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Support Services Specialist

Department of State
Department of State - Agency Wide
This job announcement has closed

Summary

This position is located in the Office of the Executive Director, Bureau of Administration, Administrative Services Division (A/EX/PAS/AS).

Overview

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Reviewing applications
Open & closing dates
05/01/2025 to 05/06/2025
Salary
$69,923 to - $109,975 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 09 - 11
Location
2 vacancies in the following location:
Washington, DC
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
No
Travel Required
Not required
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
12
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Secret
Drug test
Yes
Position sensitivity and risk
Moderate Risk (MR)
Trust determination process
Announcement number
A-2025-0065
Control number
836218400

Duties

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  • Arranges special reproduction services. Performs any special and unusual services by the Assistant Secretary or other higher-ranking officers of the Bureau. Updates information for entrance on duty or reassignments of senior officers in the Bureau.
  • Supports the management of operations involving the use, distribution and control of property and equipment to create floor plans. Under the general direction of the Chief, plans, manages and directs complex office renovations and office moves.
  • Reviews requests for contracts, purchase orders and personal service contracts to ensure compliance with Federal procurement regulations and established policies and procedures.
  • Serves as an information resource to Support Services Supervisor at meetings and conferences on support services matters.
  • Maintains liaison with staff members of relevant Departmental organizations (e.g., various facilities management, parking office, and records management within the Bureau of Administration.
  • Coordinates the acquisition of assigned support services, most of which are acquired from established Departmental sources.
  • Participates in the administration of a selected number of the various logistical and space management programs related to the Bureau, under the general direction of the Support Services Supervisor.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • U.S. Citizenship is required.
  • Incumbent will be subject to random drug testing.
  • Must be able to obtain and maintain a Secret security clearance.

Qualifications

Applicants applying for the GS-09 grade level must meet one of the following requirements:

A. Have at least 1 full year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-07 level in the Federal service which provided you with knowledge of the methods and procedures for providing or performing a variety of functions and services applicable to the position to be filled; ability to plan, organize, and control work involving diverse activities; ability to gain cooperation and coordinate the work of others; and skill in oral and written communication.

Examples of qualifying specialized experience include:

  • Administrative officer or assistant, budget administration, program analysis, or other work that demonstrated knowledge of an organization and its functions, and the ways in which support services can facilitate the work of the organization.
  • Office management experience that included responsibility for directing a variety of support services such as typing, mail processing, purchase of supplies and equipment, etc.
  • Secretarial work that required monitoring and coordinating administrative and processing work of subordinate elements through a system of internal procedures, controls, production, progress reporting, etc., to insure the efficient operation of an organization.

OR

B. Have a master's or equivalent graduate degree, OR 2 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree, OR LL.B or J.D. (if related) from an accredited college or university with a major in public administration, business administration, industrial engineering, industrial management, or other administrative or management fields related to the position to be filled;

OR

C. Have a combination of graduate education with a major in public administration, business administration, industrial engineering, industrial management or other administrative or management fields related to the position to be filled AND specialized experience (as described above), which is equivalent to the GS-07 level in the Federal Service. This experience and education together meets 100% of the qualification requirements for this position;

Combination of Experience and Education: When an applicant has less than one year of specialized experience as described in the announcement, he or she may combine successfully completed graduate-level education with experience to meet the total qualification requirements. Generally, 18 graduate semester hours is equivalent to 1 full-time year of graduate study (your school and department determine what constitutes 1 full time year of graduate study). The percentage of specialized work experience and the percentage of graduate study must total at least 100%.

If you are qualifying based on education, you MUST submit a copy of your college transcript (s) with your application by the closing date of this announcement, and if selected, an official college transcript WILL BE required to verify education prior to employment. If you fail to provide the requested information, or the information you submit is insufficient to verify your eligibility, you WILL lose consideration for this position.

Applicants applying for the GS-11 grade level must meet one of the following requirements:

A. Have at least 1 full year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-09 level in the Federal service which provided you with knowledge of the methods and procedures for providing or performing a variety of functions and services applicable to the position to be filled; ability to plan, organize, and control work involving diverse activities; ability to gain cooperation and coordinate the work of others; and skill in oral and written communication.

Examples of qualifying specialized experience include:

  • Management analyst or technician or other work that included study, analysis, or evaluation leading to the development or improvement of managerial or administrative policies, practices, and procedures.
  • Administrative officer or assistant, budget administration, program analysis, or other work that demonstrated knowledge of an organization and its functions, and the ways in which support services can facilitate the work of the organization.
  • Office management experience that included responsibility for directing a variety of support services such as typing, mail processing, purchase of supplies and equipment, etc.
  • Secretarial work that required monitoring and coordinating administrative and processing work of subordinate elements through a system of internal procedures, controls, production, progress reporting, etc., to insure the efficient operation of an organization.
  • Military experience that included responsibility for directing a variety of support functions such as communications, property management, mail service, facilities and equipment maintenance, etc.

In addition, qualifying specialized experience must demonstrate the following:

  • Experience interpreting Departmental policies affecting areas of responsibility and assesses their impact on Bureau programs.
  • Experience reviewing contracts and purchase orders for substance, conformance, completeness and authorizations.
  • Experience in organizing, preparing and delivering project papers and reports involving the use, distribution and control of property and equipment.
  • Experience in directing a variety of support functions such as communications, property management, facilities and equipment maintenance.

OR

B. Have a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree OR 3 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree, or LL.M. (if related), from an accredited college or university with a major in public administration, business administration, industrial engineering, industrial management, or other administrative or management fields related to the position to be filled;

OR

C. Have a combination of graduate education with a major in public administration, business administration, industrial engineering, industrial management or other administrative or management fields related to the position to be filled AND specialized experience (as described above), which is equivalent to the GS-09 level in the Federal Service. This experience and education together meets 100% of the qualification requirements for this position.

Combination of Experience and Education: When an applicant has less than one year of specialized experience as described in the announcement, he or she may combine successfully completed graduate-level education with experience to meet the total qualification requirements. Generally, 18 graduate semester hours is equivalent to 1 full-time year of graduate study (your school and department determine what constitutes 1 full time year of graduate study). The percentage of specialized work experience and the percentage of graduate study must total at least 100%.

If you are qualifying based on education, you MUST submit a copy of your college transcript (s) with your application by the closing date of this announcement, and if selected, an official college transcript WILL BE required to verify education prior to employment. If you fail to provide the requested information, or the information you submit is insufficient to verify your eligibility, you WILL lose consideration for this position.

Applicants must meet all the required qualification requirements described below by the closing date of this announcement. If you are qualifying based on education OR if there are mandatory education requirements listed below, you MUST submit a copy of your college transcript with your application. NOTE: Applicants must meet time-in-grade and time after competitive appointment requirements, by the closing date of this announcement.

Time-In-Grade Requirements: Federal applicants must have served 52 weeks at the next lower grade to satisfy time-in-grade restrictions, per 5CFR 300, Subpart F.

Additional information

  • For reasonable accommodation at the U.S. Department of State, please contact the Office of Accessibility and Accommodations at (202) 663-3474 or OAA@state.gov.
  • If eligible, situational telework agreements may be permitted with supervisory approval. 
  • Multiple positions may be filled from this announcement.  If eligible, applicants to this announcement may be referred to other similar positions in this Bureau for up to 240 days and may require a higher or lower security clearance.  Telework eligibility and security clearance requirements may vary for such similar positions.

How you will be evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

Applicants found to be among the top qualified candidates will be referred to the hiring official for further consideration and possible interview.  Qualified non-competitive candidates must be deemed best qualified based on the applicant assessment in order to be referred to the hiring official for further consideration and possible interview.

Agency Career and Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP and ICTAP) candidates must be rated "Well Qualified" for the position and earn a score of at least 85 (when applicants are rated in a range of 70 to 100) to receive consideration for selection priority.

Agency Career and Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP and ICTAP) candidates must be rated "Well Qualified" for the position and earn a score of at least 85 (when applicants are rated in a range of 70 to 100) to receive consideration for selection priority.  Applicants found to be among the top qualified candidates will be referred to the hiring official for further consideration and possible interview. 

Once the application process is complete, a review of your resume will be conducted and compared against your responses to the assessment questions to determine if you are qualified for this job.  Note:  Responses to questions that are not fully supported by the information in your resume may result in adjustments to your rating. 

Applicants who meet the minimum qualification requirements, as described in the “Qualifications” section of this announcement, will be assigned a score between 70 and 100.  The assessment is used to measure the degree in which your background matches the competencies (knowledge, skills, and abilities) required for this position. Your qualifications will be evaluated on the following competencies:

  • Knowledge of administrative concepts and practices to recommend changes in general services policies.
  • Skill in communicating orally to all levels of employees and management.
  • Skill in communicating in writing to all levels of employees and management.
  • Knowledge of Government regulations, procedures and practices regarding general services, procurement and related programs.
  • Ability to prioritize, plan, and organize your work.

Agency Career and Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP and ICTAP) candidates must be rated "Well Qualified" for the position and earn a score of at least 85 (when applicants are rated in a range of 70 to 100) to receive consideration for selection priority.  Applicants found to be among the top qualified candidates will be referred to the hiring official for further consideration and possible interview. 


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