This Human Resources Specialist (Recruitment & Outreach Strategist/Program Manager) position is located in the Talent & Acquisition Management Branch (TAM), Office of the Chief Human Capital Officer (OCHCO). The incumbent will lead a strategic recruitment and outreach program while supporting all aspects of branch programmatic responsibilities, from policy to analysis to operations.
This announcement will close on 07/08/2026 or once 100 applications are received, whichever occurs first.
Summary
This Human Resources Specialist (Recruitment & Outreach Strategist/Program Manager) position is located in the Talent & Acquisition Management Branch (TAM), Office of the Chief Human Capital Officer (OCHCO). The incumbent will lead a strategic recruitment and outreach program while supporting all aspects of branch programmatic responsibilities, from policy to analysis to operations.
This announcement will close on 07/08/2026 or once 100 applications are received, whichever occurs first.
Current or former Federal employees with competitive status obtained through a permanent Federal competitive service appointment OR individuals with eligibility for noncompetitive special appointing authority OR ICTAP/CTAP eligibles OR veterans eligible under the Veterans Employment Opportunities Act (VEOA).
As a Recruitment & Outreach Strategist/Program Manager, you will perform the following duties:
Oversee complex recruitment and outreach projects, define scope and deliverables with stakeholders, develop and implement plans, and coordinate activities with Office of Chief Human Capital Officer (OCHCO) staff.
Develop detailed plans, tasks, milestone dates, and schedules to ensure proper sequencing of events, and tracking of processes and costs throughout the life cycle of projects and assigned programs.
Collaborate with management and OCHCO staff to implement change initiatives, assess program needs, and lead teams in strategic planning and problem-solving for long-term organizational challenges.
Oversee the intake and assessment of new Human Resources (HR) initiatives and policies impacting organizational staffing and/or advancing workforce planning/recruitment strategies.
Establish program area standard operating procedures, resource guides, business workflows, and cross-training and mentoring opportunities, as well as champion and market program opportunities to both internal and external stakeholders.
Collaborate with the TAM Branch Chief in the overall development and implementation of HR Strategy for the branch and support Talent Team activities.
Serve as Contracting Officer Representative (COR) for designated programs and projects.
Provide HR staffing and recruitment support, as well as provide general HR support to one or more of NSF's directorates and offices.
Selectee will be required to have a background investigation prior to onboarding.
Selectee may be required to serve a 2-year trial/1-year 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.
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 situational telework. Situational telework may be approved on an occasional basis in accordance with agency policy, supervisory approval, and operational requirements. Selected candidates interested in telework, or other workplace flexibility arrangements, should discuss available options with the selecting official. Participation in telework is voluntary and requires an approved telework agreement.
Qualifications
To qualify at the GS-14 level, you must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-13 level in the federal service overseeing a recruitment and staffing program area, to include planning, organizing, and managing all aspects of the program.
Examples of experience include:
Overseeing recruitment and outreach programs.
Interpreting, developing, and implementing recruitment and outreach processes and procedures.
Providing consultation to leadership regarding recruitment and outreach activities.
Leading organizational hiring experience initiatives and plans.
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 questionnaire. 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
Veterans' 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 SF-15 (Application for 10-Point Veteran Preference), DD-214, and official documentation of a compensable service-connected disability of 10% or more 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.
A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.
Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.
How you will be evaluated
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
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):
Accountability
Attention to Detail
Customer Service
Decision Making
Flexibility
Influencing/Negotiating
Integrity/Honesty
Interpersonal Skills
Learning
Reading Comprehension
Reasoning
Self-Management
Stress Tolerance
Teamwork
Applicants eligible for selection preference under 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.
A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.
Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.
All applicants are required to submit a legible resume/CV that is no longer than two pages.The resume must include a list of all significant jobs held and duties performed, with dates specified in month and year, and indicates hours worked per week. If a military or civilian Federal employee, you must include your rank and/or grade.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Only the two-page resume, starting at your work experience, will be reviewed to determine your technical qualifications for this position based on the specialized experience. Additional information beyond your resume (e.g., cover letters, links to additional information) will not be reviewed to determine if you meet the specialized experience listed in the "Qualifications" section of this announcement. In describing your experience, please be clear and specific. We may not make assumptions regarding your experience.
Applicants may submit an optional cover letter.
Applicants are encouraged to submit professional references as a supplemental document with their application. References will not be contacted during the initial review process and will only be contacted if requested by the hiring official as part of the selection process.
If you are an NSF employee on or eligible for a permanent, competitive service position or you are an NSF employee who is reinstatement eligible based on prior Federal permanent, competitive service, you do not need to submit a Standard Form 50 (SF-50) to confirm status.
If you are not an NSF employee as described above, but you are eligible under merit promotion, under an Interchange Agreements, under a non-competitive authority, or under a similar authority, you will be required to submit supporting documentation. This will typically require the submission of one or more of the following documents:
Notification of Personnel Action (SF-50s) or comparable federal agency forms to verify your eligibility for reinstatement and/or grade/step/salary if you are a current or former permanent federal civil service employee. The SF-50 must indicate that appointment is/was to a competitive service position with permanent tenure or conditional tenure within the last three years; OR, to a similar position in the excepted service at an agency that has an Interchange Agreement.
An example of a comparable agency form is a personnel action from a DOD Non-appropriated Fund organization or from the U.S. Postal Service for a current and continuing appointment without a break in service.
Documents that are NOT comparable and NOT acceptable substitutes for a SF-50 include a SF-52, a Performance Appraisal form, a Personnel Action Request (PAR), or a Request for Personnel Action (RPA).
Performance appraisals and awards may be considered during the evaluation process if voluntarily submitted.
DD-214 (Member-4 copy); and if applicable, an SF15 and a Department of Veterans Affairs Notice of Compensable Disability Rating (VA Letter) from applicants requesting consideration under the Veterans Employment Opportunity Act (VEOA), Veteran Recruitment Act (VRA), or the disabled veterans appointing authority.
Schedule A Certification from applicants requesting consideration under the Schedule A appointing authority for disabled applicants.
Other documentation which verifies you are eligible to be appointed to a permanent position in the federal competitive civil service. If you are requesting consideration under a Special Hiring Authority listed below, you must submit the required documentation as outlined in the regulation or Executive Order. Please also annotate your application to reflect that you are applying under a special hiring authority. This includes:
Returned Peace Corp Volunteers
Certain Military Spouses (Executive Order 13473)
Former Overseas Employees
Foreign Service Employees
Career Service Employees
Postal Rate Commission Employees
Government Accountability Office (GAO) Employees
Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts Employees
If you are requesting special employment consideration under ICTAP or CTAP, you must submit documentation provided by your current or former employing agency verifying your eligibility for that program. This includes a copy of the agency notice, a copy of your most recent performance rating, and a copy of your most recent SF-50 (Notification of Personnel Action) showing your position, grade level, and duty location. Please annotate your application to reflect that you are applying as a CTAP or ICTAP eligible.
All uploading must be completed before 11:59 PM Eastern Time (ET) on the vacancy closing date.
IMPORTANT NOTE: PLEASE DO NOT INCLUDE YOUR SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER, DATE OF BIRTH OR ANY OTHER PERSONALLY IDENTIFIABLE INFORMATION ON YOUR APPLICATION DOCUMENTS.
If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:
Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.
Please read the entire announcement and all the instructions before you begin an application. To apply and be considered for this position, you must complete all required questionnaires, assessments and submit all required documentation as specified in the How to Apply and Required Documents section. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on the closing date of the announcement to receive consideration. The application process is as follows:
Click the Apply Online button.
Answer the questions presented in the application and attach all necessary supporting documentation.
Click the Submit Application button prior to 11:59 PM (ET) on the announcement closing date.
If you are required to complete any USA Hire Assessments, you will be notified after submitting your application. The notification will be provided in your application submission screen and via email. The notification will include your unique assessment access link to the USA Hire system and the completion deadline. Additionally, in USAJOBS you can click "Track this application" to return to your assessment completion notice.
Access USA Hire using your unique assessment link. Access is granted through your USAJOBS login credentials.
Review all instructions prior to beginning your assessments. You will have the opportunity to request a testing accommodation before beginning the assessments should you have a disability covered under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended.
Set aside about two (2) hours to take the USA Hire Assessments; however, most applicants complete the assessments in less time. If you need to stop the assessments and continue later, you can re-use your unique assessment link.
Your responses to the USA Hire Assessments will be reused for one year (in most cases) from the date you complete an assessment. If future applications you submit require completion of the same assessments, your responses will be automatically reused.
To update your application, including supporting documentation: During the announcement open period, return to your USAJOBS account, find your application record, and click Edit my application. This option will no longer be available once the announcement has closed.
To view the announcement status or your application status: Visit https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/howto/application/status/. Your application status page is where you can view your application status, USA Hire assessment completion status, and review your notifications sent by the hiring agency regarding your application.
US National Science Foundation, Office of the Chief Human Capital Officer
401 Dulany Street
Alexandria, VA 22314
US
Next steps
Based on your application and your responses to the application questionnaire, you may be presented with instructions on how to access the USA Hire system to complete the online assessments. The online assessments must be completed within 48 hours following the close of this announcement. You will have the opportunity to request a testing accommodation for the assessment should you have a disability covered under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended.
Your assessment results will be kept on record for one year and used toward future positions for which you might apply that require the same assessments. You may check the status of your application at any time on the USAJOBS website.
Applicants should click 'Track this Application' in the Applicant Dashboard to receive application updates.
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
All applicants are required to submit a legible resume/CV that is no longer than two pages.The resume must include a list of all significant jobs held and duties performed, with dates specified in month and year, and indicates hours worked per week. If a military or civilian Federal employee, you must include your rank and/or grade.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Only the two-page resume, starting at your work experience, will be reviewed to determine your technical qualifications for this position based on the specialized experience. Additional information beyond your resume (e.g., cover letters, links to additional information) will not be reviewed to determine if you meet the specialized experience listed in the "Qualifications" section of this announcement. In describing your experience, please be clear and specific. We may not make assumptions regarding your experience.
Applicants may submit an optional cover letter.
Applicants are encouraged to submit professional references as a supplemental document with their application. References will not be contacted during the initial review process and will only be contacted if requested by the hiring official as part of the selection process.
If you are an NSF employee on or eligible for a permanent, competitive service position or you are an NSF employee who is reinstatement eligible based on prior Federal permanent, competitive service, you do not need to submit a Standard Form 50 (SF-50) to confirm status.
If you are not an NSF employee as described above, but you are eligible under merit promotion, under an Interchange Agreements, under a non-competitive authority, or under a similar authority, you will be required to submit supporting documentation. This will typically require the submission of one or more of the following documents:
Notification of Personnel Action (SF-50s) or comparable federal agency forms to verify your eligibility for reinstatement and/or grade/step/salary if you are a current or former permanent federal civil service employee. The SF-50 must indicate that appointment is/was to a competitive service position with permanent tenure or conditional tenure within the last three years; OR, to a similar position in the excepted service at an agency that has an Interchange Agreement.
An example of a comparable agency form is a personnel action from a DOD Non-appropriated Fund organization or from the U.S. Postal Service for a current and continuing appointment without a break in service.
Documents that are NOT comparable and NOT acceptable substitutes for a SF-50 include a SF-52, a Performance Appraisal form, a Personnel Action Request (PAR), or a Request for Personnel Action (RPA).
Performance appraisals and awards may be considered during the evaluation process if voluntarily submitted.
DD-214 (Member-4 copy); and if applicable, an SF15 and a Department of Veterans Affairs Notice of Compensable Disability Rating (VA Letter) from applicants requesting consideration under the Veterans Employment Opportunity Act (VEOA), Veteran Recruitment Act (VRA), or the disabled veterans appointing authority.
Schedule A Certification from applicants requesting consideration under the Schedule A appointing authority for disabled applicants.
Other documentation which verifies you are eligible to be appointed to a permanent position in the federal competitive civil service. If you are requesting consideration under a Special Hiring Authority listed below, you must submit the required documentation as outlined in the regulation or Executive Order. Please also annotate your application to reflect that you are applying under a special hiring authority. This includes:
Returned Peace Corp Volunteers
Certain Military Spouses (Executive Order 13473)
Former Overseas Employees
Foreign Service Employees
Career Service Employees
Postal Rate Commission Employees
Government Accountability Office (GAO) Employees
Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts Employees
If you are requesting special employment consideration under ICTAP or CTAP, you must submit documentation provided by your current or former employing agency verifying your eligibility for that program. This includes a copy of the agency notice, a copy of your most recent performance rating, and a copy of your most recent SF-50 (Notification of Personnel Action) showing your position, grade level, and duty location. Please annotate your application to reflect that you are applying as a CTAP or ICTAP eligible.
All uploading must be completed before 11:59 PM Eastern Time (ET) on the vacancy closing date.
IMPORTANT NOTE: PLEASE DO NOT INCLUDE YOUR SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER, DATE OF BIRTH OR ANY OTHER PERSONALLY IDENTIFIABLE INFORMATION ON YOUR APPLICATION DOCUMENTS.
If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:
Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.
Please read the entire announcement and all the instructions before you begin an application. To apply and be considered for this position, you must complete all required questionnaires, assessments and submit all required documentation as specified in the How to Apply and Required Documents section. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on the closing date of the announcement to receive consideration. The application process is as follows:
Click the Apply Online button.
Answer the questions presented in the application and attach all necessary supporting documentation.
Click the Submit Application button prior to 11:59 PM (ET) on the announcement closing date.
If you are required to complete any USA Hire Assessments, you will be notified after submitting your application. The notification will be provided in your application submission screen and via email. The notification will include your unique assessment access link to the USA Hire system and the completion deadline. Additionally, in USAJOBS you can click "Track this application" to return to your assessment completion notice.
Access USA Hire using your unique assessment link. Access is granted through your USAJOBS login credentials.
Review all instructions prior to beginning your assessments. You will have the opportunity to request a testing accommodation before beginning the assessments should you have a disability covered under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended.
Set aside about two (2) hours to take the USA Hire Assessments; however, most applicants complete the assessments in less time. If you need to stop the assessments and continue later, you can re-use your unique assessment link.
Your responses to the USA Hire Assessments will be reused for one year (in most cases) from the date you complete an assessment. If future applications you submit require completion of the same assessments, your responses will be automatically reused.
To update your application, including supporting documentation: During the announcement open period, return to your USAJOBS account, find your application record, and click Edit my application. This option will no longer be available once the announcement has closed.
To view the announcement status or your application status: Visit https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/howto/application/status/. Your application status page is where you can view your application status, USA Hire assessment completion status, and review your notifications sent by the hiring agency regarding your application.
US National Science Foundation, Office of the Chief Human Capital Officer
401 Dulany Street
Alexandria, VA 22314
US
Next steps
Based on your application and your responses to the application questionnaire, you may be presented with instructions on how to access the USA Hire system to complete the online assessments. The online assessments must be completed within 48 hours following the close of this announcement. You will have the opportunity to request a testing accommodation for the assessment should you have a disability covered under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended.
Your assessment results will be kept on record for one year and used toward future positions for which you might apply that require the same assessments. You may check the status of your application at any time on the USAJOBS website.
Applicants should click 'Track this Application' in the Applicant Dashboard to receive application updates.
Fair and transparent
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
