Skip to main content
U.S. flag
 

PROGRAM MANAGER (RESEARCH OPERATIONS)

Department of Defense
Defense Threat Reduction Agency

Summary

This position may be filled using Direct Hire Authority and is in the Department of Defense (DoD) Acquisition Workforce Personnel Demonstration Project (AcqDemo): Z5CAV/Direct-Hire Authority (Certain DoD Personnel) PL 118-31, Sec 125OB (i)(2), 12/22/2023.This position is being filled under the memorandum from the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness (USD(P&R)) "Expansion of Direct Hire Authority for Certain Personnel of the Department of Defense," dated August 12,2024.

Overview

Help
Accepting applications
Posted this month · Apply by 07/20/26
Due by 11:59 p.m. ET on July 20, 2026
Location
2 vacancies in the following location:
Work site options
Telework eligible
Yes—This position is an in-person position at facilities located at Fort Belvoir, VA. This position may be eligible for limited, situational telework subject to supervisory approval and not to exceed current Agency guidelines.  This position is not eligible for remote telework.
Remote job
No
Relocation expenses reimbursed
Yes—You may qualify for reimbursement of relocation expenses in accordance with agency policy.
Salary
$143,913 - $187,093 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 14
Promotion potential
None
Pay scale and grade determines the salary of the job.
Work schedule
Full-time
Travel Required
25% or less - You may be expected to travel for this position.
Appointment type
Permanent
Occupations and job series
Supervisory status
No
Federal service type
This job is in the Competitive Service
Represented by a union
No
Drug test
Yes
Security clearance
Top Secret
Position sensitivity and risk
Critical-Sensitive (CS)/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
Yes - Employment and Financial Interest
Some jobs require financial disclosure to identify conflicts of interests.
Announcement number
DTRA-26-12995522-DH
Control number
874695400

This job is open to

Help

Clarification from the agency

This announcement is open to All U.S. Citizens, and is being filled under the Direct Hire Authority (DHA) for Certain Personnel of the Department of Defense. Appointment of Military Spouses (5 CFR 315.612)(NonComp Mil Sp), Priority Placement Program (PPP) Retained Grade Preference (RGP), and PPP Military Reserve and National Guard Technician eligibles may also apply.

Duties

Help

As a PROGRAM MANAGER (RESEARCH OPERATIONS) at the GS-0340-14 some of your typical work assignments may include:

  • Serves as the Program Manager (PM) and technical authority within the Research Operations Division (RD-CBC), responsible for the full life-cycle direction of major, high-visibility, and exceptionally complex R&D programs in the broad area of Chemical and Biological Defense.
  • Conceives, plans, develops, and directs the execution of department-wide, multi-year program strategies, orchestrating all aspects of cost, schedule, performance, and risk.
  • Resolves critical programmatic conflicts, makes authoritative decisions on R&D acquisition and procurement, identifies and evaluates alternatives for achieving those objectives, and generates program and project acquisition plans.
  • Assesses and defines technical requirements, resolves critical problems, facilitates communication with all stakeholders, manages program interaction, and ensures accomplishment of scientific and technical program goals.
  • Maintains rigorous oversight of financial execution, ensuring that spend plans are accurately implemented and that all procurement actions align with the approved budget.
  • Provides authoritative advice and recommendations that shape the long-range acquisition approach for science and technology to ensure synchronization and alignment with the Department's strategic goals.

Requirements

Help

Conditions of employment

  • Must be a U.S. Citizen
  • Occasional Travel
  • Work Schedule: Full-time
  • Males born after 12-31-59 must be registered for Selective Service
  • Suitable for Federal employment, determined by a background investigation
  • May be required to successfully complete a probationary period
  • Overtime: Occasionally
  • Tour of Duty: Flexible
  • Recruitment Incentives: As approved by the hiring manager
  • Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA): Exempt
  • Financial Disclosure: Required
  • Telework Eligibility: This position is telework eligible
  • Must be able to obtain and maintain a TS/SCI (Top Secret/SCI access) security access.
  • Must consent to and pass pre-employment drug testing and random drug testing thereafter.
  • Travel in the performance of temporary assignments may be required (up to 10%). Travel may be required to locations within and outside the continental United States.
  • Must be able to obtain and maintain a valid passport.
  • This is an Acquisition Workforce position in the Program Management functional area. The incumbent will be required to become certified in the Practitioner tier within 5 years.
  • The incumbent is required to acquire a minimum of 40 continuous learning points (CLPs) every year as a goal and 80 CLPs being mandatory within 2 years.
  • Incumbent is required to submit a Confidential Financial Disclosure Form, OGE 450, within 30 days of entering the position, annually and upon termination of employment (DoD Directive 5500.7-R, Joint Ethics Regulation, August 30, 1993).
  • The employee must be willing to comply with each Combatant Command (COCOM) travel medical requirement to include vaccinations.

Qualifications

You may qualify at the GS 14 , if you fulfill the following qualifications:

A. Have one year of specialized experience at the next lower grade (GS-13) or equivalent in the federal service (experience may have been gained in the private sector). Specialized Experienced is defined as:

  • Planning, managing, and executing highly complex, large-scale, and challenging defense acquisition programs. Implementing advanced acquisition strategies for major Research and Development programs
  • Advising senior leadership on multi-faceted technology development programs, providing critical recommendations that shape and influence programmatic strategies
  • Applying Planning, Programming, Budgeting, and Execution (PPBE) expertise to formulate and defend multi-year budget requests before Directorate and Agency senior leadership
  • Translating technical concepts into clear programmatic and fiscal terms to integrate efforts across military services, and government agencies.
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.

Education

Substitution of education may not be used in lieu of specialized experience for this grade level.

Additional information

Other Notes:
ACQUISITION POSITION: This is an Acquisition Workforce position in the Program Management functional area. The incumbent will be required to become certified in the Practitioner tier within 5 years. The incumbent is required to acquire a minimum of 40 continuous learning points (CLPs) every fiscal year as a goal and 80 CLPs being mandatory within 2 years.

Noncompetitive Appointment Authorities: For more information on noncompetitive appointment authority eligibility requirements: Special Hiring Authority for Certain Military Spouses

RE-EMPLOYED ANNUITANT: This position DOES NOT meet criteria for re-employed annuitant. The DoD criteria for hiring Re-employed Annuitants can be found at: https://www.esd.whs.mil/Portals/54/Documents/DD/issuances/140025/1400.25-V300.pdf

Males born after 12-31-59 must be registered or exempt from Selective Service (see Who Needs to Register | Selective Service System : Selective Service System (sss.gov))

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.

We will review your resume and supporting documents, to ensure you meet the basic qualification requirements. We will evaluate each applicant who meets the basic qualifications on the information provided and evaluate your relevant work experiences as it relates to fundamental competencies, identified below, required for this position. Traditional rating and ranking of applications does not apply to this vacancy. Your application (resume and supporting documentation) will be evaluated to determine if you meet the minimum qualifications required as listed on the announcement under qualification requirements.

For information on entitlement see http://www.fedshirevets.gov/job/vetpref/index.aspx

Appointment of Military Spouses (5 CFR 315.612) (NonComp Mil Sp): To receive this preference, you must choose to apply using the " Appointment of Military Spouses (5 CFR 315.612) (NonComp Mil Sp)" eligibility. If you are claiming Military Spouse eligibility and are determined to be Well Qualified (score of 85 or above) for the position, you will be referred to the hiring manager. Information and required documentation for claiming Military Spouse eligibility may be found at the General Applicant Information and Definitions link below.

Priority Placement Program, DoD Military Reserve (MR) and National Guard (NG) Technician Eligible:- Submit a copy of the Military Reserve and National Guard Technician Disability PPP Self-Certification Checklist and copies of the appropriate documentation, such as the notification letter you received showing you are no longer eligible for military or NG membership (through no fault of your own) and that you have completed at least 15 years of technician service and a minimum of 20 years of service creditable for non-regular retirement.

Priority Placement Program (PPP) DoD Retained Grade Preference Eligible:- You must provide a signed Retained Grade PPP Self-Certification Checklist, DD3145-1 (whs.mil), a copy of your Notification of Personnel Action, Standard Form (SF) 50 effecting the placement in retained grade status; or a copy of the notification letter you received regarding the RIF or classification downgrade.

Defense Threat Reduction Agency

The Defense Threat Reduction Agency provides cross-cutting solutions to enable the DoD, the United States Government, and international partners to DETER strategic attack against the United States and it's allies; PREVENT, reduce, and counter Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) and emerging threats; and PREVAIL against WMD-armed adversaries in crisis and conflict.This position is part of the Defense Threat Reduction Agency.

Agency contact information

DTRA Servicing Team
Phone
614-693-0259
Fax
(215) 516-6068
Email
DHRC-DDTRAHR@dla.mil
Address
Defense Threat Reduction Agency
8725 JOHN J KINGMAN ROAD
MSC 6201
FT BELVOIR, VA 22060-6201
US

Visit our careers page

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

http://www.dtra.mil

Your session is about to expire!

Your USAJOBS session will expire due to inactivity in 8 minutes. Any unsaved data will be lost if you allow the session to expire. Click the button below to continue your session.