SECRETARY (OFFICE AUTOMATION)

Summary

Click on "Learn more about this agency" button below to view Eligibilities being considered and other IMPORTANT information. The primary purpose of this position is: To serve as the principal office assistant performing various clerical and administrative duties in support of the organization, performing office automation support using multiple automated programs and software such as databases, spreadsheets, and graphics in support of the clerical and administrative work.

Duties

• Prepares a wide variety of recurring and some nonrecurring correspondence, reports, and other documents and reviews and finalizes correspondence/documents prepared by others in handwritten or electronic drafts. Composes routine nontechnical correspondence, such as instructions on office procedures, requests for information, and letters of acknowledgment or notification. Reviews and processes incoming and outgoing correspondence, materials, publications, regulations, and directives. Screens incoming mail to identify what needs to be brought to the attention of the supervisor, referred to appropriate staff, rerouted to other organizations/offices, or handled personally. Receives telephone calls, greets visitors, and ascertains the nature of the calls or visits. Based upon knowledge of the organization and its programs and operations, refers telephone calls and visitors to appropriate staff or office. Personally, answers nontechnical requests for information such as status of reports, suspense dates for matters requiring compliance, and similar information readily available from files or from knowledge of organization. Maintains supervisor's calendar, coordinates meeting arrangements, and schedules meetings and/or conferences. Schedules appointments and meetings without prior approval in accordance with supervisor's policies and priorities, and coordinates with the supervisor as necessary. Performs other clerical and administrative work in support of the office/organization. Establishes, updates, and maintains office records of various types that may be needed or will assist in the efficient operation of the office. Provides advice and guidance on clerical and procedural requirements and instructions to other clerical personnel and/or staff members assigned to the organization.

Qualifications

In order to qualify, you must meet the specialized experience requirements described in the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Qualification Standards for General Schedule Clerical and Administrative Support Positions. SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: Applicants must have at least one (1) year of specialized experience at the next lower grade GS-04, or equivalent in other pay systems. Examples of specialized experience includes knowledge of duties, priorities, commitments, policies, and program goals of the organization sufficient to perform nonroutine assignments, such as independently noting and following up on commitments made at meetings/conferences; advising others on preparing correspondence, requirements for various reports, and interpreting new instructions and procedures; or locating and summarizing information from files and documents that requires recognizing which information is or is not relevant to the problem at hand. OR EDUCATION: Four years of education above the high school level obtained in an accredited business, secretarial or technical school, junior college, college, or university. NOTE: You must submit a copy of your transcripts. OR COMBINATION OF EXPERIENCE AND EDUCATION: A combination of education and experience as described above may be used to qualify for this position. NOTE: You must submit a copy of your transcripts. KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES (KSAs): Your qualifications will be evaluated on the basis of your level of knowledge, skills, abilities and/or competencies in the following areas: Knowledge of extensive rules, procedures, operations, functions, and commitments applied to secretarial and clerical assignments to perform the procedural and administrative work of the office, such as screening calls and visitors, maintaining supervisor's calendar, preparing, reviewing and editing documents, locating and assembling information for various reports, maintaining files/records, and making and preparing travel arrangements. Knowledge of correct grammar, spelling, punctuation, capitalization, and format to accurately prepare and edit written correspondence and reports. Knowledge of various office automation software programs, tools, and techniques to support office operations and produce a variety of documents such as letters, reports, spreadsheets, databases, and graphs. Skill in typing; a qualified typist is required. Ability to communicate effectively, both orally and in writing. PART-TIME OR UNPAID EXPERIENCE: Credit will be given for appropriate unpaid and or part-time work. You must clearly identify the duties and responsibilities in each position held and the total number of hours per week. VOLUNTEER WORK EXPERIENCE: Refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service Programs (i.e., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community; student and social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge and skills that can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

Education

IF USING EDUCATION TO QUALIFY: If position has a positive degree requirement or education forms the basis for qualifications, you MUST submit transcripts with the application. Official transcripts are not required at the time of application; however, if position has a positive degree requirement, qualifying based on education alone or in combination with experience, transcripts must be verified prior to appointment. An accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education must accredit education. Click here to check accreditation. FOREIGN EDUCATION: Education completed in foreign colleges or universities may be used to meet the requirements. You must show proof the education credentials have been deemed to be at least equivalent to that gained in conventional U.S. education program. It is your responsibility to provide such evidence when applying.

How to apply

The complete Application Package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on 09/18/2026 To preview the Application Questionnaire, please click the following link: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/13060935 To begin the process, click the Apply Online button to create an account or log in to your existing USAJOBS account. Follow the prompts to complete the application questionnaire. Please ensure you click the Submit My Application button at the end of the process. To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package which includes: 1. Your Resume. If you submit more than one resume, only the most recent will be reviewed. The "most recent" is considered the resume with the latest timestamp. Resumes may not exceed two pages. The two-page resume ensures the most relevant experience is reviewed and considered, which is a common practice in both the public and private sectors. Resumes exceeding two pages will be removed from consideration. Additional information on how to complete or update your resume may be located here. For qualification determination your resume must contain hours worked per week and dates of employment (i.e., month/year to month/year or month/year to present). If your resume does not contain this information, your application may be marked as insufficient, and you will not receive consideration for this position. If you are a current Federal employee or previous Federal employee, provide your pay plan, series and grade, i.e. GS-0301-09. Current Federal Civilian Employees may list any relevant performance related rating (given within the last three years) and/or incentive awards in your resume. Do NOT include photographs, inappropriate material, inappropriate content, nor personal information such as age, gender, religion, social security number, etc., on your resume. If the resume you submit contains such information you will not be considered for this vacancy. Your name, first and last, MUST be included on your resume. 2. A complete Application Questionnaire 3. Additional Required Documents (see Required Documents section). Ensure all submitted documents contain your full name. 4. Help recruiters find you. Make your resume and profile searchable, which means recruiters may contact you about possible jobs. Additional information may be located here. PLEASE NOTE: It is the applicant's responsibility to verify that information entered and/or uploaded, (i.e., resume) is received, accurate, and submitted by the closing date. You may verify your documents have been processed with your application package successfully. You can access your USAJOBS account to do so by clicking here. Uploaded documents may take up to one hour to clear the virus scan. Human Resources WILL NOT modify or change any answers submitted by an applicant.