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Career/Transfer Counselor

Department of the Interior
Bureau of Indian Education
Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute (SIPI)

Summary

This position is part of the Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute, Bureau of Indian Education (BIE), Department of the Interior (DOI). As a Career/Transfer Counselor you will be responsible for providing and improving career and transfer services and resources to students in today's vast global market.

Overview

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Accepting applications
Posted yesterday · Apply by 06/22/26
Due by 11:59 p.m. ET on June 22, 2026
Location
1 vacancy in the following location:
Work site options
Telework eligible
No
Remote job
No
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Salary
$75,489 - $98,141 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 11
Promotion potential
None
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
Term - Not to Exceed 2 Years. This is a term position expecting to last at least 2 Years. If warranted, the agency has the option of extending term appointments up to the 4-year limit in accordance with 5 CRF 316.301(a).
Occupations and job series
Supervisory status
No
Federal service type
This job is in the Competitive Service
Represented by a union
Yes
Drug test
No
Security clearance
Not Required
Position sensitivity and risk
Moderate Risk (MR)
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
BIE-12980591-26-MT DE
Control number
872221800

This job is open to

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Clarification from the agency

INDIAN PREFERENCE: Preference in filling vacancies is given to qualified Indian candidates in accordance with the Indian Preference Act of 1934 (25 USC 5116 (reclassified from 472)). Verification Form BIA 4432 must be submitted with the application if claiming Indian Preference. Indian preference eligibles may be appointed under the Excepted Service Appointment Authority Schedule A, 213.3112(A)(7).

Duties

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As a Guidance Counselor (Career/Transfer), GS-1740-11, your typical work assignments may include the following under supervision:

  • Provide onboarding services for college navigation, student engagement, student support services, and student resources to guide students entering or returning to college including adult learners.
  • Advises on pathways and transfer from high school into postsecondary and from postsecondary to four-year colleges/ universities.
  • Assists students with student employment, job search, job placement, and job opening databases.
  • Collects, organize, and analyzes the delivery of outcomes for career and transitional services relative to guided pathways in SIPI's strategic plans and program self-sufficiency.
  • Build internal and external partnerships and stakeholders applicable to student employment and internships.
  • Support academic programs in integrated advisement and guided pathways in student learning, retention, and persistence and student completion supportive of program assessment and placement, strategic planning, and the higher learning criteria towards continuous improvement.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • Be sure to read the 'How to Apply' and 'Required Documents' Sections.
  • U.S. Citizenship is required.
  • A background security investigation will be required for all new hires. Appointment will be subject to the applicant's successful completion of a background security investigation and favorable adjudication.
  • As a condition of employment, you will be required to serve a 2-year trial or 1-year probationary period during which your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest will be evaluated.
  • If you are a male applicant born after 12/31/1959, you are required to register under the Military Selective Service Act and the Defense Authorization Act of 1986, in order to be eligible for appointment to this agency.
  • Driving Requirement (Required only at time of appointment): Incumbent may be required, as an incidental duty, to operate a government-owned or leased motor vehicle, in the performance of duties, therefore, a valid driver's license is required.
  • Term Appointments do not confer competitive /permanent status (5 CFR Part 316).

Qualifications

Applicants must meet the qualification requirements contained in the OPM Standards. For this position, they are listed below.

BASIC REQUIREMENTS:

Degree: that included or was supplemented by at least 24 semester hours appropriate to the position to be filled in one or a combination of the areas described below. At least one course must have been from (1) or (2) below. For guidance counselor positions, a college or university-sponsored practicum in counseling is also required.

  1. Tests and measurement: Study of the selection, evaluation, administration, scoring, interpretation, and uses of group and individual aptitude, proficiency, interest, and other tests.
  2. Adult education: Study of the adult as a learner, teaching-learning theories for adults, models and procedures for planning, designing, managing, and evaluating adult learning activities.
  3. Educational program administration: Study of the foundation and methods in organizing for adult and continuing education programs.
  4. Curriculum development or design: Study of the principles and techniques for development of curricula for adult or vocational education programs.
  5. Teaching methods: Study of teaching strategies and learning styles of the adult learner.
  6. Guidance and counseling: Study of the purposes and methods in counseling and guidance, the role of the counselor in various settings, approaches to counseling, and the uses of tests in the counseling situation.
  7. Career planning: Study of career development, learning activities, systems, approaches, program coordination, use of educational and community resources, and vocational counseling systems.
  8. Occupational information: Study of theories of occupational choice and vocational development and their application to the guidance process. Identification and utilization of various types of occupational information and resources.
In addition to meeting the Basic Requirements, you must also meet the following Minimum Qualifications requirements:

SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: Experience that equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled. To be creditable, specialized experience must have been equivalent to at least the next lower grade level in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization.

GS-11: 1 year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-9 grade level in the federal service. Examples include: providing onboarding services to guide students who are entering or returning to college, advise on pathways and transfer from high school into postsecondary and from postsecondary to four-year colleges/universities, assisting students with student employment and job placements, and being responsible for continuous improvement and building a cultural of evidence in non-academic assessment.
OR
3 years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. degree or Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree.
OR
Combination of specialized experience and more than two years of graduate education, as described above, and when combined together meets 100% of the total requirements for the position.

All qualification requirements must be met by the closing date of this announcement.

Education

EDUCATION: 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, credit hours, major, and grade-point average or class ranking, degree and date awarded. 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 (DOE).

Applicants are responsible for providing documentation that the educational requirements have been met. To qualify based on education you must submit a legible copy of your transcripts. Official transcripts are required upon selection if you qualified based on education. Education must have been obtained from an accredited or pre-accredited institution recognized by the U.S. DOE (click here) in order for it to be credited towards qualifications.

Education completed in foreign colleges or universities may be used to meet the above requirements if you can show that the foreign education is comparable to that received in an accredited educational institution in the U.S. (click here).

Additional information

Initial appointments to the competitive or excepted service: The probationary or trial period is an extension of the appointment process and therefore requires the agency to determine if continued employment would advance the public interest, meet the organization goals and mission of the agency, and/or otherwise promote the efficiency of the service. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, the agency will 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.
Under applicable law, the employment of an individual serving a probationary or trial period automatically terminates when that period ends unless the agency affirmatively certifies, in writing, that the individual's employment should continue and that their appointment should be finalized. In the absence of agency action to affirmatively certify continued employment beyond the probationary or trial period, such appointments are terminated. Upon completion of your probationary or trial period your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

Bargaining Unit Status: Position is covered by Bargaining Unit/Union - Federation of Indian Service Employees, American Federation of Teachers Local 4521.

Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP)/Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP) Documentation: The CTAP/ICTAP provides placement assistance (click here for more details, here for DOI's policy) to permanent Federal civilian employees who are surplus, displaced, or involuntarily separated. Applicants claiming eligibility must submit a 1) copy of their most recent performance appraisal, 2) proof of eligibility, 3) most current SF-50 noting position, grade level, and duty location with their application. To be considered, applicants must be well-qualified (i.e., meet the minimum qualification requirements, including any selective placement factors; education, and experience requirements), score at least 85 on the assessment questionnaire, and be able to perform the duties of the position upon entry.

Veterans' Preference: If you are a Veteran with preference eligibility and you are claiming 5-points veterans' preference, you must submit a copy of your DD-214 (member 4 copy) or other proof of eligibility. If you are claiming 10-point veterans' preference, you must also submit an SF-15 plus the proof required by that form.

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.

Once the announcement has closed, your resume and supporting documentation will be used to determine if you meet the qualifications listed on this announcement. To determine if you are minimally qualified, your resume and supporting documentation will be compared to your application to determine your level of experience.

Please follow all instructions carefully, you must complete all required steps in the process. In addition to the application and questionnaire, this position requires successful completion of additional assessments, which may include a medical examination, drug test, physical readiness test, written examination, and structured interview. These assessments measure the critical competencies that are required to successfully perform the job.

This position requires successful completion of the following assessment: Structured Resume Review. This assessment measures the critical competencies that are required to successfully perform the job in the following areas:

  • Education Partnering
  • Planning and Evaluating
  • Post-Secondary Transitioning
  • Technical Competence
Note: If, after reviewing your resume and/or supporting documentation, a determination is made that you inflated your qualifications and or experience, you may lose consideration. Errors or omissions may affect your qualification. Providing inaccurate information on Federal documents could be grounds for non-selection or disciplinary action.

If you meet the minimum qualifications requirements for this position, your application will be evaluated and rated under Category Rating selection procedures. Once the application process is complete, a review of your qualifications will be conducted to determine if you are qualified for this job. Qualified candidates will be assigned to a quality category. The quality categories are: Best Qualified, Well Qualified, or Qualified. Within each of these categories, applicants eligible for veteran's preference will receive selection priority over non-preference eligibles.
  • Best Qualified: Applicants that possess all of the job related competencies identified as important for successful job performance.
  • Well Qualified: Applicants that possess a majority (i.e., more than half but not all) of the job related competencies needed for successful job performance.
  • Qualified: Applicants meet the basic eligibility and minimum qualification requirements but do not meet the definition of Best Qualified or Well Qualified as described above.
Indian Preference candidates not within reach on a Delegated Examining certificate of eligibles may be appointed using the Excepted Service Schedule A hiring authority.

To preview the announcement questionnaire, click here: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12980591

Bureau of Indian Education

The BIE's mission is to provide quality education opportunities from early childhood through life in accordance with the tribes' needs for cultural and economic well-being and in keeping with the wide diversity of American Indian tribes and Native Alaska villages as distinct cultural and governmental entities (25 CFR ยง 32.3).

The Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute mission is to prepare our culturally diverse Native American students as life-long learners through partnerships with tribes, employers and other organizations. We establish a strong educational foundation for student success.

Agency contact information

Marsha Tanner
Phone
505-431-3574
Email
marsha.tanner@bie.edu
Address
Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute
9169 Coors Blvd. NW
Albuquerque, NM 87120
US

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https://www.bie.edu/

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