Child Care Program Technical Assistance Specialist

Summary

This position is located in the Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Office of Child Care, Division of Technical Assistance, located in Washington, District of Columbia.

This job is open to

Clarification from the agency

Status Candidates (this includes Merit Promotion, Former Overseas Employees, CTAP, ICTAP, VRA, VEOA, 30% or More Disabled Veterans, Schedule A, Military Spouses, Americorps, Peace Corps, Vista, USPHS officers and officer candidates, Land Management, and Interchange Agreement Eligibles)

Duties

If selected for this position, you will join a well-respected team that is responsible for supporting a full range of Child Care Program Technical Assistant Specialist duties within Department of Health and Human Services/Administration for Children and Families/Office of Child Care.

Typical work assignments include:

-Assessing and analyzing the needs of States, Territories and Tribes, including needs for technical assistance and/or policy clarification.

-Promoting new and cross-cutting initiatives to develop and deliver technical assistance to grantees at the state, regional and national level, as appropriate.

-Preparing a variety of strategy papers, briefing documents, data fact sheets, and other materials regarding grantee child care programs under the auspices of Office of Child Care.

-Identifying and exploring alternatives, outlines options and preparing comprehensive recommendations to support the development and implementation of effective grantee child care programs.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

U.S. Citizenship required

Registered or exempt from Selective Service

If not previously completed, a background security investigation will be required for all appointees. Appointment will be subject to the applicant's successful completion of a background security investigation and favorable adjudication.

Must meet time in grade requirements.

One year probationary period may be required

If you are selected for this position, the 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.

Financial disclosure statement may be required.

Bargaining Unit Position: Yes, this position is covered under the National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU).

Drug Screening Required: No

Research Position: No

Qualifications

Applicants must demonstrate that they meet the Basic AND Specialized Experience requirements as noted below.

Basic Requirement: You must meet one of the items listed below (A, B, or C):

A. Possess a degree in behavioral or social science; or related disciplines appropriate to the position. (Must provide transcripts)

B. Possess a combination of education and experience -- that provided you with the knowledge of one or more of the behavioral or social sciences equivalent to a major in the field. (Must provide transcript)

C. Possess four years of appropriate experience that demonstrates acquired knowledge of one or more of the behavioral or social sciences equivalent to a major in the field.

Specialized Experience:

GS-13: You must possess at least one year of specialized experience equivalent in difficulty and responsibility to the GS-12 level in the Federal service (obtained in either the public or private sectors) performing all three of the duties listed below:

(1) Providing technical assistance related to child care and/or other early childhood programs at the local, state, regional, and/or national level;

(2) Analyzing child care and/or early childhood development program data to evaluate services for improvement or to address items of concern;

(3) Developing or providing input into written guidance on matters related to issues in child care and/or early childhood development programs.

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.

Time-in-Grade Requirement: Under competitive merit promotion procedures, any individual who is currently holding, or who has held within the previous 52 weeks, a General Schedule position under non-temporary appointment in the competitive or excepted service, must meet "time-in-grade" requirements (have served 52 weeks at the next lower grade of the grade for which you are applying). You must include an SF-50 (you may need to submit more than one) that supports meeting this requirement with your application package.

OPM Qualification General Policies Website

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

Career Transition Program: This program applies to Federal service employees whose positions have been deemed surplus or no longer needed, or employees who have been involuntarily separated from a Federal service position within the competitive service. To receive selection priority for this position, you must: 1) meet eligibility criteria for CTAP or ICTAP; 2) be rated well-qualified for the position; and 3) submit the appropriate documentation to support your CTAP or ICTAP eligibility. Well-Qualified includes those applicants whose knowledge, skills, and abilities clearly exceed the minimum qualification requirements for the position. For information on eligibility criteria and required documentation, go to:

Education

If you are claiming education as any part of your qualifications for this position, you must submit an official transcript, unofficial transcript, or a list including courses, grades earned, completion dates, and quarter and semester hours earned.

This position requires specific coursework and/or a degree to meet the basic education requirement. You must submit an official transcript, unofficial transcript, or a list including courses, grades earned, completion dates, and quarter and semester hours earned. Your transcript(s) must clearly demonstrate the course(s) listed in the qualification requirement section. If the transcript(s) does not clearly demonstrate this you must submit a copy of the course description and/or other documentation demonstrating that the courses are equivalent.

Special Instructions for 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. Failure to provide such documentation with your application will result in lost consideration. For further information, visit: .

Additional information

INCENTIVES

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.

In accordance with Executive Order 12564 of September 14, 1986, The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is A Drug-Free Federal Workplace. The use of illegal drugs, on or off duty, by Federal employees is inconsistent not only with the law-abiding behavior expected of all citizens, but also with the special trust placed in such employees as servants of the public.

Special Hiring Authorities for Veterans -

Veterans Employment Opportunities Act (VEOA): To be eligible for a VEOA appointment under Merit Promotion consideration, the veteran must be: 1) a preference eligible; or 2) a veteran separated after 3 or more years of continuous active service performed under honorable conditions (you must submit a DD214-member copy 4).

Special Hiring Authorities for Military Spouses and Family Members -

People With Disabilities (Schedule A) -

PHS Commissioned Corps (CC) Officers interested in performing the duties of this position within the Commissioned Corps may apply online to this announcement. Candidates will be referred as CC personnel and not as candidates for conversion to a permanent career or career-conditional appointment. You must provide a copy of your current personnel orders and/or other supporting documentation to be referred as CC.

Selective Service: Males born after December 31, 1959 must be registered or exempt from Selective Service -

Political Appointment: 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.

How You Will Be Evaluated

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

**This announcement will be open for 10 business days.

Additional selections may be made for similar positions across the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) within the local commuting area(s) of the location identified in this announcement. By applying, you agree to have your application shared with interested selecting official(s) at HHS. Clearance of CTAP/ICTAP will be applied for similar positions across HHS.

Once the application process is complete, a review of the resume and supporting documentation will be made and compared against your responses to the assessment questionnaire to determine if you are qualified for this job. If, after reviewing your resume and or supporting documentation, a determination is made that you have inflated your qualifications and or experience, you may lose consideration for this position. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your eligibility.

For Competitive Merit Promotion and Veterans Employment Opportunities Act (VEOA) Applicants: The highest rated candidates will be referred to the hiring agency.

For Noncompetitive Applicants: All qualified candidates will be referred to the hiring agency.

Your qualifications will be evaluated on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities and other characteristics):

Compliance

Reasoning

Written Communication

To preview the assessment questionnaire, click the following link:

Required Documents

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

Your Resume must 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 as well as hours worked per week (if less than 40) 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 or view their .

A complete Assessment Questionnaire Notification of Personnel Action (SF-50)

If you are a current Federal employee, you must submit a copy of your Notification of Personnel Action, Standard Form 50 (SF-50) or equivalent personnel action form reflecting your permanent, competitive status.

You may need to submit more than one SF-50 to demonstrate that you meet time-in-grade requirements. Recommended SF-50s include: promotions and step increases (within grade increases).

If you are a former Federal employee, you must submit a copy of your separation Notification of Personnel Action, Standard Form 50 (SF-50) or equivalent personnel action form reflecting your permanent, competitive status. .

If you are a former Federal employee who previously held a career or career-conditional position in the competitive service, separated from the Federal Government over a year ago, and your last performance rating on record as a Federal employee was at least Fully Successful (or equivalent), you must submit a copy of your separation Notification of Personnel Action, Standard Form 50 (SF-50) or equivalent personnel action form reflecting your permanent, competitive status AND your last Federal performance appraisal plan.

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

College transcripts (if qualifying all or in part based on your education)

Veterans' Preference documentation:

Discharged Veterans: If you are claiming 5 point