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Business Operations Officer (Temporary Promotion or Detail Only) NF

National Science Foundation
Directorate for Social, Behavioral, and Economic Sciences (SBE)

Summary

This temporary Business Operations Officer (Chief of Business Operations) position is located in the Directorate for Social, Behavioral, and Economic Sciences but may be filled in various organizations across the U.S. National Science Foundation. The primary purpose is to supervise administrative/operations staff, oversee organization-wide oversee strategic planning & policy activities, lead strategic human capital management, & oversee operational financial management, & resource allocation.

Overview

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Accepting applications
Open & closing dates
05/04/2026 to 05/11/2026
Salary
$169,279 - $197,200 per year

Individuals selected for a detail will remain at their current grade, step, and salary.

Pay scale & grade
GS 15
Location
Alexandria, VA
1 vacancy
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Travel Required
Not required
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Multiple - Temporary Promotion or Detail not-to-exceed 120-days may be extended up to one year. Temporary Promotion or Detail may NOT be made permanent.
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
15
Supervisory status
Yes
Security clearance
Not Required
Drug test
No
Position sensitivity and risk
High Risk (HR)
Trust determination process
Financial disclosure
No
Bargaining unit status
No
Announcement number
SBE-26-12950339
Control number
867697600

This job is open to

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Clarification from the agency

U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) agency employees on OR eligible for permanent competitive service appointments.

Duties

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As a Business Operations Officer (Chief of Business Operations), you will perform the following duties:

  • Participate in strategic discussions, establish organizational policies, and recommend changes to procedures and guidance at both organizational and NSF-wide levels.
  • Evaluate factors affecting the organization, including changes in government directives, leadership decisions, and stakeholder needs.
  • Advise leadership on human capital, ensure regulatory compliance, manage full-time equivalent (FTE) and Intergovernmental Personnel Act (IPA) allocations, oversee organizational structure, and develop a human capital plan addressing strategic alignment, leadership, performance culture, and accountability.
  • Serve as the primary point of contact for coordination across the organization; and represent the organization in discussions and working groups to ensure organizational needs are met and to address/resolve systematic issues in relevant processes/procedures.
  • Develop and execute strategies to enhance management effectiveness, monitor activities, drive improvements, and oversee acquisitions.
  • Allocate organizational funds to the divisions/offices, overseeing and tracking the spending of directorate or office funds; oversee continuous analysis of operational resource allocations.
  • Act as a first-level supervisor, overseeing work planning, performance evaluation, recruitment, promotions, personnel actions, and organizational improvements.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  1. You must be a U.S. citizen.
  2. Selectee will be required to have a background investigation prior to onboarding.
  3. Selectee may be required to serve a 1-year supervisory probationary period.
Additional Requirements:
Time in Grade Requirement: Applicants who have held a General Schedule (GS) position within the last 52 weeks must have 52 weeks of Federal service at the next lower grade/equivalent.

You must meet eligibility and qualification requirements within 30 days of the closing date.

* Applicants do not need to seek their supervisor's approval to apply for this temporary promotion/detail opportunity. However, supervisory approval is needed prior to making the temporary promotion/detail effective.
* Candidates selected for a detail will remain at their current grade and rate of pay.

* This temporary promotion/detail is for a period of 120-days and may be extended up to one year. This temporary promotion or detail may NOT be made permanent.
*The temporary promotion/detail may be terminated at any time during this period. Upon conclusion of the temporary promotion/detail, you will be returned to your former office and position/grade.


You must answer all job-related questions in the NSF eRecruit questionnaire and any external assessment that is included.

All online applicants must provide a valid email address. If your email address is inaccurate or your mailbox is full/blocked, you may not receive important communication that could affect your consideration for this position.

It is NSF policy that personnel employed at, or Intergovernmental Personnel Act (IPA) individuals detailed to, NSF are not permitted to participate in foreign talent recruitment programs. Failure to comply with this NSF policy could result in disciplinary action up to and including removal from Federal Service or termination of an IPA assignment and referral to the Office of Inspector General.

NSF has determined that all of its positions are eligible for telework. Work suitable for telework depends on job duties; therefore, employees must receive approval from their supervisor for telework and have a telework agreement in place. Entering into a telework agreement is voluntary.

Qualifications

To qualify at the GS-15 level, you must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-14 level in the federal servicemanaging and overseeing all aspects of an organization's operations to include workforce and strategic planning, policy development, financial management, and resource allocation.

Examples of specialized experience include:

  • Identifying and analyzing internal or external factors which could impact the organization's strategic priorities.
  • Assessing and developing short- and long-term human resource needs as part of regular staffing planning efforts.
  • Participating as a key resource in the budget formulation process.
  • Serving as the primary advisor to organizational leadership on all activities related to human capital, business operations, and financial resource allocation.
  • Planning, implementing, and evaluating all organizational business policies and processes.

Experience refers to paid/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/experience that translates directly to paid work. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

Education

Education may enhance skills required for this position; however, no substitution of education for specialized experience may be made at this level.

Additional information

Relocation Expenses will not be paid.

Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP)
ICTAP and Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provide eligible displaced Federal competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. If your agency has notified you in writing that you are a displaced employee eligible for ICTAP or CTAP consideration, you may receive selection priority if: 1) this vacancy is within your ICTAP or CTAP eligibility; 2) you apply under the instructions in this announcement; and 3) you are found well-qualified for this vacancy. To be well-qualified you must meet the following: OPM qualification requirements for the position, all selective factors, where applicable; special OPM approved qualifying conditions for the position; is physically qualified with reasonable accommodation, where appropriate, to satisfactorily perform the duties of the position upon entry; and receives a rating of at least "Very Good" on the assessment. You must provide proof of eligibility with your application to receive selection priority. Such proof may include a copy of your written notification of ICTAP or CTAP eligibility, or a copy of your separation personnel action form.
Additional information regarding ICTAP or CTAP eligibility is available from OPM's Career Transition Resources.

Veteran's Preference:
If you are entitled to veterans' preference, you should indicate the type of veterans' preference you are claiming on your resume. Your veterans' preference entitlement will be verified by the employing agency. For 5-point veterans' preference, please provide your DD-214 (Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty), official statement of service from your command if you are currently on active duty, or other official documentation (e.g., documentation of receipt of a campaign badge or expeditionary medal) that proves your military service was performed under honorable conditions. For 10-point veterans' preference, please submit a Standard Form (SF) 15, Application for 10-Point Veteran Preference, DD-214, and the VA letter or other required documentation as specified on the SF-15.

Reasonable Accommodation (RA) Requests:
If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a RA in your online application. Requests for RA for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for RA must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for RA are made on a case-by-case basis. If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, if you received the link after the close of the announcement. To determine if you need a RA, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments.

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.

You will be evaluated based on how well you meet the qualifications listed in this vacancy announcement. Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g., resume, supporting documents), your responses on the application questionnaire, and your responses to all assessments required for this position.

To be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. In addition to the application and application questionnaire, this position requires an online assessment. The online assessment measures critical general competencies required to perform the job. Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or application questionnaire may result in your removal from consideration. Cheating on the online assessment may also result in your removal from consideration.

You will be assessed on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics):



Applicants eligible for selection preference under the Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) must meet the agency definition of "well qualified." At NSF, this means a score of 85.0 or higher.

In the merit promotion selection process, formal performance appraisals may be considered if voluntarily submitted by the applicant.

To preview the application questionnaire, click the following link: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12950339

National Science Foundation

Apply to this role and help us keep the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) at the frontier of discovery!

NSF is on the leading edge of discovery in areas from artificial intelligence to quantum information science to biotechnology and beyond. In addition to funding research in traditional academic areas, the agency also supports innovative ideas, novel collaborations and numerous projects that may seem like science fiction today but become the reality of tomorrow.

NSF ensures that research is fully integrated with education so that today's revolutionary work will also be training future scientists and engineers. We are also at the forefront of federal business and operations best practices, ensuring accountability and efficacy of the work we do.

Become a part of our mission to maintain and strengthen the vitality of the US science and engineering enterprise. For over 75 years, NSF has remained the premier Federal agency supporting basic research at the frontiers of discovery across all fields, as well as science and engineering education at all levels.

Agency contact information

Talent & Acquisition Management Branch
Email
erecruit@nsf.gov
Address
National Science Foundation, Directorate for Social, Behavioral, and Economic Science
401 Dulany Street
Alexandria, VA 22314
US

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