Summary This position is located in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), National Ocean Service (NOS), Office of National Marine Sanctuaries (ONMS) with two vacancies in Silver Spring, MD; Scituate, MA; Newport News, VA, Key West, FL; Alpena, MI; San Francisco, CA; Monterey, CA; Honolulu, HI; Galveston, TX; or Port Angeles, WA. Please select only your top 3 duty locations. Responsibilities This position is also announced under vacancy number NOS ONMS-24-12285776-ST, which is open to Status Candidates. You must apply to both announcements if you want to be considered for both. As a Program Analyst, you will perform the following duties: Serve as a policy and planning authority and lead, formulate, plan, and administer federal actions, policies, guidance, and regulations pursuant to the National Marine Sanctuaries Act and the National Environmental Policy Act. Serve as a project manager to support the development of project management schedules and timelines for projects, and ensure timelines for completion of key milestones are met. Conduct complex analysis to identify ways to increase the effectiveness and efficiency of the National Marine Sanctuaries Act and implementing regulations. Assess management information and requirements to influence mission and administrative reporting systems including systems requirements, data gathering and analytical techniques, data evaluation, and reporting methodology. Oversee preparation of agency and policy documents, including regulations and environmental compliance documents. Prepare and coordinate briefings, special reports, and responses to data requests for use by the Division chief and Office of National Marine Sanctuaries (ONMS) leadership. Use data from a variety of sources to prepare and provide factual data, recommendations and briefing material to Division chief and ONMS leadership for use in program planning and policy decisions. Identify benchmarking opportunities for continuous improvement, and provide management with recommendations for adaptation to the organization. Ensure that priority actions associated with system expansion and management plan review initiatives are executed effectively and efficiently. Analyze new, updated, or established policy, legislation, regulations, and executive orders to determine and advise on their impacts on ONMS operations and management. Identify and define major issues. Develop sources of information, review appropriate source materials, and perform analyses of issues. NOTE: These duties are described at the full performance level of the ZA-4; the ZA-3 is developmental leading to such performance. Requirements Conditions of Employment This position will be filled under the DOC Alternative Personnel System (CAPS). This system replaced the Federal GS pay plan and structure. Under CAPS, positions are classified by career, pay plan, and pay band. The ZA-3 is equivalent to the GS-11/12. The ZA-4 is equivalent to the GS-13/14. NOTE: * A one year probationary period may be required. * Payment of relocation expenses is not authorized. * This position is not in the bargaining unit. Key Requirements: Applicants must be U.S. Citizens. Suitable for Federal employment, as determined by background investigation. More requirements are listed under Qualifications and Other Information. Must be registered for Selective Service, if applicable (www.sss.gov) Are There Any Special Requirements For This Position? This vacancy is limited to the first 75 applications received and will close at midnight Eastern Time on the day this application limit is reached regardless of the closing date specified in this vacancy announcement. Any application received prior to midnight Eastern Time of the day the application limit is reached will be accepted and considered. You are strongly encouraged to submit all required supporting documents at the time of application should the vacancy close earlier than stated in this announcement due to the applicant limit being reached. Supporting documents will not be accepted once the vacancy announcement closes. A background investigation will be required for this position. Continued employment will be subject to the applicant's successful completion of a background security investigation and favorable adjudication. Failure to successfully meet these requirements will be grounds for termination. Throughout the recruitment and hiring process we will be communicating with you via email; therefore, it is imperative that the email address you provide when applying for this vacancy remains active. Should your email address change, please notify the point of contact identified in the vacancy announcement as soon as possible so that we can update our system. Qualifications Qualification requirements in the vacancy announcements are based on the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Qualification Standards Handbook, which contains federal qualification standards. This handbook is available on the Office of Personnel Management's website located at: https://www.opm.gov/policy. EDUCATION: There is no positive education requirement for this position. SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: Applicants must possess one year of specialized experience equivalent in difficulty and responsibility to the next lower grade level in the Federal Service. Specialized experience is experience that has equipped the applicant with the particular competencies/knowledge, skills and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position. This experience need not have been in the federal government. 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. To qualify at the ZA-3 or GS-11 level: SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: Applicants must possess one full year (52 weeks) of specialized experience equivalent to the ZA-2 or GS-09 in the Federal service. Specialized experience MUST include all of the following: Implementing policies or programs to meet environmental resource protection goals; and Participating in the analysis of administrative or programmatic procedures or policy for the operations of a science-based program. OR SUBSTITUTION OF EDUCATION: Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree in a related field, or 3 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree or LL.M., if related. OR COMBINATION OF EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE: An equivalent combination of education and experience as described above. Note: Only graduate education in excess of two years if qualifying for combination. To qualify at the ZA-4 or GS-13 level: SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: Applicants must possess one full year (52 weeks) of specialized experience equivalent to the ZA-3 or GS-12 in the Federal service. Specialized experience MUST include all of the following: Performing policy and program analysis to develop or provide recommendations to address policy, administrative and programmatic goals or issues; Coordinating meetings, briefings and project tasks in order to meet timeliness and efficiency standards for fulfilling operational goals; and Preparing documents related to policy and regulations for environmental resource protection. Education College Transcript: If you are qualifying based on education, submit a copy of your college transcript that lists college courses detailing each course by the number and department (i.e., Bio 101, Math 210, etc.), course title, number of credit hours and grade earned. You must submit evidence that any education completed in a foreign institution is equivalent to U.S. education standards with your resume. You may submit an unofficial copy of the transcript at the initial phase of the application process. If course content cannot be easily identified from the title of the course as listed on your transcript, you must submit an official course description from the college/university that reflects the content at the time the course was taken. Note: Your college transcript is used to verify successful completion of degree, or college course work. An official college transcript will be required before you can report to duty. Education completed in colleges or universities outside the United States may be used to meet the above requirements. You must provide acceptable documentation that the foreign education is comparable to that received in an accredited educational institution in the United States. For more information on how foreign education is evaluated, visit: OPM Foreign Education Evaluation Additional Information CTAP and ICTAP candidates will be eligible for selection priority if it is determined that they have exceeded the minimum qualifications for the position by attaining at least a rating of 85 out of 100. Information about ICTAP eligibility is on the Office of Personnel Management's Career Transition Resources website at: Employee Guide to Career Transition CTAP applicants MUST submit the following documents: A copy of your specific RIF notice; notice of proposed removal for failure to relocate; a Certificate of Expected Separation (CES); or certification that you are in a surplus organization or occupation (this could be a position abolishment letter, a notice eligibility for discontinued service retirement, or similar notice). A copy of your SF-50 "Notification of Personnel Action", noting current position, grade level, and duty location; A copy of your latest performance appraisal including your rating; and Any documentation from your agency that shows your current promotion potential. ICTAP applicants MUST submit the following documents: A copy of your RIF separation notice; notice of proposed removal for failure to relocate; notice of disability annuity termination; certification from your former agency that it cannot place you after your recovery from a compensable injury; or certification from the National Guard Bureau or Military Department that you are eligible for disability retirement; A copy of your SF-50 "Notification of Personnel Action" documenting your RIF separation, noting your positions, grade level, and duty location, and/or Agency certification of inability to place you through RPL, etc; A copy of your latest performance appraisal including your rating; and Any documentation from your agency that shows your current promotion potential. NOAA participates in e-Verify. E-Verify is an Internet based system operated by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in partnership with the Social Security Administration (SSA) that enables participating employers to electronically verify the employment eligibility of their newly hired employees.