Administrative Officer

Summary

This position is located within the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Agricultural Research Service (ARS). The location of this position will be determined upon selection.

In this position, you will serve as a personal assistant to the Research Leader and other professional staff providing various secretarial, administrative, and program support duties, allowing them to focus on the organization's primary mission.

Duties

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• Participates in program planning support work such as research project coordination, travel documentation, budget coordination/tracking, agreements, and purchasing/procurement of supplies and equipment, and human resources administration.
• Serves as the primary administrative business process point of contact for the Unit.
• Performs various tasks using on-line systems.
• Prepares graphics, photos/slides, creates tables and graphs based on statistical data for Research Leader and professional staff.
• Coordinates the processing of manuscripts and reports for public information; edits material for correct structure, clarity and arrangement of format for scientific journals and other media.
• Develops and implements new systems or administrative processes to meet Unit needs.
• May serve on special committees or special projects.

Qualifications

Applicants must meet all qualifications and eligibility requirements by the closing date of the announcement 11/19/2026 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: Specialized experience is experience directly related to the position to be filled. Specialized experience must be described for each grade level advertised. The specialized experience requirements for this position are:

GS-09

Qualifying experience for GS-09 includes 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 experience performing administrative duties including producing and reviewing official documentation or reports; participating in budget or financial management, human resources, contracting or procurement, or facility management activities.

OR

Education: Master's or equivalent graduate degree or 2 full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree or LL.B. or JD., if related. Related degrees may include business administration, business management, project management, or human resources.

OR

A combination of specialized experience and graduate education as described above.

GS-11

Qualifying experience for GS-11 includes one year of specialized experience comparable to GS-09 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 coordinating administrative procedures related to human resources, budgets and facility management; managing contracting or procurement actions; and evaluating and developing administrative management policies, procedures, or operations.

OR

Education: Successful completion of three (3) years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. or Ph.D. equivalent doctoral degree, or LL.M., if directly related. Related degrees may include business administration, business management, project management, or human resources.

OR

A combination of education and specialized experience as described above.

GS-12

Qualifying experience for GS-12 includes one year of specialized experience comparable to GS-11 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 experience providing leadership and oversight to an administrative team; managing all phases of budget formulation and execution; advising management on human resources laws and regulations; and developing business plans to meet administrative requirements for an organization.

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.

Education

This position does not have an education qualification requirement.

This position is being concurrently announced under Delegated Examining Announcement Number ARS-S27Y-[redacted]-NW. This announcement is open to all qualified candidates. Applying to both announcements may expand the possibilities of consideration since different referral criteria apply to each type of announcement. See the above announcement for more information.

Recruitment or Relocation Incentive may be authorized. The final determination to pay an incentive will be made by the hiring official at the time of job offer.

If you are selected for a position with further promotion potential, you will be placed under a career development plan, and may be non-competitively promoted if you successfully complete the requirements and if recommended by management. However, promotion is neither implied nor guaranteed

This position may also be eligible for flexible work arrangements as determined by agency policy and any applicable collective bargaining agreements.

Additional information

Salary Information:

• Adams, OR - $61,722 - $116,362
• Albany, CA - $77,161 - $145,468
• Boise, ID - $61,722 - $116,362
• Clay Center, NE - $61,722 - $116,362
• College Station, TX - $61,722 - $116,362
• Corvallis, OR - $66,505 - $125,378
• Davis, CA - $68,419 - $128,987
• Fargo, ND - $61,722 - $116,362
• Fayetteville, AR - $61,722 - $116,362
• Fort Pierce, FL - $65,735 - $123,927
• Gainesville, FL - $61,722 - $116,362
• Griffin, GA - $65,271 - $123,052
• Houston, TX - $71,181 - $134,195
• Kearneysville, WV - $70,623 - $133,142
• Lubbock, TX - $61,722 - $116,362
• Maricopa, AZ - $64,564 - $121,720
• Mississippi St ate - $61,722 - $116,362
• New Orleans, LA- $61,722 - $116,362
• Poplarville, MS - $61,722 - $116,362
• St Paul, MN - $67,290 - $126,859
• Stoneville, MS - $61,722 - $116,362
• Temple, TX - $61,722 - $116,362
• Tucson, AZ - $62,893 - $118,569
• Washington DC - $70,623 - $133,142

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.

Benefits

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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.

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.