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Operations Specialist

Department of Defense
Defense Security Cooperation Agency

Summary

This position is part of the Defense Security Cooperation Agency.

Overview

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Accepting applications
Posted yesterday · Apply by 07/20/26
Due by 11:59 p.m. ET on July 20, 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
$77,460 - $120,696 per year
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
DSCA-26-13005937-DE
Control number
876428200

Duties

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As a Operations Specialist at the GS-0301-11/12 some of your typical work assignments may include:

  • Oversee the planning, instructing, and organizing of DSCU's training, as well as, operations.
  • Work closely with Headquarters (HQ), Talent Management (TM) Division and with DSCU leadership for the purpose of tracking the status of new billet requests, hiring packages, and various other personnel actions (e.g., reassignments, realignments, etc.).
  • Provide advice and support to leadership across the entire spectrum of the university's activities.
  • Provide advice to managers and employees regarding policies and procedures.
  • Work with DSCU leadership to explain operational processes and to ensure that these processes are carried out in accordance to the agency's mission in an efficient and effective manner.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • Must be a U.S. citizen
  • Males born after 12-31-59 must be registered for Selective Service http://www.sss.gov
  • Resume and supporting documents (See How To Apply)
  • Suitable for Federal employment, determined by a background investigation
  • May be required to successfully complete a probationary period
  • Work Schedule: Fulltime
  • Overtime: Occasionally
  • Tour of Duty: Flexible
  • Recruitment Incentives: May be authorized
  • Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA): GS-12: Exempt/ GS-11: Non-Exempt
  • Financial Disclosure: Not Required
  • Telework Eligibility: This position is telework eligible
  • Incumbent must attain DoD Security Cooperation Workforce (SCW) Certification and complete related continuous learning requirements in accordance with the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) 2017, Title 10 United States Code.
  • The employee may be required to work other than normal hours, which may include evening, weekends, and/or holidays and/or overtime.
  • Work may require travel away from the normal duty station on military or commercial aircraft.
  • The employee must be able to obtain and maintain Non-Critical Sensitive/Secret security clearance.

Qualifications

You may qualify at the GS-11, if you fulfill the following qualifications:

A. One year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-09 grade level in the Federal service:

  • Coordinating personnel and administrative workflows, including processing staffing actions (hiring, promotions, or reassignments), tracking workforce metrics, facilitating new hire onboarding, and administering time and attendance systems.
  • Interpreting established operational guidelines to advise managers and staff, resolve conventional administrative or customer service problems, and ensure compliance with standard procedures.
  • Coordinating daily facility and supply logistics, such as submitting and tracking building maintenance work orders, assisting with routine safety inspections, and processing surplus property or equipment disposal.
  • Executing procurement and emergency readiness tasks, including utilizing corporate purchase cards for supplies, tracking expenditures against a local budget, and maintaining crisis response and personnel accountability records.
OR

B. Possess Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree; OR have 3 full years of progressively higher-level graduate education, in a course of study that directly reflects the job-related KSAs/competencies necessary to satisfy the minimum qualifications and perform the duties of the position, or LL.M., if related.

OR

C. You have some specialized experience as described in A, but less than one year; and you have more than one year but less than three years of education as described in B. You have computed the percentage of the requirements that you meet, and the total is at least 100%. (To compute the percentage, divide your total months of qualifying experience by 12. Then divide your semester hours of graduate education beyond the first year by 18. Add the two percentages. The total percentage must equal at least 100 percent to qualify.)

You may qualify at the GS-12, if you fulfill the following qualifications:

One year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-11 grade level in the Federal service:
  • Directing administrative operations and personnel programs, including overseeing employee onboarding systems, managing administrative staff, and tracking complex workforce data.
  • Advising senior leadership on organizational effectiveness by analyzing workflow trends, establishing performance metrics, and refining internal policies to resolve systemic operational issues.
  • Managing comprehensive facility operations and capital planning, including overseeing large-scale building remodel projects from design to completion, directing safety/audit programs, and coordinating asset disposal.
  • Overseeing organizational purchasing and emergency programs, serving as the approving authority for corporate purchase card accounts, managing supply budgets, and establishing command-and-control protocols for emergency readiness.

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.


Incumbent must attain DoD Security Cooperation Workforce (SCW) Certification and complete related continuous learning requirements in accordance with the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) 2017, Title 10 United States Code, Section 384, and Security Cooperation Workforce Certification Program 2.0 requirements. Incumbent must complete DoD SCW Basic-level certification courses within one year. Requirements for Proficiency Level 1 - At least 1 year of successful SC work experience with a performance appraisal rating of 3 or better. Incumbent must complete DoD SCW Foundational level certification requirements within one year of entering the SC position. In addition, 40 hours of continuing education (CUE) every two years.

Education

Substitution of education may not be used in lieu of specialized experience for GS-12.

ARE YOU USING YOUR EDUCATION TO QUALIFY FOR GS-11? You MUST provide transcripts or other documentation to support your educational claims. Unofficial transcripts are acceptable at time of application.

All materials must be submitted by the closing date of the announcement.

GRADUATE EDUCATION: One academic year of graduate education is considered to be the number of credits hours that 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 may be qualifying if a private organization specializing in interpreting foreign education programs has deemed the foreign education equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program or a U.S. accredited college or university has given full credit for the foreign courses.

Unofficial transcripts from U.S. Department of Education accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions listing your name, the name of the school, the date and degree awarded, and the list of classes and credits earned are acceptable for the application process. If selected, official transcripts are required before a firm job offer is made. A photocopy of your degree/diploma is not acceptable.

When relying on foreign education, submit transcripts and a copy of the equivalency evaluation results letter with a course-by-course listing. Documents must be in English or include an English translation. The hiring employer for this position does not evaluate degrees from foreign colleges or universities. For further information, visit: Foreign Education

Additional information

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/140025/140025_vol300.PDF?ver=LQ7feWw-8-5DI2tceUpmgA%3d%3d

All applicants must meet qualifications and eligibility criteria by the closing date of the announcement.

Interagency Career Transition Assistance Programs (
ICTAP eligibility): This program applies to employees who have been involuntarily separated from a Federal service position within the competitive service or Federal service employees whose positions have been deemed surplus or no longer needed. To receive selection priority for this position, you must: 1) meet ICTAP eligibility criteria; 2) be rated well-qualified for the position; Well qualified is defined as possessing the type and quality of experience that exceeds the positions minimum qualifications. and 3) submit the appropriate documentation to support your ICTAP eligibility. For more information:
https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/workforce-restructuring/employee-guide-to-career-transition/

This position is subject to an initial drug screening, and random testing thereafter. A negative drug test result must be received by HR within 30 calendar days after the EOD (i.e., start date). The selectee's inability successfully pass; or refusal to conduct the test may result in: 1) the tentative or FJO being withdrawn during the recruitment process; or 2) subsequently being removed from Federal service for failure to meet a condition of employment.
You may be required to sign a "Drug Test Statement of Understanding" if you are selected for this position.

As required by 5 C.F.R. § 302.106., DLA will provide Section 508 conformant ICT to employees with disabilities. All ICT interfaces with the public related to vacancy announcements and career transition opportunities must conform to the applicable requirements in the current ICT Standards and Guidelines (36 C.F.R. § 1194).

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 minimum qualifications on the information provided and evaluate your relevant work experiences as it relates to fundamental competencies, identified below, required for this position.

Competencies:

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


If you meet the minimum qualifications of this position, you may be presented with instructions on how to access the USA Hire Assessment. This additional online assessment is required and must be completed within 48 hours following the close of this announcement unless you have requested Reasonable Accommodation for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Your results will be kept on record for one year when applying for future jobs that require the same USA Hire Competency Based Assessments.

A list of qualified applicants will be created and sent to the selecting official. All applicants reviewed and/or referred will receive a notification letter.

Based on the results of this evaluation, you will be placed in one of the following quality categories:

Best Qualified:
This highest category will be used for those candidates who possess the type and quality of experience that substantially exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position, including any selective placement factors and/or appropriate quality ranking factor(s), as determined by the job analysis.
Highly Qualified: This higher category will be used for those candidates who possess the type and quality of experience that exceed the minimum qualifications of the position, including any selective placement factors and/or appropriate quality ranking factor(s) as determined by the job analysis.
Qualified: This lowest category will be used for those candidates that meet the minimum qualifications of the position, including all selective placement factors and appropriate quality ranking factor(s) and are proficient in some, but not all, of the requirements of the position. Candidates may require extensive training and/or orientation in order to satisfactorily perform the duties of the position. https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/hiring-information/competitive-hiring/#url=Category-Rating

Names of the candidates in the Best Qualified category will be sent first to the hiring manager for employment consideration. Applicants in other categories will be referred in accordance with category rating procedures.

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. If you are entitled to veterans' preference and qualified for the position, your name will be placed above non-preference candidates on a list sent to the hiring manager for employment consideration. Qualified veterans' preference eligible with a service-connected disability of 10% or more will be listed at the top of the highest quality category depending on the position and grade level of the job.
For information on entitlement seeFeds Hire Vets - Job Seekers - Veterans.

Defense Security Cooperation Agency

This position is part of the Defense Security Cooperation Agency. DSCA's mission is to advance U.S. national security and foreign policy interests by building the capacity of foreign security forces to respond to shared challenges. DSCA leads the broader U.S. security cooperation enterprise in its efforts to train, educate, advise, and equip foreign partners. DSCA administers security cooperation programs that support U.S. policy interests and objectives.

Agency contact information

DE Applicant Inquiries
Email
DEApplicantInquiries@dla.mil
Address
Defense Security Cooperation Agency
1851 S. Bell
Room 501
Arlington, VA 22240
US

Visit our careers page

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

https://www.dsca.mil/

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