Correctional Program Officer (Unit Manager)
Who may apply
Limited to the following applicant groups:
- Internal to an agency
- Career transition (CTAP, ICTAP, RPL)
Berlin, New Hampshire
1 day left to apply
Salary: $74,678 – $97,087
per year
(GS-11)
Job Details
Position Overview
Corrections professionals who foster a humane and secure environment and ensure public safety by preparing individuals for successful reentry into our communities.Duties
The Unit Manager performs a major role in the planning, development, administration and evaluation of a unit program for incarcerated federal offenders.Must have broad understanding of the field of criminology and corrections, must display management skills in the administration of a treatment program, and must have a comprehensive knowledge of the dynamics of human behavior.
Directs and manages a housing unit within a federal correctional institution and is responsible for the total administration of the unit as well as the planning, development and implementation of individual programs tailored to meet the particular needs of inmates in the unit.
Along with all other correctional institution employees, incumbent is charged with responsibility for maintaining security of the institution. The staff correctional responsibilities precede all others required by this position and are performed on a regular and recurring basis.
Qualifications & Requirements
To be considered for the position, you must meet the following qualification requirements:Education:
Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree or 3 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree or LL.M., if related.
Major study - Correctional Administration, Criminology, Psychology, Social Work, Sociology, or other fields related to the position.
Graduate education must provide the applicant with the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to perform the duties of the position.
OR
Experience:
You must have at least one year of specialized experience equivalent in difficulty and complexity to the next lower grade level. Specialized experience is directly related experience that included substantial involvement with a correctional program and provided a thorough knowledge of correctional techniques, or experience in meeting and dealing with people that demonstrated the ability to work effectively with inmates and associates in a correctional environment.
Experience must have also demonstrated the ability to perform supervisory or administrative duties successfully. This includes (1) understanding the problems of custody, treatment, training, and release of inmates of penal or correctional institutions; (2) a thorough and comprehensive knowledge of an institution's internal policies, programs, regulations, and procedures; and (3) training subordinates, coordinating and directing activities and functions, evaluating performance of operations and the effectiveness of programs, and maintaining high standards or work objectives. This experience must have been gained in an administrative position, or in other positions that included the successful direction, or assistance in the direction of, an entire correctional program or a major phase of such a program.
Some examples of this qualifying experience are:
GS-11:
- Experience in directing the work of an organizational unit.
- Experience in supervision of assignments, directing and reviewing work of subordinates, evaluating work performance, identifying training needs, recommending selections, promotions, awards, disciplinary or other actions, planning, scheduling and coordinating the work, counseling employees, and resolving employee complaints and grievances.
- Experience in planning a program and assuring proper implementation.
Combination of Education and Experience:
GS-11 Only: Have a combination of education and experience. This experience must have equipped you with the qualifications to perform the major duties of this position as described above.
If applicable, credit will be given for paid and unpaid experience. To receive proper credit, you must show the actual time (such as number of hours worked per week) spent in the activities.
**Your eligibility for consideration will be based on your responses to the questions in the application.**
Education
ONLY if education is a requirement/substitution for specialized experience, applicant MUST upload legible transcripts as verification of educational requirement. Transcripts MUST be uploaded and electronically linked from USAJOBS at the time you apply and MUST include identifying information to include School Name, Student Name, Degree and Date Awarded (if applicable). All academic degrees and coursework must be completed at a college or university that has obtained accreditation or pre-accreditation status from an accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. For a list of schools that meet this criteria, Click Here.
Foreign Education: For information regarding foreign education requirements, please see Foreign Diploma and Credit Recognition at the U.S. Department of Education website: Recognition of Foreign Qualifications.
If you are selected for this position and qualified based on education (i.e. basic education requirement and/or substitution of education), you will be required to provide an OFFICIAL transcript prior to your first day on duty.
Requirements
Career Transition Programs (CTAP): This program applies to Federal and/or DOJ employees who meet the definition of surplus or displaced from a position in the competitive service. To receive selection priority for this position, you must:- Meet CTAP eligibility criteria;
- Be rated well-qualified for the position, scoring at least half of the total possible points for the vacancy KSAs or competencies; and
- Submit the appropriate documentation to support your CTAP eligibility:
- A copy of the agency notice (i.e., separation notice or agency RIF letter),
- Most recent performance appraisal, and
- Most recent SF-50 showing current/former position, grade, promotion potential, and duty location.
- See USAJOBS' Career Transition Programs for more information.
status, military service or other non-merit factor. More information can be found here: U.S Department of Justice - Equal Employment Opportunity Policy
Key Requirements:
- U.S. Citizenship is Required.
- See Special Conditions of Employment Section.
Evaluations
If your composite score exceeds the average score for this job, your resume and supporting documentation will be compared to your online assessment responses and utilized to determine whether you meet the job qualifications listed in this announcement. If your selections are not supported by your application materials, your responses may be adjusted and/or you may be excluded from consideration for this job.If you are found to be among the top candidates, you will be referred to the selecting official for employment consideration.
There are several parts of the application process that affect the overall evaluation of your application:
- Your resume, which is part of your USAJOBS profile;
- Your responses to the eligibility questions;
- Your responses to the online assessment;
- Your supporting documentation, if required.
Due Weight 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. Please submit:
- a copy of your most recent performance appraisal/evaluation; and
- a list of any awards (e.g. superior performance awards, special act or achievement awards, quality step increase, etc.) you received in the last 5 years.
What Competencies/Knowledge, Skills and Abilities are Required for this Position?
The following Competencies/Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSA's) are required:
- Administration and Management
- Legal, Government and Jurisprudence
- Oral Communication
- Writing
Required Documents
Failure to provide legible required documents and/or follow the prescribed format often results in removal from consideration. If uploading documentation, do not identify/save your documents utilizing a special character such as %, #, @, etc. Documentation should be identified/saved as VA Letter, DD-214, or Transcripts.- Resume (limited to 2 pages) must include your name, contact information, and relevant experience (cover letter optional).
- Experience that would not normally be part of the Federal employee's position is creditable when documented by satisfactory evidence of qualifying experience (e.g., a memorandum from the manager, Human Resource Manager, SF-52, MOU, etc.).
- If providing a memorandum, it must follow the format below AND clearly cite the duties performed.
- To receive credit for experience, your resume and/or any satisfactory evidence must include:
- Start date and end date in month/year format (MM/YYYY) AND
- Number of hours worked per week.
- SF-50: Current or former Federal employees NOT employed by the Bureau of Prisons MUST submit a copy of their SF-50 Form which shows competitive service appointment, tenure group, and salary. If you have promotion potential in your current position, please provide proof. If you are applying for a higher grade, and your experience was gained at a Federal agency other than the Bureau of Prisons, you MUST provide the SF-50 Form which verifies the length of time you have been in your highest grade and supports your claim for time-in-grade.
- Proof of CTAP eligibility, Click Here, if applicable.
- College transcript: includes the School Name, Student Name, Degree, and Date Awarded (if applicable).
- NOTE: If you are selected, official transcript(s) will be required prior to your first day.
- A copy of your latest yearly performance appraisal/evaluation.
- Professional Certification/License
We cannot be held responsible for incompatible software, delays in mail service, applicant application errors, etc.
How to Apply
You must apply through the online application system at www.USAJOBS.gov. Follow the prompts to register, answer a few questions and submit all required documents.
Limit your resume to 2 pages. If the only resume(s) received is/are longer than two pages, your application is ineligible for further consideration. Submission of a resume alone is not a complete application. This position may require the completion of additional forms and/or supplemental materials as described under the Required Documents section. Please carefully review the complete job announcement and the "How to Apply" instructions. Failure to provide the required information and/or materials will result in your application not being considered for employment.
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USAJOBS Help Center - How to Add a Resume to Your Profile
All required supporting documentation MUST be received by the Consolidated Staffing Unit by 11:59 p.m., Eastern Standard Time, on 08/20/2026.
If applicable see Notice for Preference Eligible Veterans Applicants
To preview the application questionnaire, click the following link: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/13035176
We will notify you of the outcome after each step of the application process has been completed. Normally, Selecting Officials will make a selection within 90-days. When deemed necessary, the selection process may be extended up to 180-days from the date the certificate(s), (Exception, Best Qualified Lists) is/are generated to make a selection.
Source: Data sourced from USAJOBS