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Secretary (Office Automation)

Department of the Interior
Bureau of Reclamation
Office of the Regional Director
This job announcement has closed

Summary

Reclamation is seeking a career professional looking for an opportunity to capitalize on their expertise as a Secretary (Office Automation). You can make a difference in the West by assisting in meeting increasing water demands while protecting the environment.

Duty Location: Sacramento, California

Overview

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Reviewing applications
Open & closing dates
11/20/2024 to 12/03/2024
Salary
$54,203 to - $78,033 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 7 - 8
Location
1 vacancy in the following location:
Sacramento, CA
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Travel Required
Occasional travel - You may be expected to travel for this position.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
8
Job family (Series)
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Not Required
Drug test
No
Position sensitivity and risk
Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk
Trust determination process
Announcement number
BOR-CGB-25-MP-12618317-AM
Control number
820050200

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Duties

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Serves as Executive Secretary and initial point of contact for correspondence to be signed by the Deputy Regional Directors (DRD).

Provides guidance to administrative support staff and authorizer regarding correspondence policies and practices. Acts as a member of Reclamation's Correspondence Handbook Team.

Edits and offers a critique on internal management documents, pointing out aspects such as lack of clarity or understandability and questions on substantive content.

Maintains appointment schedules making final commitments. Screens all calls and visitors and determines which calls can be answered personally and which should be directed elsewhere.

Maintains the confidential files of all sensitive material. Also establishes and maintains general administration and other confidential files in the immediate office.

Receives and reviews all incoming mail and correspondence. Refers only that which requires personal attention. Determines what correspondence should be routed to the Executive Staff Members and others and sets controls and deadlines.

Conducts a thorough substantive review of all correspondence and action documents prepared for signature to ascertain conformance with established Reclamations policy, adequacy and clarity of information, format, and expressed view of the manager. Attempts to resolve conflicts through consultation with the subordinate officials or, if necessary, calls the problem to the attention of the manager.

Determines nature of call or business of visitors, if business requires the attention of technical or staff specialists, decides whether the importance of business, rank, or position of visitor is such as to require personal attention of superiors or if the visitor should be referred to the appropriate division or staff concerned with specific subject.

Prioritize and schedules activities for the Deputy Regional Directors (DRD), ensuring appropriate representation of internal staff, Federal, state, and public officials are present. Exercise control over calendars, with authority for commitment of time for appointments, conference and speaking engagements.

Adjustments to calendars are frequently required due to unforeseen situations; respond to and resolves unanticipated developments requiring changes and adjustments in plans, e.g., scheduling supervisor to see high ranking officials.

Serves in a liaison capacity between the Deputy Regional Directors (DRDs) and Washington, Denver, other Regions, Federal and state officials, Area and Regional Office staff, and water users on a variety of subjects, in coordinating meetings and schedules, meeting deadlines, addressing concerns, obtaining information, and providing assistance.

Provides guidance to Regional administrative support staff as a participating member of Reclamation's Executive Leadership Assistant (ELA) Group.

Serves as a timekeeper or back-up timekeeper for the Directorate and/or assists other Directorates, as needed.

Obtains and monitors the use of supplies, equipment, or services for the office.

Uses office automation systems and various Microsoft software packages/programs, to accomplish work.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

You must be a U.S. Citizen or U.S. National.
You must be suitable for federal employment, determined by a background investigation.
You must submit a resume and supporting documentation (see Required Documents).
You must submit eligibility documents for veterans consideration (see Required Documents).
You must meet any minimum education and/or experience requirements (see Qualifications).
You must maintain a valid State Driver's License at all times as the position requires operation of government vehicles on government and public roads. Failure to maintain a valid State Driver's License at all times will result in removal from the position.
You may be required to work Overtime.
You must be able to type 40 W.P.M.
This position handles a broad range of confidential and/or sensitive issues (from personnel-related issues that must remain confidential to policy matters that cannot be prematurely disclosed outside the office's management team). Maintains strictest confidentiality in the performance of duties.

Who May Apply:

  • 30% or More Disabled Veterans
  • Bureau of Reclamation Employees (Competitive)
  • Bureau of Reclamation Employees (Non-Competitive)
  • Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP)
  • Department of the Interior Employees (Competitive)
  • Department of the Interior Employees (Non-Competitive)
  • Federal Employees (Competitive Transfer)
  • Federal Employees (Non-Competitive Transfer)
  • Former Federal Employees (Competitive Reinstatement)
  • Former Federal Employees (Non-Competitive Reinstatement)
  • Individuals with Disabilities (Schedule A)
  • Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP)
  • Land Management Workforce Flexibility Act (LMWFA)
  • Military Spouses
  • Miscellaneous Appointing Authorities
  • Pathways Program - Conversion Eligible
  • Peace Corps & AmeriCorps VISTA Volunteers
  • Public Lands Corps (PLC) Hiring Authority
  • Special Hiring Authorities
  • Veterans Employment Opportunities Act (VEOA)
  • Veterans Recruitment Authority (VRA)

Qualifications

In order to be rated as qualified for this position, the HR Office must be able to determine that you meet the specialized experience requirement - this information must be clearly supported in the resume.

To qualify at the GS-07, you must possess one year of specialized experience equivalent in difficulty and complexity to at least the GS-06 level in federal service having demonstrated experience with but not limited to: Planning and performing office automation duties requiring different approaches and methods and/or program to another; Screening and answering telephone calls; Arranging conferences when required; Reviewing correspondence, reports and other documents for proper format, grammar, punctuation, and mathematical correctness and writing simple or complex non-technical correspondence; Providing administrative support services such as preparing personnel actions, timekeeping and ordering and maintaining supplies; Retrieving, gathering, and generating data, as well as using various word processing, spreadsheet, power point applications.

To qualify at the GS-08, you must possess one year of specialized experience equivalent in difficulty and complexity to at least the GS-07 level in federal service having demonstrated experience with but no limited to: Planning and performing complex office automation duties requiring different approaches and methods from one assignment and/or program to another; Gathering and summarizing information from files and preparing material/documents for supervisor's use in responding to inquiries, recognizing which information is, or is not, relevant to issue at hand; Screening and answering telephone calls; Arranging conferences when required; Reviewing correspondence, reports and other documents for proper format, grammar, punctuation, and mathematical correctness and writing simple or complex non-technical correspondence; Briefing on important and office related facts, issues, and reports; Providing administrative support services such as preparing personnel actions, timekeeping and ordering and maintaining supplies; Retrieving, gathering, and generating data, as well as using various word processing, spreadsheet, power point applications.

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.

Time-In-Grade: Current career or career-conditional employees of the Federal government, or former career or career-conditional employees, who have a break in service of less than one year, are required to meet the time-in-grade restriction of one year of Federal experience at the next lower-grade, with few exceptions outlined in 5 CFR 300.603(b).

You must meet all Eligibility and Qualification requirements, including time-in-grade restrictions and any selective placement factors if applicable, by 12/03/2024.

Education

This position does not allow substituting education for experience.

Additional information

You may be required to serve an initial probationary period.

Reclamation has determined that the duties of this position are suitable for telework and you MAY BE allowed to telework with supervisory approval.

If otherwise eligible and qualified, you MAY BE offered a recruitment or relocation incentive. The decision to offer an incentive will be made on a case-by-case basis and is neither promised nor guaranteed. For information visit: Recruitment Incentive or Relocation Incentive.

If otherwise eligible and qualified, you MAY BE offered a Student Loan Repayment Benefit (SLRB). The decision to offer an SLRB will be made on a case-by-case basis and is neither promised nor guaranteed. For information visit: SLRB Program.

If otherwise eligible and qualified, you MAY BE request consideration for a Superior Qualifications Appointment. For information, visit: OPM Fact Sheet.

Related non-Federal experience or related experience as retired members of the uniformed services MAY BE credited towards computing entitlement to leave accrual, at managerial discretion, providing that experience meets certain criteria. This provision allows new employees to earn annual leave at a higher rate than would otherwise be allowed. (5 Code of Federal Regulations, 630). For additional information, please visit: Creditable Service for Annual Leave

DOI uses E-Verify to confirm the employment eligibility of all newly hired employees. To learn more about E-Verify, including applicant rights and responsibilities, please visit https://www.e-verify.gov/

This position is designated as a LOW-RISK position. It requires a fully completed and favorably adjudicated SF85 Background Investigation (T1 or equivalent) that is current (within the last 5 years). This is a condition of employment.

Male applicants born after December 31, 1959, must certify registration with the Selective Service System or that the applicant is exempt from having to do so under the Selective Service Law. Go to: https://www.sss.gov

This is a non-bargaining unit position.

Additional vacancies may be filled using this job announcement.

NOTE: Salary breakdown for grades:
GS-07 Pay Range: $54,203 - $70,466
GS-08 Pay Range: $60,027 - $78,033

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), the responses you provide to the application questionnaire, and the result of the additional assessments required for this position. You will be assessed on the following Competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics):

  • Clerical
  • Computer Skills
  • Customer Service (Clerical/Technical)
  • Oral Communication


In order to be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. In addition to the application questionnaire, this position requires successful completion of additional assessment. The online assessment measures critical general competencies required to perform the job.

The application questionnaire can be previewed here: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12618317

Your answers will be verified against information provided in your resume. Your resume must clearly support the responses to all the questions by addressing experience, education, and/or training relevant to this position. You must make a fair and accurate assessment of your qualifications. If a determination is made that you have rated yourself higher than what is apparent in the description of your experience, competencies, skills, and/or education/training (or that your resume/application is incomplete), you could be rated ineligible or your score could be lowered.

For evaluating the quality of candidates for referral to the selecting official, a three-phased process will be used.

Phase 1: Applicant resumes will be reviewed by Human Resources to ensure they meet the basic qualification requirements (see definition of specialized experience). If applicants meet basic qualifications, they will continue on to the second phase and will be given an interim score based on the application questionnaire, which will take the applicant approximately 30 minutes to complete when initially applying. With information received from the application questionnaire in the first phase, applicant's will be evaluated on the following Competencies: Clerical, Computer Skills, Customer Service (Clerical/Technical), and Oral Communication.

Phase 2: Candidates who pass the first phase, your resume will be review by the SME panel board. Subject Matter Expert(s) will review your resume and apply a score.

Phase 3: Candidates will be given a final score which combines the scores from the first and second phases. Those candidates who score as best qualified will be referred to the selecting official for consideration.

Applicants who apply under this job opportunity announcement agree to have their application, associated documents and applicable personal information shared with other Bureaus/Offices within the Department of the Interior (DOI) who have vacancies with the same occupational series, grade, full performance level and in the same geographic location(s). Applying to this announcement does not replace the need to apply to other job opportunity announcements for which you wish to receive consideration. You may choose to opt in of having your information shared with other agencies when applying for this position. If an agency requests a copy of a certificate you are on, you will be notified.

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