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Chief of Staff - DIRECT HIRE

Department of Transportation
Maritime Administration

Summary

This position is located in the Office of the Superintendent, United States Merchant Marine Academy (USMMA), Maritime Administration (MARAD). This position is established as Chief of Staff to coordinate the Office of the Superintendent functions while ensuring succinct communication between the Academic Dean and Provost, Commandant of Midshipmen, and Facilities and Infrastructure Management Offices.

Overview

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Accepting applications
Open & closing dates
02/23/2026 to 02/27/2026
Salary
$174,347 to - $197,200 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 15
Location
1 vacancy in the following location:
Kings Point, NY
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
Yes—This position may be eligible for situational telework. Telework approval will be determined by your immediate supervisor or manager following the agency’s telework policy and guidance. If participating in the telework program, you will be required to sign a telework agreement detailing agency telework policy requirements, working conditions, and expectations for the position.
Travel Required
Occasional travel - Some travel is required.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-time - Full Time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
15
Supervisory status
Yes
Security clearance
Other
Drug test
No
Position sensitivity and risk
Moderate Risk (MR)
Trust determination process
Financial disclosure
No
Bargaining unit status
No
Announcement number
MARAD.MMA-2026-0026
Control number
858407800

This job is open to

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Clarification from the agency

Applications will be accepted from any U.S. citizen. Due to the potential of a high volume of applicants, not all applicants may receive consideration. Direct Hire Authority will be used to fill this position. The 'Rule of Three', Veterans Preference and traditional rating and ranking of applicants does not apply to this vacancy.

Duties

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As a Chief of Staff, you will:

  • Serve as liaison between Senior Executive and immediate staff members, as well as key Agency members performing functions related to front office tasks, congressional inquiries and other matters of a sensitive nature.
  • Be responsible for the coordination of the Office of the Superintendent functions while ensuring succinct communication between leadership of the major operating elements of the Academy, such as the Academic Dean and Provost, the Commandant of Midshipmen, and the Facilities and Infrastructure Management Offices.
  • Be responsible for planning and assigning work; collaborating with peers and subordinates to ensure effective advisory services; and otherwise ensuring continuous progress toward stated goals.
  • Participate in discussions and advises senior leadership on matters of strategic planning, problem solving and decision-making, organizing, informing, directing, and leading, allocating and managing resources, and developing policy at the strategic level.
  • Responsible for streamlining policies and procedures in order to guarantee optimum efficiency.

The ideal candidate is a highly motivated senior level professional with the knowledge, skills, and ability to serve as a Chief of Staff to coordinate the day-to-day operations of the Office of the Superintendent while ensuring succinct communication and provide administrative, policy, and operational guidance amongst the office divisions.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • You must be a U.S. citizen & meet specialized experience to qualify
  • Submit application and resume online by 11:59 PM EST on the closing date
  • Required documents must be submitted by the closing date.
  • Direct Hire Authority will be used to fill this position

CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT:

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 the 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.

  • SELECTIVE SERVICE: Males born after 12/31/1959 must be registered for the Selective Service.
  • GOVERNMENT TRAVEL CARD: This position involves travel.  A government contractor-issued travel card will be issued and must be retained for official business only.
  • PROBATIONARY PERIOD: Applicants may be required to successfully complete a one-year probationary period (unless already completed).
  • SUPERVISORY PROBATIONARY PERIOD: New supervisors must complete a 1-year probationary period (unless already completed).

Qualifications

To meet the minimum qualifications for this position, you must meet the specialized experience qualifications for the grade at which you are requesting consideration.

To qualify for the Grade 15, you must have at least one year of specialized experience equal or equivalent to the GS-14, it must include:

  • Experience serving as a liaison amongst senior leaders to provide planning, prioritizing, and assigning work to ensure effective advisory services.
  • Experience leading and managing matters of strategic planning, problem solving and decision-making within an assigned area of responsibility.
  • Experience in leading a diverse group of supervisory and management officials in coordinating and collaborating to accomplish strategic priorities, front office priorities, and daily routine tasking.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES (KSAs): Your qualifications will be evaluated on the basis of your level of knowledge, skills, abilities and/or competencies in the following areas:

  1. Leadership - influences, motivates, and challenges others; adapts leadership styles to a variety of situations.
  2. 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.
  3. Oral Communication -Makes clear and convincing oral presentations.  Listens effectively; clarifies information as needed.
  4. Written Communication - Writes in a clear, concise, organized, and convincing manner for the intended audience.

For all types of consideration, 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.

For additional information about applying to Federal positions, please click on the following link:  https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-policies/#url=e4

All applicants must meet all qualification requirements by the closing date of this announcement.

Education

This job does not have an education qualification requirement.

Additional information

The Fair Chance to Compete for Jobs Act prohibits the Department of Transportation and its Operating Administrations from requesting an applicant's criminal history record before that individual receives a conditional offer of employment. In accordance with 5 U.S. Code § 9202(c) and 5 C.F.R § 920.201 certain positions are exempt from the provisions of the Fair Chance to Compete Act. Applicants who believe they have been subjected to a violation of the Fair Chance to Compete for Jobs Act, may submit a written complaint to the Department of Transportation by email at, FairChanceAct@dot.gov. To learn more, please visit our page at: The Fair Chance to Compete Act | US Department of Transportation 

This announcement may be used to fill additional positions if similar vacancies occur within 90 days of the issue date of the referral certificate.

Qualified CTAP/ICTAP candidates receive priority and will be referred to the hiring manager.

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.

DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE: PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. If your resume/application does not support your questionnaire answers, we will not allow credit for your response(s). Your resume must contain sufficiently detailed information upon which to make a qualification determination. Please ensure that your resume contains specific information such as position titles, beginning and ending dates of employment for each position, average number of hours worked per week, and if the position is/was in the Federal government, you should provide the position series and grade level. 

All applicants:  For this announcement, applicants may be reviewed to determine if they meet the basic qualifications for this position, specifically the educational requirements.  Applications that are verified to meet the basic qualifications may be referred to the selecting official.

Applicants will not be rated or ranked.  Veteran’s Preference does NOT apply.

Please ensure that your work history provides enough details to support your answers. 


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