibility.

You will receive another notification about the status of your application. If referred, you may be asked to conduct a structured interview.

We expect to make a job offer within 80 days after the closing date of the announcement. After making a tentative job offer, we will conduct a preliminary suitability/security background investigation to determine entry on duty.