Grants Management Specialist

About the role

This vacancy is for a Grants Management Specialist in the Office of the Secretary within the Department of Commerce. Serve as the subject matter expert on federal financial assistance policy and oversight and the program manager over suspension and debarment and vendor responsibility matters.

What you will do

• Conduct the research, review and analysis of federal financial assistance management policies, procedures, guidelines, protocols, and requirements in relation to pre- and post-award actions providing expert insight and consideration of higher-level effects.
• Maintain knowledge of relevant financial assistance management statutory requirements, regulations, policies, and procedures such as Executive Orders, Code of Federal Regulations, OMB Circulars and the Department of Commerce Federal Financial Assistance Manual.
• Contribute senior level expertise to the maintenance of the DOC Suspension and Debarment Program and to the development of responsive suspension and debarment or other vendor responsibility packages.
• Advise on how decisions may affect agency financial assistance business processes.
• Stay current on relevant federal financial assistance laws, polices and regulations.
• Provide guidance on how these rules may affect agency programs and operations.
• Maintain the Department of Commerce's Suspension and Debarment Program.
• This includes working with the Office of Inspector General on cases involving potential instances of waste and abuse of federal funds and directing the development of case packages.
• Use program management skills on assigned projects to identify and engage the right resources, leverage technology, track progress and ensure deadlines are met.
• Lead communication of policy and guidance to the Grants community based on supervisor's instructions.
• Facilitate partnerships with other federal agencies, non-governmental organizations, industry and academia by participating in meetings on behalf of the organization and communicating policy and procedure.
• Represent the organization in forums with both internal and external stakeholders and actively contributes to discussions.
• Lead drafting of policy and training documents for the financial assistance community.
• Lead drafting of suspension and debarment documents for the suspension and debarment program.
• This Job Opportunity Announcement may be used to fill other Grants Management Specialist, ZA-1109-5, FPL ZA-4, positions within the Department of Commerce in the same geographical location with the same qualifications and specialized experience.

Requirements

• You must be a U.S. citizen to apply for this position.
• You must successfully pass a background investigation.
• This may include a credit check, a review of financial issues, as well as certain criminal offenses and illegal use of possession of drugs.
• A probationary or trial period may be required.
• Selective Service: Males born after 12/31/59 must be registered or exempt from Selective Service (see ***).
• If you receive a conditional offer of employment for this position, you will be required to complete an Optional Form 306, Declaration for Federal Employment, and to sign and certify the accuracy of all information in your application.
• All Federal employees are required to have Federal salary payments made by direct deposit to a financial institution of their choosing.
• Bargaining Unit Position: No Confidential Financial Disclosure Report (OGE form 450): No Permanent Change of Duty Station (PCS) Expense: Will not be paid License required: No Drug Test Required: No Pre-employment physical required: No Time-in-grade/band requirements must be met by the closing date of the announcement unless eligible for special hiring authority, reinstatement eligible, non-current Federal employee applying as a VEOA eligible which do not require time-in-grade/band.

Education

There is no positive education requirement for this position. See Qualifications Above. NOTE: Special Instructions for Foreign Education: Qualifying education from colleges and universities in foreign countries must be evaluated in terms of equivalency to that acquired in U.S. colleges and universities.

Applicants educated in whole or in part in foreign countries must submit sufficient evidence, including transcripts, to an accredited private organization for an equivalency evaluation of course work and degree.

You MUST provide a copy of the letter containing the results of the equivalency evaluation with a course by course listing along with your application.

Failure to provide such documentation when requested will result in lost consideration.

How you will be evaluated

You will be evaluated based on how well you meet the qualifications listed in this vacancy announcement.

Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g., two-page resume, supporting documents), the responses you provide on the application questionnaire, the result of the USA Hire assessment and the result of the Structured Resume Review required for this position.

Structured Resume Review: Subject matter experts (SMEs) will review your resume to determine your technical qualifications for this position based on the required specialized experience. SMEs will review ONLY two (2) pages of your resume. SMEs will not review additional information beyond your resume (e.g., cover letter, links embedded in your resume).

Applicants passing the structured resume review will move on to the next phase of the assessment process.

For Certain Military Spouses: All applicants who meet the qualification requirements and military spouse noncompetitive eligibility requirements (see "Additional Information" section above") will be forwarded to the Selecting Official for consideration on a separate referral list.

While veterans' preference is not a consideration when filling positions under the military spouse non-competitive hiring authority, preference eligibles are encouraged to submit their supporting documentation (DD-214, stating disposition of discharge or character of service, VA letter, SF-15, etc.).

All: "Performance appraisals and/or Incentive award documentation may be submitted and will be forwarded to the selecting official as support in consideration of your application in the evaluation process.

To receive due weight, you must submit a recent performance appraisal (dated within 18 months) showing the official rating of record, signed by a supervisor, or statement why the performance appraisal is unavailable (do not submit a performance plan) and/or incentive award documentation (i.e. superior performance awards, special act or achievement awards, quality step increases, etc.)".

If you are invited for an interview, you may be asked to bring a copy of your most recent performance appraisal. Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or application questionnaire may result in your removal from consideration.

The assessments will evaluate you on the following general/technical competencies required to perform the job; please do not provide a separate written response: Grants Management Laws, Regulations, and Guidelines Reasoning Project Management Oral Communication Written Communication 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.

Do NOT include the following types of information in your resume/application.

If any are included, you will be deemed INELIGIBLE for consideration. Classified or government sensitive information Social Security Number (SSN) Photos of yourself Personal information, such as age, gender, religious affiliation, etc. To preview the questionnaire, click the following link: ***

Documents you must provide

• Resume (that should not exceed two pages in length) which shows relevant experience; cover letter optional.
• If more than two pages are submitted for the resume, only the first two pages will be reviewed to determine your eligibility/qualifications.
• Your resume should list your educational and work experience including the dates (mm/dd/yy) of each employment along with the number of hours worked per week, if less than 40.
• Your resume may be used to validate your responses to the qualifications/assessments.
• Your resume should also indicate your citizenship and if you are registered with the Selective Service System if you are a male born after 12/31/59.
• Refer to the "How you will be Evaluated' section for types of information not to include in your resume/application.
• Veterans' Preference documentation.
• Please indicate on your resume the type of veterans' preference you are claiming and provide the appropriate supporting documentation (DD-214 stating disposition of discharge or character of service, VA letter, SF-15, etc.) to validate your claim.
• For more information regarding eligibility requirements, please go to: *** SF-50, "Notification of Personnel Action," supporting your eligibility, showing tenure code, position occupied and highest grade and step.
• If applicable, performance appraisals and/or Incentive award documentation may be submitted and will be forwarded to the selecting official as support in consideration of your application in the evaluation process.
• To receive due weight, you must submit a recent performance appraisal (dated within 18 months) showing the official rating of record, signed by a supervisor, or statement why the performance appraisal is unavailable (do not submit a performance plan) and/or incentive award documentation (i.e. superior performance awards, special act or achievement awards, quality step increases, etc.) Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) and Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) documentation, if applicable.
• CTAP or ICTAP applicant(s), MUST submit the following documents: A copy of your specific RIF notice; notice of proposed removal for failure to relocate; or a Certificate of Expected Separation (CES); or certification that you are in a surplus organization or occupation (this could be a position abolishment letter, a notice eligibility for discontinued service retirement, or similar notice); or notice of disability annuity termination; or certification from your former agency that it cannot place you after your recovery from a compensable injury; or certification from the National Guard Bureau or Military Department that you are eligible for disability retirement; or a copy of your SF-50 "Notification of Personnel Action" documenting your RIF separation, noting your positions, grade level, and duty location, and/or Agency certification of inability to place you through RPL, etc; Any documentation from your agency that shows your latest performance appraisal rating; AND Any documentation from your agency that shows your current promotion potential.
• If this position requires proof of higher education, or you are substituting education for experience, you must submit an unofficial transcript or a list of courses that includes the following information: name of accredited institution, grades earned, completion dates, and quarter and semester hours earned.
• Education completed in foreign colleges or universities may be used to meet the requirements.
• Please refer to *** for more information.
• Are you a current or former political Schedule A, Schedule C, Non-career SES or Presidential Appointee employee?
• Submit a copy of your applicable SF-50, along with a statement that provides the following information regarding your most recent political appointment: Position title; Type of appointment (Schedule A, Schedule C, Non-career SES, or Presidential Appointee); Agency; and Beginning and ending dates of appointment.
• You are not required to submit official documents at this time; copies are sufficient.
• Failure to provide such documents when requested may result in lost consideration.
• Special Instructions for Foreign Education: See Note in Education Section for additional information.

Benefits

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. 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.

What to expect next

You will be notified of your application status through USAJOBS at four points during the hiring process, as applicable.

You can check the status of your application by accessing the USAJOBS website at *** and clicking on "Track Your Online Application." The four points of notification are: Application Received or Application Incomplete Minimum Qualification Requirement Met or Minimum Qualification Not Met; Eligible (Application Referred to the Selecting Official) or Ineligible (Application Not Referred to the Selecting Official); and Selected or Not Selected.

By submitting your application, you are certifying the accuracy of the information contained in your application. If you make a false statement in any part of your application, you may not be hired; you may be terminated after you begin work; or, you may be fined or jailed. After making a tentative job offer, we will conduct a suitability/security background investigation.

You will be required to submit official documentation prior to appointment.

The agency will then verify the information provided on your application (i.e., degree, veterans' preference, disability, etc.).

Additional information

The following links provide information on various hiring authorities that do not fall under competitive examining procedures; however, they may enable you to apply through merit assignment procedures, or be eligible for a non-competitive appointment.

Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) Military Spouse Non-Competitive Hiring Authority Veterans Employment Opportunities Act (VEOA) 30% or more disabled veterans Persons with disabilities ICTAP and CTAP Eligibles: CTAP and ICTAP candidates will be eligible if it is determined that they have exceeded the minimum qualifications for the position by attaining at least a rating of 85 out of 100.

Information about ICTAP eligibility is on the Office of Personnel Management's Career Transition Resources website at: Employee Guide to Career Transition Military Spouse The spouse of a member of the armed forces seeking eligibility under the non-competitive hiring authority of certain military spouse MUST submit various required documentation by the closing date of the announcement in accordance with one of the three below eligibilities: Spouse of a member of the armed forces serving on active duty, Spouse of service member who incurred a 100% disability, or Un-remarried widow or widower of a service member killed while performing active duty.

Please review the "Required Documents" Section for specific documents pertaining to each of the above eligibilities that MUST be included with your application, if you are applying as a Military Spouse. Current or Former Political Appointees: The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) must authorize employment offers made to current or former political appointees.

If you are currently, or have been within the last 5 years, a political Schedule A, Schedule C, Non-career SES, or Presidential Appointee employee in the Executive Branch, you must disclose this information to the Human Resources Office.