National Defense University (NDU) supports the joint warfighter by providing rigorous Joint Professional Military Education to members of the U.S. Armed Forces and select others in order to develop leaders who have the ability to operate and creatively think in an unpredictable and complex world.
This is a Title 10 Excepted Service Appointment. Appointment is not to exceed 3 years with the possibility for extension.
Summary
National Defense University (NDU) supports the joint warfighter by providing rigorous Joint Professional Military Education to members of the U.S. Armed Forces and select others in order to develop leaders who have the ability to operate and creatively think in an unpredictable and complex world.
This is a Title 10 Excepted Service Appointment. Appointment is not to exceed 3 years with the possibility for extension.
Under the direction of a CASL Division Director, the incumbent is responsible for assisting with designing, developing, and executing wargames in support of the educational and external engagement programs for the Office of the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, and the colleges of the NDU. When directed, the incumbent is responsible for assisting with experiential education programs for the academic, non-governmental, and interagency policy communities at the strategic and operational levels. The incumbent may also be responsible for assisting in designing, developing, and facilitating national security exercises in support of the Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD), the Joint Staff, the Combatant Commands, the Department of State, the Department of Homeland Security, Members of Congress, State Governors, and other activities as directed.
The incumbent conducts research and analysis focused on the development of national defense exercises concerning a wide range of domestic and international challenges. The incumbent assists with researching and developing exercise and simulation concepts, methodologies, and approaches that are focused on best practices for application at the policy-making, strategic, and operational levels. The incumbent studies and evaluates best practices for NDU curriculum support, such as case studies, simulations, or practical exercises. The incumbent carries out inter-disciplinary research to ensure that information products for experiential learning exercises and events reflect the most relevant information available to decision-makers with the appropriate content and in the correct format. The incumbent assists in the development of background studies, decision papers, force structures analyses, contingency plans, and policy analyses that reflect the current, or the relevant scenario-based, thinking of the Department of Defense and the civilian federal departments and agencies. The incumbent analyzes all of the instruments of national power for development and execution of political-military experiential learning exercises. The incumbent also studies and analyzes relevant social science work including pedagogy, adult learning, organizational science, group dynamics, psychology, and sociology. The incumbent applies this range of knowledge to the process of developing relevant exercises, simulations, and topical studies. The incumbent may perform travel (domestic and potentially international) to assist with the design, development, and the execution of exercises, participate in meetings and conferences, to share and to acquire current state-of-the-art innovations in the field of experiential learning, and otherwise support the CASL mission. Travel may be up to 15% of work time. The incumbent collaborates with other national security experts from the government and private sector to share information on a broad range of national and homeland security issues. The incumbent identifies emerging national security issues within specific areas of competence or responsibility and represents CASL in interactions with U.S. military Senior Service Colleges and/or their wargaming centers/components.
The incumbent assists CASL teams that are developing and implementing national and homeland security exercises and other experiential learning activities, with a particular emphasis on subjects related to Globally Integrated/All Domain Operations that can include stability operations, defense resourcing, transregional multi-domain warfighting, humanitarian assistance/disaster relief, homeland security, counter-terrorism, cybersecurity, and other emerging national security threats. The incumbent provides advice and support to the staff, faculty, and students of NDU and other Senior Service Colleges and the wargaming centers in order to assist in developing programs, research, exercises, and simulations in support of academic goals and requirements. The incumbent participates in the curriculum design and development process. The incumbent provides the Division Director inputs on effectiveness of the Division's exercises and works with him/her to ensure that both meet the highest quality standards and support the sponsors' requirements. The incumbent recommends changes to improve quality of CASL exercises and simulations. The incumbent represents CASL in activities with OSD, Joint Staff and other government agencies and non-governmental organizations when directed. The incumbent participates in exercise execution and facilitation for academic and outreach populations.
The incumbent assists with the organization, planning, and execution of exercises, symposia, conferences, workshops, and other CASL activities in support the full range of CASL clients. The incumbent also performs administrative and other project management tasks as directed by the Division Director in accordance with all applicable guidelines and policies.
Background or Security Investigation: This is a Non-Critical Sensitive position which requires a background investigation. The individual selected for this position is required to obtain and maintain a Secret security determination to occupy a Non-Critical Sensitive position within the agency as a condition of employment.
Qualifications
To qualify for this position, you must:
1. A bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited institution of higher education (or equivalent) in an appropriate discipline (such as political science, history, international relations, economics, etc.) is required for the position of Wargaming Assistant.
2. Demonstrated potential to conduct research, academic writing, and performing teaching tasks, particularly in the fields of international relations and national/homeland security.
3. Experience relevant to planning academic-oriented programs and events, working with program stakeholders/clients to ensure the project meets the desired outcomes.
4. Experience, education or training in facilitating or leading group discussion, working groups or multifunctional/organizational committees.
DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS:
1. Experience in the study of national-level policy formulation, planning, implementation, and management of national security-related programs (e.g., humanitarian assistance/disaster relief, defense resourcing, homeland security, transregional multi-domain warfighting, cybersecurity, or stability and reconstruction operations).
2. Experience with Microsoft Office suite tools, Adobe suite tools, video editing tools, GIS tools, modeling/simulation tools, and/or knowledge related to relevant social science work including pedagogy, adult learning, organizational science, group dynamics, psychology, and sociology.
3. Relevant practical experience in the national and/or homeland security field and experience in wargaming, or demonstrated potential in teaching, engagement, scholarship/research, or professional contributions is preferred.
Volunteer Experience: 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 to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.
Education
Education Requirement: A bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited institution of higher education (or equivalent) in an appropriate discipline (such as political science, history, international relations, economics, etc.) is required for the position of Wargaming Assistant..
Official transcripts will be required at time of selection to verify educational requirements are met.
Additional information
NDU has a comprehensive benefits package that includes retirement, social security, and thrift savings; health, life, and long term care insurance; paid vacation, sick leave, and holidays. NDU employees enjoy flexible work schedules, transit subsidy, and the opportunity to telecommute.
Initial Probationary Period: You will be required to serve an initial probationary period of 18 months.
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 windowLearn 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.
How you will be evaluated
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
A screening panel will review your resume and narrative answers to the assessment questions to evaluate your qualifications for the position. NDU uses a multi-tier selection process for academic positions.
The following questions will be reviewed by the NDU screening panel https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/11529953.
The Assessment Questionnaire collects information on your education, training and experience related to the following critical competencies:
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 windowLearn 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.
You must provide a complete Application Package which includes:
Résumé: The latest resume submitted will be used to determine qualifications. All conferred degrees and certifications should be included in your resume for full consideration
Complete Assessment Questionnaire
Other Supporting Documents - Refer to the eligibilities section for documents to submit.
NOTE: Transcripts are not required at time of application submission. Your resume and narrative answers to the hiring criteria will be reviewed by the NDU screening panel to evaluate your qualifications for the position. If selected for an interview, official transcripts will be requested at that time to verify educational requirements are met.
Eligibilities Information: The following supporting documents are REQUIRED to verify your individual eligibility status. Not all will apply for each applicant. They MUST be received by the closing date of the announcement.
SF-50 - (If applicable) Notification of Personnel Action for current or former federal employees- with the exception of current permanent NDU employees, please provide your most recent SF50 or the SF50 reflecting Career/Career-Conditional tenure and the highest grade held on a permanent basis.
If you claim Veteran's Preference:
- You must submit a copy of your DD Form-214, Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty", showing the dates of active duty service, type of discharge and the character of service. Alternatively, If you are a current military member in active duty service and do not have a copy of your DD Form-214, you must submit a written documentation (certification) from your branch of service certifying that you are expected to be discharged or released from active duty under honorable conditions no later than 120 days after the date the certification is submitted with your application for this position. The certification should also include your rank, dates of active duty service and what they condition of discharge is thought to be.
- If claiming 10-point preference and/or are a 30% or more Disabled Veteran, you must submit both a DD Form-214 or expected discharge documentation as described above AND a copy of a letter from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) or your branch of service certifying the presence of service-connected disability and indicating the percentage of disability
- If you are claiming eligibility based on 10-point derived veterans' preference (i.e. a spouse, widow/widower, or parent of a veteran claiming veterans' preference when the veteran is unable to use it), you must also submit a Standard Form 15 (SF-15) "Application for 10-Point Veteran's Preference" and any required documents indicated on the SF-15 to substantiate the claimed preference.
Other documents identified in the announcement.
WARNING: Failure to submit a complete application package including any required documentation by the closing date of the announcement at 11:59 EST, or at the time of application for announcements with an extended closing date, may result in an ineligible rating and loss of consideration. To verify that your application is complete, log into your USAJOBS account, select Application Status and More Information. The Details page will display the status of your application.
It is the applicant's responsibility to verify that information entered or uploaded is received, legible and accurate. HR will not modify answers submitted by an applicant.
If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:
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.
To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package. See required documents below.
Click 'Apply Online' to create an account or log in to your existing USAJOBS account.
1. Follow the prompts to complete the assessment questionnaire and upload required documents.
2. Please ensure you click the Submit My Answers button to submit your application.
3. Check application status by logging into your USAJOBS account, clicking Application Status, then More Information for this position. Return to an incomplete application by logging into your USAJOBS account and clicking Update Application in the vacancy announcement. You must re-select your resume and other documents from your USAJOBS account or your application will be incomplete.
National Defense University
300 5th Avenue Bldg 62
Washington, DC 20319
US
Next steps
Once the online questionnaire is received you will receive an acknowledgement email that your submission was successful. The questionnaire will assess your qualifications for the job. ALL eligible applicants will be referred to NDU which will convene a board to review all of the applicants. NDU will contact the applicants directly they would like to interview. We will notify you of the outcome after each of these steps has been completed. After making a tentative job offer, we will conduct a suitability/security background investigation.
You will no longer need to call the HR Office to determine your application status. USAJOBS has added an alert setting to their system to drive status updates notification for applicants. You can elect to activate the proactive notification from your USAJOBS profile at any point during the application process to sign-up for automatic alerts when there are status changes for jobs to which you have applied.
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
You must provide a complete Application Package which includes:
Résumé: The latest resume submitted will be used to determine qualifications. All conferred degrees and certifications should be included in your resume for full consideration
Complete Assessment Questionnaire
Other Supporting Documents - Refer to the eligibilities section for documents to submit.
NOTE: Transcripts are not required at time of application submission. Your resume and narrative answers to the hiring criteria will be reviewed by the NDU screening panel to evaluate your qualifications for the position. If selected for an interview, official transcripts will be requested at that time to verify educational requirements are met.
Eligibilities Information: The following supporting documents are REQUIRED to verify your individual eligibility status. Not all will apply for each applicant. They MUST be received by the closing date of the announcement.
SF-50 - (If applicable) Notification of Personnel Action for current or former federal employees- with the exception of current permanent NDU employees, please provide your most recent SF50 or the SF50 reflecting Career/Career-Conditional tenure and the highest grade held on a permanent basis.
If you claim Veteran's Preference:
- You must submit a copy of your DD Form-214, Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty", showing the dates of active duty service, type of discharge and the character of service. Alternatively, If you are a current military member in active duty service and do not have a copy of your DD Form-214, you must submit a written documentation (certification) from your branch of service certifying that you are expected to be discharged or released from active duty under honorable conditions no later than 120 days after the date the certification is submitted with your application for this position. The certification should also include your rank, dates of active duty service and what they condition of discharge is thought to be.
- If claiming 10-point preference and/or are a 30% or more Disabled Veteran, you must submit both a DD Form-214 or expected discharge documentation as described above AND a copy of a letter from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) or your branch of service certifying the presence of service-connected disability and indicating the percentage of disability
- If you are claiming eligibility based on 10-point derived veterans' preference (i.e. a spouse, widow/widower, or parent of a veteran claiming veterans' preference when the veteran is unable to use it), you must also submit a Standard Form 15 (SF-15) "Application for 10-Point Veteran's Preference" and any required documents indicated on the SF-15 to substantiate the claimed preference.
Other documents identified in the announcement.
WARNING: Failure to submit a complete application package including any required documentation by the closing date of the announcement at 11:59 EST, or at the time of application for announcements with an extended closing date, may result in an ineligible rating and loss of consideration. To verify that your application is complete, log into your USAJOBS account, select Application Status and More Information. The Details page will display the status of your application.
It is the applicant's responsibility to verify that information entered or uploaded is received, legible and accurate. HR will not modify answers submitted by an applicant.
If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:
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.
To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package. See required documents below.
Click 'Apply Online' to create an account or log in to your existing USAJOBS account.
1. Follow the prompts to complete the assessment questionnaire and upload required documents.
2. Please ensure you click the Submit My Answers button to submit your application.
3. Check application status by logging into your USAJOBS account, clicking Application Status, then More Information for this position. Return to an incomplete application by logging into your USAJOBS account and clicking Update Application in the vacancy announcement. You must re-select your resume and other documents from your USAJOBS account or your application will be incomplete.
National Defense University
300 5th Avenue Bldg 62
Washington, DC 20319
US
Next steps
Once the online questionnaire is received you will receive an acknowledgement email that your submission was successful. The questionnaire will assess your qualifications for the job. ALL eligible applicants will be referred to NDU which will convene a board to review all of the applicants. NDU will contact the applicants directly they would like to interview. We will notify you of the outcome after each of these steps has been completed. After making a tentative job offer, we will conduct a suitability/security background investigation.
You will no longer need to call the HR Office to determine your application status. USAJOBS has added an alert setting to their system to drive status updates notification for applicants. You can elect to activate the proactive notification from your USAJOBS profile at any point during the application process to sign-up for automatic alerts when there are status changes for jobs to which you have applied.
Fair and transparent
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
