Administrative Specialist (GS-7/11)

Summary

This vacancy is for an Administrative Specialist position with the Department of Commerce, U.S. Census Bureau, duty stationed at multiple Regional Offices. This Job Opportunity Announcement may be used to fill other Administrative Specialist, 0301-7/9/11, FPL GS-11 positions within the Census Bureau in the same geographical location with the same qualifications and specialized experience.

Duties

Plan, organize, direct, and manage the administrative functions of the regional office. Monitor the Program Division Overhead project to ensure that salaries, training, and other object expenditures are within budget. Advise the Regional Director and other officials on human resource management and related issues.

Qualifications

This vacancy is advertised under 2 different announcements. Read the 'Who May Apply' section carefully to determine your eligibility. If you are not eligible under this announcement, please see 27-ADFO-13088229-DE-KL. Specialized Experience: For GS-07, you must have one year of specialized experience at a level of difficulty and responsibility equivalent to the GS-05 in the Federal service. Experience for this position includes providing assistance and performing administrative duties such as time and attendance; assisting in maintaining a filing system necessary for office files and records; responding to inquiries regarding administrative policies and procedures. OR Education: One full year of graduate level education or superior academic achievement. For GS-09, you must have one year of specialized experience at a level of difficulty and responsibility equivalent to the GS-07 grade level in the Federal service. Experience for this position includes applying administrative methods, principles and practices to establish and maintain relationships with management to carry out administrative programs; maintaining a filing system necessary for record keeping; assisting in the implementation of an inventory and supply system; compiling, auditing and recording performance plans and summary ratings; initiating requests for personnel actions; conducting research to answer technical administrative questions; or assisting in the coordination of a safety program. OR Education: Master's or equivalent graduate degree; or 2 full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree; or LL.B. or J.D., if related. For GS-11, you must have one year of specialized experience at a level of difficulty and responsibility equivalent to the GS-09 grade level in the Federal service. Experience for this position includes providing guidance for administrative methods, principles and practices to establish and maintain relationships with management to carry out administrative programs; implementing an inventory and supply system; providing guidance to compile, audit and record performance plans and summary ratings; initiating requests for personnel actions; conducting research to answer technical administrative questions; or assisting in the coordination of a safety program. OR 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. NOTE: Equivalent combinations of education and experience are qualifying for all grade levels for which both education and experience are acceptable. 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. After you submit this application, you will receive an e-mail informing you that a USA Hire assessment is required. You will have 48 hours from the closing date of this announcement, 10/30/2026, to complete the assessment as this assessment is part of your application.

How you will be evaluated

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. The best qualified candidates will be identified for referral to the hiring manager and may be invited for an interview. Online Assessment: Applicants must complete the online USA Hire Competency Based Assessments measuring critical general competencies required to perform the job. Examples used in the assessment may include general situations not directly related to this position. 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. CTAP candidates: CTAP candidates will be eligible for selection priority if it is determined that they have exceeded the minimum qualifications for the position by attaining at least a rating of 85 out of 100. Information about CTAP eligibility is on the Office of Personnel Management's Career Transition Resources website, The Employee's Guide to Career Transition. If you are invited for an interview, you may be asked to bring a copy of your most recent performance appraisal. Due weight shall be given to performance appraisals and awards in accordance with 5 CFR § 335.103(b)(3). You will be assessed on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics): Attention to Detail Customer Service Decision Making Flexibility Integrity/Honesty Interpersonal Skills Learning Reading Comprehension Reasoning Self-Management Stress Tolerance Teamwork We recommend that you preview the online questions for this announcement before you start the application process. Do NOT include the following types of information in your application if included on your resume you will not be considered for this position: Social Security Number (SSN) Date of Birth (DOB) Photos of yourself Personal information: such as age, gender, religious affiliation, etc. To preview the application questionnaire, click the following link: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/13032038.

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 10/30/2026 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. To update your application, including supporting documentation: During the announcement open period, return to your USA JOBS 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 USAJOBS Help Center - How to see your application and job status. Applicants are strongly encouraged to apply online; however, if you are unable to apply online, please email the Agency contact.

Other information

Applicants who apply under this Job Opportunity Announcement may opt-in (at their request) to allow the sharing of their resume, and other associated documents with other Department of Commerce (DOC) Bureaus/Offices who have vacancies within the same occupational series, grade and pay band (or its equivalent), and full performance level in the same duty location or commuting area of the duty location listed on the Job Opportunity Announcement. Additionally, the following link provides information on the hiring authority that may enable you to apply through merit assignment procedures or be eligible for a non-competitive appointment. CTAP Reasonable Accommodation (RA) Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a RA in your online application. Requests for RA for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for RA must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for RA are made on a case-by-case basis. If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, based on your adjudication decision. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments if you received the link after the close of the announcement. To determine if you need a RA, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments. The Department of Commerce also provides reasonable accommodations to applicants with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process, please notify the Human Resources Office. The decision on granting reasonable accommodation will be on a case-by-case basis. TTY users can contact the Human Resources Office via the Federal Relay Service, 1-800-877-8339.