Summary
Securing Travel, Protecting People - At the Transportation Security Administration, you will serve in a high-stakes environment to safeguard the American way of life. In cities across the country, you would secure airports, seaports, railroads, highways, and/or public transit systems, thus protecting America's transportation infrastructure and ensuring freedom of movement for people and commerce.
Responsibilities
This Program Assistant position is located at San Francisco International Airport (SFO), Transportation Security Administration, Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Duties include but are not limited to: Providing a range of diverse administrative support assignments that include spending a minimum of 25% of time assisting managers in evaluating programs and their effectiveness in delivering services. You will perform a combination of routine and multiple and varying assignments in support of management efforts to evaluate, administer, and improve the efficiency, effectiveness, and productivity of organizations and programs. Providing assistance to a program area which may include finance, human resources, model workplace, scheduling, or other core functional area. Work activities typically support multiple projects/programs and contribute to one or more organizational units and major subdivisions. Assisting managers and other employees in day-to-day operations of the office. Compiling, tracking, and analyzing data. Applying analytical techniques and methods to perform a variety of administrative and analytical duties in support of TSA field operations. Coordinating the implementation of new office policies and systems and writing policy and internal procedural guidance after clarifying applicability of past practice, emerging guidance, and established policies and procedures with seniors or subject-matter experts. Interacting with internal staff and external customers including managers and employees. Contacts involve exchanging information, tracking status, and coordinating efforts. Acting as a lead for other support staff to coordinate multiple assignments. Preparing complex and sensitive correspondence including evaluation and assessment of the impact of changes to policy, practices, or program characteristics in assigned area. Providing advanced computer assistance. Undertaking complete analytical studies of limited scope under the direction of a senior, supervisor, or manager Reviewing work of lower level administrative support staff for accuracy and completeness. Scheduling meetings including conducting analyses of agenda items and proposing recommendations for a range of administrative or program matters for which precedents have been established. Providing advice and guidance to employees, timekeepers, supervisors, financial management specialists, and human resource specialists on rules, regulations, and procedures relating to pay, including unusual situations where the guidelines require considerable interpretation and/or research of past precedents. Training staff to enter time-card data. Certifying time-cards and corrections each pay period and conducting random audits, to include the most difficult payroll issues. Acting as a point-of-contact with the National Finance Center (NFC) to resolve employee payroll issues.
Qualifications
To qualify for the SV-F Pay Band (equivalent to GS-9/10), you must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to the SV-E Pay Band or GS-8 in the Federal service or equivalent experience in the private sector. Specialized experience is defined as experience that has equipped you with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position. Such experience includes: Providing payroll or timekeeping support, AND At least two (2) of the following: Assisting with the development of reports; Formulating recommendations based on findings of analyses or reports; Monitoring metrics; OR Researching files, records, and electronic systems Credit for experience is given based on a 40-hour workweek. Part-time experience is credited on a part-time ratio, i.e., working 20 hours per week for two months equals one month of experience. No additional credit is given for overtime. National Service Experience (i.e., volunteer experience): 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. The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) must authorize employment offers made to current or former political appointees. If you are currently, or have been within the last 5 years, a political Schedule A, Schedule C, Non-career SES or Presidential Appointee employee in the Executive Branch, you must disclose this information to the Human Resources Office. You must meet the qualification requirements for this position no later than the closing date of the vacancy announcement.
Requirements
You must possess U.S. Citizenship or be a U.S. National. You must complete a favorable Background Investigation (BI). Selective Service registration is required. If you fail to meet the conditions of employment or any other pre-employment requirements, such as missing any of the scheduled appointments, the hiring agency may rescind their tentative offer of employment. Applying to this announcement certifies that you give permission for TSA to share your application with others in DHS for similar positions. Any offers of employment made pursuant to this announcement will be consistent with all applicable authorities, including Presidential Memoranda, Executive Orders, interpretive U.S. Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) guidance, and Office of Management and Budget plans and policies concerning hiring. These authorities are subject to change.
Benefits
DHS offers competitive salaries and an attractive benefits package, including: health, dental, vision, life, and long-term care insurance; retirement plan; Thrift Savings Plan [similar to a 401(k)]; Flexible Spending Account; Employee Assistance Program; personal leave days; and paid federal holidays. Other benefits may include flexible work schedules; situational telework may be permitted in accordance with departmental policy telework; tuition reimbursement; transportation subsidies; uniform allowance; health and wellness programs; and fitness centers. DHS is committed to employee development and offers a variety of employee training and developmental opportunities. For more information, go to the DHS Careers website and select "Benefits." Disabled veteran leave will be available to any Federal employee hired on or after November 5, 2016, who is a veteran with a service-connected disability rating of 30 percent or more. Employees who transfer to TSA from an agency that allows employees to maintain an annual leave balance higher than the maximum accumulation for the appointed position will have their leave ceiling set to the maximum accumulation for the appointed position (e.g., United States duty location - 240 hours, foreign duty location - 360 hours, or TSES position - 720 hours). TSA will not make a monetary payment for any leave forfeited under these circumstances.