Current U.S. Department of Education employees serving under competitive, permanent appointments; and, Current U.S. Department of Education employees serving under temporary appointments with reinstatement eligibility. This position is with the Office of Postsecondary Education, Higher Education Program in Washington, DC.  This position is responsible for supervising the development of grant technical review operations.

Duties

APPLICATION LIMIT: This vacancy announcement is limited to the first 100 applications received and will close at 11:59PM Eastern Time on the day that we receive the 100th application, or at 11:59PM Eastern Time on the listed closing date, whichever occurs first.  We encourage you to read this entire vacancy announcement prior to submitting your application.As an Education Program Specialist, GS-1720-15, you will be responsible for:•    Supervising the development of grant technical review operations; designs and approves required program related forms; and reviews applications of external candidates and staff; responsible for planning, policy development, interpretation, reviewing applications, grants initiation, and the overall management of Federal grants. •    Coordinating the work of the team to ensure that major functions are completed on schedule. Conducts oversight of the planning, implementing, and management of the awards process for new applicants and non-competing continuation grantees according to the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended.    •    Supervising the day-to-day activities by ensuring technical adequacy and compliance with policy and regulations, conformity with program objectives and goals, addresses any competency gaps, and monitors the efficiency in completion of assigned tasks among staff. •    Responsible for and/or participating in several highly visible projects that are crosscutting in nature and directly related to the Secretary’s Strategic Plan. Such projects may include contributing to OPE’s data collection and analysis initiatives to inform internal and external stakeholders of program accomplishments as well as to articulate strategies for grantee accountability. The incumbent will be responsible for formulating and determining policy and influencing and/or advancing partnerships with institutions of higher education and with public and private agencies and organizations in order to meet the goals and objectives of the Department of Education. •    Carrying out functions under the administrative supervision of the Service Director and is responsible for the overall implementation of the grant programs and education reform. Incumbent participates in workshops for grantees and prospective grantees and is also responsible for the compilation of data and preparation of special reports as requested by the Service Area. Adjusts work schedules of the team and balances the workload, as necessary, which may affect program operations.

Requirements

• Relocation will not be paid.
• You may be subject to serve a one-year probationary period.
• Males 18 and over must be registered with the Selective Service.
• Must be a US Citizen.
• Must complete a background investigation and fingerprint check.

Qualifications

Minimum Qualification RequirementsYou may meet the minimum qualifications for the GS-15, if you possess the specialize experience, education, or a combination of the two.Specialized Experience for the GS-15One year of experience in either federal or non-federal service that is equivalent to at least a GS-14 performing two (2) out of three (3) of the following duties or work assignments:1.  Experience implementing all phases of the grants awards process, including both discretionary and formula grants, in order to carry out grant initiatives while complying with legislative and regulatory requirements.2.  Experience collaborating with service area senior management team in strategic planning, management and budget formulation, to establish current and future plans and goals for programs.3.  Experience resolving complex issues relative to the implementation and administration of funded projects, in order to provide expert knowledge, guidance, and resolution to further the outcomes of projects/programs.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).1.    Knowledge of education learning theories, higher education policy, and trends in intuitional behavior. The incumbent should also have expert knowledge about the role federal, state, and local governments play in institutional performance and accountability.2.    Skills to interact and/or influence office units, other programs/organizations, and staff elements of the Department in order to obtain optimal organization resources and results.3.    Ability to marshal and analyze higher education scholarship, research and policy briefs in order to progressively refine grant programs and effectively advise Department leaders. 4.    Knowledge of educational program management operations sufficient to exert extraordinary influence on policies, priorities, and activities of the Department and other organizations with foresight to conceive and plan conferences on emerging issues and participates in panel discussions at the national level.5.    Ability to plan, organize and/or lead team efforts to gain acceptance and implement policy and program changes involving substantial impact on and commitment of agency resources, or extensive changes to existing procedures and methods.

Education

There is no substitution for education at the GS-15 grade level.

Contacts

• Address EDUCATION-OFFICE OF POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION 400 Maryland Ave. S.W. Attn: Human Resources Services Washington, District of Columbia 20202 United States
• Name: Donovan Collins
• Phone: 202-987-1237
• Email: [email protected]