Administrative Operations Specialist

Summary

NIST is seeking highly motivated Administrative Officers to support critical scientific, technical, and operational programs through strategic coordination of administrative and business operations. These positions play a key role in ensuring effective financial management, workforce support, acquisitions, travel, and organizational operations that enable mission success, informed decision-making, and efficient execution of program objectives across the organization.

Learn more about this agency

Duties

Help

In this position, you will:

- Coordinate and manage administrative and operational activities in support of organizational programs, priorities, and mission objectives.

- Administer and monitor budget and financial activities, including tracking expenditures, analyzing funding usage, and supporting budget planning and execution.

- Advise managers and staff on administrative policies, procedures, and organizational processes related to acquisitions, travel, human resources, financial management, and other operational activities.

- Prepare and coordinate acquisition requests, interagency agreements, travel actions, and other administrative transactions in accordance with agency policies and regulations.

- Analyze administrative processes, identify operational issues, and develop recommendations or solutions to improve efficiency and effectiveness.

- Utilize automated systems, databases, spreadsheets, and reporting tools to track, analyze, and communicate organizational and financial information.

- Coordinate with internal and external stakeholders to support organizational operations, resolve issues, and ensure timely completion of administrative activities.

- Independently manage multiple priorities and provide responsive administrative support in a fast-paced and dynamic environment.

Requirements

Help

Conditions of employment

• U.S. citizenship
• Males born after 12-31-59 must be registered for Selective Service
• Suitable for Federal employment
• Merit applicants must meet time-in-grade/band requirements, as applicable
• Bargaining Unit Position: No

Qualifications

To qualify for the ZA-II, applicants must possess one of the following:

A. Possess one year (52 weeks) of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-07 (ZA-I at NIST) level.

Specialized experience is defined as:

- Experience providing administrative and operational support for an organization, including activities related to budget tracking, travel coordination, acquisitions, human resources support, property management, records management, or other administrative program functions.

- Experience coordinating multiple administrative activities, applying organizational policies and procedures, and communicating with managers, staff, and stakeholders.

OR

B. master's or equivalent graduate degree

OR

C. two full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree

OR

D. LL.B. or J.D.

OR

E. A combination of graduate education and experience.

To Qualify for the ZA-III, applicants must possess one year (52 weeks) of specialized equivalent to at least the GS-11 (ZA-II at NIST) level.

Specialized experience is defined as:

- Experience independently coordinating and managing administrative and operational functions for an organization, including budget planning and execution, financial management, acquisitions, travel management, human resources administration, property management, and other organizational support activities.

- Experience coordinating multiple administrative activities, applying organizational policies and procedures, and communicating with managers, staff, and stakeholders.

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.

The qualification requirements in this vacancy announcement are based on the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Qualification Standards Handbook.

If requesting reconsideration of your qualification determination, please refer to the following site: Applicant Reconsideration

Education

This position allows applicants to qualify with education . Transcripts must be submitted to validate that the education requirement has been met. Unofficial transcripts will be accepted in the application package. However, an official copy will be required before a final offer of employment.

Use of foreign education for qualifications. An accredited organization must evaluate education completed outside of the U.S. to ensure that it is comparable to education received in accredited institutions in the U.S. Click here to view a listing of accredited organizations from the Department of Education's website. A copy of the foreign education evaluation (containing the results with course-by-course listing) is required with your application.

Additional information

This position is covered under NIST's Alternative Personnel Management System (APMS), a pay-for-performance system with excellent HR flexibilities to help NIST recruit and retain top talent Learn more about the APMS here!

• We may share your application package with other selecting officials. Additional selections may be made through this vacancy.
• Click all links in this vacancy announcement to view additional information or instructions.
• You MUST select at least ONE ELIGIBILITY to be considered for this position.
• All documents submitted for this announcement must be legible to make qualification or eligibility determinations.

• A probationary period may be required.

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 here: Reasonable Accommodation Overview - Agency Resource Center

NIST strives to build a flexible and encouraging work environment to bring out the best in our employees. To help our employees balance responsibilities at home and at work, NIST offers a variety of work-life flexibilities. For more information, please visit our Careers website.

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

Help

A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.

Review our benefits

Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.