About This Position
The incumbent serves as the Executive Officer (XO) to the Deputy Director/Chief Operating Officer of DeCA. As a confidential executive assistant, the incumbent anticipates the Deputy Director's needs and requirements and plans the appropriate response in a seamless way that provides exceptional service and support as befitting the Deputy Director's position and rank in DeCA.
Qualifications
To qualify for Executive Operations Specialist your resume and supporting documentation must support: Creditable specialized experience includes: GS-13 - Applying advanced management and organizational principles, along with qualitative and quantitative analytical methods, to assess, improve, and optimize program operations. - Analyzing complex program relationships and administrative functions, conducting advanced research and applying analytical techniques to resolve operational issues. - Utilizing comprehensive knowledge of administrative requirements, commissary business and trade practices, and modern retail management information systems to support efficient operations. - Communicating expertly through clear, sensitive, and technically detailed written products and delivering effective briefings, presentations, and other oral communications. - Prioritizing tasks, making sound decisions under pressure, and working independently with initiative to evaluate worldwide commissary practices and meet strict deadlines. Time-in-grade applies to the promotion of current and former federal employees who hold or have held a permanent GS position in either the competitive or excepted service in the previous 52 weeks, including current employees applying under VEOA.
Your application package must contain proof you meet this requirement. See Required Documents for more information. For GS-13: You must have 52 weeks of Federal service at or equivalent to GS-12. Time after competitive appointment.
Current federal civilian employees must have completed at least 90 days federal civilian service since being selected for a non-temporary appointment from a competitive examination register of eligibles (an announcement opened to the public) or under a direct hire authority. If you meet the minimum qualifications of this position, you may be presented with instructions on how to access the USA Hire Assessment. This additional online assessment is required and must be completed within 48 hours following the close of this announcement unless you have requested Reasonable Accommodation for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments.
Your results will be kept on record for one year when applying for future jobs that require the same USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Management and Organizational Principles Minimum Qualifications GS-13 Operations Oral and Written Communication Overtime: Occasional Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA): Exempt Bargaining Unit Status: Not covered Obligated Position: No Those retired under CSRS or FERS considered: No. DoD criteria not met. Telework eligible: Yes Remote work eligible: No PCS: Maybe
Major Duties
As the Executive Operations Specialist, you will be responsible for the following duties: - Assists the Director and Deputy in planning, integrating, and coordinating activities across multiple line and staff organizations, ensuring alignment with Agency mission, policies, and program objectives. - Provides executive-level management support by tasking HQ staff and area directors, monitoring progress, ensuring timely completion of actions, and reviewing staff products for accuracy, coordination, and policy compliance. - Advises senior leadership on operational, administrative, and management programs; analyzes major Agency programs and systems; and recommends policy updates and programmatic options to meet evolving organizational needs. - Oversees efficient utilization of management resources and monitors execution of major programs requiring crossfunctional coordination to ensure integration, mission success, and support across worldwide DeCA operations. - Manages senior leader administrative operations including routing and coordination of staff actions, calendar oversight, official correspondence, visitor engagements, and authoritative technical responses on Agency initiatives. - Conducts complex administrative research to identify and resolve significant and ambiguous management issues, exercising delegated authority to troubleshoot and overcome operational obstacles on behalf of Agency leadership. - Augments the Chief of Staff Office and Executive Staff as needed, providing broad administrative and operational support and serving as a key integrator and coordinator for high-visibility Agency actions and priorities. Read the entire announcement before starting the application process.
Education
You may not use education to qualify for this position.
How You Will Be Evaluated
HR reviews your resume and supporting documents to determine if you meet the qualifications and requirements, and to determine if you meet the eligibility/eligibilities you selected.
Your questionnaire score is a preliminary measure of how well your background matches the competencies.
Your resume must thoroughly describe how your skills and experiences align to the criteria defined in the Qualifications section of this announcement and it must support your responses to the assessment questionnaire. At a minimum, your resume MUST contain your name, address, and contact information, and the following for each listed job experience: Job title; Series and grade, if it is a federal civilian position; Employer's name and address; Employment beginning and ending dates (Month/Year); Number of hours worked per week, and Description of duties performed. DO NOT send a list of competencies or skills in place of a description of the duties performed.
HR refers qualified and appointable applicants to the hiring manager for selection consideration In accordance with DeCA's Merit Promotion Plan. Selections are subject to restrictions of the DoD referral system for displaced employees. Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP):This program applies to employees who have been involuntarily separated from a Federal service position within the competitive service or Federal service employees whose positions have been deemed surplus or no longer needed.
To receive selection priority for this position, you must: 1) meet ICTAP eligibility criteria AND 2) be rated well-qualified for the position AND 3) submit the appropriate documentation to support your ICTAP eligibility. Well-qualified means you possess the type and quality of experience that exceeds the position's minimum qualifications. Priority Placement Program (PPP) DoD Retained Grade Preference (RGP): To receive this preference, you must choose to apply using the (RGP) eligibility.
If you are claiming RGP and are determined to be Well Qualified for the position, you will be referred to the hiring manager as a priority applicant. Priority Placement Program, DoD Military Reserve (MR) and National Guard (NG) Technician Eligible (PPP DoD MRNG):In order to receive this preference, you must choose the (PPP DoD MRNG) eligibility, and fill out and submit the Military Reserve and National Guard Technician PPP Self-Certification Checklist and copies of the appropriate documentation. Priority Placement Program, DoD Military Spouse Preference (MSP) (PPP MSP): In order to receive this preference, you must choose to apply using the(MSP) (PPP MSP) eligibility.
If you are claiming MSP (PPP MSP) and are determined to be Best Qualified for the position, you will be referred to the hiring manager as a priority applicant. Appointment of Department of Defense Spouses (NonComp Civ Sp): In order to use this eligibility, you must be the spouse of a current Department of Defense, Department of State, or intelligence community employee who is being transferred in the interest of the Government from one official station within the Department to another within the Department for permanent duty. You are required to submit proof of marriage AND permanent change of station (PCS) orders: spouse's PCS orders (showing you as a dependent) and/or copy of marriage certificate.
If you are a current or previous Federal employee, please include your most recent SF-50.
Additional Information
Executive Order 12564 requires a federal workplace to be free of illegal drugs and prohibits the use of illegal drugs both on and off duty by federal employees. As a reminder, marijuana is still classified as an illegal drug by the Federal government and is prohibited for use by Federal employees even if such use is legal in the state where the Federal employee resides and/or works. The Defense Commissary Agency is a Drug-Free Federal Workplace where the use of illegal drugs will not be tolerated and may result in penalties up to and including removal from Federal service.
The display of a salary range on this announcement does not suggest or convey an entitlement to a higher rate of pay. Upon first appointment to a civilian position in the Federal government, you are entitled only to the lowest step (Step 1) of the grade for which selected. The minimum age requirement is generally 18 years.
Employing those under 18 may be possible under certain circumstances. If under 18 years of age, ensure you provide documentation showing how you are eligible. Applicants with financial difficulty are not automatically removed from consideration.
Selectees are required to complete an online onboarding process. Retired military service members cannot be appointed to a Department of Defense (DoD) civilian position within 180 days of their retirement date. 5 United States Code 3326. Most civilian PCS entitlements are now taxable.
The Relocation Income Tax Allowance (RITA) reimburses eligible employees for additional Federal, State, and local income taxes incurred as a result of receiving taxable travel income. More information is available at Civilian Relocation/PCS Tax Changes. The following may result in a rating of ineligible.
Ineligible applicants receive no consideration. Not selecting an eligibility. Submitting an incomplete application package may result in your not being considered for this position.
Your resume must reflect that you are either Part-Time with the number of hours listed, Full Time, or 40 hours per week as your work schedule. If you fail to provide this information in your resume, your resume will be considered as incomplete. Submitting encrypted documents or uploading Adobe portfolio documents.
Submitting any document that contains a photo or image of you. Including social media links, inappropriate material or content, classified or government sensitive information, or personal information such as age, gender, race, religion, or social security number on your resume. Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials.
Deliberately attempting to falsify your application information, such as copying portions of this announcement into your resume. Appointment Eligibility Criteria. You choose how you wish to be considered for this position by selecting one or more of the eligibilities listed in the Assessment Questionnaire AND providing the supporting documents for the selected eligibility/eligibilities.
Required documents are listed in the eligibility description. HR does not select or change your eligibility/eligibilities for you, regardless of the supporting documents you submit. You are considered ONLY for the eligibility or eligibilities you select and for which you provide all required supporting documents.
You will not be considered if you do not select an eligibility. .
How to Apply
Your complete application package must be received by 11:59 PM ET on 07/13/2026. You are responsible for verifying your application package is complete, accurate, and submitted timely. As uploaded documents may take one or more hours to clear the virus scan, plan accordingly to ensure your application process is complete and your application package is submitted by the specified closing date and time. To begin, click Apply to access an online application.
Follow the prompts to select your resume, required documents, and/or other supporting documents. You need to be logged into your USAJOBS account to apply or create an account before applying.
You will be taken to an online application.
Follow all prompts and complete the online application, verify you've included all required and supporting documentation, and submit your application. Additional information on how to complete the online application process and submit your online application is found at the USA Staffing Applicant Resource Center. To receive consideration, you must complete all steps of the application process.
You can verify your application status by logging into your USAJOBS account, selecting the Application Status link, and then selecting the More Information link for this position. The Application Status page displays your application status, the documents received and processed, and your questionnaire responses. As required by 5 C.F.R. § 302.106., DLA will provide Section 508 conformant ICT to employees with disabilities.
All ICT interfaces with the public related to vacancy announcements and career transition opportunities must conform to the applicable requirements in the current ICT Standards and Guidelines (36 C.F.R. § 1194).
Required Documents
Resume: IMPORTANT UPDATE: Your resume must not exceed two (2) pages. If your resume exceeds the two-page limit, you will be removed from consideration for this announcement. The resume and required supporting documentation should provide the minimum qualifications and relevant experience for the announced position.
Additional guidance on writing a federal resume can be found at: USAJOBS Help Center - How do I write a resume for a federal job? Page margins should be 0.5 inches, font styles must be legible, and consider using 14-point size font for titles and 10-point for the main text. The resume must not be more than 5MB and should be saved and uploaded as a PDF to maintain formatting and number of pages.
Questionnaire. Preview at https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12985935. PLEASE REVIEW THE BELOW LINK FOR OTHER SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS needed for proof of eligibility: https://www.dla.mil/Portals/104/Documents/Careers/downloads/DODCustomersRequiredSupportingDocumentation.pdf SF 50 Notification of Personnel Action.
All current and former federal civilian employees submit A copy of your most recent SF 50 showing your current position title, pay plan-series-grade, tenure and position occupied and When applying for a promotion (higher grade than you currently hold), you must also submit an SF 50 which clearly demonstrates you meet the time-in-grade requirements. Examples of appropriate SF50s include Promotions, Within-grade Grade/Range Increases, and SF-50s with an effective date more than one year old.
You may need to submit more than one SF 50 to show you meet this requirement. To obtain copies of your SF 50s, all current Department of Defense (DoD) employees can access MyBiz, current federal non-DoD employees can access their eOPF, current employees receiving HR servicing from DLA can access eOPF, and former civilian employees can request a copy from the National Archives. VEOA eligibility: You must provide a copy of your DD-214 Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty or other acceptable documentation.
The member 4 copy is preferred as it contains key information necessary to adjudicate your claimed preference. DD-214 Worksheets are not acceptable documentation, nor are other than a member 4 copy to which a member 4 Character of Service section is added. Contact the National Archives or your military personnel records center to request a copy of your DD-214.
Current active duty armed forces personnel within 120 days of separation must submit written documentation from the armed forces certifying that the service member is expected to be separated from active duty service not later than 120 days after the date the certification is signed. The document must include the following information: (1) service member's name, (2) date of the expected separation from active duty, (3) expected character of the active duty service at separation, (4) pay grade/rank/rate at separation, (5) dates of active duty service, and (6) any campaign or expeditionary medals received.
You must submit the DD-214 when it becomes available. ICTAP eligibility: Submit (1) a copy of your agency specific ICTAP eligibility notice or a copy of your separation personnel action form and(2) a copy of your most recent performance appraisal and(3) a copy of your most recent SF 50 or agency notification of personnel action showing your current position, grade level, and duty location. Separation personnel actions do not include a certificate/notice of expected separation.
Priority Placement Program (PPP) DoD Retained Grade Preference (RGP) eligibility: 1. Submit a signed Retained Grade PPP Self-Certification Checklist DD3145-1 (whs.mil. 2. a copy of your Notification of Personnel Action (SF-50) effecting the placement in retained grade status; or a copy of the notification letter you received regarding the RIF or classification downgrade. Priority Placement Program, DoD Military Reserve (MR) and National Guard (NG) Technician Eligible (PPP DoD MRNG):In order to receive this preference, you must choose the Military Reserve and National Guard Technician eligibility, and fill out and submit the Military Reserve and National Guard Technician PPP Self-Certification Checklist and copies of the appropriate documentation.
Military Spouse Preference: Submit (1) the Self-Certification Checklist and(2) proof of marriage to the military service member (e.g., marriage certificate, marriage license), and(3) a copy of the military service member's PCS orders. Performance Appraisal. Current and former federal civilian employees, including those of the employing agency, must include a copy of their most recent rating of record.