What are the responsibilities and job description for the PROGRAM SUPPORT ASSISTANT (OA) position at Agricultural Research Service?
Summary These positions are located within the Quality & Safety Assessment Research Unit, the Exotic and Emerging Avian Viral Diseases Research Unit, and the Poultry Microbiological Safety & Processing Research Unit for USDA's Agricultural Research Service (ARS) in Athens, GA. In these positions, you will serve as the initial point-of-contact in the areas of budget and accounting, travel, human resources, files management, time and attendance, office automation systems, and purchasing / procurement. Responsibilities Participates in program planning support work (e.g. research project coordination, travel documentation, budget coordination / tracking, agreements, purchasing / procurement of supplies and equipment, and human resources administration). Provides administrative oversight for various business processes (e.g. processing financial, procurement, extramural agreements, property, personnel, and other administrative instruments for the management unit). Prepares travel as the technical resource to unit personnel to ensure adherence to travel regulations. Develops administrative processes to meet unit needs (e.g. Administrative Office Procedures Handbook; manuscript and abstract tracking system; files maintenance, etc.). Serves as the primary administrative business point of contact for the Unit. Produces a wide range of documents using a variety of office automation technologies. Participates in the annual Resource Management Plan (ARMPS) process by assisting in developing and executing the annual budget. Requirements Conditions of Employment Qualifications Applicants must meet all qualifications and eligibility requirements by the closing date of the announcement including specialized experience and / or education, as defined below. GS-06 Specialized Experience : Specialized experience is experience directly related to the position to be filled. Specialized experience must be described for each grade level advertised. The specialized experience requirements for this position are : Qualifying experience for GS-06 includes one year of specialized experience comparable to GS-05 which is directly related to the work of this position and which has equipped the applicant with the knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position. For this position, specialized experience is experience applying guidelines involving program and administrative processes; assisting in developing and executing the annual budget (e.g. developing financial plans, monitoring spending, preparing financial reports, tracking); providing customer service to visitors and staff; and operating a personal computer, printers, scanners, word processing, spreadsheets or presentation software. GS-07 Specialized Experience : Specialized experience is experience directly related to the position to be filled. Specialized experience must be described for each grade level advertised. The specialized experience requirements for this position are : Qualifying experience for GS-07 includes one year of specialized experience comparable to GS-06 which is directly related to the work of this position and which has equipped the applicant with the knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position. For this position, specialized experience is experience applying guidelines involving program and administrative processes; assisting in developing and executing the annual budget (e.g. developing financial plans, monitoring spending, preparing financial reports, tracking); providing customer service to visitors and staff; operating a personal computer, printers, scanners, word processing, spreadsheets or presentation software; and coordinating all aspects of travel for staff or supervisors. Applicants must be able to type at least 40 words per minute. 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 and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. Physical Demands Work is essentially sedentary, however, requires some walking, standing, bending, and carrying of light items such as papers, books, or small parts. No special physical demands are required to perform the work. Work Environment The work environment involves the everyday risks or discomforts that require normal safety precautions typical of such places as offices, meeting and training rooms, libraries, or commercial vehicles, e.g., use of safe work practices with office equipment, avoidance of trips and falls, observance of fire regulations and traffic signals. The work area is adequately lighted, heated, and ventilated. Education This position does not have an education qualification requirement. Additional Information Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP), Reemployment Priority List (RPL), or Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) : Visit the OPM website for information on how to apply as a CTAP, RPL, or ICTAP eligible. To exercise selection priority for this vacancy, CTAP / RPL / ICTAP candidates must meet the basic eligibility requirements and all selective factors. CTAP / ICTAP candidates must be rated and determined to be well qualified (or above) based on an evaluation of the competencies listed in the How You Will Be Evaluated section. When assessed through a score-based category rating method, CTAP / ICTAP applicants must receive a rating of at least 85 out of a possible 100. Recruitment or Relocation Incentive may be authorized. The final determination to pay an incentive will be made by the hiring official at the time of job offer. If you are selected for a position with further promotion potential, you will be placed under a career development plan, and may be non-competitively promoted if you successfully complete the requirements and if recommended by management. However, promotion is neither implied nor guaranteed. This position may be eligible to telework up to four days per week, based upon the duties of the position. This position may also be eligible for flexible work arrangements as determined by agency policy and any applicable collective bargaining agreements.
