Federal
Quality Assurance Specialist (Quality Assurance Manager - UNICOR)
Bureau of Prisons/Federal Prison System · Department of Justice
About This Position
Corrections professionals who foster a humane and secure environment and ensure public safety by preparing individuals for successful reentry into our communities.
Qualifications
To be considered for the position, you must meet the following qualification requirements. Basic Requirements: Education: Undergraduate and Graduate Education: Major study -- quality assurance, statistics, mathematics, production management, industrial management, computer science, engineering, engineering technology, physical sciences, textiles, or other fields related to the position. OR Experience: Specialized Experience (for positions above GS-5): Experience that demonstrated a practical knowledge in monitoring, controlling, or maintaining the quality of products or services in quality assurance, procurement, inspection, production, or related areas. Examples include: Reviewing production activities and capabilities in light of contract quality requirements. Reviewing written quality or inspection procedures for adequacy and evaluating the implementation and effectiveness of quality/inspection systems, including sampling plans. Analyzing quality data to detect unsatisfactory trends or weaknesses in the quality/inspection system. Verifying by test or inspection, using sampling inspection or intensive product inspection techniques, that products comply with requirements prior to acceptance. Identifying inadequacies and requesting corrective action. Computing data, summarizing results, and preparing reports or charts depicting pertinent relationships using statistical methods. Investigating customer complaints and deficiency reports and providing identification of causes to appropriate authorities. Reading, interpreting, and applying technical data such as blueprints, engineering drawings, product specifications, or technical manuals. Reviewing and evaluating supply systems operations and procedures through periodic audits and surveillance inspections. In addition to meeting the Basic Requirements above, applicants must have: Education GL-09: 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. GS-11: 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. Major study: Quality assurance, statistics, mathematics, production management, industrial management, computer science, engineering, engineering technology, physical sciences textiles, or other fields related to the position. Such education must demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of the position. OR Experience: GL-09 and GS-11: You must have at least one year of specialized experience equivalent in difficulty and complexity to the next lower grade level. To be creditable, this experience must have equipped the applicant with the particular qualifications to perform successfully the duties of the position and must typically be in or related to the position to be filled. Some examples of this qualifying experience are: GL-09: Experience assisting in reviewing production capabilities to conform with contract requirements. Experience assisting in preparing and presenting orientation programs, instructional materials, and briefings relative to quality assurance. Experience evaluating and investigating quality trends, deficiencies and customer related problems and developing and implementing alternatives. GS-11: Experience demonstrating a thorough working knowledge in all phases of the operation including planning, procurement, contracting, production, engineering, inspection, testing, product design, shipping and customer relations. Experience demonstrating technical and practical knowledge for the interpretation and utilization of engineering drawings, process flow charts, blueprints, contracts, specifications, standards, data collection and evaluation, and corrective action techniques. Experience demonstrating comprehensive knowledge of quality assurance concepts, principles and practices as applied in private industry (ISO900X). OR Combination of Education and Experience: Have a combination of education and experience. This experience must have equipped you with the qualifications to perform the major duties of this position as described above. Credit will be given for paid and unpaid experience. To receive proper credit, you must show the actual time (such as number of hours worked per week) spent in the activities. **Your eligibility for consideration will be based on your responses to the questions in the application.**
Major Duties
This position is located in UNICOR at a Bureau of Prisons (BOP) federal correctional facility. The Manager has total responsibility for the quality of products manufactured at this site, including the authority to enforce quality requirements in the production areas. Responsible to develop, implement and maintain a formal quality assessment program in compliance with the quality assurance program statement. Leads the continuous evaluation and investigation of quality trends, deficiencies and customer related problems and is responsible to develop and implement acceptable alternatives. Along with all other correctional institution employees, incumbent is charged with responsibility for maintaining security of the institution. The staff correctional responsibilities precede all others required by this position and are performed on a regular and recurring basis.
Conditions of Employment
Career Transition Programs (CTAP): These programs apply to Federal and/or DOJ employees who meet the definition of surplus or displaced from a position in the competitive service. To receive selection priority for this position, you must: 1. Meet CTAP eligibility criteria; 2. Be rated well-qualified for the position with a score of 85 or above based on scoring at least half of the total possible points for the vacancy KSAs or competencies; and 3. Submit the appropriate documentation to support your CTAP eligibility. NOTE: Applicants claiming CTAP eligibility must complete all assessment questions to be rated under the established ranking criteria.
Education
See Qualifications Section for education requirements, if applicable. ONLY if education is a requirement/substitution for specialized experience, applicant MUST upload legible transcripts as verification of educational requirement. Transcripts MUST be uploaded and electronically linked from USAJOBS at the time you apply and MUST include identifying information to include School Name, Student Name, Degree and Date Awarded (if applicable). All academic degrees and coursework must be completed at a college or university that has obtained accreditation or pre-accreditation status from an accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. For a list of schools that meet this criteria, Click Here. Foreign Education: For information regarding foreign education requirements, please see Foreign Diploma and Credit Recognition at the U.S. Department of Education website: Recognition of Foreign Qualifications. If you are selected for this position and qualified based on education (i.e. basic education requirement and/or substitution of education), you will be required to provide an OFFICIAL transcript prior to your first day on duty.
How You Will Be Evaluated
Your application will be evaluated and rated under DOJ's Category Rating and Selection Procedures. Based upon your responses to the assessment questions during the application process, your application will be placed into one of three categories: Best Qualified, Highly Qualified, or Qualified. Applications will be reviewed from the top quality category. Your resume and supporting documentation will be used to determine whether you meet the job qualifications listed in this announcement. If you are found qualified for this job, your resume and supporting documentation will be compared to the responses you provided on the online assessment. NOTE: Candidates within the top quality category and who are eligible for veterans preference will receive selection priority over non-veteran preference eligibles. If you are entitled to veterans preference, you should indicate the type of veterans preference you are claiming on your resume. Although veterans preference points are not assigned under the category rating procedures described under "How You Will Be Evaluated", veterans preference eligibles are listed ahead of non-veterans within each category for which they are qualified. Preference eligibles who meet the minimum qualification requirements and who have a compensable service-connected disability of at least 10 percent must be listed in the highest quality category (except in the case of scientific or professional positions at the GS-9 level or higher). As noted above, an agency may not select a non-preference eligible in lieu of a preference eligible in the same category unless there are grounds for a passover and the agency has complied with the passover procedures at 5 U.S.C. § 3318(b). What Competencies/Knowledge, Skills and Abilities are Required for this Position? The following Competencies/Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSA's) are required: GL-09 and GS-11: Ability to develop, implement and maintain a quality assurance program in compliance with industry standards. Ability to communicate in writing to include report preparation using technical data. Ability to effectively manage internal/external resources. Ability to establish requirements, collect and analyze data, and recommend and incorporate quality assurance system improvements. Knowledge of the manufacturing process. Ability to establish and maintain working relationships with others. Ability to develop and conduct training, facilitate meetings, and present information in a clear and concise manner. You may preview questions for this vacancy.
Additional Information
In accordance with 5 U.S.C. 3307, a maximum entry age of 36 has been established for original appointment to a position in a Bureau of Prisons institution. The representative rate for this position is $82,148 per annum ($39.36 per hour). Special Conditions of Employment Section: Initial appointment to a supervisory/managerial position requires a one-year probationary period. The incumbent is subject to geographic relocation to meet the needs of the agency. Appointment is subject to satisfactory completion of a urinalysis, physical, and background investigation. All applicants are subject to National Crime Information Center (NCIC) and credit checks. All applicants not currently working in an institution will be required to complete a qualification inquiry regarding convictions of misdemeanor crimes of domestic violence in order to be authorized to carry a firearm. The Core Value Assessment (CVA) is an in-person assessment that must be facilitated at a Bureau of Prisons Human Resource Servicing office. On the day of the scheduled interview, a CVA will be administered. The applicant assessment must be completed within a 70 minute time period and a passing score of 68 must be obtained. Further employment consideration will not be extended if the applicant fails to complete the examination or fails to achieve a passing score. Note: The Core Value Assessment will not be administered to current BOP employees. Successful completion of the "Introduction to Correctional Techniques," three-week training course at Glynco, Georgia is required. The addresses listed on the USAJOBS account/resume must be the primary residence at the time of application. You may be required to provide proof of residence. Additional selections may be made if vacancies occur within the life of the certificate. Although competitive and non-competitive applications are being accepted, the selecting official may elect to have only one group reviewed. As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider: your performance and conduct; the needs and interests of the agency; whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service. Upon completion of your probationary period your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest. Exceptions may apply. See 5 CFR part 11.
How to Apply
You must apply through the online application system at www.USAJOBS.gov. Follow the prompts to register, answer a few questions and submit all required documents. Limit your resume to 2 pages. If the only resume(s) received is/are longer than two pages, your application is ineligible for further consideration. Submission of a resume alone is not a complete application. This position may require the completion of additional forms and/or supplemental materials as described under the Required Documents section. Please carefully review the complete job announcement and the "How to Apply" instructions. Failure to provide the required information and/or materials will result in your application not being considered for employment. We recommend using a sans-serif font size like Lato, if available. Other widely available options are Calibri, Helvetica, Arial, Verdana, Open San Source Sans Pro, Roboto or Noro Sans. Make your page margins 0.5 inches. Consider using 14-point size font for titles and 10-point for the main text in your resume. USAJOBS Help Center - How to add a resume to your profile Required supporting documentation must be electronically uploaded or transferred from USAJOBS (uploaded). All required supporting documentation MUST be received by the Consolidated Staffing Unit by 11:59 p.m., Eastern Standard Time, on the closing date of the vacancy announcement. You MUST include the vacancy announcement number on your supporting documentation. Supporting documentation for announcements with an application limitation MUST be uploaded the same day you apply, as these positions may close earlier than stated in the announcement. Paper applications: If applying online is impossible, please contact the Consolidated Staffing Unit at the telephone number listed below, prior to the closing date of the announcement for the alternate application procedure. If applicable see Notice for Preference Eligible Veterans Applicants. Contact for Assistance in Applying On-Line: DOJ, Federal Bureau of Prisons Consolidated Staffing Unit 346 Marine Forces Drive Grand Prairie, TX 75051 E-Mail: [email protected] Phone: 972-352-4200
Required Documents
Failure to provide legible required documents and/or follow the prescribed format often results in removal from consideration. If uploading documentation, do not identify/save your documents utilizing a special character such as %, #, @, etc. Documentation should be identified/saved as VA Letter, DD-214, or Transcripts. Resume: Resume (includes name and contact information) limited to 2 pages showing relevant experience (cover letter optional). Experience that would not normally be part of the Federal employee's position is creditable when documented by satisfactory evidence of qualifying experience (e.g., a memorandum from the manager, Human Resource Manager, SF-52, etc.) To receive credit for experience contained in an application, the experience must be documented: Reflecting start date and end date in month/year format (MM/YYYY) AND Include the number of hours worked per week. SF-50: Current or former Federal employees NOT employed by the Bureau of Prisons MUST submit a copy of their SF-50 Form which shows competitive service appointment, tenure group, and salary. If you have promotion potential in your current position, please provide proof. If you are applying for a higher grade, and your experience was gained at a Federal agency other than the Bureau of Prisons, you MUST provide the SF-50 Form which verifies the length of time you have been in your highest grade and supports your claim for time in grade. Employees applying with an interchange agreement must provide proof of their permanent appointment. Current federal employees NOT employed by the BOP and former federal employees MUST submit a copy of their latest yearly performance appraisal/evaluation. CTAP, Click Here, if applicable. College transcript: includes the School Name, Student Name, Degree, and Date Awarded (if applicable). NOTE: If you are selected, official transcript(s) will be required prior to your first day. For more help, visit USAJOBS Help Center - What should I include in my resume? We cannot be held responsible for incompatible software, delays in mail service, applicant application errors, etc.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the salary for the Quality Assurance Specialist (Quality Assurance Manager - UNICOR) position at Bureau of Prisons/Federal Prison System?
The salary range for this position is $63,780 - $97,087/yr. This is a GS-09/11 position on the General Schedule pay scale. Actual pay may vary based on locality adjustments.
Where is the Quality Assurance Specialist (Quality Assurance Manager - UNICOR) job located?
This position is located in Safford, Arizona. This is an on-site position.
What qualifications do I need?
To be considered for the position, you must meet the following qualification requirements. Basic Requirements: Education: Undergraduate and Graduate Education: Major study -- quality assurance, statistics, mathematics, production management, industrial management, computer science, engineering, engineering technology, physical sciences, textiles...
How do I apply for this position?
Apply through USAJobs.gov by clicking the 'Apply on USAJobs' button. You'll need a USAJobs account, a federal-style resume, and supporting documents. The deadline is Feb 23, 2026.
Is a security clearance required?
No security clearance is required for this position.
What does GS-09/11 mean?
GS-09/11 refers to the General Schedule grade level. Higher grades require more experience and offer higher pay. Visit our GS Pay Scale page for full salary tables by grade and locality.
What benefits do federal employees receive?
Federal employees receive comprehensive benefits including health insurance (FEHB), retirement through FERS, Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) with government matching, paid annual and sick leave, paid parental leave, life insurance, and student loan repayment programs.