Secretary (Office Automation)

Summary

This position is located in the National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility (NBAF), USDA, located in Manhattan, Kansas. The position is located in the NBAF Director's office and you will serve as a personal assistant to the NBAF Director. You will coordinate work with Research units, the Area Director's office, other ARS Research Centers and the Office of National Programs (ONP). USDA employees: Please refer to the Next Steps section.

Duties

• Serves as confidential assistant and provides procedural, clerical, program and coordination support to the NBAF Director.
• Reviews all incoming directives, regulations, correspondence, and publications in the Director’s office; and determines those that can be acted upon personally and tasks necessary action.
• Receives and reviews all incoming mail and phone calls for the Director, and uses independent judgment in handling important business and high profile visitors/phone calls or directs them to the attention of the Director.
• Maintains the Director’s daily calendar, scheduling appointments/arranging conferences/meetings without specific prior approval and based on personal knowledge of the Director’s workload and current issues of importance.

Qualifications

Applicants must meet all qualifications and eligibility requirements by the closing date of the announcement including time-in-grade restrictions, specialized experience and/or education, as defined below. Time in Grade: Current federal employees applying for a promotion opportunity must meet the time in grade requirement of 52 weeks of service at the next lower grade level in the normal line of progression for the position being filled. Specialized Experience: Applicant must have one year of specialized experience comparable to GS-07 which is directly related to the work of this position, and which has equipped the applicant with the knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position. For this position, specialized experience is performing secretarial and administrative support functions including coordinating meetings or conferences; arranging travel for an office; composing or managing correspondence for an office and ensuring conformance to policies and procedures; and receiving or directing phone calls or visitors for an office. In addition to meeting experience requirements, applicants must be able to type at least 40 words per minute. 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 and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.