Duties

Summary

At Federal Student Aid (FSA), we are proud sponsors of the American mind. As a principal office of the U.S. Department of Education (ED), FSA provides students and families financial assistance for higher education, and we promote the value of postsecondary education to society. We ensure that all eligible students and families can benefit from federal financial aid for education or training beyond high school.

Learn more about this agency

Responsibilities

In response to COVID-19, the incumbent will serve as a temporary Management and Program Analyst in the office of Strategic Communications. The Strategic Communications organization includes Conference Management, Employee Communications, the Engine Room, and External Communications. Strategic Communications selects, leads, integrates, coordinates, activates, and executes communication strategies in support of FSA's mission. As such, the overall goal of Strategic Communications is to tell FSA's story internally and externally to elevate public awareness and improve public perception.

As a Management and Program Analyst, you will perform the following duties:

• Design and conduct complicated management studies, surveys, reviews, and research projects and provides advisory services on issues of such intensity and breadth which often require input and assistance from other analysts and subject matter experts throughout FSA.
• Implement and monitor management information systems for the analysis and tracking of program data; long-and short-range plans; policies and priorities established by statutes, executive orders, the department, or management.
• Analyze and evaluate the effectiveness of managerial operations in meeting established goals and objectives.
• Serve as advisor to senior staff on alternative means of meeting program and project requirements, assessing costs, benefits impact, and timing of alternative program efforts.

Travel Required

Not required

Supervisory status
No

Promotion Potential
14

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

• Must be a U.S. citizen
• Background Investigation and Fingerprint Check (if applicable)

You must meet all qualification requirements within 30 days of the closing date of this vacancy announcement.

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, knowledge, and skills, and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. We will consider all qualifying experience, including any volunteer experience.

Qualifications

Specialized Experience: For the GS-13 level, you must have one year of specialized experience at a level of difficulty and responsibility equivalent to the GS-12 grade level in the Federal service. Specialized experience is defined as experience that is in or directly related to the line of work of this position and has equipped you with the knowledge and competencies to successfully perform the duties of this position. More specifically, specialized experience must include performing at least two (2) of the following three (3) duties or work assignments.

Experience in performing cost analyses or performance of cost benefit or economic evaluations of programs.

Experience in reviewing financial audit reports, identifying critical problems, and providing advice to management or other auditors with suggested resolutions.

Experience in collaborating and engaging with various business units and senior leadership financial data needed to track the financial program's performance metrics.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs)
The quality of your experience will be measured by the extent to which you possess the following knowledge, skills and abilities (KSAs). You do not need to provide separate narrative responses to these KSAs, as they will be measured by your responses to the occupational questionnaire (you may preview the occupational questionnaire by clicking the link at the end of the Evaluations section of this vacancy announcement).

• Knowledge of the practices, theories, techniques, and methodology of management combined with high degree of analytical ability to gather, assemble, and analyze; draws conclusions; and makes recommendations for solutions to problems encountered in the administration of programs.
• Knowledge of qualitative and quantitative methods and techniques developing and analyzing data and systems and making sound recommendations for implementation.
• Knowledge of a comprehensive range of administrative laws, policies, regulations, and precedents applicable to the administration of one or more important public programs.
• Ability and skill effectively and efficiently communicating verbally and written developing recommendations, writing, and presenting written agreements and policy guidance, briefing recommendations and program concepts and coordinating with points of contact at all grade levels, from the lowest levels to senior leadership, along with an expert ability to work effectively with all levels of FSA staff completing projects, accomplishing tasks, and resolving.

Education

Additional information

Equal Employment Opportunity: We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, sexual orientation, gender identity, status as a parent, marital status, or political affiliation.

People with Disabilities: We are committed to expanding access to employment by hiring people with disabilities; providing reasonable accommodations for people with disabilities; and, identifying and removing barriers to work. Persons with disabilities, including disabled veterans, may apply for jobs filled either competitively (where qualified individuals compete with one another through a structured process), noncompetitively (where a qualified individual may be selected based on a special hiring authority), or through an excepted appointing authority for people with disabilities (i.e., Schedule A). If you require a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application process, please contact us. The decision on granting reasonable accommodation is made on a case-by-case basis. For more information, please visit: http://opm.gov/disability/PeopleWithDisabilities.asp

Veterans' Career Counseling: If you are a veteran interested in receiving tips on preparing a Federal resume and/or how to prepare for an interview, you may email Iwork@ed.gov to schedule a session with a career counselor ("Veterans Counseling Session" should be placed in the subject line of the email).

Selective Service: If you are a male applicant born after 12/31/1959, you must have registered for the Selective Service. For more information, please visit: https://help.usajobs.gov/index.php/Registering_with_the_Selective_Service_before_you_apply or http://www.sss.gov/default.htm.

Student Loan Default: If selected for this position, we will verify that you have not defaulted on any loan funded or guaranteed by the U.S. Department of Education. If you are found to be in default, we will contact you to make arrangements for repayment prior to making an official offer of employment.

Suitability and Investigation: If selected for this position, you will be required to complete the Declaration for Federal Employment (OF-306) to determine your suitability for federal employment and subject to a pre-appointment investigation/background check.

Level of Risk and Sensitivity: Non-sensitive/Moderate Risk.

Essential/Non-Essential: This position may be considered essential for purposes of reporting to work during federal government closures.

Financial Disclosure: This position does not require financial disclosure.

Telework: This position is telework eligible.

Bargaining Unit: This position is not included in the bargaining unit.

Time After Competitive Appointment: Candidates who are current Federal employees serving on a non-temporary competitive appointment must have served at least 90 days in that appointment before the agency can promote, transfer, reinstate, or detail an employee to a different position or different geographical area. When moving employees is consistent with open competition principles, OPM may waive the restriction against movement to a different geographical area upon written request from an agency.

How You Will Be Evaluated

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

Current or Former Political Appointees: The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) must authorize employment offers made to current or former political appointees. If you are currently, or have been within the last 5 years, a political Schedule A, Schedule C, Non-career SES or Presidential Appointee employee in the Executive Branch, you must disclose this information to the Human Resources Office.

Selections: Agencies have broad authority under law to hire from any appropriate source of eligible, and we may fill a vacancy in the competitive service by any method authorized, including competitive appointment from a list of eligible, noncompetitive appointment under special authority, reinstatement, transfer, reassignment, change to lower grade, or promotion. We may make additional selections from this vacancy announcement within 90 days from the date the selection certificates are issued, should vacancies occur. We may share selection certificates amongst program offices across the agency.

We use a multi-step process to review and evaluate applicants:

1. Eligibility and Minimum Qualifications
Once the vacancy announcement closes, we will review your submitted resume and documents to determine if you meet the eligibility and minimum qualification requirements, including any required education, experience, and/or selective placement factors. You will be rated as ineligible if you are outside of the area of consideration (i.e., who may apply) or your application is missing any required documents. You will be rated as not qualified if you do not possess the minimum qualification requirements.

2. Rating and Ranking
If you are found to meet both the eligibility and minimum qualification requirements, we will assess the quality of your experience and the extent to which you possess the required KSAs by comparing your submitted resume and documents against your responses to the occupational questionnaire. Your application may be referred to a subject matter expert or panel of subject matter experts for further evaluation.

Based on the outcome of this evaluation, you will be placed into one of three categories: Best Qualified, Well Qualified, or Qualified.

If your responses to the occupational questionnaire are not substantiated by your submitted resume, you may be eliminated from receiving further consideration.

Veterans' Preference: Qualified veterans' preference eligibles will be ranked ahead of qualified non-preference eligibles within each category for which they are qualified. Qualified veterans' preference eligibles with a compensable service-connected disability of 10 percent or more (CPS and CP) will be placed at the top of the Best Qualified category, except in the case of scientific or professional positions at the GS-9 grade level or higher.

3. Referral and Selection
If you are found to be amongst the most highly qualified applicants, you will be referred to the selecting official. As part of the assessment and selection process, the selecting official may invite you to participate in a structured interview, check your references, and/or request that you submit a writing sample or complete a written assessment or exercise to further evaluate your qualifications for this position.

If you require reasonable accommodation for any part of the interview process or written assessment or exercise, please inform the selecting official at the time of scheduling.

To preview questions please click here .

Background checks and security clearance

Security clearance
Other

Drug test required
No

Position sensitivity and risk
Moderate Risk (MR)

Trust determination process
Credentialing , Suitability/Fitness

Required Documents

You must submit (REQUIRED FOR ALL APPLICANTS):
• A resume demonstrating your education, experience, training, and accomplishments as it relates to the qualifications for this position and substantiating your responses to the occupational questionnaire.
• A completed occupational questionnaire.

If you are claiming veterans' preference, you must submit:
• A copy of your DD214, member copy 4 (Separated Members only).

• Current Active Duty members must submit a certification of expected discharge or release from active duty under honorable conditions dated within the last 120 days.

• A certification of expected discharge or release from active duty under honorable conditions. A "certification" is any written document 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 within 120 days after the certification is submitted by the applicant. The certification letter should be on letterhead of the appropriate military branch of the service and contain (1) the military service dates including the expected discharge or release date; and (2) the character of service. (Current Active Duty Members only)

• The Application for 10-Point Veteran Preference (SF-15) • The Application for 10-Point Veteran Preference (SF-15) https://www.opm.gov/forms/pdf_fill/SF15 .pdf AND all documents indicated on the form as proof of type of preference (e.g., a letter from the Department of Veterans' Affairs certifying the service-connected disability and percentage of disability) (if VEOA eligibility is based on a service-connected disability or derived preference).

• Certain Military Spouses Eligible under E.O. 13473: Permanent Change of Station (PCS) orders, issued within the last 2 years, that lists you as authorized to accompany the Military member to the new duty permanent station; OR verification of the member's 100% disability (VA Letter); and/or verification of the member's death while on active duty (DD-1300 and Death Certificate) AND verification of the marriage to the service member (i.e., a marriage license or other legal documentation verifying marriage).

If you are claiming selection priority under Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) and Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP), please visit:
CTAP: http://www.ed.gov/about/jobs/open/edhires/ctap.html
ICTAP: http://www.ed.gov/about/jobs/open/edhires/ictap.html

If you are claiming eligibility under any Special Hiring Authority, you must submit:

• Adequate proof of your eligibility (e.g., Documentation of noncompetitive eligibility as a returned Peace Corps Volunteer, Documentation of noncompetitive eligibility for employment under Schedule A as a person with severe physical disabilities, psychiatric disabilities, and intellectual disabilities.)

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.