JobSummary

This position is located within DHS, FEMA, Region 1, Mitigation Division Office located in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The ideal candidate for this position will have entry level experience in the administration of the National Flood Insurance Program at the local, State, Tribal, or Federal Level and the ability to communicate to stakeholders concerning complex and technical issues and experience conducting research and drafting technical findings.

LowGrade

HighGrade

PromotionPotential

OrganizationCodes

HS/HSCB

Relocation

False

HiringPath

fed-transition
public

TotalOpenings

AgencyMarketingStatement

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is calling on those who want to help protect American interests and secure our Nation. DHS Components work collectively to prevent terrorism; secure borders and our transportation systems; protect the President and other dignitaries; enforce and administer immigration laws; safeguard cyberspace; and ensure resilience to disasters. We achieve these vital missions through a diverse workforce spanning hundreds of occupations. Make an impact; join DHS. FEMA is calling all problem-solvers, relationship builders, and humanitarians! FEMA is a mission-driven, people-focused Agency. Our mission is to help people before, during, and after disasters. We coordinate with other federal, state, local, tribal, and territorial partners to make sure America is equipped to prepare for and respond to disasters. At FEMA we strive to reflect the diversity of the communities we serve. We are looking for citizens capable of bringing diverse perspective of thought, experience, or culture to help us achieve our mission. Everyday FEMA employees are inspired by that mission and are working tirelessly to make a difference. Come join us in a rewarding career where you can help make our nation safer, stronger, and more prepared! Visit www.careers.fema.gov for more information.

TravelCode

ApplyOnlineUrl

https://apply.usastaffing.gov/Application/Apply

DetailStatusUrl

https://apply.usastaffing.gov/Application/ApplicationStatus

MajorDuties

What will I do in this position if hired? In this position, you will communicate with stakeholders concerning complex and technical issues, conduct research and draft technical findings. Typical assignments include: Conducting NFIP coordination, compliance support, training, and technical assistance to assigned state(s) through direct engagement with property owners, local/Tribal/State elected and land-use officials. Serving as a regional functional program expert in floodplain management activities. Enrolling communities in the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) and reviewing community compliance with other related programs and legislation. Engaging in outreach activities and serving as a spokesperson to promote an understanding of floodplain management and flood mitigation measures. Performing technical writing functions, requiring substantial knowledge of the various areas of floodplain management, flood insurance, emergency management, and of the specialized terminology required. What else do I need to know? At FEMA, our mission is to help people before, during and after disasters, and every employee at FEMA has a role in emergency management. Every FEMA employee has regular and recurring emergency management responsibilities, though not every position requires routine deployment to disaster sites. All positions are subject to recall around the clock for emergency management operations, which may require irregular work hours, work at locations other than the official duty station, and may include duties other than those specified in the employee's official position description. Travel requirements in support of emergency operations may be extensive in nature (weeks to months), with little advance notice, and may require employees to relocate to emergency sites with physically austere and operationally challenging conditions. FEMA is committed to ensuring that its workforce reflects the diversity of the nation. At FEMA, our workforce includes the many identities, races, ethnicities, backgrounds, abilities, ages, cultures, and beliefs of the people we serve. To learn about FEMA's ongoing diversity and inclusion efforts, reasonable accommodation process, and the FEMA Core Values, please visit www.fema.gov. Promotion Potential: Future promotions will be dependent on your ability to perform the duties at a higher level, the continuing need for an employee assigned to the higher level, and administrative approval.

Education

Education substitution: This position permits applicants to qualify based on education (or a combination of education and experience), as outlined in the "requirements" section. If you are using education to qualify, you must submit a copy of your transcripts (unofficial are acceptable) with your online application. Once selected and prior to appointment, applicants must provide official college transcripts. Education completed in foreign colleges or universities may be used to meet Federal qualification requirements if you can show that your foreign education is comparable to education received in accredited educational institutions in the United States. For example, specific courses accepted for college-level credit by an accredited U.S. college or university, or foreign education evaluated by an organization recognized for accreditation by the Department of Education as education equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. college or university. It is your responsibility to provide such evidence with your application. Visit the Department of Education's Recognition of Foreign Qualifications for more information.

Requirements

To ensure the accomplishment of our mission, DHS requires every employee to be reliable and trustworthy. To meet those standards, all selected applicants must undergo, successfully pass, and maintain a background investigation for Public Trust as a condition of placement into this position. This may include a credit check after initial job qualifications are determined, a review of financial issues, such as delinquency in the payment of debts, child support and/or tax obligations, as well as certain criminal offenses and illegal use or possession of drugs (please visit: Mythbuster on Federal Hiring Policies for additional information). For more information on background investigations for Federal jobs please visit OPM Investigations. Please ensure you meet the qualification requirements described below. Key Requirements: You must be a U.S. citizen to apply for this position. You must successfully pass a background investigation. Selective Service registration required. Current federal employees must meet time-in-grade requirements. You must be able to obtain and maintain a Government credit card. You must be able to deploy with little or no advance notice to anywhere in the United States and its territories for an extended period of time. Please review the Additional Information section for additional key requirements.

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, & your responses to all assessments required for this position. You will be assessed on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities, & other characteristics): Attention to Detail Communication Customer Service Flexibility Integrity/Honesty Interpersonal Skills Learning Reading Comprehension Representing the Agency Self-Management Stress Tolerance Teamwork Technical Proficiency Overstating your qualifications &/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. If you meet the minimum qualifications, you will be placed in one of the following categories: Best Qualified: Applicants possessing experience that substantially exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position & demonstrate high proficiency in all of the critical competencies, including all Selective Placement Factors (SPF), & appropriate Quality Ranking Factors (QRF) as determined by the job analysis. Well Qualified: Applicants possessing experience that exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position & demonstrates acceptable proficiency in all of the critical competencies, including all SPF's & appropriate QRFs as determined by the job analysis. Qualified: Applicants possessing experience that meets the minimum qualifications of the position & demonstrate basic proficiency in most of the critical competencies, including all SPFs & appropriate QRFs as determined by the job analysis. If you are best qualified, you may be referred to the hiring manager for consideration & may be contacted for an interview. We recommend that you preview the online questions for this announcement before you start the application process. https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12643650Veterans: Qualified veterans who have a compensable service-connected disability of at least 10% are listed in the best-qualified category, except when the position being filled is scientific or professional at the GS-09 grade level, or higher. This position is not considered scientific/professional. Other 10-point preference eligibles & veterans with 5-point preference who meet the eligibility & qualification requirements are placed above non-preference eligibles within the category in which they qualify. View information on veterans' preference. Interagency/Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP/CTAP) Eligibles: If you have never worked for the federal government, you are not ICTAP/CTAP eligible. View information about ICTAP/CTAP eligibility on OPM's Career Transition Resources website. To receive selection priority for this position, you must: 1) meet eligibility criteria for CTAP or ICTAP; 2) be rated well-qualified for the position; &, 3) submit the appropriate documentation to support your CTAP or ICTAP eligibility (see "Required Documents" section of this announcement). Well-Qualified is defined as those applicants who are rated with a minimum score of 85.00 for this position.

HowToApply

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 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. Reasonable Accommodation (RA) Requests: If you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended that interferes with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessment, you may request a RA in your online application. Requests and supporting documentation for a RA must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Assessment. Decisions for a RA are made on a case-by-case basis. If your RA request is approved and you meet minimum qualifications, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Assessment. If you receive the USA Hire URL link after the close of the announcement, you must complete all assessments within 48 hours. To determine if you need a RA, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments. For more general information, system requirements, reasonable accommodation information, and to request assistance regarding the USA Hire Assessments, review the USA Hire Assessments Resources. If you have questions about this announcement or the application process, please contact the Human Resources Specialist listed in the Agency Contact Information prior to the close of the announcement. 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: Review your job status on your Application Dashboard. Your application dashboard 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.

WhatToExpectNext

Once you submit your application, we will assess your experience and training, identify the best-qualified applicants, and refer those applications to the hiring manager for further consideration and possible interviews. We will notify you by email after each of these steps has been completed. If you are selected, you will be notified by phone or email with a tentative job offer. If you fail to respond, fail to meet the conditions of employment, or fail any other pre-employment requirements (such as the background investigation), we may rescind a tentative job offer. For information on the Federal employment application process, please visit the USA Jobs Help Center. Any offers of employment made pursuant to this announcement will be consistent with all applicable authorities, including Presidential Memoranda, Executive Orders, interpretive U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) guidance and U.S. Office of Management and Budget plans and policies concerning hiring. These authorities are subject to change. The OPM must authorize employment offers made to current or former political appointees. If you are currently, or have been within the last 5 years, a political Schedule A, Schedule C, Non-career SES or Presidential Appointee employee in the Executive Branch, you must disclose this information to the Human Resources Office.

RequiredDocuments

Do not include any photos, personally identifying information (PII) (including birthday and social security numbers), or personal information such as age, gender, religious affiliation, medical history, etc. Resumes that include any of this information will be disqualified. You must provide the following supporting documentation for your application package, including: Resume. Please limit your resume to five pages. If more than five pages are submitted, only the first five pages will be reviewed to determine your eligibility and qualifications. For resume writing guidance, please review the requirements section of this announcement or visit the USAJobs Resource Center. Responses to the job questionnaire. You will be directed to the online job questionnaire once you begin the application process. Are you qualifying based on education? Submit a copy of your college transcript (unofficial is acceptable) from an accredited institution. Once selected and prior to appointment, applicants must provide an official college transcript. Are you a veteran? Submit Member Copy 4 of your DD-214 or other (Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty) and/or documentation of service-connected disability. If applying based on eligibility under the Veterans Opportunity to Work (VOW) Act, you must submit certification from the Armed Forces that you will be discharged or released from active duty within 120 days from the date on the certification. Certifications must be on letterhead of the appropriate military branch and contain (1) the military service dates including the expected discharge or release date; and (2) the character of service (e.g. honorable, dishonorable, general etc.). View more veterans' information. Are you a current or former federal employee? You will need to upload an SF-50 that demonstrates your experience at the next lower grade level. We recommend submitting a promotion with an effective date more than one year (1) year old or Within-Grade-Increase at the highest grade held. Award SF-50's do not include all the required information and will not be accepted. Are you claiming special priority selection rights under the Interagency/Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP/CTAP)? Submit copies of your: Agency Notice Most recent performance rating, and Most recent SF-50, Notification of personnel Action, noting your current position, grade level and duty location.

Benefits

BenefitsUrl

https://www.dhs.gov/homeland-security-careers/benefits

OtherInformation

If you receive a conditional offer of employment for this position, you will be required to complete an Optional Form 306, Declaration for Federal Employment, and to sign and certify the accuracy of all information in your application, prior to entry on duty. False statements on any part of the application may result in withdrawal of offer of employment, dismissal after beginning work, fine, or imprisonment. The Fair Chance to Compete for Jobs Act prohibits the Department of Homeland Security and its Components from requesting an applicant's criminal history record before that individual receives a conditional offer of employment. In accordance with 5 U.S. Code * 9202(c) and 5 C.F.R * 920.201 certain positions are exempt from the provisions of the Fair Chance to Compete Act. Applicants who believe they have been subjected to a violation of the Fair Chance to Compete for Jobs Act, may submit a written complaint to FEMA-Misconduct@fema.dhs.gov. DHS uses E-verify, an internet based system, to confirm the eligibility of all newly hired employees to work in the United States. Learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities. The Department of Homeland Security encourages persons with disabilities to apply, to include persons with intellectual, severe physical or psychiatric disabilities, as defined by 5 CFR * 213.3102(u), and/or Disabled Veterans with a compensable service-connected disability of 30 percent or more as defined by 5 CFR * 315.707. Veterans, Peace Corps/VISTA volunteers, and persons with disabilities possess a wealth of unique talents, experiences, and competencies that can be invaluable to the DHS mission. If you are a member of one of these groups, you may not have to compete with the public for federal jobs. To determine your eligibility for non-competitive appointment and to understand the required documentation, click on the links above or contact the Servicing Human Resources Office listed at the bottom of this announcement. A one-year probationary period is required for new Federal competitive service employees and new supervisors and managers. Applying to this announcement certifies that you give permission for DHS to share your application with others in DHS for similar positions. During the application process you will have an option to opt-in to make your resume available to hiring managers in the agency who have similar positions. Opting in does not impact your application for this announcement, nor does it guarantee further consideration for additional positions. This is a Bargaining Unit position. Interview Requirement: Interviews may be required for this position. Failure to complete the interview may result in removal from consideration. The USA Hire Assessments includes a cut score based on the minimum level of required proficiency in these critical general competencies. You must meet or exceed the cut score to be considered. You will not be considered for the position if you score below the cut score or fail to complete the assessment.

KeyRequirements

WithinArea

False

CommuteDistance

ServiceType

AnnouncementClosingType

AnnouncementClosingTypeOption

100

AgencyContactEmail

emily.montoya@fema.dhs.gov

AgencyContactPhone

000-000-0000

SecurityClearance

Not Required

DrugTestRequired

False

PositionSensitivitiy

Moderate Risk (MR)

AdjudicationType

Suitability/Fitness