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Operations and Plans Advisor

Department of the Army
Joint Activities
HQ US Africa Command - J3

Summary

About the Position:
Serves as senior advisor to the director of staff J3 and executive staff officers of HQ US Africa Command to include the chief of staff US Africa Command on both technical and administrative matters relating to the accomplishment, coordination and disposition of a variety of complex plans and operations staff actions and assignments. Serves also as the team lead for the director of staff core office, covering manpower, resources, facilities, tasking and management control.

Overview

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Accepting applications
Posted this week · Apply in 1 day
Due by 11:59 p.m. ET on June 14, 2026
Location
1 vacancy in the following location:
Work site options
Telework eligible
No
Remote job
No
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Salary
$90,925 - $118,204 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 13
Promotion potential
None
Pay scale and grade determines the salary of the job.
Work schedule
Full-time
Travel Required
Occasional travel - Temporary Duty (TDY) Travel is up to 10 % to include the continent of Africa.
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
Sensitive Compartmented Information
Position sensitivity and risk
Special-Sensitive (SS)/High 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
EUHR-26-12983422
Control number
872650100

This job is open to

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Clarification from the agency

See "Who May Apply" in the "Qualifications" section for more information on who is eligible to apply for this position.

Duties

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  • Serve as subject matter expert on military decision management planning, crisis action operations and steady state activities.
  • Plan, order, define, develop, task, refine, package and ensure products bound for the director J3 and/or the combatant commander are complete.
  • Manage the operations J3 directorate actions in the task management tool (TMT) by which the majority of staff coordination activities are tracked and transmitted for approval across US Africa command and the subordinate and service components.
  • Provide pertinent briefing/meeting materials (e.g., point papers, background information, talking points) to directorate staff and US Africa command senior leaders and reviews information to ensure completeness, accuracy and adequacy.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • Appointment may be subject to a suitability or fitness determination, as determined by a completed background investigation.
  • Male applicants born after December 31, 1959, must complete a Pre-Employment Certification Statement for Selective Service Registration.
  • You will be required to provide proof of U.S. Citizenship.
  • Applicants must comply with the Exceptional Family Member Program requirements as outlined in the DoD Instruction 1315.19.
  • Must be able to satisfy the requirements of the 26JUL12 DODI 1400.25 V1230, DoD Civilian Personnel Management System: Employment in Foreign Areas and Employee Return Rights. Visit https://www.esd.whs.mil/DD/DoD-Issuances/140025/.
  • Direct deposit of pay is required.
  • U.S. citizens overseas under ordinarily resident status are not eligible for appointment under the Status of Forces Agreement.
  • Must be able to obtain and maintain a Top Secret/SCI security clearance.
  • Must comply with drug abuse testing program.
  • Must be willing and able to obtain and maintain Country/Theater Clearance per the Foreign Clearance Guide located at” https://www.fcg.pentagon.mil/fcg.cfm, maintain no-fee passport and Visa.
  • Must be willing to obtain any vaccinations and pertinent immunizations, and complete any pre-employment screening for country entry.

Qualifications

Who May Apply: Only applicants who meet one of the employment authority categories below are eligible to apply for this job. You will be asked to identify which category or categories you meet, and to provide documents which prove you meet the category or categories you selected. See Proof of Eligibility for an extensive list of document requirements for all employment authorities.

  • Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan
  • Land Management Workforce Flexibility Act
  • Veterans Employment Opportunity Act (VEOA) of 1998


In order to qualify, you must meet the experience requirements described below. 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. Your resume must clearly describe your relevant experience.

Specialized Experience: One year of specialized experience which includes conducting operational planning and mission analysis while executing major projects for joint military operations. This definition of specialized experience is typical of work performed at the next lower grade/level position in the federal service (GS-12)

Some federal jobs allow you to substitute your education for the required experience in order to qualify. For this job, you must meet the qualification requirement using experience alone--no substitution of education for experience is permitted.

You will be evaluated on the basis of your level of competency in the following areas:
  • Attention to Detail
  • Decision Making
  • Flexibility
  • Integrity/Honesty
  • Interpersonal Skills
  • Reading Comprehension
  • Reasoning
  • Self-Management
  • Teamwork


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 or equivalent (GS-12).

Education

This job does not have an education qualification requirement.

Additional information

  • This position requires a 1 year probationary period during which the agency evaluates your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In making this determination, the agency may consider your performance and conduct; agency needs and interests; whether your continued employment supports organizational or Government goals; and whether it promotes the efficiency of the Federal service. Continued employment requires written certification that it advances the public interest.
  • Locality pay does not apply in the overseas area.
  • If an employee brings a child to an overseas location and that child is entitled to attend a DoD school on a space-required basis in accordance with DoDEA Regulation 1342.13, the DoDEA and the Military Department responsible for providing related services will ensure that the child, if eligible for special education, receives a free appropriate public education, including related services pursuant to DoDI 1342.12 and DoDM 1342.12.
  • If an employee brings an infant or toddler (up to 3 years of age) to an overseas location, and that infant or toddler, but for the child's age, is entitled to attend the DoDEA on a space-required basis in accordance with DoDEA Regulation 1342.13, then the Military Department responsible for EIS will provide the infant or toddler with the required EIS in accordance with the eligibility criteria consistent with DoDI 1342.12 and DoDM 1342.12.
  • Employees (and family members) who require medical or dental care in the overseas location will be responsible for obtaining and paying for such care. Access for civilian employees and their families to military medical and dental treatment facilities is on a space-available and reimbursable basis only.
  • Pay retention may be offered to selected applicants for positions at overseas locations. Pay retention will not be offered as an incentive for employees moving between overseas positions.
  • Selectees may receive certain foreign area benefits such as: Living Quarters Allowance (LQA) or government quarters, home leave, etc. Selectees will have their eligibility for foreign area benefits determined at the time of hire in accordance with Department of State Standardized Regulation (DSSR) and DoDI 1400.25 volume 1250.
  • For positions in a foreign country, that country's laws or international agreements may have a direct impact on the ability of an employee's same sex domestic partner or spouse to accompany the employee and receive certain benefits. If you believe you may be affected by these laws and agreements, you should familiarize yourself with relevant information and direct questions concerning a specific country (Foreign Duty Location) to the appropriate Army Human Resources point of contact prior to the acceptance of employment and your entrance on duty.
  • This is a(n) General Administration and Management Career Field position.
  • The initial length of this overseas tour is 36 months.
  • Defense National Relocation Program will not be authorized.
  • Multiple positions may be filled from this announcement.
  • When you perform a Civilian Permanent Change of Station (PCS) with the government, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) considers the majority of your entitlements to be taxable. Visit https://www.dfas.mil/civilianemployees/civrelo/Civilian-Moving-Expenses-Tax-Deduction/ for more information.
  • Payment of Permanent Change of Station (PCS) costs is authorized, subject to the provisions of the Joint Travel Regulations.

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, a review of your application package (resume, supporting documents, and responses to the questionnaire) will be used to determine whether you meet the qualification requirements listed on this announcement. Please follow all instructions carefully when applying, errors or omissions may affect your eligibility.

If, after reviewing your resume and/or supporting documentation, a determination is made that you have inflated your qualifications and/or experience, you may lose consideration for this position.

Selection is subject to restrictions resulting from Department of Defense referral system for displaced employees.

If you have retired from federal service and you are interested in employment as a reemployed annuitant, see the information in the Reemployed Annuitant information sheet.

Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP). If you are a Federal employee in the competitive service and your agency has notified you in writing that you are a displaced employee eligible for ICTAP consideration, you may receive selection priority for this position. To receive selection priority, you must: (1) meet ICTAP eligibility criteria (2) be rated well-qualified for the position and; (3) submit the appropriate documentation to support your ICTAP eligibility. To be considered well-qualified and receive selection priority applicants must satisfy all qualification requirements for the position and receive a score of 90 or above. Additional information about the program is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website.

Joint Activities

Civilian employees serve a vital role in supporting the Army mission. They provide the skills that are not readily available in the military, but crucial to support military operations. The Army integrates the talents and skills of its military and civilian members to form a Total Army.

This position is located in Stuttgart, Germany. Stuttgart is the cultural and political capital of Baden-Wuerttemberg and one of Europe's foremost metropolitan areas. Stuttgart is charmingly situated in the heart of one of Germany's largest wine-growing regions. For additional information please visit https://home.army.mil/stuttgart/

United States Africa Command (USAFRICOM), is one of six U.S. Department of Defense' geographic combatant commands and is responsible to the Secretary of Defense for military relations with African nations, the African Union, and African regional security organizations. It is responsible for all DoD operations, exercises, and security cooperation on the African continent, its island nations, and surrounding waters. Its mission is to build defense capabilities, respond to crisis, and deter and defeat transnational threats in order to advance U.S. national interests and promote regional security, stability, and prosperity.

Agency contact information

Army Applicant Help Desk
Website
https://portal.chra.army.mil/hr_public?id=app_inq
Address
HR-W6L6AA HQ US AFRICA COMMAND
DO NOT MAIL
APO, AE 09751
US

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https://www.africom.mil

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