Indian Self Determination Specialist

Summary This position is located with the Bureau of Indian Affairs, OJS, Assoc Dir-Support Services in Location Negotiable After Selection, United States. Incumbent serves as an advisor to the OJS Deputy Bureau Director through the OJS Self-Determination Advisor, for the interpretation of self-determination Legislation, statutory provisions and governing rules as they relate to the practices, procedures and general operations of OJS's administration of tribal contracting and grant activities. Qualifications EXPERIENCE AND EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS: (OPM Operating Manual, Qualification Standards). Minimum Qualifications for the GS-13 Grade Level: 1 year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-12 grade level in the Federal service obtained in either the private or public sector performing the following type of work and/or tasks: full range of contract and grant functions encompassing the evaluation of applications/proposals, negotiations, execution, and administration of programs/projects; providing self-determination assistance for approving officials and leadership on all self-determination functions that are nationwide in scope; providing training, technical assistance, and assisting personnel with monitoring of contracting activities nationwide for statutory, regulatory and policy compliance; working with tribes, authorized tribal organizations, and the general public on any and all issues regarding the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act of 1975. Physical Demands The work is primarily sedentary. Typical demands include sitting, walking, standing, stooping, and lifting small items but can be physical demanding when the incumbent must stand for long periods of time while providing instruction. However, the job does require intense concentration, frequently under stressful conditions, as varied workloads must be addressed in short time frames. When in the office, there is a significant amount of computer work, which may involve eye strain. Some physical exertion is required, such as inspection of field operations, to include walking or hiking through rough terrain or construction hard-hat sites; climbing up ladders, stooping under low areas, etc. Work Environment Much of the work of the incumbent will be performed in an office setting or at conference facilities at various locations throughout the nation. There is also intermittent travel to Indian reservations, BIA and OJS offices nationwide, and Tribal offices to meet with officials concerning administration of self-determination contracts and grants, which require special safety precautions, e.g., traveling or working at remote sites and construction areas where hazards are present such as machines, moving equipment, chemicals, noise, vibrations, hazardous or extreme weather conditions, or comparable situations. Employee is required to use protective clothing and gear, such as hard-hat, goggles and boots, where stipulated. Other Requirements/Conditions The incumbent may be required to work other than normal hours as necessary to handle emergency situations at peak workloads. Appropriately handles and safeguards sensitive and/or classified information in accordance with regulations to reduce potential compromise. Travel involves transit via airplane, when required. All qualification requirements must be met by the closing date of this announcement. Merit Promotion candidates must also meet time-in-grade requirements by the announcement closing date. Additional selections may be made from this announcement if identical vacancies occur in the same location within 90 days from the closing date. Education There is no educational substitution at this grade level. How You Will Be Evaluated Your application package will be evaluated against the minimum qualification requirements specified above. In order to qualify, your resume must specifically describe your work history and the duties you performed in each position. Your resume will be evaluated after the closing date of 11/09/2026 to determine whether you meet the minimum qualification requirements for this position. Please follow all instructions carefully, you must complete all required steps in the process. In addition to the application and application questionnaire, this position requires successful completion of additional assessments, including structured resume review, structured interview and/or accomplishment record. These assessments measure the critical competencies required to successfully perform the job. Attention to Detail Customer Service Decision Making Flexibility Integrity/Honesty Interpersonal Skills Learning Oral Communication Planning and Evaluating Problem Solving Reading Comprehension Reasoning Self-Management Stress Tolerance Teamwork Technical Competence Preference in filling vacancies is given to qualified Indian candidates in accordance with the Indian Reorganization Act of 1934 (Title 25, USC, Section 472). Verification Form BIA-4432 must be submitted with the application if claiming Indian Preference. Indian Preference eligibles not currently employed in Federal service may be appointed under the Excepted Service Appointment Authority Schedule A, 213.3112(a)(7). Consideration will be given to Non-Indian applicants in the absence of qualified Indian Preference eligibles. For more information, please visit: https://www.bia.gov/jobs. DUE WEIGHT FOR PERFORMANCE APPRAISALS AND AWARDS. For Current and Former Federal Employees, due weight will be given for performance and awards. Any performance appraisal/evaluation and award documentation you provide will be forwarded to the selecting official. The selecting official will review this documentation and give it due weight consideration during the overall selection process. If you do not have your most recent performance appraisal/evaluation, please submit a statement as to why it is not available. Please indicate if any prior performance appraisals/evaluations were at an acceptable level. REVIEW BEFORE YOU SUBMIT: You may preview the assessment questions here in the https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/13028692. Required Documents The following documents are required for this position: Resume which details work experience including dates worked (mm/yy-mm/yy); position title; position series and grade (if federal service); work schedule; hours worked per week; relevant duties performed; supervisor with contact information, and 3 professional references and contact information (Do not include current/former supervisors), etc Please limit your resume to no more than 2 pages. If more than 2 pages are submitted, only the first 2 pages will be reviewed to determine your eligibility/qualifications. On-line Assessment Questionnaire Transcripts (if using education to qualify) - Unofficial transcripts are acceptable; however, an official transcript may be requested at a later time. Veteran's documentation - (if applicable) VA letter on VA letterhead stating your overall combined rating, SF-15, DD-214 (Member 4 Copy Only) reflecting an honorable discharge and dates of active duty military service. Special Appointing Authority documentation (if applying under a special hiring authority) BIA Form 4432 The Form BIA-4432 must be completed as stated in the Instructions on the Form and this form with must be submitted with your application for Federal employment (if claiming Indian preference). Performance Appraisal (if applying under the Land Management Flexibility Act) Current & Former Federal Employees. If you are a current career or career-conditional Federal employee OR a former Federal employee who has reinstatement eligibility you must submit the following by the closing date of this announcement, or you will not receive consideration as such: A copy of a recent SF-50 "Notification of Personnel Action" documenting proof of competitive status, tenure, position title, occupational series, grade level and step. If you are applying for a higher grade, please provide the SF-50 form which shows the length of time you have been in your current/highest grade. If you have promotion potential in any of your positions, please provide an SF-50 stating your highest full performance level; and Due Weight for Performance Appraisals and Awards: Your most recent Performance Appraisal (if you do not have your most recent performance appraisal, please submit an explanation as to why it is unavailable); and If applicable, a list of any awards you received in the last 5 years (i.e., superior performance awards, special act or achievement awards, quality step increase, etc.). Click here for information see Reading your SF-50 to determine your service and appointment typeALL DOCUMENTS MUST BE RECEIVED BY 11:59 PM Eastern Time ON THE CLOSING DATE OF THIS ANNOUNCEMENT. If your application package is incomplete in any way, you will not be considered for this position, and requests for extensions will not be granted. Please double check your application package before you submit it.ADDITIONAL INFORMATION WILL NOT BE SOLICITED OR ACCEPTED BY THIS OFFICE. How to Apply Please read the entire announcement and all the instructions before you begin an application. To apply and be considered for this position, you must complete all required questionnaires, assessments and submit all required documentation as specified in the How to Apply and Required Documents section. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on the closing date of the announcement to receive consideration. The application process is as follows: To begin, click Apply to access the online application. You will need to be logged into your USAJOBS account to apply. If you do not have a USAJOBS account, you will need to create one before beginning the application. Follow the prompts to select your resume and/or other supporting documents to be included with your application package. You will have the opportunity to upload additional documents to include in your application before it is submitted. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process. Resumes must not exceed two single-sided pages and resumes longer than two pages will not be accepted. The minimum font size is 10-point for all body text. Headers may be slightly larger but must remain legible. All resumes must maintain a minimum 0.5-inch margins on all sides to ensure readability and prevent excessive content compression. Including supplemental pages or attachments disguised as resume extensions are prohibited and will not be reviewed to determine your eligibility/qualifications. After acknowledging you have reviewed your application package, complete the Include Personal Information section as you deem appropriate and click to continue with the application process. You will be taken to the online application which you must complete in order to apply for the position. Complete the online application, verify the required documentation is included with your application package, and submit the application. In writing your resume, please be clear and specific. We will NOT make assumptions regarding your experience and/or employment status. To view the announcement status or your application status: Visit https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/howto/application/status/. Your application status page is where you can view your application status, USA Hire assessment completion status, and review your notifications sent by the hiring agency regarding your application. Notification to Applicants: Applicants who apply under this job opportunity announcement agree to have their application, associated documents and applicable personal information shared with other Bureaus/Offices within the Department of the Interior (DOI) who have vacancies within the same occupational series, grade, full performance level and in the same geographic location(s), including within the same metro/commuting area. Applying to this announcement does not replace the need to apply to other job opportunity announcements for which you wish to receive consideration. PLEASE NOTE - NO APPLICATION MATERIAL WILL BE ACCEPTED VIA E-MAIL. Benefits Related non-Federal experience or related experience as retired members of the uniformed services may be credited towards computing entitlement to leave accrual, at managerial discretion, providing that experience meets certain criteria. This provision allows new employees to earn annual leave at a higher rate than would otherwise be allowed. (5 Code of Federal Regulations, 630). For additional information, please visit: Creditable Service for Annual Leave