Administrative Specialist

Summary The Department of Agriculture's Office of the General Counsel (OGC) provides legal services to all the agencies within the United States Department of Agriculture. The incumbent's primary responsibilities are serving as an assistant and / or office manager for managing and coordinating all administrative, clerical, and logistical support functions in the assigned office. The incumbent assists in monitoring, tracking, and controlling the workflow of the office. Responsibilities Drafts, or prepares from a draft, all memoranda, correspondence, and other documents for the managers. Maintains historical and subject matter files for the office. Reviews outgoing correspondence and other documents for compliance with applicable government regulations, internal policy, procedures, and guidelines, with respect to form, grammar, and content. Serves as point of contact and answers inquiries regarding time and attendance matters. Serves as a resource to other support staff in the office by providing accurate and timely advice and instructions on procedures, requirements, formats, and all other administrative matters in the necessary for the orderly functioning of the office. Requirements Conditions of Employment Qualifications Applicants must meet all qualifications and eligibility requirements by the closing date of the announcement, including time-in-grade restrictions, and specialized experience and / or education, as defined below. TIME-IN-GRADE REQUIREMENTS : Merit promotion applicants must meet applicable time-in-grade requirements to be considered eligible. One year at the GS-07 is required to meet the time-in-grade requirements for the GS-09 level. (Must submit your non-award SF-50 that shows Time-in-Grade eligibility and reflects your title, series, and grade.) MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS : To be considered minimally qualified for this position, you must demonstrate that you have the required specialized experience and / or education for the respective grade level in which you are applying : GS-09 : One year of specialized experience, equivalent to the GS-07 level in the Federal service or equivalent responsibility in the private sector / pay systems. Specialized experience for this position includes : Providing general guidance to management, co-workers, and other internal and external customers with routine inquiries concerning administrative procedures, requirements, and office functions; Assisting with administrative processes and procedures concerning personnel to include : recruitment, awards, procurement, and / or other personnel matters; Implementing changes to office policy and operations (including workflow patterns for staff, task procedures, individual work assignments, etc.) that would increase overall office management effectiveness, upon approval of the managers; and Reviewing all incoming and outgoing correspondence and routing incoming correspondence to appropriate managers or staff members. 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. IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE MAY NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. If your resume does not support your questionnaire answers, we will not allow credit for your response(s). Education If qualifying based on education : Master's or equivalent graduate degree in a related field to the position OR 2 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree OR LL.B. or J.D., if related. Combining Education and Experience : Combinations of successfully completed post-high school education and experience may be used to meet total qualification requirements for the grade levels specified in the table, and may be computed by first determining the applicant's total qualifying experience as a percentage of the experience required for the grade level; then determining the applicant's education as a percentage of the education required for the grade level; and then adding the two percentages. The total percentages must equal at least 100 percent to qualify an applicant for that grade level. Only graduate education in excess of the amount required for the next lower grade level may be used to qualify applicants for positions at grades GS-9 and GS-11. (When crediting education that requires specific course work, prorate the number of hours of related courses required as a proportion of the total education to be used.) Additional Information This is a bargaining unit designated position. This position is represented by AFGE, Local 1106. 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. Veterans who are preference eligible or who have been separated from the armed forces under honorable conditions after three years or more of continuous active service are eligible for consideration under the Veteran's Employment Opportunity Act (VEOA). For more information on applying under special hiring authorities such as the Veteran's Recruitment Act (VRA), 30 percent disabled veterans, certain military spouses, Schedule A Disabled, etc., explore the different Hiring Paths on the USAJOBS website. Farm Service Agency (FSA) County Employees : Permanent County employees without prior Federal tenure who are selected for a Civil Service position under Public Law 105-277 will be given a career-conditional appointment and must serve a 1-year probationary period. Land Management Workforce Flexibility Act (LMWFA) provides current or former temporary or term employees of federal land management agencies opportunity to compete for permanent competitive service positions. Individuals must have more than 24 months of service without a break between appointments of two or more years. Service must be in the competitive service and have been at a successful level of performance or better. Refer to PUBLIC LAW 114-47-AUG. 7, 2015 for more information. E-Verify : Federal law requires agencies to use the E-Verify system to confirm the employment eligibility of all new hires. If you are selected as a newly hired employee, the documentation you present for purposes of completing the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Form I-9 on your entry-on-duty date will be verified through the DHS 'E-VERIFY' system. Under the system, the new hire is required to resolve any identified discrepancies as a condition of continued employment. Direct Deposit - Per Public Law 104-134 all Federal employees are required to have federal payments made by direct deposit to a financial institution of your choosing. Special Hiring Authorities Information : Click here for more information regarding applying under the Veteran's Recruitment Act (VRA), 30 percent disabled veterans, certain military spouses, and Schedule A Disabled. EEO Policy Statement : Click here Reasonable Accommodation Policy Statement : Click here Veterans Information : Click here