Duties

Summary

The ideal candidate for this position will be assisting with a range of management, administrative or clerical functions in support of the mission of the technical, fiscal, resources or administrative organization to which assigned. Apply for this exciting opportunity to become a member of the FEMA team!

View common definitions of terms found in this announcement.

Learn more about this agency

Responsibilities

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is calling on those who want to help protect American interests and secure our Nation. DHS Components work collectively to prevent terrorism; secure borders and our transportation systems; protect the President and other dignitaries; enforce and administer immigration laws; safeguard cyberspace; and ensure resilience to disasters. We achieve these vital missions through a diverse workforce spanning hundreds of occupations. Make an impact; join DHS.

When disaster strikes, America looks to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Now FEMA looks to you. Join our team and use your talent to support Americans in their times of greatest need. FEMA prepares the nation for all hazards and manages Federal response and recovery efforts following any national incident. We foster innovation, reward performance and creativity, and provide challenges on a routine basis with a well-skilled, knowledgeable, high performance workforce. Please visit www.fema.gov for additional information.

In this position, you will continuously increase the necessary knowledge, skills and abilities in the occupation. Typical assignments include:

• Gathering and presenting facts;
• Editing documents, researching rules, processes, and procedures to develop written summaries.

Travel Required

Occasional travel - Occasional Travel may be required for this position.

Supervisory status
No

Promotion Potential
NA - There is no promotion potential for this position.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

• You must be a U.S. citizen to apply for this position.
• You must successfully pass a background investigation.
• Selective Service registration required.
• Must meet and maintain eligibility under the Pathways Internship Program.
• You must be able to obtain and maintain a Government credit card.
• Please review "Other Information" section for additional key requirements.

To ensure the accomplishment of our mission, DHS requires every employee to be reliable and trustworthy. To meet those standards, all selected applicants must undergo, successfully pass, and maintain a background investigation for Public Trust as a condition of placement into this position. This may include a credit check after initial job qualifications are determined, a review of financial issues, such as delinquency in the payment of debts, child support and/or tax obligations, as well as certain criminal offenses and illegal use or possession of drugs (please visit: Mythbuster on Federal Hiring Policies for additional information). For more information on background investigations for Federal jobs please visit OPM Investigations .

You must meet the Pathways Internship Program requirements AND the qualification requirements as described below at the time of the application.

Qualifications

You qualify for this position at the GS-05 level if you possess the following: One full year of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower grade (GS-04) in the Federal Service. This experience may have been gained in the federal government, a state or local government, a non-profit organization, the private sector, or as a volunteer; however, your resume must clearly describe at least one year of specialized experience. Specialized experience for this position includes:

Gathering and presenting facts, editing documents, and researching rules, processes, and procedures to develop written summaries. Examples may include assisting with the review or processing of legal documents or claims forms; interpreting and applying policies/regulations to written communications; researching and analyzing data to present facts, issues, and positions; and using Microsoft Word and/or similar software programs to create/proofread documents, enter data, or complete forms.

OR Have completed a 4 year course of study leading to a Bachelor's degree in any field. (Transcript required)

OR Combination of post-high school education and experience when combined, meet the qualification requirements for this position.

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 provides valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

If you are selected for this position, you will be required to: (1) sign a Pathways Participant Agreement; (2) furnish course registration information for the current school term; (3) provide documentation of future enrollment in a qualifying program; and, (4) if selected, must provide Official Transcripts within ten days of notification.

NOTE: 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. For a brief video on How to Create a Federal Resume, click here.

Current or former FEMA Reservists/DAE employees: To accurately credit your experience for these intermittent positions, make sure to list the dates (from MM/YY to MM/YY) of each deployment, along with the job title and specific duties you were responsible for during each deployment. Failure to provide this information may result in disqualification.

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.

Education

Pathways Internship Program Eligibility: To be eligible for the Pathways Internship Program, you MUST :

Be currently enrolled in an accredited high-school, college (including 4-year colleges/universities, community colleges, and junior colleges) or a professional, technical, vocational, or trade school; advanced degree programs; or other qualifying educational institution pursuing a qualifying degree or certificate on at least half-time basis as determined by the school;

Currently have and maintain a Grade point average (GPA) of 2.0 (undergraduate) or 3.0 (graduate) and be in good standing;

Provide a copy of your transcripts (either official or unofficial); proof of student status; or a letter on your institution letterhead which provides a list of courses, grades earned, grade point average, completion dates, and quarter or semester hours earned or that you are enrolled in the next available term;

Remain enrolled at least half-time to continue to be eligible for the Pathways Internship Program; and

If you are graduating after 04/2021, you must provide documentation of enrollment in another qualifying program to be eligible for this position

Program Completion and Conversion: This is a temporary summer position not to exceed 90 days, but may be extended for an additional 30 days not to exceed 120 days total.

NOTE : If you are qualifying based on education and/or are selected for a position which requires a college degree to meet minimum qualification requirements, you will be required to submit your official college transcript(s) at time of selection.

Additional information

• If you receive a conditional offer of employment for this position, you will be required to complete an Optional Form 306, Declaration for Federal Employment, and to sign and certify the accuracy of all information in your application, prior to entry on duty. False statements on any part of the application may result in withdrawal of offer of employment, dismissal after beginning work, fine, or imprisonment.
• DHS uses E-verify, an internet based system, to confirm the eligibility of all newly hired employees to work in the United States. Learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities.
• This announcement may be used to fill one or more vacancies.
• The entire time on the Pathways Internship Appointment is considered a trail-period and your program may be terminated without notice at any time during the program.
• If selected for this position, and you have not previously completed these requirements, you are subject to (1) completion of a 2 day onboarding program at your primary duty location; and, (2) completion of a subsequent, multiple day orientation program within 90-120 days of hire at a location to be determined.
• Travel associated with the orientation portion of this requirement may be at FEMA's expense.
• The Department of Homeland Security encourages persons with disabilities to apply, to include persons with intellectual, severe physical or psychiatric disabilities, as defined by 5 CFR § 213.3102(u), and/or Disabled Veterans with a compensable service-connected disability of 30 percent or more as defined by 5 CFR § 315.707. Veterans, Peace Corps/VISTA volunteers, and persons with disabilities possess a wealth of unique talents, experiences, and competencies that can be invaluable to the DHS mission. If you are a member of one of these groups, you may not have to compete with the public for federal jobs. To determine your eligibility for non-competitive appointment and to understand the required documentation, click on the links above or contact the Servicing Human Resources Office listed at the bottom of this announcement.
• Applying to this announcement certifies that you give permission for DHS to share your application with others in DHS for similar positions.
• You must sign a Pathways Internship Program agreement prior to your appointment.
• You must maintain eligibility for the Pathways Internship Program for the duration of your appointment.

How You Will Be Evaluated

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

We will review your resume and supporting documentation to ensure you meet the Pathways Program requirements and minimum qualification requirements. If you meet the minimum qualifications, we will use your responses to the job questionnaire to place you in one of three categories based on your experience, education and training. The competencies needed to perform this job are:

If you are best qualified/qualified, you may be referred to the hiring manager for consideration and may be called for an interview.

If you meet minimum qualifications and eligibility requirements, you may be referred to the hiring manager for consideration and may be called for an interview.

We recommend that you preview the online questions for this announcement before you start the application process.

Eligible applications that have veteran's preference will be referred and considered ahead of all others.

Veterans: Qualified veterans who have a compensable service-connected disability of at least 10% are listed in the best-qualified category, except when the position being filled is scientific or professional at the GS-09 grade level, or higher. This position is not considered scientific/professional. Other 10-point preference eligibles and veterans with 5-point preference who meet the eligibility and qualification requirements are placed above nonpreference eligibles within the category in which they qualify. View information on veterans' preference .

Interview Requirement: Interviews may be required for this position. Failure to complete the interview may result in removal from consideration.

To preview questions please click here .

Background checks and security clearance

Security clearance
Not Required

Drug test required
No

Position sensitivity and risk
Moderate Risk (MR)

Trust determination process
Suitability/Fitness

Required Documents

Your resume.

Your responses to the job questionnaire - You will be directed to the online job questionnaire once you begin the application process for this position.

Your Transcript: Submit a copy of your college transcript (unofficial is acceptable). Transcripts must show your name, name of the institution, degree or courses taken and Grade Point Average (GPA). Education completed in foreign colleges or universities may be used to meet Federal qualification requirements if you can show that your foreign education is comparable to education received in accredited educational institutions in the United States. For example, specific courses accepted for college-level credit by an accredited U.S. college or university, or foreign education evaluated by an organization recognized for accreditation by the Department of Education as education equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. college or university. It is your responsibility to provide such evidence with your application. See Recognition of Foreign Qualifications for more information.

Are you a veteran? Submit Member Copy 4 of your DD-214 (Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty) or other acceptable documentation (i.e., a letter from your Command reflecting rank, dates of service, and type of discharge), which verifies veteran's status and type of discharge prior to the closing date of this announcement. Those applying for 10-Point preference may fill out the SF-15 and/or provide documentation that demonstrates preference eligibility. If applying based on eligibility under the Veterans Opportunity to Work (VOW) Act, you must submit certification from the Armed Forces that you will be discharged or released from active duty service under honorable conditions, within 120 days after the certification is submitted by the applicant. This must indicate your dates of service, expected release dates, your rank, and confirm that you will be separated under honorable or general conditions. View more veterans' information .

Are you a current or former federal employee? Submit a copy of your most recent SF-50, Notification of Personnel Action (See Note 1).

Are you a current or former political Schedule A, Schedule C, Non-career SES or Presidential Appointee employee? Submit a copy of your applicable SF-50, along with a statement that provides the following information regarding your most recent political appointment:

• Position Title
• Type of Appointment (Schedule A, Schedule C, Non-career SES or Presidential Appointee)
  Agency
• Beginning and ending dates of appointment

Note 1: Examples of applicable SF-50's for submission include appointment, promotion, and with-in-grade/range increases - award SF-50's will not be accepted.

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.