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Program Support Specialist

Department of Defense
Department of Defense - Agency Wide
Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency

Summary

The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) is responsible for oversight of the entire process for investigating, recovering, and the accounting for missing and unaccounted for personnel from past conflicts. The Under Secretary of War for Policy (OSW(P)) is the principal policy and planning advisor and assistant to the Secretary of Defense for all matters that support America's national security objectives. The Director, DPAA, reports to the USD(P).

Overview

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Accepting applications
Posted this week · Apply in 2 days
Due by 11:59 p.m. ET on June 6, 2026
Location
1 vacancy in the following location:
Work site options
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Remote job
No
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Salary
$77,964 - $121,482 per year

In addition to base salary, employees receive Cost of Living Allowance of 8.64% for this location

Pay scale & grade
GS 11 - 12
Promotion potential
12
Pay scale and grade determines the salary of the job.
Work schedule
Full-time
Travel Required
Occasional travel - You may be expected to travel for this position.
Appointment type
Permanent
Supervisory status
No
Federal service type
This job is in the Competitive Service
Represented by a union
No
Drug test
Yes
Security clearance
Secret
Position sensitivity and risk
Noncritical-Sensitive (NCS)/Moderate Risk
Jobs require a background check and some require a security clearance. The type depends on the job.
Background check type
Financial disclosure required
No
Some jobs require financial disclosure to identify conflicts of interests.
Announcement number
ST-12971030-26-MLB
Control number
871112900

This job is open to

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Clarification from the agency

This announcement is open to DPAA employees Only, and DoD PPP Military Spouse Preference applicants.

Duties

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Incumbent typical work assignments may include the following:

  • Manages program functions such as providing advanced analytics and data reporting, design, current, and future data solutions, and overall data management related to research, operations, and case progressions.
  • Serves as one of the Accounting Support Branch's representatives to the Data Governance Council (DGC) and similar Agency working groups related to the Case Management System (CMS). Gathers CMS requirements for the Indo Pacific Regional Directorate and collaborates with other Directorates to develop and maintain the Agency's core business processes.
  • Validates critical mission information stored in CMS and utilizes appropriate systems to disseminate information to stakeholders.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • U.S. Citizenship is required
  • Males born after 12-31-59 must be registered or exempt from Selective Service (see https://www.sss.gov/Home/Registration)
  • May be required to successfully complete a probationary/trial period
  • Must be determined suitable for federal employment
  • Required to participate in the direct deposit program
  • This position is subject to pre-employment and random drug testing
  • This position is subject to the DoD Priority Placement Program
  • This position may require up to 20% occasional travel away from your normal duty station for official business on military or commercial aircraft.
  • The incumbent may be required to work other than normal duty hours, which may include evenings, weekends, and/or holidays and/ or mandatory overtime.
  • The incumbent must be able to obtain and maintain a Secret security clearance.
  • Incumbent must sign a nondisclosure agreement.
  • Incumbent must be able to obtain a U.S. government passport.

Qualifications

Career Ladder Position: This vacancy is a career ladder position; it may be filled at the GS-11 or GS-12 level. If selected at the lower grade level, noncompetitive promotion to the full performance level GS-12 is authorized without further competition when selectee is eligible & recommended by management.

In order to qualify for this position, you must meet the requirements described below.

You may qualify at the GS-11 level, if you fulfill the following qualification requirement;


One year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-09 grade in the Federal service (experience may be gained in the private sector.
To receive consideration, applicant must clearly demonstrate in their resume that they possess the specialized experience of;

  1. Providing guidance to users on data and Management system. AND
  2. Creating visual communications (such as dashboards, reports) from data analytics and applications.
OR

Education:
A Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree; OR 3 years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree; or LL.M from an accredited college or university that demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of this position. (NOTE: You must submit a copy of your transcript.)

OR
Combination of Education and Experience:
A combination of education and experience may be used to qualify for this position as long as the computed percentage of the requirements is at least 100%. To compute the percentage of the requirements, divide your total months of experience by 12. Then divide the total number of completed graduate semester hours (or equivalent) beyond the second year (total graduate semester hours minus 36) by 18. Add the two percentages.

You may qualify at the GS-12 level, if you fulfill the following qualification requirement;

One year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-11 grade level in the Federal service (experience may have been gained in the private sector). To receive consideration, applicants must clearly demonstrate in their resume that they possess all three specialized experience elements below:
  1. Providing guidance to users on data and management systems
  2. Creating visual communications (such as dashboards, reports) from data analytic applications; AND
  3. Reviewing operations to ensure data quality and efficiency standards are met.

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). You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

All qualifications and education requirements must be met by the closing date of this announcement and clearly documented in your resume. Your resume may not exceed two (2) pages. For qualifications determinations, it is recommended that applicants include their months and hours worked per week for each employment listed on their resume. If a determination is not able to be made about the duration of your creditable experience for qualification requirements, you will be removed from consideration.

Read more about what should I include in my federal resume at https://help.usajobs.gov/faq/application/documents/resume/what-to-include

ACTIVE DUTY SERVICE MEMBERS: Federal agencies treat active duty service member as veterans, disabled veterans, and preference eligible, when they submit, as part of their application package, a "certification" of active service in lieu of a DD-214, indicating the service member is otherwise eligible and will be discharged or released within 120 days from the date of submission.. A "certification" letter should be on letterhead of the appropriate military branch of the service and contain (1) the military service dates including the expected discharge or release date; and (2) the character of service. This "certification" must include your rank, dates of active duty service, type of discharge and character of service (i.e. honorable), and date any terminal leave will begin. It must be signed by, or by direction of, the adjutant, personnel officer, or commander of your unit or higher headquarters. Active duty members that fail to provide a valid "certification" of service with their initial application will be found "not eligible". Members may be appointed before the effective date of their military retirement/separation if they are on terminal leave.

Current or Former Political Appointees: Agencies must seek prior approval from OPM before they can appoint a current or recent political appointee to a competitive or non-political excepted service position at any level. If you are currently or have been within the last 5 years, a political Schedule A, Schedule C, or Non-career SES employee in the executive branch, you MUST disclose that to the Human Resources Office.

Time-in-grade and education requirements must be met by the closing date of this announcement and clearly documented in your resume.

Education

Education cannot be substituted for experience at the GS-12 grade level.

ARE YOU QUALIFYING BASED ON EDUCATION or A COMBINATION OF EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE AT THE GS-11 LEVEL?
You must provide sufficient documentation of your education in your resume. You MUST provide a copy of official or unofficial transcripts or degrees in your application package. It may also be acceptable to document your applicable course listing in your resume (course number, credits earned, etc.). Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Applicants can verify accreditation at the following website: http://www.ed.gov/admins/finaid/accred/index.html. All education claimed by applicants will be verified by the appointing agency. If selected, an official/sealed transcript will be required prior to appointment.

PASS/FAIL COURSES: If more than 10 percent of your undergraduate course work (credit hours) were taken on a pass/fail basis, your claim of superior academic achievement must be based upon class standing or membership in an honor society.

GRADUATE EDUCATION: One academic year of graduate education is considered to be the number of credits hours your graduate school has determined to represent one academic year of full-time study. Such study may have been performed on a full-time or part-time basis. If you cannot obtain your graduate school's definition of one year of graduate study, 18 semester hours (or 27 quarter hours) should be considered as satisfying the requirement for one year of full-time graduate study.

FOREIGN EDUCATION: If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show the education credentials have been evaluated by a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign education programs and such education has been deemed equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program; or full credit has been given for the courses at a U.S. accredited college or university. For further information, visit: https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html

Additional information

Probationary Periods: 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.

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, based on your adjudication decision. 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.

Reemployed Annuitants: Applicants in receipt of an annuity based on civilian employment in the Federal Service are subject to the DoD Policy on The Employment of Annuitants (DODI 1400.25, volume 300). http://www.esd.whs.mil/DD/DoD-Issuances/140025/

Nepotism: Under the provisions of 5 USC 3110, an individual may not be appointed into a position if the position is under the supervisory chain of command of a relative.

Additional vacancies may be filled by this announcement.

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.

In order 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 may require an online USA Hire Competency Based Assessment. The USA Hire online assessment measures critical general competencies required to perform the job.

Your eligibility and qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g., resume, supporting documents), the responses you provide on the application questionnaire, and the result of the USA Hire Competency Based Assessment(s) required for this position (if applicable). If you are found to be among the top candidates, you will be referred to the selecting official for employment consideration.

The USA Hire Assessments includes a cut score based on the minimum level of required proficiency in these critical general competencies. You must meet or exceed the cut score to be considered. You will not be considered for the position if you score below the cut score or fail to complete the assessment.

  • Attention to Detail
  • Certification of Information Accuracy
  • Customer Service
  • Decision Making
  • Flexibility
  • Integrity/Honesty
  • Interpersonal Skills
  • Learning
  • Reading Comprehension
  • Reasoning
  • Self-Management
  • Stress Tolerance
  • Teamwork


DOD PPP candidates using Application-Based Procedures:

Military Spouse Preference (MSP) Eligible: Military Spouse Preference applicants, must be selected and placed at the highest grade level for which they have applied and been determined best qualified. You must include a completed copy of the Military Spouse PPP Self-Certification Checklist (DD-3145-4) dated within 30 days along with the documents identified on the checklist to verify your eligibility for Military Spouse Preference.


Department of Defense - Agency Wide

The Office of the Secretary of War (OSW) is the principal staff element of the Secretary of War in the exercise of policy development, planning, resource management, fiscal, and program evaluation responsibilities. OSW includes the immediate offices of the Secretary and Deputy Secretary of War, Under Secretaries of War, Director of Defense Research and Engineering, Assistant Secretaries of War, General Counsel, Director of Operational Test and Evaluation, Assistants to the Secretary of War, Director of Administration and Management, and such other staff offices as the Secretary establishes to assist in carrying out assigned responsibilities.

Agency contact information

Washington HQ Services
Email
whs.job.application.assistance@mail.mil
Address
Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency
Human Resources Directorate
4800 Mark Center Drive
Alexandria, VA 22350
US

Visit our careers page

Learn more about what it's like to work at Department of Defense - Agency Wide, what the agency does, and about the types of careers this agency offers.

https://www.war.gov/About/Deputy-Secretary-of-War/

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