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-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/
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
GS-09 level:
SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: You must possess one full year (52 weeks) of specialized experience equivalent to the
GS-07 in the Federal service. Specialized experience is defined as:
-Assisting with researching and analyzing financial, statistical, economic, and/or accounting data and information; and
-Assisting with the analysis of investigation/compliance cases, regulations, agreements and/or monitoring programs.
-OR-
SUBSTITUTION OF 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 J.D., if related
-OR-
COMBINATION OF EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE: Only graduate education in excess of one year is qualifying for combination.
To qualify at the
GS-11 level:
SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: You must possess one full year (52 weeks) of specialized experience equivalent to the
GS-09 in the Federal service. Specialized experience is defined as:
-Applying a wide range of methods, principles, and practices while performing investigative or compliance activities; and,
- Assisting in identifying compliance procedural or regulatory violations pertaining to matters such as export/import licensing, telecommunications licensing, and/or authorizations.
-OR-
Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree
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: Only graduate education in excess of the first two years is qualifying for a combination.
To qualify at the
GS-12 level:
SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: You must possess one full year (52 weeks) of specialized experience equivalent to the
GS-11 in the Federal service. Specialized experience is defined as:
-Advising management on compliance procedural or regulatory matters such as, export/import licensing, telecommunications licensing, and/or other federal or state regulatory authorizations; and
-Researching, analyzing, interpreting, and verifying financial, statistical, economic, and/or commercial trade data and information.