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Defense Security Cooperation Agency

Lead Administrative Program Specialist

Arlington, Virginia $121785 - $158322 PA GS Closes Oct 19, 2026
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Summary

You may qualify at the GS-13, if you fulfill the following qualifications: A. One year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-12 grade level in the Federal service: Drafts, reviews, and edits emails, correspondence, and various documents for accuracy, completeness , conflicting information, and tone for DSCU leadership Develops new or modified guidelines, work processes, and operations in order to improve the effectiveness, efficiency, or timeliness of work processes and information dissemination Prepares various recurring and special administrative reports on operations and provides guidance to DSCU leadership and employees on current policy and procedures Provides guidance, assistance, and training to faculty and staff on the application of DSCU policies and procedures and how they apply to DoD, and DSCA policies and procedures for implementation. 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. Additional Position Information: Incumbent must attain DoD Security Cooperation Workforce (SCW) Certification and complete related continuous learning requirements in accordance with the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) 2017, Title 10 United States Code, Section 384, and Security Cooperation Workforce Certification Program 2.0 requirements. Incumbent must complete DoD SCW Basic-level certification courses within one year. Requirements for Proficiency Level 1 - At least 1 year of successful SC work experience with a performance appraisal rating of 3 or better. Incumbent must complete DoD SCW Foundational level certification requirements within one year of entering the SC position. In addition, 40 hours of continuing education (CUE) every two years. Incumbent is required to submit a Financial Disclosure Statement, OGE-450, (5CFR Part 2634, Subpart I USOGE, 6/08). Executive Branch Personnel Confidential Financial Disclosure Report upon entering the position and annually, in accordance with DoD Directive 5500-7-R, Joint Ethics Regulation, dated 23 March 2006.

Major Duties

As a Lead Administrative Program Specialist at the GS-0301-13 some of your typical work assignments may include: The Lead Administrative Program Specialist performs a variety of leadership, administrative, and analytical duties in support of the Defense Security Cooperation University (DSCU). The responsibilities include, leading a team by communicating strategic goals, distributing workload, and coaching members on problem-solving and work methods. Monitor team progress, arrange training, and represent the team's interests to management. Develop, administrative policies and procedures for over 300 employees across four university campuses. Serves as a primary point of contact for coordinating policies with other DSCA offices and external agencies and acts as a subject matter expert on processing action memos and correspondence. Manage several operations-wide administrative support programs. Assess policies, providing technical advice, and using various information systems like CATMS and DTS. Responsible for managing incoming taskers, ensuring timely completion, and training personnel on these systems. Provide advise to DSCU staff, faculty, and external leaders on procedures and processes related to organizational change, administration, logistics, and information technology. Provide training to staff on policy application and advising leadership on necessary policy updates. Acts as a senior administrative specialist and team leader responsible for policy, program management, and advisory functions to ensure the effective operation of the university.

Required Documents

The documents you are required to submit vary based on the authority you are using to apply (i.e., applying as a veteran, applying as a current permanent Federal employee, applying as a reinstatement, etc.). Your complete application includes your COMPLETE resume, your responses to the online questionnaire, and documents which prove your eligibility to apply. If you fail to provide these documents, you will be marked as having an incomplete application package and you will not be considered any further. The following documents are REQUIRED 1. Resume: All applicants are required to submit a resume limited to two (2) pages showing all relevant experience. Your resume must address your qualifications for the position, and it may not exceed two (2) pages. Your 2-page (or less) resume must be in PDF format, with no smaller than a 0.5" margin and no smaller than a 10-point font. If you submit a resume that exceeds the two-page limit and/or does not meet the margin or font limitations stated herein, you will immediately be deemed ineligible for this position and will be removed from further consideration. Must include the work schedule, hours worked per week, dates of employment, and duties performed. The resume and required supporting documentation should provide the minimum qualifications and relevant experience for the announced position. If multiple resumes are submitted by an applicant, only the last resume submitted will be reviewed for qualifications and referred for selection consideration, if eligible. The resume must not be more than 5MB and should be saved and uploaded as a PDF to maintain formatting and number of pages. We also accept GIF, JPG, JPEG, PNG, RTF, TXT, PDF, ODT or Word (DOC or DOCX). We do not accept PDF portfolio files. We recommend using a font like Lato, if available. Other widely available options are Calibri, Helvetica, Arial, Verdana, Open San Source Sans Pro, Roboto or Noro Sans. Additional guidance on writing a federal resume can be found at: USAJOBS Help Center - How do I write a resume for a federal job? The resume builder can help you create a resume using these recommendations and uses the information in your USAJOBS profile to help you get started. 2. SF50 All current and former civilian Federal employees must submit a copy of your MOST RECENT SF50 (Notification of Personnel Action) showing your tenure, grade and step, salary, and type of position occupied (i.e., Excepted or Competitive); or similar Notification of Personnel Action documentation, i.e., Transcript of Service, Form 1150, etc. This is also a requirement to verify your Time in Grade (TIG). 3. Veteran's Documents: If applying using veteran's preference or under a Veteran's hiring authority you must submit the following documents: DD214 showing character of service, SF-15 Form and VA letter showing final percentage, or certification of expected discharge or release from active duty. PLEASE REVIEW THE BELOW LINK FOR OTHER SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS needed for proof of eligibility: https://www.dla.mil/Portals/104/Documents/Careers/downloads/DODCustomersRequiredSupportingDocumentation.pdf

How to Apply

To apply for this position, you must complete the online application and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section below. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on the closing date to receive consideration. To begin, click Apply Online to access an online application. Follow the prompts to select your USAJOBS resume and/or other supporting documents. You will need to be logged into your USAJOBS account or you may need to create a new account. You will be taken to an online application. Complete the online application, verify the required documentation, and submit the application. NOTE: Resumes up to a total of two pages will be accepted. Resumes exceeding two pages will be removed from consideration. You will receive an email notification when your application has been received for the announcement. If you are required to complete any USA Hire Assessments, you will be notified after submitting your application. The notification will be provided in your application submission screen and via email. The notification will include your unique assessment access link to the USA Hire system and the completion deadline. Additionally, in USAJOBS you can click "Track this application" to return to your assessment completion notice. Access USA Hire using your unique assessment link. Access is granted through your USAJOBS login credentials. Review all instructions prior to beginning your assessments. You will have the opportunity to request a testing accommodation before beginning the assessments should you have a disability covered under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended. Set aside at least 3 hours to take the USA Hire Assessments; however, most applicants complete the assessments in less time. If you need to stop the assessments and continue later, you can re-use your unique assessment link. Your responses to the USA Hire Assessments will be reused for one year (in most cases) from the date you complete an assessment. If future applications you submit require completion of the same assessments, your responses will be automatically reused. Visit the USA Hire Applicant Resource Center for practice assessments and assessment preparation resources at https://support-usahire.opm.gov/hc/en-us. To verify the status of your application, log into your USAJOBS account, https://www.usajobs.gov, select the Application Status link and then select the More Information link for this position. The Application Status page will display the status of your application, the documentation received and processed, and your responses submitted to the online application. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process. To preview the questionnaire, please go to https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/13082175. Please review the General Application Information and Definitions at: https://www.dla.mil/Portals/104/Documents/Careers/downloads/DoDGenAppInfo%2012-1-2020.pdf?ver=ECNbdsHtGilTd3OENN4A0Q%3d%3d