The John S. McCain Strategic Defense Fellows Program is a one year civilian fellowship program designed to provide leadership development for the commencement of a career track toward senior leadership in the Department of Defense.
Summary
The John S. McCain Strategic Defense Fellows Program is a one year civilian fellowship program designed to provide leadership development for the commencement of a career track toward senior leadership in the Department of Defense.
This position is open to U.S. Citizens, U.S. Nationals and lawful permanent residents who have completed an advanced degree (Master's or above); or will complete an advanced degree within six months after applying to the McCain Fellowship. Current students must obtain graduate degree within six months after applying. Recent Graduates conferred transcripts must confirm graduate degree was obtained no more than two years prior to the date of your application.
The McCain Fellowship Program is designed to acquire high performing and talented individuals with advanced degrees located throughout the United States who will gain experience and develop their leadership capabilities through challenging opportunities to flourish into problem solvers, strategic thinkers and future leaders.
Applicants will apply for one of the job series positioned below:
A. 0301 Miscellaneous Administration and Program Analysis: The work that you will perform, primarily, may be administrative or managerial to support the organization's purpose or mission. This position will require you to have knowledge of the principles, concepts, policies, and objectives applicable to a program or administrative area. For example: your resume and work experience should demonstrate competencies such as: Analysis; Research; and Oral and Written Communication. This list is not exhaustive.
B. 0130 Foreign Affairs: The work that you will perform, primarily, may involve assisting with building bilateral relationships; analyzing and advising on posture and force development; and protecting the homeland. For example, your resume and work experience should demonstrate competencies such as: Communication; Cross-Cultural Management; and Analysis. This list is not exhaustive.
C. 1515 Operations Research Analysis: The work that you will perform, primarily, may require competence in the rigorous methods of scientific inquiry and analysis. For example, your resume and work experience should demonstrate competencies such as: Methods Development and Assessment; Problem Solving; and Oral and Written Communication. This list is not exhaustive.
D. 0343 Management Analyst: The work that you will perform, primarily, may involving serving as an analyst and advisor to management on the evaluation of the effectiveness of government programs and operations. For example, your resume and work experience should demonstrate competencies such as: Oral and Written Communication; Decision-making; and Analysis. This list is not exhaustive.
E. 0501 Financial Administration and Program Analysis: The work that you will perform, primarily, may require understanding of accounting, auditing, or budget methods and techniques. For example, your resume and work experience should demonstrate competencies such as: Oral and Written Communication; Problem-Solving; and Interpersonal Skills. This list is not exhaustive.
F. 2210 Information Technology: The work that you will perform, primarily, may require you to have knowledge of IT principles, concepts, and methods; e.g., data storage, software applications, networking. For example, your resume and work experience should demonstrate competencies such as: Problem-Solving; Customer Service; and Time-Management. This list is not exhaustive.
G. 0560 Budget Analyst: The work that you will perform, primarily, may require understanding of accounting, auditing, or budget methods and techniques. For example, your resume and work experience should demonstrate competencies such as: Process Management; Data Gathering and Analysis; and Problem-Solving. This list is not exhaustive.
Fellows are appointed to excepted service positions in the Office of the Secretary of Defense or the office of the Military Department Service Secretary. Upon successful completion of the Fellows program, graduating Fellows may be converted into a permanent position in the EXCEPTED service.
Those selected as Fellows display a personal commitment to excellence and a strong capacity to leadership.
Promotion Potential: The full-performance level of these positions will be determined by your sponsoring organization based on their unique mission needs and manpower requirements.
Males born after 12-31-59 must be registered or exempt from Selective Service (see https://www.sss.gov/Home/Registration)
May be required to successfully complete trial period
Must be determined suitable for federal employment
Required to participate in the direct deposit program
This position is subject to pre-employment and random drug testing
May be required to work other than normal duty hours, which may include evenings, weekends, and/or holidays and/or overtime.
May occasionally require travel away from the normal duty station on military or commercial aircraft.
Must be able to obtain and maintain the appropriate security clearance level.
Qualifications
YOU ARE REQUIRED TO DOCUMENT IN YOUR APPLICATION PACKAGE EVIDENCE THAT SUPPORTS YOUR ELIGIBILITY AND QUALIFICATION CLAIMS.
Advanced degree - Master's Degree and above.
Completed application package and supporting documents:
Assessment Questionnaire
Complete Resume.
Official Home of Record
Two letters of recommendation from previous employers, professors, coaches, internship supervisors, volunteer activity leads or work colleagues addressing work ethic, academic ability and any extra-curricular activities.
An endorsement letter or recommendation letter from the applicant's graduate institution (i.e., academic advisor, career counselor, guidance counselor, university dean or professor) addressing the applicant's academic history and overall character (i.e., no record of honor investigations, plagiarism, accusations, suspension, misconduct, etc.)
Unofficial transcripts of educational achievement at the undergraduate level* and graduate level. To be eligible, applicants must have either completed their graduate degree at the time of application; OR, applicants who will complete their graduate degree within six months after applying to this position.
Provide an academic writing sample (i.e., published articles, dissertation, thesis, etc.)
Provide compelling narrative:
Career goals. Describe your career goals and areas of interest and how the McCain Fellows Program will help you achieve those goals.
Accomplishments. Describe and provide examples/evidence of any learning, professional, leadership and work accomplishments.
Benefits for Department of Defense. Describe how your selection benefits the DoD and your motivation for service in the Department.
Essay: Describe what you want to accomplish and achieve during the fellowship.
Education
THIS POSITION HAS AN EDUCATION REQUIREMENT. You MUST have a Master's Degree and above; OR, will have earned at least a Master's Degree within six months after applying to this position. You MUST also include transcripts , with your application, to support your educational claims. Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.
Additional information
Additional vacancies may be filled by this announcement.
Selective Service: Males born after 12-31-59 must be registered or exempt from Selective Service. For additional information, click here.
Direct Deposit: All federal employees are required to have direct deposit.
Nepotism: Under the provisions of 5 USC 3110, an individual may not be appointed into a position if the position is under the supervisory chain of command of a relative.
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.
Your application package (resume, supporting documents, and responses to the questionnaire) will be used to determine your eligibility, qualifications, and quality ranking for this position. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your rating or consideration for employment.
Your responses to the questionnaire may be compared to the documents you submit. The documents you submit must support your responses to the online questionnaire. If your application contradicts or does not support your questionnaire responses, you will receive a rating of "not qualified" or "insufficient information" and you will not receive further consideration for this job.
Applicants who disqualify themselves will not be evaluated further.
YOU ARE REQUIRED TO DOCUMENT IN YOUR APPLICATION PACKAGE EVIDENCE THAT SUPPORTS YOUR ELIGIBILITY AND QUALIFICATION CLAIMS. You are strongly encouraged to upload the applicable documents with your application package. These documents will assist the staffing specialist in determining your eligibility and qualifications, but are not required at the time of application. If you do not upload the suggested documents, then you must document in your application package (resume) the information needed to determine your eligibility. If selected, these documents will be requested at the time of tentative job offer to verify eligibility and qualifications. You will have 2 business days to submit these documents before a job offer is rescinded.
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.
If selected, you will be required to submit the following documents to substantiate your eligibility and/or qualifications. A list of required documents for all eligibilities may be located in this section:
Complete Resume.
Two letters of recommendation from previous employers, professors, coaches, internship supervisors, volunteer activity leads or work colleagues addressing work ethic, academic ability and any extra-curricular activities.
An endorsement letter from the applicant's graduate institution (i.e., academic advisor, career counselor, guidance counselor, university dean or professor) addressing the applicant's academic history and overall character (i.e., no record of honor investigations, plagiarism, accusations, suspension, misconduct, etc.)
Unofficial transcripts of educational achievement at the undergraduate level* and/or graduate level. To be eligible, applicants must have either completed their graduate degree at the time of application; OR, applicants who will complete their graduate degree within six months after applying to this position.
Provide an academic writing sample (i.e., published articles, dissertation, thesis, etc.)
Provide compelling narrative:
Career goals. Describe your career goals and areas of interest and how the McCain Fellows Program will help you achieve those goals.
Accomplishments. Describe and provide examples/evidence of any learning, professional, leadership and work accomplishments.
Benefits for Department of Defense. Describe how your selection benefits the DoD and your motivation for service in the Department.
Essay: Describe what you want to accomplish and achieve during the fellowship.
Assessments. Complete all requisites that apply.
Most recent SF-50, "Notification of Personnel Action" showing you are/were in the competitive service and the highest grade held (if applying as a status candidate with current or former Federal Service).
Click the Apply Online button to create an account or log in to your existing USAJOBS account.
To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package which includes:
1. Complete resume with relevant experience where you worked, job title, duties and accomplishments, employer's name and address, supervisor's name and phone number, starting and end dates (Mo/Yr), hours per week and salary. If you are a current or previous federal employee, provide your pay plan, series and grade level (e.g., GS-0343-10).
2. Upload all of your supporting documentation
Failure to submit a complete application package will result in an ineligible rating and loss of consideration.
Your complete application (resume, assessment questionnaire, and all supporting documents) must be received by 11:59 pm Eastern Standard Time (EST) on the closing date of this announcement, April 21, 2023.
A tentative offer of employment will be rescinded if the selectee fails to meet the pre-employment requirements, including failure to report to any of the scheduled appointments.
Washington Headquarters Services uses E-Verify to confirm the employment eligibility of all newly hired employees. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, visit: http://www.dhs.gov/E-Verify
WHS Misc Activity Fellows
Human Resources Directorate
4800 Mark Center Drive
Alexandria, VA 22350
US
Next steps
When the application process is complete, your application will be reviewed to determine if you meet the hiring eligibility and qualification requirements listed in this announcement. You will be rated based on the information provided in your resume and responses to the questionnaire, along with your supporting documentation to determine your level of knowledge, skill, and ability related to the job requirements.
Best qualified applicants will be referred to the hiring manager. The hiring manager may choose to conduct interviews. Once the selection is made, you will receive a notification of the decision.
If selected, you will be required to submit the following documents to substantiate your eligibility and/or qualifications. A list of required documents for all eligibilities may be located in this section:
Complete Resume.
Two letters of recommendation from previous employers, professors, coaches, internship supervisors, volunteer activity leads or work colleagues addressing work ethic, academic ability and any extra-curricular activities.
An endorsement letter from the applicant's graduate institution (i.e., academic advisor, career counselor, guidance counselor, university dean or professor) addressing the applicant's academic history and overall character (i.e., no record of honor investigations, plagiarism, accusations, suspension, misconduct, etc.)
Unofficial transcripts of educational achievement at the undergraduate level* and/or graduate level. To be eligible, applicants must have either completed their graduate degree at the time of application; OR, applicants who will complete their graduate degree within six months after applying to this position.
Provide an academic writing sample (i.e., published articles, dissertation, thesis, etc.)
Provide compelling narrative:
Career goals. Describe your career goals and areas of interest and how the McCain Fellows Program will help you achieve those goals.
Accomplishments. Describe and provide examples/evidence of any learning, professional, leadership and work accomplishments.
Benefits for Department of Defense. Describe how your selection benefits the DoD and your motivation for service in the Department.
Essay: Describe what you want to accomplish and achieve during the fellowship.
Assessments. Complete all requisites that apply.
Most recent SF-50, "Notification of Personnel Action" showing you are/were in the competitive service and the highest grade held (if applying as a status candidate with current or former Federal Service).
Click the Apply Online button to create an account or log in to your existing USAJOBS account.
To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package which includes:
1. Complete resume with relevant experience where you worked, job title, duties and accomplishments, employer's name and address, supervisor's name and phone number, starting and end dates (Mo/Yr), hours per week and salary. If you are a current or previous federal employee, provide your pay plan, series and grade level (e.g., GS-0343-10).
2. Upload all of your supporting documentation
Failure to submit a complete application package will result in an ineligible rating and loss of consideration.
Your complete application (resume, assessment questionnaire, and all supporting documents) must be received by 11:59 pm Eastern Standard Time (EST) on the closing date of this announcement, April 21, 2023.
A tentative offer of employment will be rescinded if the selectee fails to meet the pre-employment requirements, including failure to report to any of the scheduled appointments.
Washington Headquarters Services uses E-Verify to confirm the employment eligibility of all newly hired employees. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, visit: http://www.dhs.gov/E-Verify
WHS Misc Activity Fellows
Human Resources Directorate
4800 Mark Center Drive
Alexandria, VA 22350
US
Next steps
When the application process is complete, your application will be reviewed to determine if you meet the hiring eligibility and qualification requirements listed in this announcement. You will be rated based on the information provided in your resume and responses to the questionnaire, along with your supporting documentation to determine your level of knowledge, skill, and ability related to the job requirements.
Best qualified applicants will be referred to the hiring manager. The hiring manager may choose to conduct interviews. Once the selection is made, you will receive a notification of the decision.
