Duties

Summary

This position is located in the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Office of Sex Offender Sentencing, Monitoring, Apprehending, Registering, and Tracking (SMART). SMART assists with the implementation of the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act, and provides assistance to criminal justice professionals. To support this mission, SMART is in search of a Grants Management Specialist who will provide operations, programs, and policy expertise.

Learn more about this agency

Responsibilities

(The duties described reflect the full performance level of this position)

Grant/Cooperative Agreement Policy Development and Guidance
As a technical expert, oversees the application of difficult and complex grant-related regulations and policies, providing expert advice and guidance to managers, awardees, and internal staff. Advises on reports and/or written analyses regarding DOJ and/or OJP policies and positions on difficult or complex grants management matters relating to the implementation of sex offender registration and notification, sex offender management, sexual abuse and exploitation, and/or sexual assault treatment and prevention.

Provides advice and guidance to resolve, implement, or manage grants issues that involve major areas of uncertainty in approach or methodology. Prepares summary statements for management's decisions.

Grant/Cooperative Agreement Program Management
Performs long-range planning and management of substantive grant and/or cooperative agreement programs where precedents are scarce or there are large gaps in program guidelines requiring considerable adaptation or interpretation, such as managing major grant programs that require modifying, adapting, or refining program policy and procedures to stay aligned with changes to agency mission requirements. Works with top management to develop long-range management plans for efficient and effective program implementation and administration.

Grant/Cooperative Agreement Pre-Award Functions
Performs a variety of pre-award functions for grants and/or cooperative agreements including designing, developing, and/or preparing solicitations; reviewing, analyzing, and evaluating applications, plans, and estimates received in response to particular programs and Request for Application (RFA) requirements; conducting financial reviews of applicants to evaluate fiscal integrity and financial capability, examine proposed costs, and determine whether the budget and budget narrative accurately explain the project's costs and whether those costs are reasonable, necessary, and allowable; conducting pre-award negotiations on matters such as terms and conditions of awards, costs, schedules, and oversight responsibilities; and providing applicant support during the solicitation period.

Post-Award Grant/Cooperative Agreement Administration and Management
Performs a variety of post-award grants and/or cooperative agreement management tasks including conducting post-award reviews and analyses to identify and resolve management, financial, and administrative issues; providing training, technical assistance, oversight, ethics advice, expertise, and consultation to program officials, awardees, and recipients; establishing performance measures and monitoring and assessing awardee performance; and reviewing completed awards, making appropriate adjustments or disallowances. Processes close-outs of grants and/or agreements, ensuring compliance with programmatic, administrative, and fiscal requirements of relevant statutes, regulations, policies, guidelines, and with grantee stated objectives, and the applicable implementation plan.

Grant/Cooperative Agreement Compliance Monitoring
Serves as a technical expert in the compliance monitoring of a wide variety of complex grants and/or cooperative agreements, conducting technical on-site monitoring of awardee performance to ensure compliance with financial, legal, and technical terms of the award. Evaluates significant operational and/or fiscal changes from original approaches and methods initially approved for a complicated series of interrelated grants.

Travel Required

Occasional travel - Travel up to 20%

Supervisory status
No

Promotion Potential
13

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

• U.S. Citizenship required.
• Subject to background/suitability investigation/determination.
• Submit all required documents and Online Assessment Questionnaire.
• Federal payments are required to be made by Direct Deposit.
• Requires registration for the Selective Service. Visit www.sss.gov.
• Pre-employment drug testing required.
• 1-year probationary period may be required.

Performs other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

Minimum Qualifications
To qualify for the GS-13 level, applicants must possess one year of specialized experience at least equivalent to the GS-12 level, which is in or directly related to the line of work of the position to be filled, and which has equipped applicants with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position.

Examples of specialized experience include:

- Monitoring complex grant and/or cooperative agreement awardees for compliance with regulatory, policy, and reporting requirements, such as auditing awardee cost and pricing data that required an analysis of interrelated grantee operational issues of effectiveness, efficiency, and productivity;

- Resolving complex grant and/or cooperative agreement administration probems with unusual or unresolved issues requiring the development of new approaches;

- Performing work in the pre-award process for complex cooperative agreements and/or grants, such as developing grant solicitations to national, state, local, and tribal entities to improve the functioning of their criminal justice system where data was collected from multiple sites;

- Negotiating terms and conditions of grants/assistance awards to include costs, schedules, and oversight responsibilities.

TECHNICAL QUALIFICATIONS:

Applicants who meet the minimum qualifications as described above will be further evaluated based upon the following technical qualifications:

(1) Ability to communicate in writing.

(2) Ability to plan and execute work related to sexual abuse and exploitation, or related criminal justice areas.

(3) Knowledge of the laws, regulations, rules, policies, procedures, and methods governing Federal grants, cooperative agreements, and awards as it relates to matters of sexual assault, sex offenders, or related criminal justice areas.

(4) Ability to communicate effectively other than in writing on topics related to sexual abuse and exploitation, or related criminal justice areas.

(5) Knowledge of grant and cooperative agreement program management principles, concepts, methods, processes, and techniques as they relate to the sexual assault, sex offenders, or related criminal justice areas.

(6) Ability to provide advice and guidance on grant and cooperative agreement policies, Standard Operating Procedures, and guidelines.

(7) Knowledge of financial methods, procedures, and practices used in grants and cooperative agreements.

(8) Ability to apply analytical methods and techniques in the identification and resolution of grant and/or cooperative agreement administration issues.

Additional information on the qualification requirements is outlined in the OPM Qualification Standards Handbook of General Schedule Positions and is available at OPM's website: https://www.opm.gov/qualifications/standards/indexes/num-ndx.asp

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

Click here to see the full Qualifications Statement.

Education

Education cannot be substituted for experience to qualify for the GS-13 level.

Additional information

This position is included in the bargaining unit.

TIME-IN-GRADE REQUIREMENT: Status applicants for promotion must have 52 weeks of service at the next lower grade by the closing date.

This vacancy announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.

This position may be eligible for telework per agency policy.

OJP offers opportunities for flexible work schedules.

Relocation expenses may be authorized.

Recruitment incentives may be authorized.

How You Will Be Evaluated

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

You will be considered under all categories for which you are eligible.

For Status/Merit Promotion/VEOA candidates: Your resume and supporting documentation will be used to determine whether you meet the job qualifications listed on the announcement. If you are basically qualified for this job, your resume and supporting documentation will be compared to your responses on the online assessment questionnaire. If you rate yourself higher than is supported by your resume and application materials, your responses may be adjusted and/or you may be excluded from consideration for this job. If you are found to be among the top candidates, you will be referred to the selecting official for employment consideration.

For Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP)/Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) applicants: The ICTAP provides eligible displaced Federal competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. The CTAP provides eligible surplus and displaced competitive service employees in the Department of Justice with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. If your agency has notified you in writing that you are a displaced employee eligible for ICTAP consideration, or if your Department of Justice component has notified you in writing that you are a surplus or displaced employee eligible for CTAP consideration, you may receive selection priority if: 1) this vacancy is within your ICTAP/CTAP eligibility; 2) you apply under the instructions in this announcement; and 3) you are found well-qualified for this vacancy. Under merit promotion procedures, to be well qualified, you must satisfy all qualification requirements for the vacant position and score 85 or better on established ranking criteria.

Background checks and security clearance

Security clearance
Not Required

Drug test required
Yes

Required Documents

REMINDER: ALL DOCUMENTS MUST BE RECEIVED BY MIDNIGHT Eastern Time (Washington, D.C. time) ON THE CLOSING DATE OF THIS ANNOUNCEMENT.

REQUIRED DOCUMENTS (ALL APPLICANTS):

1. Resume and/or work history profile,
2. Responses to the online questions,
3. Documentation of Eligibility for Special Hiring Authorities for Veterans (if applicable; see below for more information).

ADDITIONAL REQUIRED DOCUMENTS (FEDERAL EMPLOYEES):
4. SF-50, Notification of Personnel Action (for current and former federal employees; see below for more information), and
5. Performance Appraisal (for current federal employees) Note: if not provided, will be required at time of interview.

Note: Incomplete applications will not be considered.

Veterans Employment Opportunity Act
To be eligible for a Veteran Employment Opportunities Act (VEOA) appointment, a veteran must be honorably separated and either a preference eligible or have substantially completed three (3) or more years of continuous active military service. If applying for a Merit Promotion announcement and wish to be considered under the VEOA, you must submit a copy of the Member Copy 4 of your DD-214, in addition to any other required documents listed on this announcement.

Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP)/Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP)

If you are claiming CTAP/ICTAP eligibility, you must submit proof by the closing date of the announcement that you meet the requirements of 5 CFR 330.605(u) for CTAP and 5 CFR 330.704 for ICTAP or you will not receive priority consideration. The proof includes a copy of the Agency notice, your most recent performance rating, and your most recent SF-50 Notification of Personnel Action for Competitive Appointment.

Non-competitive Eligibility

You can apply for a non-competitive appointment if you meet the basic eligibility requirements and you are eligible for special appointment such as those authorized for the severely disabled; veterans with service-connected disabilities of 30% or more; returning volunteers from the Peace Corps or Vista, Veterans' Recruitment Appointment, etc. Appropriate documentation to support your claim must be included in your application, along with the type of special appointment you are seeking.

Current/Former Federal Employees

If you are a current Federal employee in a permanent, competitive service position, you must submit document to confirm your status. Failure to submit an appropriate SF-50 will automatically disqualify you from further consideration.

- Submit an SF-50 (Notification of Personnel Action) or other official agency documentation that shows your current (or most recent) grade and competitive service status. (The "position occupied" block on the SF-50 should show a "1" and your "tenure" block should show a "1" or "2".).

- Submit your most recent Performance Appraisal (dated within the last 18 months) or a separate statement explaining why you are unable to submit your appraisal. If not provided at time of application, it will be required at time of interview.

If you are a former Federal employee who is reinstatement eligible based on prior federal permanent competitive service, you must submit documents to confirm your eligibility.

- Submit an SF-50 (Notification of Personnel Action) or other official agency documentation that shows your current (or most recent) grade and competitive service status. (The "position occupied" block on the SF-50 should show a "1" and your "tenure" block should show a "1" or "2".)

If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:

Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education .

Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.