Skip to main content
U.S. flag

Social Worker

Department of the Interior
Interior, Bureau of Indian Affairs
Rocky Mountain Region, Human Services
This job announcement has closed

Summary

This position is located with the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Rocky Mountain Region in Billings, Montana. To assist the Regional Social Worker in providing training, program management/monitoring and budget overview of child and family services through contracts and grants.

Overview

Help
Reviewing applications
Open & closing dates
07/09/2025 to 07/23/2025
Salary
$73,939 to - $115,213 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 11 - 12
Location
1 vacancy in the following location:
Billings, MT
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
No
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
12
Job family (Series)
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Other
Drug test
No
Position sensitivity and risk
Moderate Risk (MR)
Trust determination process
Announcement number
ST-25-12758041-CAWX-CS
Control number
840301800

Duties

Help
  • Plan, develop, and monitor child protection and child welfare activities to eligible Indians who reside within the jurisdiction of the Region served by the BIA, state, other Federal entities, and other BIA contractors.
  • Serve as the liaison between the Regional Office, Indian Tribes, and BIA Agencies in matters related to child protection, child welfare, child and family services, and the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA).
  • Serve as a technical expert on Human Services and Social Service contracts related to Child Protection, Child Welfare, and ICWA grants.
  • Serve as a technical expert on Human Services and Social Service trust responsibility for financial management of Individual Indian Money accounts.

Requirements

Help

Conditions of employment

  • U.S. Citizenship Required
  • Preference in filling vacancies is given to qualified Indian candidates in accordance with the Indian Preference Act of 1934 (title 25, USC Section 472). Form BIA -4432 must be submitted with the application if claiming Indian Preference.
  • You will be required to have federal payments made by Direct Deposit
  • You may be required to successfully complete a probationary/trial period
  • A background security investigation will be required for all new hires. Appointment will be subject to the applicant's successful completion of a background security investigation and favorable adjudication.
  • If you are a male applicant born after 12/31/1959 and are required to register under the Military Selective Service Act, the Defense Authorization Act of 1986 requires that you be registered or you are not eligible for appointment in this agency.
  • Incumbent is required to operate a government motor vehicle, must possess a valid driver's license, and have a safe driving record within the 3 year period immediately preceding submittal of GSA Form 3607.
  • TELEWORK: Indian Affairs has determined that the duties of this position are suitable for telework only during an emergency or natural disaster.
  • All new hires earn the beginning salary of their pay grade (Step 1). See 2025 Salary Tables and select the pay chart for Billings, MT . If no specific chart is listed for this geographic location, see the "rest of U.S." chart.
  • NOTE: THE PAY FLEXIBILITIES OF A RELOCATION BONUS OR STUDENT LOAN REPAYMENT MAY BE AUTHORIZED, PENDING AVAILABILITY OF FUNDS AND MANAGEMENT APPROVAL.

Qualifications

EXPERIENCE AND EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS: (OPM Operating Manual, Qualification Standards Professional and Scientific Positions, Social Work 0185).

Individual Occupational Requirements

Basic Requirements

Degree: social work. Must fulfill all of the requirements for the master's degree in social work in a school accredited by the Council on Social Work Education.

Master's degree with practicum: Applicants who complete all of the requirements for a master's degree in social work that included a practicum are eligible for GS-9.

GS-11 Minimum Qualifications: Your resume must demonstrate at least one year of specialized experience at or equivalent to at least the GS-09 grade level in the Federal service.

Examples of specialized experience include: The incumbent serves as the regional consultant for services provided to individuals with supervised Individual Indian Money accounts, prioritizing support for children and adults in need of protection through agency and tribal contractors. Program monitoring and the utilization of computerized systems. Support the Regional Social Worker in the planning and development of child and family services for eligible Indigenous individuals, covering areas such as family and emergency assistance and residential placements. Conducts onsite evaluations of agency programs and service delivery, ensuring compliance with professional and regulatory standards. Providing professional evaluations of social service policies in line with best practices and offering consultation to various stakeholders. Preparation of technical evaluations and cost analyses for contracts and grants, while upholding social work standards. Assisting in the technical training and implementation of services for tribal programs, including Child Protection Teams.

GS-12 Minimum Qualifications: Your resume must demonstrate at least one year of specialized experience at or equivalent to at least the GS-11 grade level in the Federal service.

Examples of specialized experience include: Assisting with development aimed at child welfare and family services; providing training, technical assistance, direct service, and oversight to social service programs who provide Social Service activities in the areas of child welfare, child protection services, IIM, domestic violence, meth initiatives, emergency shelter, and Welfare Assistance. Programs that deal with receiving child neglect, sexual abuse, and physical abuse complaints and conducting investigations through home visitation and personal interviews with child/parents; working as a case manager on a child protection team; recruiting foster parents and developing, evaluating, training and recommending approval based on Tribal/State standards; providing counseling to unmarried parent(s) and providing family welfare services; & establishing therapeutic relationships with at-risk youth, while accepting hostility and taking a non-judgmental approach to client activity.

All qualification requirements must be met by the closing date of this announcement.

Merit Promotion candidates must also meet time-in-grade requirements by the announcement closing date.

Preference in filling vacancies is given to qualified Indian candidates in accordance with the Indian Preference Act of 1934 (title 25, USC Section 472).

Additional selections may be made from this announcement if identical vacancies occur in the same location within 90 days from the closing date.

Education

If you are qualifying based on your education, you MUST provide transcripts or other documentation to support your educational claims. Unless otherwise stated: (1) official or unofficial transcripts are acceptable, or (2) you may submit a list with all of your courses, grades, semester, year, and credit for the course. All materials must be submitted by the closing date of the announcement.

If more than 10 percent of your undergraduate course work (credit hours) were taken on a pass/fail basis, your claim of superior academic achievement must be based upon class standing or membership in an honor society.

One academic year of graduate education is considered to be the number of credits hours 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.

If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education which shows the education credentials have been evaluated by a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign education programs and such education has been deemed equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program; or full credit has been given for the courses at a U.S. accredited college or university. For further information, visit: FOREIGN EDUCATION

Additional information

The full performance level of this position is GS-12. Promotion potential in this announcement does not constitute a commitment or an obligation on the part of management to promote the employee selected at some future date. A career ladder promotion is at the discretion of management, and in no way guaranteed.

CAREER TRANSITION ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS: These programs apply 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 CTAP or ICTAP eligibility criteria; (2) be rated well-qualified for the position with a score of 85 or above; and, (3) submit the appropriate documentation to support your CTAP or ICTAP eligibility. For more information visit: http://www.opm.gov/rif/employee_guides/career_transition.asp .

LAND MANAGEMENT WORKFORCE FLEXIBILITY ACT: If applying under the Land Management Workforce Flexibility Act, you must provide documentation to support your eligibility (SF-50) and performance (references and/or performance appraisal). Under the Land Management Workforce Flexibility Act (LMWFA) two groups of individuals are eligible to apply under this announcement: current and/or former employees serving or who have served under time-limited competitive appointments at land management agencies. Land Management Agencies include: Bureau of Indian Affairs, Bureau of Land Management, Bureau of Reclamation, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, National Park Service, and U.S. Forest Service.

  • Current appointees: 1) must have been hired under competitive examining procedures to a time limited appointment with a land management agency; 2) must have served under one or more time limited appointment(s) by a land management agency for a period totaling more than 24 months without a break in service of 2 or more years; AND 3) must have performed at an acceptable level during each period of service.
  • Former appointees: 1) must have been hired under competitive examining procedures to a time limited appointment with a land management agency; 2) must have served under one or more time limited appointment(s) by a land management agency for a period totaling more than 24 months without a break in service of 2 or more years; 3) must have separated for reasons other than misconduct or performance; AND 4) must have performed at an acceptable level through the service period.
SPECIAL APPOINTING AUTHORITY: Certain candidates may be eligible to apply under a special hiring authority including those for disabled individuals, Peace Corps employees, Foreign Service employees, veterans, etc. For more information, visit the following OPM websites: USAJOBS Information Center: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/; Vets Info Guide: http://www.fedshirevets.gov/.

VOLUNTARY SEPARATION INCENTIVE PAYMENT: Former Federal Employees are required to indicate whether they received a Voluntary Separation Incentive Payment (VSIP) buyout in their previous employment with the Federal government and are required to submit a copy of the applicable Notification of Personnel Action (SF-50) regarding the VSIP. Most individuals who accept reemployment with the Federal government within 5 years of receiving the VSIP amount, must repay the gross amount of the separation pay prior to reemployment.

How you will be evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

Your application package will be evaluated against the minimum qualification requirements specified above. In order to qualify, your resume must specifically describe your work history and the duties you performed in each position. Your resume will be evaluated after the closing date of 07/23/2025 to determine whether you meet the minimum qualification requirements for this position. Qualified candidates will then be rated depending on their possession of the knowledge, skills, abilities, competencies and experience requirements as demonstrated by your responses to the assessment questions. Competencies measured include:

  • Ability to prepare concise, accurate case records, reports, narratives, and the ability to follow up on required actions.
  • Child Welfare
  • Communication
  • Knowledge of basic concepts and standards of social work practices


We will compare your resume and supporting documentation to your responses on the assessment questionnaire. If the information in your resume does not support your responses to the assessment questions, your score may be adjusted to more accurately reflect your qualifications.

DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE: PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. If your resume/application does not support your Assessment Questionnaire answers, we will not allow credit for your response(s). Your resume must contain sufficiently detailed information upon which to make a qualification determination. Please ensure that your resume contains specific information such as position titles, beginning and ending dates of employment for each position, average number of hours worked per week, and if the position is/was in the Federal government, you should provide the position series and grade level.

Preference in filling vacancies is given to qualified Indian candidates in accordance with the Indian Reorganization Act of 1934 (Title 25, USC, Section 472). Verification Form BIA-4432 must be submitted with the application if claiming Indian Preference. Indian Preference eligibles not currently employed in Federal service may be appointed under the Excepted Service Appointment Authority Schedule A, 213.3112(a)(7). Consideration will be given to Non-Indian applicants in the absence of qualified Indian Preference eligibles. For more information, please visit: https://www.bia.gov/jobs.

Qualified Indian preference candidates not eligible for a merit promotion referral will be referred to the hiring manager in order of Veteran's preference.

DUE WEIGHT FOR PERFORMANCE APPRAISALS AND AWARDS. For Current and Former Federal Employees, due weight will be given for performance and awards. Any performance appraisal/evaluation and award documentation you provide will be forwarded to the selecting official. The selecting official will review this documentation and give it due weight consideration during the overall selection process. If you do not have your most recent performance appraisal/evaluation, please submit a statement as to why it is not available. Please indicate if any prior performance appraisals/evaluations were at an acceptable level.

REVIEW BEFORE YOU SUBMIT: You may preview the assessment questions here in the https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12758041.

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.