SECRETARY (OFFICE AUTOMATION)

Summary

Click on "Learn more about this agency" button below to view Eligibilities being considered and other IMPORTANT information. The primary purpose of this position is to serve as the principal office assistant performing administrative and clerical duties supporting an organization normally found in a major command headquarters. Performs office automation support using multiple software programs, databases, spreadsheets, and graphics in support of administrative work.

Duties

Prepares a wide variety of recurring and nonrecurring correspondence, reports, and other documents from information obtained from the staff, files, and other sources. Prepares and finalizes various recurring reports, determining and modifying format, content, and frequency requirements. Reviews and processes incoming and outgoing correspondence, materials, publications, regulations, and directives. Screens incoming mail to identify what needs to be brought to the attention of the supervisor, referred to appropriate staff, rerouted to other organizations/offices, or handled personally. Receives telephone calls, greets visitors, and ascertains the nature of the calls or visits. Based upon detailed knowledge of the organization and its programs and operations, determines appropriate action. When supervisor is not available, determines whether important business and high-ranking calls and visitors should be referred to another staff member or delayed until supervisor is available, taking telephone messages or making later appointments as appropriate Independently notes and follows-up on commitments made at meetings and conferences by staff members, and maintains supervisor's calendar, coordinates meeting arrangements, and/or schedules meetings and/or conferences. Schedules appointments and meetings, without prior approval, based on personal knowledge of workload and current issues, and coordinates with the supervisor as necessary. Performs other clerical and administrative work in support of the office/organization. Develops, establishes, updates, and maintains office procedures and records/files of various types to ensure effective and efficient operation of the office. Uses multiple office automation software with varied functions to produce a wide range of documents that often require complex formats, such as graphics or tables within text, editing and reformatting electronic drafts, and updating or revising existing databases or spreadsheets

Qualifications

Experience requirements are described in the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Qualification Standards for General Schedule Positions, Clerical and Administrative Support Positions. SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: I have, or within 120 days of the closing date of this announcement will have, one year of specialized experience at the next lower grade level (GS 04), pay band (NK-01), or equivalent (pay schedule, pay band, etc). Specialized experience is: 40 words per minute typing speed. Knowledge of office functions and commitments of supervisor and staff to prepare and review correspondence, to screen telephone calls and visitors, to maintain supervisor's calendar, and to perform other substantive or administrative work of the organization. The ability to communicate effectively, both orally and in writing. OR EDUCATION: Have successfully completed a full 4-year course of study leading to a bachelor's degree. NOTE: You must submit a copy of your transcripts. OR COMBINATION OF EXPERIENCE AND EDUCATION: Have equivalent combinations of successfully completed post high school education and experience directly related to the work of the position as outlined above that meets the requirements of the position. NOTE: You must submit a copy of your transcripts. KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES (KSAs): Your qualifications will be evaluated on the basis of your level of knowledge, skills, abilities and/or competencies in the following areas: 1. Knowledge of extensive rules, procedures, or operations applied to secretarial and clerical assignments to perform the procedural and administrative work of the office, such as preparing and editing documents, maintaining files/records, making and preparing travel arrangements, locating, assembling and composing information for various reports, inquiries, and nontechnical correspondence. 2. Knowledge of office functions and commitments of supervisor and staff to prepare and review correspondence, to screen telephone calls and visitors, to maintain supervisor's calendar, and to perform other substantive or administrative work of the organization. 3. Knowledge of correct grammar, spelling, punctuation, capitalization, and format to accurately prepare and edit written correspondence and reports. 4. Knowledge of various office automation software programs, tools, and techniques to support office operations and produce a variety of documents such as letters, reports, spreadsheets, databases, and graphs. 5. Skill in typing; a qualified typist is required. 6. Ability to communicate effectively, both orally and in writing. PART-TIME OR UNPAID EXPERIENCE: Credit will be given for appropriate unpaid and or part-time work. You must clearly identify the duties and responsibilities in each position held and the total number of hours per week. VOLUNTEER WORK EXPERIENCE: Refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service Programs (i.e., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community; student and social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge and skills that can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

Evaluations

Your application package (resume, supporting documents, and responses to the questionnaire) will be used to determine your eligibility, qualifications, and quality ranking for this position. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your rating or consideration for employment. Your responses to the questionnaire may be compared to the documents you submit. The documents you submit must support your responses to the online questionnaire. If your application contradicts or does not support your questionnaire responses, you will receive a rating of "not qualified" or "insufficient information" and you will not receive further consideration for this job. Applicants who disqualify themselves will not be evaluated further. Your application will be analyzed by a Human Resources Specialist to determine if you meet the minimum qualification requirements. If qualified, your application will then be evaluated using the USA Hire Standard Assessment (also known as the USA Hire assessment battery). The USA Hire Standard Assessment is a secure, online, competency-based assessment process designed to measure critical general competencies required for successful performance in this position. USA Hire Assessment Process & Instructions Assessment Notification: If you are determined to meet minimum qualifications and are required to take the assessments, you will be notified immediately after submitting your application in USAJOBS. This notification will appear on your application submission confirmation screen and will be sent to the email address associated with your USAJOBS profile. Accessing the Assessment: The notification will contain a unique, single-use web link to access the USA Hire system. Do not share this link, as it is tied directly to your application. Assessment Window & Deadline: You will generally have 48 hours from the date and time you submit your application to complete the USA Hire assessments. Your specific deadline will be clearly stated in your notification email. Tracking Status: You can access your assessment completion status or retrieve your unique assessment link at any time while the assessment window is open by logging into USAJOBS, navigating to "Track this application," and selecting the link to return to the assessment system. Assessment Reuse: If you have previously completed the same USA Hire assessments for another position, your scores may be automatically reused. The system will notify you if you have valid scores on file. How to Prepare Applicants are highly encouraged to visit the USA Hire Applicant Resource Center prior to starting the assessments to review system requirements and access practice materials: USA Hire Applicant Resource Center (OPM) https://support-usahire.opm.gov/hc/en-us APPRAISALS/AWARDS: Hiring Managers use objective methods and consider previous performance appraisals and awards in the selection process. Current Federal Civilian employees should list any relevant performance related rating and/or awards in your resume.

How to apply The complete Application Package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on 07/30/2026 To preview the Application Questionnaire, please click the following link:https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/13008081 To begin the process, click the Apply Online button to create an account or log in to your existing USAJOBS account. Follow the prompts to complete the application questionnaire. Please ensure you click the Submit My Application button at the end of the process. To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package which includes: 1. Your Resume. If you submit more than one resume, only the most recent will be reviewed. The "most recent" is considered the resume with the latest timestamp. Resumes may not exceed two pages. The two-page resume ensures the most relevant experience is reviewed and considered, which is a common practice in both the public and private sectors. Resumes exceeding two pages will be removed from consideration. Additional information on how to complete or update your resume may be located here. For qualification determination your resume must contain hours worked per week and dates of employment (i.e., month/year to month/year or month/year to present). If your resume does not contain this information, your application may be marked as insufficient, and you will not receive consideration for this position. If you are a current Federal employee or previous Federal employee, provide your pay plan, series and grade, i.e. GS-0301-09. Current Federal Civilian Employees may list any relevant performance related rating (given within the last three years) and/or incentive awards in your resume. Do NOT include photographs, inappropriate material, inappropriate content, nor personal information such as age, gender, religion, social security number, etc., on your resume. If the resume you submit contains such information you will not be considered for this vacancy. Your name, first and last, MUST be included on your resume. 2. A complete Application Questionnaire 3. Additional Required Documents (see Required Documents section). Ensure all submitted documents contain your full name. 4. Help recruiters find you. Make your resume and profile searchable, which means recruiters may contact you about possible jobs. Additional information may be located here. OPTIONAL DOCUMENTS: Performance Appraisals for Current Federal Civilian Employees - Most recent performance appraisals (dated within last 3 years) showing the official rating of record, signed by a supervisor, or statement why the performance appraisal is unavailable. Awards for Current Federal Civilian Employees - List any awards received within the last 3 years on the resume. Note: Applicant must not submit award Notification of Personnel Actions (SF50s). PLEASE NOTE: It is the applicant's responsibility to verify that information entered and/or uploaded, (i.e., resume) is received, accurate, and submitted by the closing date. You may verify your documents have been processed with your application package successfully. You can access your USAJOBS account to do so by clicking here. Uploaded documents may take up to one hour to clear the virus scan. Human Resources WILL NOT modify or change any answers submitted by an applicant.

Other information This is an acquisition demonstration project position NK-2 equivalent to a GS-5 to GS-7. Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP): For information on how to apply as an ICTAP eligible click here. To be well-qualified and exercise selection priority for this vacancy, displaced Federal employees must be rated well qualified or above for this position. You must submit a copy of the agency notice, your most recent performance rating, and your most recent SF-50 noting position, grade level, and duty location. Employed Annuitants (Reemployed Annuitants): Applicants in receipt of an annuity based on civilian employment in the Federal Service are subject to the DoD Policy on The Employment of Annuitants. Click here for more information. Current Federal Civilian employees may apply for temporary/term positions and if selected, a break in service may be required prior to appointment to the position. Temporary/Term Appointments: If you are selected for a temporary or term position in the competitive service, your appointment may be extended to the maximum period allowed by law without further competition. Military Spouse Preference (MSP) Eligible: MSP applicants, if determined best qualified, must be selected and placed at the highest grade for which they applied. You must include a completed copy of the DD Form 3145-4, Military Spouse PPP Self-Certification Checklist dated within 30 days along with the documents identified on the checklist to verify your eligibility for MSP. Click here to obtain/download a copy of the DD Form 3145-4, Military Spouse PPP Self-Certification Checklist. Priority Placement Program (PPP) Applicant Eligible: PPP Applicants determined well qualified and selected, will be placed at the full performance level. You must include a completed copy of the PPP Self-Certification Checklist dated within 30 days along with the documents identified on the checklist to verify your eligibility as a PPP Applicant. Click here to obtain/download the applicable PPP Self-Certification Checklist (DD3145-1 through DD3145-4, select the appropriate checklist for your preference). To determine the applicable PPP Self-Certification Checklist required to substantiate the eligibilities you are claiming, refer to the AF Civilian Employment Eligibility Guide located in the Required Documents section of this vacancy announcement. Disabled veteran leave is available to a Federal employee hired on/after 5 Nov 2016, who is a veteran with a service-connected disability rating of 30% or more. For more information, click here. If you have questions regarding this announcement and have hearing or speech difficulties click here.