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Senior Child Care Program Specialist, GS-0101-14

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Administration for Children and Families
Date Posted: 08/01/2022
Location: ,
Salary/Wage:
Job Type:
Work Arrangement:

Description:

Are you seeking a challenging job working alongside a collaborative team of people with a variety of backgrounds to achieve the dual goals of supporting the economic stability and strength of low-income working families and of enhancing children’s early education and development? If so, then the Office of Child Care (OCC), within the Administration for Children and Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, is the place for you.

  • Location

    Few vacancies in the following location:

    • Anywhere in the U.S. (remote job)

Responsibilities:

As a Senior Child Care Program Specialist, you will use your knowledge of and experience to optimize business results and customer experience by:

  • Developing and implementing policy and operations recommendations related to the administration of child care programs.
  • Writing policy documents, develop policy options and provide decision makers with several possible courses of action, as well as positive and negative aspects of those courses of action.
  • Preparing and presenting briefings and presentations on child care issues and concerns, as appropriate, to other staff, supervisors, higher-level officials, and outside organizations (e.g., development of materials and testimony for Congressional hearings).
  • Preparing written summaries and/or analyses on child care and Child Care and Development Fund data including State Plans, administrative data, expenditure reports, program performance measures, national survey data sources and child care research reports.

Qualifications:

Conditions of Employment

  • U.S. Citizenship required
  • Males born after December 31, 1959 must be registered or exempt from Selective Service - http://www.sss.gov
  • Suitable for federal employment
  • Appointment will be subject to the applicant's successful completion of a background security investigation and favorable adjudication. All information concerning qualifications is subject to investigation.
  • Documentation that you present for purposes of completing the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Form I-9 will be verified through the DHS "E-Verify" System.
  • All Federal employees are required to have Federal salary payments made by direct deposit to a financial institution of their choice.
  • All qualification requirements must be met by the closing date.
  • Financial disclosure statement may be required.
  • One-year probationary period may be required.

Qualifications

WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR

Basic Qualifications: 

Degree: behavioral or social science; or related disciplines appropriate to the position.

or

Combination of education and experience that provided the applicant with knowledge of one or more of the behavioral or social sciences equivalent to a major in the field.

or

Four years of appropriate experience that demonstrated that the applicant has acquired knowledge of one or more of the behavioral or social sciences equivalent to a major in the field.

Minimum Qualifications: You must have one year specialized experience to perform successfully the duties of the position. To be creditable, specialized experience must have been equivalent to at least the GS-13 grade level in the Federal service performing at least three (3) of the following:

1) Researching legislation, policies and/or relevant data on program matters related to child care and/or early childhood education policy issues;
2) Developing appropriate guidance, strategies, and/or plans which promote quality services to children and families;
3) Analyzing information related to child care and/or early childhood education services in order to develop long-range strategies and/or improve effectiveness of programs; and
4) Developing position papers, policy instructions, or other written materials on program matters related to child care and/or early childhood policy issues.

Documenting experience: IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. Qualifications are based on breadth/level of experience. In addition to describing duties performed, applicants must provide the exact dates of each period of employment (from MM/YY to MM/YY) and the number of hours worked per week if part time. As qualification determinations cannot be made when resumes do not include the required information, failure to provide this information may result in disqualification. Applicants are encouraged to use the USAJOBS Resume Builder to develop their federal resume.

Do not copy and paste the duties, specialized experience, or occupational assessment questionnaire from this announcement into your resume as that will not be considered a demonstration of your qualifications for this position.

In accordance with Office of Personnel Management policy, federal employees are assumed to have gained experience by performing duties and responsibilities appropriate for their official series and grade level as described in their position description. Experience that would not normally be part of the employee's position is creditable, however, when documented by satisfactory evidence, such as a signed memorandum from the employee's supervisor or an SF-50 or SF-52 documenting an official detail or other official assignment. The documentation must indicate whether the duties were performed full time or, if part time, the "percentage of times" the other duties were performed. It is expected that this documentation is included in the employee's official personnel record. In order to receive credit for experience in your resume that is not within the official series and grade level of your official position, you must provide a copy of the appropriate documentation of such experience as indicated above.

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; community; student; social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to gain employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. If such experience is on a part-time basis, you must provide the average number of hours worked per week as well as the beginning and ending dates of the experience so it can be fully credited.

OPM Qualification General Policies Website

Education

Foreign Education: If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show that 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: http://www.ed.gov.

Note: Applications can be accepted from students who expect to complete qualifying education within 9 months from the date of application. Education was completed successfully before the applicant can be appointed.

Additional information

THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW

Salary wage as shown is for the Rest of the U.S. pay scale and does not include locality pay. For specific wage information, refer to the OPM Salary Tables.

Federal agencies may request information regarding the vaccination status of selected applicants for the purposes of implementing other workplace safety protocols, such as protocols related to masking, physical distancing, testing, travel, and quarantine.

Incentives may be authorized; however, this is contingent upon multiple factors, including funds availability. If authorized, certain incentives may require you to sign a service agreement to remain in the Federal government for a period of up to 3 years. Note: This statement does not imply nor guarantee an incentive will be offered and paid. Incentives may include the following: moving expenses, recruitment or relocation incentive; student loan repayment, superior qualifications appointment, creditable service for annual leave for prior non-federal work experience or prior uniformed military service, etc.

Bargaining Unit Position: Yes

Research position: No

Drug Screening Required: No

Veterans' Preference - https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/working-in-government/unique-hiring-paths/veterans/

Career Transition Assistance Program/Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP/ICTAP): For information on how to apply as an CTAP/ICTAP eligible see http://opm.gov/rif/employee_guides/career_transition.asp#ictap. To be well-qualified and exercise selection priority for this vacancy, displaced Federal employees must be rated at 85.0 or above on the rating criteria for this position.

Beginning January 1, 2010, agencies must seek prior approval from OPM before they can appoint a current or recent political appointee to a competitive or non-political excepted service position at any level under the provisions of title 5, United States Code. If you are currently, or have been within the last 5 years, a political Schedule A, Schedule C, or Non-career SES employee in the executive branch, you MUST disclose that to the Human Resources Office.

Application Instructions:

To apply for this position, you must complete the occupational questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section below.

*To begin, click Apply Online to create a USAJOBS account or log in to your existing account. Follow the prompts to select your USAJOBS resume and/or other supporting documents and complete the occupational questionnaire.
*Click the Submit My Answers button to submit your application package.
*It is your responsibility to ensure your responses and appropriate documentation is submitted prior to the closing date.

To verify your application is complete, log into your USAJOBS account at https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login, select the Application Status link, and then select the more information link for this position. The Details page will display the status of your application, the documentation received and processed, and any correspondence the agency has sent related to this application. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process.

To return to an incomplete application, log into your USAJOBS account at https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login and click Update Application in the vacancy announcement. You must re-select your resume and/or other documents from your USAJOBS account or your application will be incomplete.

If you are unable to apply online, please go to https://help.usastaffing.gov/Apply/index.php?title=Alternate_Application_Information for more information on our alternate application method.

The complete Application Package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on 08/10/2022.

Additional Information:

Required Documents

Submission of a resume alone IS NOT a complete application. You must provide a complete online Application Package which includes:

  • Your Resume: You are encouraged to use the USAJobs online resume builder to ensure that all required information is in your resume. Your resumemust clearly articulate how your skills and experiences align to the criteria defined in the qualifications section of this announcement and it must support your responses to the assessment questionnaire. For each position you must describe your duties, accomplishments, related skills, and responsibilities. Your resume must also include the day, month, and year that you began and ended for each position held. Full-time employment will be assumed unless otherwise stated on your resume. Part-time employment will be prorated in crediting experience. Not providing this information may result in the lowering of your assessment score or an ineligible rating. For resume writing guidance, please visit the USAJobs Resource Center or view their video tutorial.For Most Effective Resumes Tips visit: https://help.usajobs.gov/index.php/Most_Effective_Resumes.
  • A complete Assessment Questionnaire (https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/11578997)
  • Other required supporting documents.

Other Supporting Documents: (Only Submit if applicable to you.)

  • College transcript (if qualifying all or in part based on your education)
  • Veterans' Preference documentation:
    • Discharged Veterans: If you are claiming 5 point preference, you must submit a copy of your DD Form 214, Certificate of Release or Discharge from the armed forces that supports dates of service and discharge status; if claiming 10 point preference, an application for 10-Point Veterans Preference (SF-15) and an official document dated 1991 or later, from the Department of Veterans Affairs or from a branch of the Armed Forces, and/or any other associated documentation based on your preference.
    • Active Duty Members: Under the VOW (Veterans Opportunity to Work) to Hire Heroes Act of 2011, if claiming 5 point preference, submit written documentation from the armed forces that certifies the service member is expected to be discharged or released from active duty service in the armed forces under honorable conditions not later than 120 days after the date the certification is submitted with your application package.
  • CTAP/ICTAP Documentation
    • A copy of your RIF separation notice, notice of proposed removal for failure to relocate, notice of disability annuity termination, or certification from the National Guard Bureau or Military Department that you are eligible for disability retirement;
    • 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.;
    • A copy of your latest performance appraisal including your rating; and
    • Any documentation from your agency that shows your current promotion potential.

For Résumé Tips visit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8YX7o1PBoFk

For Application Tips visit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bqYkibnuiJU

For additional information about USAJOBS visit the Help Center: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/

You are not required to submit official documents at this time; copies are sufficient. Official documentation will be requested upon selection.


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