Lead Management & Program Analyst - Federal Student Aid

Job Title:Lead Management & Program Analyst, GS-0343-14 (All Sources)
Department:Department Of Education
Agency:Federal Student Aid
Job Announcement Number:FSA-2013-0050
SALARY RANGE: $105,211.00 to $136,771.00 / Per Year
OPEN PERIOD: Monday, March 18, 2013 to Friday, March 29, 2013
SERIES & GRADE: GS-0343-14
POSITION INFORMATION: Full time - Permanent
PROMOTION POTENTIAL:14
DUTY LOCATIONS: 1 vacancy in the following location:
District Of Columbia County, DC, USView Map
WHO MAY APPLY: One or more vacancies may be filled through this announcement.

The area of consideration for this position is "All Recruiting Sources" for all U.S. citizens. Announcement FSA-2013-0075 is open concurrently with an area of consideration of "Federal Agencies" for status candidates.
Applicants eligible for appointment under special appointing authorities  (i.e. VEOA, Sch. A, etc) should also apply under announcement FSA-2013-0075.

JOB SUMMARY:
Join our Team! Federal Student Aid (FSA) is Funding America's Future, One Student At A Time Vision: To be most trusted and reliable source of student financial aid, information and services in the nation

How would you like to work for the largest organization within the Department of Education (ED) with approximately 1,200 employees located in Washington, DC and in 10 regional offices throughout the United States?  That organization is the office of Federal Student Aid (FSA).  FSA is the largest provider of student financial aid in the nation, providing more than $150 billion each year in grants, loans, and work-study funds to 15 million students attending college or career school. FSA is also responsible for managing or overseeing $948 billion in outstanding loans - representing 163 million student loans to more than 38 million borrowers.   Just think: you will be among a team of experts who are responsible for helping millions of students achieve their goals.  At Federal Student Aid, we are proud to sponsor millions of American minds pursuing higher education.  Every part of our team from student aid delivery and servicing operations to vendor and contract management to budgeting and cost control plays an essential role in achieving our mission.

This position is located in the Office of Federal Student Aid (FSA), Program Compliance, Performance Improvement and Procedures Service Group (PIPSG).  FSA is responsible for administering all aspects of the operations for the student financial assistance programs authorized under Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965.  The Program Compliance Office is responsible for administering a program of monitoring and oversight of the institutions (i.e., schools, guaranty agencies, lenders, and servicers) participating in the Title IV programs. PIPSG provides support to Business Units through the development and review of policy, procedure development and refinement, training, and resolution of difficult matters.

The Lead Management and Program Analyst will lead a staff of approximately 7 employees consisting of Management and Program Analyst to analyze issues and advise management on the evaluation of program operations.   The Leader will assist the team through knowledge and application of leadership and team building skills such as group facilitation, consensus building, coordination, coaching, problem solving, interpersonal communication, integration of work processes and products, obtaining resources, liaison with the supervisor, and train or arrange for the training of team members.



KEY REQUIREMENTS

You must be a U.S. Citizen. Drug Testing (if applicable).
Must complete a Background Investigation and fingerprint check.
Must complete a One-year Probationary Period. Security Clearance.
Relocation Expenses will not be paid. Financial Disclosure.
Driver License. Approximately 1 night of over/night travel per month.
DUTIES:
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As a Lead Management and Program Analyst, you are a valued member of a dynamic team.  You are in a key role from day one and your work has visible impact.  You will lead a staff that analyzes issues and advises management on the evaluation of program operations.  You will develop plans for project teams; analyze and evaluate established goals and objectives; and maintain a workflow tracking system.  Monitor the status of work in progress, and make adjustments with established priorities.  You will perform or arrange internal training for team members; develop and analyze management information requirements; and develop, analyze, maintain, and evaluate new or modified policies, regulations, goals, or objectives for oversight of schools and financial institutions.  You will develop procedures and systems of programs and management processes; research, write and develop new procedures and update current procedures.  Monitor changes to Title IV laws and regulations, determine the impact and coordinate with staff in other Department of Education offices and institutions.  Lead internal and external audits and evaluate and report to management the impact of statutory/regulatory changes on procedures .



QUALIFICATIONS REQUIRED:
All qualified candidates must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-13 level in federal service.

Examples of such experience include: performing quantitative and qualitative analyses of the effectiveness of program operations in meeting goals and objectives; evaluating organizational structures, methods, and procedures; analyzing, developing, and evaluating new or changed program or management policies, regulations, goals or objectives; analyzing management information requirements; and developing procedures and systems for assessing the effectiveness of programs or management processes.
APPLICANTS MUST MEET QUALIFICATIONS REQUIREMENTS BY THE CLOSING DATE OF THIS VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENT.
SELECTIVE FACTOR:

You must have experience working with legislation, regulations, and policy for the Title IV Federal Student Aid Programs.

CANDIDATES WHO DO NOT MEET THE SELECTIVE FACTOR AUTOMATICALLY WILL BE FOUND INELIGIBLE FOR THE POSITION.
HOW YOU WILL BE EVALUATED:
WARNING! High self-assessment in the vacancy questions that is not supported by information in your resume, and/or supporting documents may eliminate you from best-qualified status or result in a lowered score. Your responses to the vacancy questions must be substantiated by your on-line resume.  Be sure that the experience/education as described on your resume contains accurate and sufficient information that clearly supports your responses to all of the questions by addressing experience and education relevant to this position.   If you exaggerate or falsify your experience, education and/or your responses to questions, your ratings can/will be changed, or you may be removed from employment consideration.  You should make a fair and accurate assessment of your qualifications.  Applicants who do not respond to the application questions will be rated ineligible.
Eligible candidates will be placed for selection consideration into three (3) categories as described below:
1 - Qualified Category
2 - Well Qualified Category
3 - Best Qualified Category
Do not overstate or understate your level of experience and capability. You should be aware that your ratings are subject to evaluation and verification.
To perform successfully the duties of this position, applicants are expected to possess the Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSAs) listed below. Your answers to the on-line experience questions will serve as responses to the KSAs.
1. Knowledge of legislation, regulations, policies and procedures governing the administration of Federal Title IV Student Financial Assistance Programs.

2.  Ability to coordinate and lead the tasks of a team.

3.  Skill of using computer programs such as Excel, Access, and Project.

4.  Ability to work across organizational lines and with internal and external customers and partners.


To preview questions please click here.
BENEFITS:
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The Department of Education/Federal Student Aid offers a comprehensive benefits package including paid vacation and sick leave, federal holidays, health and life insurance, and participation in the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS), including the Thrift Savings Plan (TSP).  Click on http://www.opm.gov/insure/index.aspx

 to find out more about federal benefits.

Why Work at ED/FSA?
The U.S. Department of Education (ED)/Federal Student Aid (FSA) is a great place to work. For more detailed information regarding our various work sites, please click on the link below:
http://www.ed.gov/about/jobs/open/edhires/ed-locations.html



As an ED/FSA employee, you will benefit from our family-friendly work environment.  As part of our commitment to maintain a productive balance between work and home, we offer excused leave for Parent/Teacher Conferences (4 hours); excused leave for annual health screenings (4 hours); and matching leave for community volunteer service.  Other incentives such as Telecommuting and Alternative Work Schedules also may be available to you.

ED/FSA offers positions that are fair and competitive in compensation; developmental opportunities to exhibit teamwork and goal-oriented projects to enrich your federal career.


OTHER INFORMATION:
"Veterans interested in receiving tips on preparing a Federal resume and/or how to prepare for an interview, may send an email to Iwork@ed.gov  to schedule an appointment for a session.   Veterans Counseling Session must be placed in the subject line of the email."

The Federal Government is committed to expanding access to employment by hiring people with disabilities; providing technical assistance and information on reasonable accommodations for people with disabilities; and identifying and removing barriers to work.  Persons with disabilities may apply for jobs filled either competitively (where qualified individuals compete with one another through a structured process), noncompetitively (where a qualified individual may be selected based on a special appointing authority), or through an excepted appointing authority for people with disabilities (i.e. Schedule A).  People who are selected for a Federal job must meet the qualification requirements for the position and be able to perform the essential duties of the job with or without reasonable accommodation. For information on "People with Disabilities" please visit http://opm.gov/disability/PeopleWithDisabilities.asp



Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP)- Eligible federal employees who were in positions and who were displaced from their positions may be eligible for selective priority over other candidates, under the ICTAP or the CTAP.  Information about these programs may be found at the following links. In order to qualify, your application must receive a score of 85 in comparison with the knowledge, skills and abilities criteria.  If you believe you are eligible for this special consideration, it is critical that you read the information provided in the links below.
(CTAP) http://www.ed.gov/about/jobs/open/edhires/ctap.html


(ICTAP) http://www.ed.gov/about/jobs/open/edhires/ictap.html

Student Loan Default
Applicants selected for positions are subject to a background check to verify that he or she has not defaulted on any loan funded or guaranteed by the U.S. Department of Education.  Applicants found to be in default will be contacted to make arrangements for repayment prior to being made an official offer of employment.

ADDITIONAL SELECTIONS MAY BE MADE WITHIN 90 DAYS OF THE OPENING DATE OF THIS ANNOUNCEMENT, SHOULD VACANCIES OCCUR.
 
HOW TO APPLY:
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Please carefully read the information provided under the link listed below. The section entitled "How to Apply" provides detailed instructions on faxing your supporting documentation. All required supporting documentation MUST be received by midnight Eastern Time on the closing date of the announcement. You are encouraged to thoroughly review the list of supplement documents required. It is critical to note that many documents may not pertain to you. You are only required to submit those that apply to you. http://www2.ed.gov/about/jobs/open/edhires/appendix.html
REQUIRED DOCUMENTS:
FSA Employees are not required to submit supporting documentation.
Veterans' Preference Documentation (DD214, VA letter, SF-15) Required from applicants if applying for an appointment under special veterans' appointing authority
Education Documentation Submit a copy of your transcripts of courses showing title, number of credits, grade, and date of completion.
AGENCY CONTACT INFO:
Frances Walker
Phone: 202-377-3742
Fax: 202-275-0486
Email: frances.walker@ed.gov
Agency Information:
EDUCATION-OFC OF FEDERAL STUDENT AID
400 Maryland Ave. S.W.
Attn: Human Resources Services
Washington, DC
20202
US
Fax: 202-275-0486