The mission of the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) is to provide the fullest possible accounting for our missing personnel from our Nation's past conflicts to their families and our Nation. DPAA personnel research, investigate, recover and identify remains of DoD personnel unaccounted for from World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the Cold War, and Iraq conflicts and Persian Gulf War. The Director, DPAA (SES-III), reports to the Under Secretary of Defense for Policy (USD(P)).

Duties

Incumbent typical work assignments may include the following: Serves as a forensic anthropologist providing professional, scientific leadership to a team engaged in forensic and biological anthropological studies and investigations leading to establish the medico-legal identity of skeletal remains. Performs professional anthropological laboratory examinations and testing to current laboratory standards and in keeping with published best practices on remains to determine ancestry, age, sex, stature, trauma, surgical intervention, and other physical characteristics and anomalies in support of forensic identification. Plans and directs investigations and archaeological excavations designed to achieve casualty resolution. Serves as Program leader for overseeing and performing forensic recoveries of missing U.S. Service Personnel using modern forensic and archaeological techniques. Correlates investigative evidence with laboratory findings to achieve identification of casualties in accordance with the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) Laboratory standards. Provides quality control services and control reviews to DPAA of identification determinations completed by laboratory teams.

Requirements

• U.S. Citizenship is required
• Males born after 12-31-59 must be registered or exempt from Selective Service (see https://www.sss.gov/Home/Registration)
• May be required to successfully complete a probationary/trial period
• Must be determined suitable for federal employment
• Required to participate in the direct deposit program
• This position is subject to pre-employment and random drug testing
• This position may be subject to the DoD Priority Placement Program
• This position requires you to obtain and maintain a Secret security clearance
• This position may require you to work other than normal hours, which may include evenings, weekends, and/or holidays and/or overtime
• This position may require travel away from your normal duty station on military or commercial aircraft
• The incumbent is required to pass a pre-employment and yearly physical examination for this position to successfully perform field and laboratory work.
• The employee must pass a series of laboratory competency tests in the area of forensic anthropology within 90 days of employment IAW DPAA Laboratory manual and accreditation standards.

Qualifications

For qualifications determinations, it is recommended that applicants include their months and hours worked per week for each employment listed on their resume. If a determination is not able to be made about the length of your creditable experience for qualification requirements, you will be removed from consideration. Read more about what should I include in my federal resume? at https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/faq/application/documents/resume/what-to-include/ Basic Requirements: Degree: appropriate field of anthropology. OR Combination of education and experience: courses equivalent to a major, or a combination of courses totaling at least 24 semester hours in an appropriate field of anthropology, or related course work, plus appropriate experience or additional education. OR Experience: four years of appropriate experience in anthropology performing research, museum work, or similar professional-level work. **In addition to the basic education requirement, you must also meet the one year of specialized experience requirements: You may qualify at the level GS-13 grade level, if you fulfill the following qualification requirement: One year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-12 grade level in the Federal service (experience may have been gained in the private sector) that demonstrates your experience in: Performing laboratory testing to distinguish human from non-human remains and generate biological profile (estimation of age, sex, ancestry, stature, traits of individuation); Documenting and describing antemortem trauma, perimortem trauma, taphonomic processes, and pathological conditions of human remains; Processing and documenting archaeological sites with appropriate equipment and mapping methods; Conducting archaeological excavations (such as small-scale testing projects to fully-scoped bulk excavations), scientific field investigations and interviews with appropriate handling procedures to recover evidence; and Preparing scientific written products (reports, briefings) to present detailed case findings to senior leaders. 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. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. ARE YOU QUALIFYING BASED ON EDUCATION or A COMBINATION OF EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE? You must provide sufficient documentation of your education in your resume. You are required to provide a copy of transcripts or degrees in your application package. It is also acceptable to document your applicable course listing in your resume (course number, credits earned, etc.). 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. Applicants can verify accreditation at the following website: http://www.ed.gov/admins/finaid/accred/index.html. All education claimed by applicants will be verified by the appointing agency accordingly. If selected, an official/sealed transcript will be required prior to appointment. ACTIVE DUTY SERVICE MEMBERS: The VOW Act Chapter 21 of Title 5, United States Code (U.S.C.), Section 2108a, requires Federal agencies treat active duty service member as veterans, disabled veterans, and preference eligible, when they submit, at the time they apply for a Federal job, a "certification" of active service in lieu of a DD-214, assuming the service member is otherwise eligible. A "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. The service member's military service dates are necessary in order to determine whether he or she meets the definition of "veteran" under 5 U.S.C. 2108(1). The "certification" must reflect the service member is expected to be discharged or released from active duty service in the armed forces under honorable conditions not later than 120 days after the date of submission. The "certification" must be signed by, or by direction of, the adjutant, personnel officer, or commander of your unit or higher headquarters and must indicate when your terminal leave will begin (if applicable), your rank, dates of active duty service, the type of discharge and character of service (i.e. honorable). Further, under paragraph (h) of the rule, agencies are required to verify a qualifying separation from military service prior to appointment, through the DD-214 or other appropriate documentation. Your preference and/or appointment eligibility will be verified prior to appointment. Active duty members that fail to provide a valid "certification" of service with their initial application will be found "not eligible." Military members may be appointed before the effective date of their military retirement/separation if member is on terminal leave. Current or Former Political Appointees: 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. 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; and, Beginning and ending dates of appointment. All qualifications and education requirements must be met by the closing date of this announcement and clearly documented in your resume.

Education

ARE YOU USING YOUR EDUCATION TO QUALIFY? You MUST provide transcripts to support your educational claims. Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Unless otherwise stated: (1) official or unofficial transcripts are acceptable, or (2) you may submit a list with all of your courses, grades, semester, year, and credit for the course. All materials must be submitted by the closing date of the announcement.

PASS/FAIL COURSES: If more than 10 percent of your undergraduate course work (credit hours) were taken on a pass/fail basis, your claim of superior academic achievement must be based upon class standing or membership in an honor society.

GRADUATE EDUCATION: One academic year of graduate education is considered to be the number of credits hours your graduate school has determined to represent one academic year of full-time study. Such study may have been performed on a full-time or part-time basis. If you cannot obtain your graduate school's definition of one year of graduate study, 18 semester hours (or 27 quarter hours) should be considered as satisfying the requirement for one year of full-time graduate study

FOREIGN EDUCATION: If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show 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. For further information, visit: https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html

Contacts

• Address Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency Human Resources Directorate 4800 Mark Center Drive Alexandria, VA 22350 US
• Name: Washington HQ Services
• Email: [email protected]