Department: Department of Defense
Location(s): Pentagon, Arlington, Virginia
Salary Range: $85447 - $133142 Per Year
Job Summary: About the Position: This position is assigned to the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Military Community and Family Policy (DASD (MC&FP), Assistant Secretary of Defense for Manpower and Reserve Affairs (M&RA), Office of the Under Secretary of Defense, Personnel and Readiness (USD (P&R)). This position may be eligible for situational telework as determined by the agency policy.
Major Duties:
Qualifications: Who May Apply: U.S. Citizens In order to qualify, you must meet the education and/or experience requirements described below. 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). You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. Your resume must clearly describe your relevant experience; if qualifying based on education, your transcripts will be required as part of your application. Specialized Experience GS-11: One year of specialized experience which includes demonstrating end-to-end ownership of case management and adjudication. This experience should include: adjudicating Tier 1 investigations with extra child care coverage while applying stringent suitability and fitness criteria for roles involving contact with children; processing Tier 2 (Moderate Risk Public Trust) and Tier 3 (Confidential) investigations and evaluating records against federal suitability, fitness, and security standards; and applying risk-management principles, such as Line of Sight Supervision (LOSS) protocols, by skillfully isolating derogatory information requiring escalation or further investigation across all case types. This definition of specialized experience is typical of work performed at the second lower grade/level position in the federal service (GS-09). OR Education GS-11: Ph.D or equivalent doctoral degree or 3 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree or in a field which demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of the position. OR Combination of Education and Experience for GS-11: A combination of education and experience may be used to qualify for this position as long as the computed percentage of the requirements is at least 100%. To compute the percentage of the requirements, divide your total months of experience by 12. Then divide the total number of completed graduate semester hours (or equivalent) beyond the second year (total graduate semester hours minus 36) by 18. Add the two percentages. Specialized Experience GS-12: One year of specialized experience which includes focusing on the case management and initial adjudication of background investigations for personnel in childcare, public trust, and national security positions. This experience should include: managing the intake, initial review, and final adjudication of a diverse caseload including Tier 1, Tier 2, and Tier 3 investigations, culminating in the independent resolution of complex cases with significant derogatory and mitigating information. This experience should also include analyzing adverse information to make risk-based decisions on interim eligibility and Line of Sight Supervision (LOSS) and serving as an authoritative resource for complex questions on national security, public trust suitability, and the stringent standards governing childcare background investigations. This definition of specialized experience is typical of work performed at the next lower grade/level position in the federal service (GS-11). Some federal jobs allow you to substitute your education for the required experience in order to qualify. For this job, you must meet the qualification requirement using experience alone--no substitution of education for experience is permitted.
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. As a reminder, your resume must be two pages or less and must support the specialized experience described in this announcement. Resumes exceeding two pages will be removed from consideration. For additional information, refer to the 'Required Documents' section. To preview the application questionnaire, click the following link: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12901409 Click the Submit Application button prior to 11:59 PM (ET) on 03/16/2026. 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 at least 3 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. For more general information, system requirements, reasonable accommodation information, and to request assistance regarding the USA Hire Assessments, review the following resources: https://help.usastaffing.gov/Apply/index.php?title=USA_Hire_Assessments 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: Click on this: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/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.
Application Deadline: 2026-03-16