Job summary

About the Position: DO NOT SUBMIT APPLICATIONS THROUGH THE USAJOBS APPLY LINK! THEY WILL NOT BE RECEIVED BY THE SELECTION AUTHORITY! YOU MUST FOLLOW PROCEDURES OUTLINED IN THE REQUIRED DOCUMENTS AND HOW TO APPLY SECTIONS OF THE ANNOUNCEMENT. Read the entire announcement. It is the applicant's responsibility to comply with all requirements in this announcement. You must submit your application so that it will be received by 2359 (11:59PM) EST on the closing date of the announcement.

Major duties

Acquisition Key Billet Project Managers are chartered to provide materiel capabilities to Army or Joint customers. Project Managers are allocated resources to develop materiel solutions that achieve user requirements. They lead, direct and control the overall planning and execution of the work and resources required to develop, produce and sustain the programs, systems and associated products. Acquisition Key Billet Directors are leaders of major acquisition contracting or testing organizations. Contracting organizations can have either geographical responsibilities or provide in-plant oversight to a major Defense contractor responsible for producing materiel for Army and joint Customers. Testing organizations are responsible for providing and operating facilities in order to conduct tests, which ensure materiel solutions meet program or end user requirements.

Qualification

Who May Apply: Applications will be accepted only from current DoD competitive civil service Federal employees who are civilian DoD members serving on Career/Career Conditional appointments. Current DoD civilians eligible for promotion/re-promotion to GS15 or equivalent broadband converted grade. Current DoD civilians interested in lateral to GS15 or change to lower grade from an equivalent broadband converted grade or SES. DUTIES: Project Manager: Responsible for all matters relating to cost, schedule and performance for assigned program/system. Exercises technical and administrative program control and authority through various phases of systems development. Manages long range planning activities that include multiyear work plans. Exercises discretional authority to approve the allocation and distribution of funds within the organization's budget to best meet the program's objectives. Manages programs with risks and complexities characterized by compelling and conflicting requirements. Manages long range activities that include multi-year work plans that are products of subordinate organizational managers. Acquisition Director (Contracting): Provides acquisition life cycle and readiness/ sustainment support to Program Executive Offices, Program Managers, and Service/Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) buying Commands. Manages contractor cost, schedule and performance as the single face to industry for recapitalization, modernization, technology insertion and Warfighter operational readiness support. Provides source selection support, past performance, industrial base assessments, financial analysis, engineering, earned value and software validation, production and acceptance/delivery of spares, and components assemblies for major weapon systems. Provides full range of acquisition management and command support. Manages industrial surge contract accelerations, alternate sourcing and mission critical direct deliveries to Warfighters during national emergencies or critical military shortages. Acquisition Director (Testing): Leads a Major Range and Test Facility Base (MRTFB). Plans, conducts, and reports the results of technical, developmental and operational testing of the full spectrum of DoD materiel, foreign materiel and commercial items. Responsible for integrating the workforce of civilian employees, military personnel, and contractors, augmented during testing with civilian employees, contractors, and active-duty Army Soldiers, Sailors, and Marines. Manages an annual multimillion dollar operating budget. QUALIFICATIONS REQUIRED: To qualify, applicants must possess one year of specialized experience equivalent to that of a GS14, step 1 pay grade. Specialized experience is defined as that experience related to matters in cost, schedule and performance for programs and/or systems. Applicants with program management certification must possess two years of cost, schedule, and performance responsibilities in a program office or similar organization. Applicants with contracting certification must possess at least four years of experience in a contracting coded position. Prior supervisory experience is preferred. Education Requirement: Must possess, at a minimum, an accredited undergraduate degree. Time in Grade Requirement/Restriction: These are DoD Demonstration Project positions. Under the Defense Authorization Act, personnel management demonstration programs are operating in numerous Army activities and various other organizations supported by Army civilian personnel centers. Under the streamlined personnel operations for demonstration projects, the familiar 15 General Schedule grade structure is replaced with broad pay bands that typically encompass a range of grades. Some federal jobs allow you to substitute your education for the required experience in order to qualify. For this job, you must meet the qualification requirement using experience alone--no substitution of education for experience is permitted.

Education

FOREIGN EDUCATION: If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show the education credentials have been evaluated by a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign education programs and such education has been deemed equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program; or full credit has been given for the courses at a U.S. accredited college or university. For further information, visit: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/.

Evaluations

HOW YOU WILL BE EVALUATED The Headquarters, Department of the Army (HQDA) Centralized Selection Board (CSL) will convene June 9-13, 2025. Personal appearance before the selection panel is not allowed. If applicant is determined fully qualified by the CSL Board, applicant may be invited to attend the U.S. Army's Acquisition Leader Assessment Program at Fort Knox, Kentucky for a five-day period in October 2025. Attendance at ALAP is mandatory for FY27 CSL consideration. Please visit: https://asc.army.mil/web/csl-alap/. OTHER INFORMATION: Selection is subject to restrictions resulting from Department of Defense referral system for displaced employees. You must submit all required information by the closing date. If materials are not received, your application will be evaluated solely on the information available, and you may not receive full consideration or may not be considered eligible. The materials you send with your application will not be returned. You may be required to complete annual Financial Disclosure statements. You may be required to travel to overseas locations, including current theaters of operation. Individuals selected from Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, and other DoD agencies will become Army employees upon placement in the Position and will be reassigned within the Army after completion of the 3 (three) year assignment. [Note: ACAT I program require tenure of at least 4 (four) years.] The Army Acquisition Professional Development System (AAPDS) will enable those that are interested and eligible to "opt-in" to the CSL and Centralized Selection Board (CSB) opportunities using one portal and one application packet.