Program Officer (Chief, Mission Support Division)
Who may apply
Limited to the following applicant groups:
- Internal to an agency
- Career transition (CTAP, ICTAP, RPL)
6 days left to apply
Salary context
Based on 441 annual-salary jobs in the same occupational series. This role pays above most similar positions.
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
Responsible for the management and supervision of NIC's Mission Support Division in the agency. This includes directing the work of division personnel in the following areas: the NIC Information Center and contractors, NIC website, research, planning and policy development, contract administration of NIC contracts, operations fiscal management, internal operations, utilization of innovative technology, and maintaining professional contacts with national state and local agencies and organizations and contacts with the media and the public.Analyzes, monitors, and evaluates complex federal, state, and local correctional and operational issues to develop policy and administrative recommendations that deal with persistent and emerging issues having impact on internal and external operations and administration, contracting, technology, as well as information services for application in the field of corrections.
Directs the overall workload statistical and staffing level analysis and recommends to the Director and Deputy Director changes in both personnel and other resource requirements for the Institute.
Qualifications & Requirements
To be considered for the position, you must meet the following qualification requirements.Education:
GS-14 and GS-15: There is no substitution of education for specialized experience for this position.
Experience:
GS-14 and GS-15: You must have at least one year of specialized experience equivalent in difficulty and complexity to the next lower grade level. To be creditable, this experience must have equipped the applicant with the particular qualifications to perform successfully the duties of the position and must typically be in or related to the position to be filled.
Some examples of this qualifying experience are:
GS-14:
- Experience leading analysis of a complex state, local, federal or tribal criminal justice agency operational or security issue, by evaluating multiple options, and recommending the best course of action to senior leadership.
- Experience providing authoritative recommendations to senior leadership on state, local, federal or tribal criminal justice policy adjustments, program enhancements, and agency-wide operational procedures.
- Experience developing, drafting and implementing state, local, federal or tribal criminal justice policies and operational procedures governing mission execution and division functions.
GS-15:
- Experience establishing procedures to resolve criminal justice operational issues.
- Experience identifying and reviewing routine administrative problems, gathering the needed facts, and using agency guidance to determine the correct action to improve overall operations.
- Experience directing both long-range and short-range strategic planning efforts, to include criminal justice training, technicals assistance and information services in addition to internal administrative operations, ensuring alignment with organizational criminal justice mission priorities and compliance requirements.
- Experience managing the oversight and evaluation of state, local, federal or tribal criminal justice agency services by establishing performance indicators, reviewing program outcomes, and implementing corrective action plans.
AND
Selective Placement Factor:
Applicants applying for this position MUST also possess the following Selective Factors. In the event that you do not possess the Selective Factors, you will be found ineligible for the position.
- Applicants must have a minimum of four (4) years of demonstrated experience providing contract management oversight holding, at a minimum an active Contracting Officer Representative (COR) 1 certification;
AND
- Applicants must have a minimum of four (4) years of demonstrated experience overseeing research, planning and policy development;
AND
- Applicants must have a minimum of four (4) years of demonstrated experience developing innovative and comprehensive initiatives, implementation planning strategies and program plans to accomplish agency-wide goals and objectives in the implementation of correctional initiatives in jails, or prisons, or community supervision agencies.
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.
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.
Key Requirements:
- U.S. Citizenship is Required.
- See Special Conditions of Employment Section.
Evaluations
You will be evaluated based on how well you meet the qualifications listed in this vacancy announcement. Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g., resume, supporting documents), your responses on the application questionnaire, and your responses to all assessments required for this position.
You will be assessed on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics):
- Accountability
- Customer Service
- Decisiveness
- Flexibility
- Interpersonal Skills
- Problem Solving
- Resilience
Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or application questionnaire may result in your removal from consideration. Cheating on an assessment may also result in your removal from consideration.
You will be evaluated based on your assessment score and the information provided in your resume and supporting documentation. Applicants who receive a score of 85 or higher will be reviewed first, and reviews will continue until 10 qualified applicants have been identified. Applicants who receive a score of 75 or below will not be reviewed.
Your resume and supporting documents will be compared against your responses to the online assessment to determine whether you meet the qualification requirements listed in this announcement. If the information in your application materials does not support your assessment responses, your score may be adjusted and/or you may be removed from 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: 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.
To preview the application questionnaire, click the following link: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/13040716
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.
- Employees applying with an interchange agreement must provide proof of their permanent appointment.
- A copy of your latest yearly performance appraisal/evaluation.
- 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.
- Professional Certification/License
We cannot be held responsible for incompatible software, delays in mail service, applicant application errors, etc.
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:
- Click the Apply Online button.
- Answer the questions presented in the application and attach all necessary supporting documentation.
- Click the Submit Application button prior to 11:59 PM (ET) on the announcement closing date.
- 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 about two (2) 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 update your application, including supporting documentation: During the announcement open period, return to your USAJOBS account, find your application record, and click Edit my application. This option will no longer be available once the announcement has closed.
To view the announcement status or your application status: Visit https://help.usajobs.gov/how-to/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.
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.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 08/25/2026.
If applicable see Notice for Preference Eligible Veterans Applicants 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.