Business Opportunity Specialist

Summary This position is located in the Small Business Administration, Office of Field Operations - Region V in Chicago, IL. The incumbent is responsible for the full scope of the Agency's government contracting and business development programs, as well as developing and conducting outreach and training to strengthen and improve business opportunities for eligible small businesses. Learn more about this agency Requirements Conditions of Employment You must be a U.S. Citizen You must successfully complete a background investigation. You may be required to serve a one-year probationary period. Qualifications Basic Education Requirement: A 4-year course of study leading to a bachelor's degree with a major in any field; Transcripts (official or unofficial) must be submitted in support of this option. If selected, official transcripts will be required. OR At least 24 semester hours in any combination of the following fields: accounting, business, finance, law, contracts, purchasing, economics, industrial management, marketing, quantitative methods, or organization and management. Transcripts (official or unofficial) must be submitted in support of this option. If selected, official transcripts will be required. AND Specialized Experience for GS-12: One year of specialized experience, equivalent to the GS-11 grade level in the Federal service, obtained in either the private or public sector that demonstrates the ability to work independently in all of the following: utilizing procurement laws, regulations, policies, and procedures; recruiting, training, educating or developing businesses interested in working with the government or with prime contractors; promoting an organization's programs and services through outreach and marketing. All of these qualifications must be clearly referenced in your resume. Additional information on the qualification requirements is outlined in the OPM Qualifications Standards Handbook of General Schedule Positions. It is available for your review on OPM's Qualifications web site: Business Opportunity Specialist (Small Business Administration) Series 1101 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. Selective Placement Factors: This position requires a special qualification that has been determined to be essential to perform the duties and will be used as a screen out element. Those who do not provide evidence they possess the following selective factor(s) will be rated not qualified. A. Possess a valid level I Federal Acquisition Certification-Contracting (FAC-C) or FAC-C (Professional) or level I Department of Defense Acquisition Workforce Improvement Act (DAWIA) certification or DAWIA Professional. As of October 1, 2023 all applicants will be required to be certified as the FAC-C (Professional). You can find additional information regarding the certifications at https://www.fai.gov/certification/fac-c/new-fac-c-professionaland https://www.dau.edu/You MUST submit your qualifying certification with this application or you will be rated ineligible for consideration. OR B. You must agree to complete the training program required to obtain Level I FAC-C certification, as a current or future employee of the SBA, by the date that is one calendar year after the date you are appointed as a Business Opportunity Specialist. You will be required to sign a training agreement if selected. All qualification requirements must be met by 11:59 pm (Eastern Time) on 12/26/2024. Education Education may not be substituted for experience for this position. APPLICANTS PLEASE NOTE: Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications (particularly positions with a positive education requirement.) Therefore, applicants must report only attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Verify School accreditation. All education claimed by applicants will be verified by the appointing agency accordingly. *** If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. *** For further information, click on: Foreign Education. Additional information This is a bargaining unit position with AFGE Local 228. This is not a (drug) testing designated position (TDP). Reasonable Accommodation Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended and Americans with Disabilities Act 1990 as amended, that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a reasonable accommodation in your online application. Requests for Reasonable Accommodations for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for Reasonable Accommodation must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for Reasonable Accommodations are made on a case-by-case basis. If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, if you received the link after the close of the announcement. To determine if you need a Reasonable Accommodation, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments here: https://help.usastaffing.gov/Apply/index.php?title=Reasonable_Accommodations_for_USA_Hire CTAP/ICTAP: Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) is a program that helps "surplus" or "displaced" federal employees improve their chances of finding a new job in their current agency (intra-agency, i.e. SBA employees only). Inter-Agency Career Transition Assistance (ICTAP) is a program that helps "surplus" or "displaced" federal employees improve their chances of finding a new job at another agency (inter-agency; i.e. not applying to their current or former agency). You are eligible for CTAP/ICTAP if: 1. You are a current federal employee who meets the definition of a "surplus" or "displaced" employee meaning you have received official notice that your job is no longer needed or that you will lose your job by Reduction-in-Force (RIF). 2. Your agency, or the agency to which you are applying, is accepting applications from within or outside of the permanent workforce. 3. The position to which you are applying MUST BE in the Local Commuting Area of the position of record from which you are being displaced. 4. You meet the qualifications and other requirements of the job for which you are applying. This includes being rated as well-qualified for the position (score of 85 or better based on your responses to the competencies and associated questions listed within the assessment). Selective Service: If you are a male applicant born after December 31, 1959, you must certify that you have registered with the Selective Service System, or are exempt from having to do so under the Selective Service Law. For additional information visit www.sss.gov Consistent with work requirements and current SBA Policy, and all applicable provisions of the collective bargaining agreement with AFGE the SBA offers employees opportunities to perform work at an alternative location (e.g. home). Telework may be available. For information on Telework visit: http://www.telework.gov/ Additional vacancies may be filled from this vacancy announcement if additional vacancies occur within 180 days of the date the certificates were issued. Read more Benefits 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 window Learn more about federal benefits. Review our 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.