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Program Manager (Program Manager - UNICOR)

Department of Justice
Justice, Bureau of Prisons/Federal Prison System

Summary

Corrections professionals who foster a humane and secure environment and ensure public safety by preparing individuals for successful reentry into our communities.

Overview

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Accepting applications
Open & closing dates
12/31/2025 to 01/23/2026
Salary
$124,531 to - $161,889 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 14
Locations
1 vacancy in the following locations:
Forrest City, AR
Coleman, FL
Ashland, KY
Milan, MI
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
No
Travel Required
25% or less - Travel may be required for training and/or work related issues.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
Yes—Reimbursement is authorized for travel and transportation for this position.
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
14
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Other
Drug test
Yes
Bargaining unit status
No
Announcement number
N-2026-0033
Control number
853415200

This job is open to

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Clarification from the agency

• BOP Employees nationwide • DOJ Surplus and Displaced (CTAP) Employees in the local commuting area. • Duty Location: To Be Determined After Selection

Duties

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Serves as a Program Manager for Federal Prison Industries (FPI) (trade name UNICOR).

Responsibilities are commensurate with the mission of FPI and Bureau of Prisons (BOP) policy and institution needs to afford maximum employment and training opportunities for incarcerates.

Integrates the functional areas of FPI as they relate to a specific product(s) and the customer.

Manages the planning, administration, supervision, review and evaluation of extremely varied combination of complex performance objects to meet the customers’ requirement.

Facilitates conformance of all functional areas to established requirements which will enable FPI to meet the end user’s requirements of quality, cost competitiveness, and on time delivery.

Plans for and established policies for developing and follow through of all requirements whether self-generated or directed by FPI to meet customer requirements.

Serves as the catalyst for FPI in the development and implementation of the program team concept.

Oversees a program, policy or procedure or may assist in planning, directing, coordinating and evaluating policy.

Along with all other correctional institution employees, incumbent is charged with responsibility for maintaining security of the institution. The staff correctional responsibilities precede all others required by this position and is performed on a regular and recurring basis.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • U.S. Citizenship is Required.
  • See Special Conditions of Employment Section.

Career Transition Programs (CTAP): These programs apply to Federal and/or DOJ employees who meet the definition of surplus or displaced from a position in the competitive service. To receive selection priority for this position, you must:

  • 1. Meet CTAP eligibility criteria;
  • 2. Be rated well-qualified for the position with a score of 85 or above based on scoring at least half of the total possible points for the vacancy KSAs or competencies; and
  • 3. Submit the appropriate documentation to support your CTAP eligibility.

NOTE: Applicants claiming CTAP eligibility must complete all assessment questions to be rated under the established ranking criteria.

Qualifications

To be considered for the position, you must meet the following qualification requirements:

Education:

There is no substitution of education for specialized experience for this position.

Experience:

You must have at least one year of specialized experience equivalent in difficulty and complexity to the next lower grade level. To be creditable, this experience must have equipped the applicant with the particular qualifications to perform successfully the duties of the position, and must typically be in or related to the position to be filled.

Some examples of this qualifying experience are:

  • Experience developing and implementing functional area project teams to foster a product through the manufacturing process.
  • Experience in developing policy, planning, and administering various complex performance objectives to meet customer's requirements.
  • Experience developing the selling price, cost to manufacture, and profit objectives of program costs.
  • Experience in providing technical, developmental, and operational manufacturing systems and the promotion and implementation of competitive technologies to achieve efficient and quality delivery of customer products.

If applicable, credit will be given for paid and unpaid experience. To receive proper credit, you must show the actual time (such as the number of hours worked per week) spent in activities.

**Your eligibility for consideration will be based on your responses to the questions in the application.**

Education

See Qualifications Section for education requirements, if applicable.

ONLY if education is a requirement/substitution for specialized experience, applicant MUST upload legible transcripts as verification of educational requirement. Transcripts MUST be uploaded and electronically linked from USAJOBS at the time you apply and MUST include identifying information to include School Name, Student Name, Degree and Date Awarded (if applicable). 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, Click Here.

Foreign Education: For information regarding foreign education requirements, please see Foreign Diploma and Credit Recognition at the U.S. Department of Education website: Recognition of Foreign Qualifications.

If you are selected for this position and qualified based on education (i.e. basic education requirement and/or substitution of education), you will be required to provide an OFFICIAL transcript prior to your first day on duty.

Additional information

In accordance with 5 U.S.C. 3307, a maximum entry age of 36 has been established for original appointment to a position in a Bureau of Prisons institution.

The representative rate for this position is $136,984 per annum ($65.64 per hour).

Special Conditions of Employment Section:

The incumbent is subject to geographic relocation to meet the needs of the agency.

Appointment is subject to satisfactory completion of a urinalysis, physical, and background investigation. All applicants are subject to National Crime Information Center (NCIC) and credit checks.

All applicants not currently working in an institution will be required to complete a qualification inquiry regarding convictions of misdemeanor crimes of domestic violence in order to be authorized to carry a firearm.

The Core Value Assessment (CVA) is an in-person assessment that must be facilitated at a Bureau of Prisons Human Resource Servicing office. On the day of the scheduled interview, a CVA will be administered. The applicant assessment must be completed within a 70 minute time period and a passing score of 68 must be obtained. Further employment consideration will not be extended if the applicant fails to complete the examination or fails to achieve a passing score. Note: The Core Value Assessment will not be administered to current BOP employees.

Successful completion of the "Introduction to Correctional Techniques," three-week training course at Glynco, Georgia is required.

The addresses listed on the USAJOBS account/resume must be the primary residence at the time of application. You may be required to provide proof of residence.

Additional selections may be made if vacancies occur within the life of the certificate.

Although competitive and non-competitive applications are being accepted, the selecting official may elect to have only one group reviewed.

Duty location to be determined after selection for the following locations: FCC Allenwood, PA - FCI Beckley, WV - FCI Ashland, KY - FCC Coleman, FL - FCC Forrest City, AR - FCI Milan, MI - FCI El Reno, OK

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. Exceptions may apply. See 5 CFR part 11.

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.

How you will be evaluated

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

If your composite score exceeds the average score for this job, your resume and supporting documentation will be compared to your online assessment responses and utilized to determine whether you meet the job qualifications listed in this announcement.  If your selections are not supported by your application materials, your responses may be adjusted and/or you may be excluded from consideration for this job. If you are found to be among the top candidates, you will be referred to the selecting official for employment consideration.

There are several parts of the application process that affect the overall evaluation of your application:

  • Your resume, which is part of your USAJOBS profile;
  • Your responses to the eligibility questions;
  • Your responses to the online assessment;
  • Your supporting documentation, if required.

Time-in-Grade: Federal employees must meet time-in-grade requirements for consideration. You must meet all qualification requirements upon the closing date of this announcement.

What Competencies/Knowledge, Skills and Abilities are Required for this Position?

The following Competencies/Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSA's) are required:

  • Ability to manage industrial operations involving business, manpower, fiscal and production issues.
  • Ability to perform supervisory and administrative duties using the principles and techniques of supervision.
  • Ability to communicate in writing.
  • Ability to communicate orally.
  • Ability to plan, organize and determine priorities.
  • Ability to analyze information and establish program objectives and/or performance goals.
  • Ability to develop and manage complex customer service, marketing, and sales programs.

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