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Deputy Program Manager - SME (Open to both U.S. Citizens and Federal Employees)

Department of Transportation
Maritime Administration

Summary

This position is located in Office of the Deputy Associate Administrator for Federal Sealift, Office of the Associate Administrator for Strategic Sealift, and Maritime Administration. The employee follows management practices and principles consistent with the Program Management Improvement Accountability Act, Office of Management and Budget, Department of Transportation guidelines for program and project management.

Overview

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Accepting applications
Open & closing dates
03/11/2026 to 03/24/2026
Salary
$143,913 to - $187,093 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 14
Location
1 vacancy in the following location:
Washington, DC
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 will be required for this position.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-time - Full Time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
14
Job family (Series)
Supervisory status
Yes
Security clearance
Secret
Drug test
No
Position sensitivity and risk
Moderate Risk (MR)
Trust determination process
Financial disclosure
No
Bargaining unit status
No
Announcement number
MARAD.HQ-2026-0008
Control number
860666500

Duties

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As a Deputy Program Manager, you will:

  • Assist in the development and integration of policies, best practices, project standards, procedures, quality objectives, and metrics for executing and assessing projects.
  • Facilitate detailed project scope definition and planning. Continually manage project efforts to align with approved scope and perform detailed change control process as needed.
  • Manage overall program evaluation activities including developing a new program approach based on new directions of the office and programs including the capability to gather relevant evaluation information both nationally and internationally and including assessing institutional and socioeconomic impacts of the project.
  • Assist in managing and overseeing the evaluation of assigned programs and individual projects, and tracking performance measures.

The ideal candidate possesses expert knowledge of the principles, practices, and methodologies of program management to develop requirements, schedules, budgets, create and monitor metrics and manage resources to achieve results which effectively sustain contract solicitations, awards and project management in the marine environment.   

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • You must be a U.S.Citizen and eligible for consideration.
  • You must meet specialized experience to qualify.
  • Required documents must be submitted by the closing date.
  • Submit application and resume online by 11:59 PM EST on the closing date.

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.
  • BACKGROUND INVESTIGATION: Applicants may be required to complete a background/security investigation and meet preliminary requirements.
  • SECURITY CLEARANCE: Applicants must be required to obtain and retain a Secret Security Clearance.
  • REQUIRED CERTIFICATIONS/LICENSES: This position requires the employee to attain Senior level Program Management (PM) certification and Level III Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR) certification. An individual who does not possess the required certifications MUST attain ALL required certification levels within 18 months of hiring date to remain in this position.

Please see the additional conditions of employment in the "Other Information" section of the vacancy.

Qualifications

To meet the minimum qualifications for this position, you must meet the specialized experience requirements.

To qualify for the Grade 14, you must have at least one year of experience equal or equivalent to the GS-13, it must include:

  • Experience directing the work of an organizational unit responsible for program, development, evaluation, coordination, and project management of ocean-going vessel custody, activation, deactivation maintenance, and operations. 
  • Experience with acquisitions and contract oversight valued in the tens or hundreds of millions of dollars.
  • Experience in applying application of technical and analytical concepts, laws, policies, and practices to formulate successful solutions to technical and contractual issues.

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. Technical Competence - Use knowledge that is acquired through formal training or extensive on-the-job experience to perform one's job; work with, understand, and evaluate technical information related to the job; advise others on technical issues.
  2. Written Communication - Write in a clear, concise, organized, and convincing manner for the intended audience.
  3. Oral Communication- Express information (for example, ideas or facts) to individuals or groups effectively, taking into account the audience and nature of the information (for example, technical, sensitive, controversial); make clear and convincing oral presentations; listen to others, attend to nonverbal cues, and respond appropriately.
  4. Reasoning - Identify rules, principles, or relationships that explain facts, data, or other information; analyze information and make correct inferences or draws accurate conclusions.

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

ADDITIONAL CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT:

  • 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: You must complete a one-year probationary period (unless already completed).
  • TIME-IN-GRADE: Federal applicants must have served 52 weeks at the next lower grade in the competitive or excepted service in the executive branch to satisfy time-in-grade restrictions contained in 5 CFR 300, Subpart F.
  • DEU REQUIREMENTS: Applicants selected under delegated examining procedures may be required to successfully complete a one-year probationary period (unless already completed).

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.

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:  Your application will be reviewed in two phases determine how you move forward in the hiring process.  Phase I: Your resume will be reviewed to determine your technical qualifications for this position based on the required specialized experience. ONLY two (2) pages of your resume will be reviewed. Additional information beyond your resume (e.g., cover letter, links embedded in your resume) will not be reviewed.  Applicants passing “Phase I” will move on to the “Phase II” of the assessment process where your application will be reviewed and rated based on the KSAs/Competencies listed in the vacancy announcement by a Subject Matter Expert (SME).


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