Federal

Supervisory Administrative Officer

National Institutes of Health Β· Department of Health and Human Services
πŸ“ Baltimore, Maryland GS-15 $154,492 - $197,200/yr
Posted: Mar 9, 2026 Deadline: Mar 13, 2026 (Closed days left)

About This Position

The person in this position serves as the Chief Administrative Officer and acts as a senior advisor to leadership. They provide guidance and analysis on how well management and program operations are working. This includes reviewing how teams work together, how responsibilities are organized, how processes and procedures can be improved, how costs can be reduced, and how resources can be used more effectively.

Qualifications

You qualify at the GS-15 level, if you meet one of the following qualification requirements: You must demonstrate in your resume at least one (1) year of qualifying experience equivalent to at least the GS-14 level in the Federal service obtained in either the private or public sector, performing the following types of tasks: 1.) Advising senior leadership on workforce and administrative planning by analyzing workforce data, organizational structures, and policy issues to support strategic and operational decisions; 2.) Supervising staff by setting performance expectations, assigning and reviewing work, providing feedback, and conducting performance evaluations; 3.) Leading workforce planning and organizational analysis efforts to improve efficiency and effectiveness across a large, multi-program organization; 4.) Providing senior-level consultation to executive leadership on workforce utilization, administrative operations, and policy implementation; 5.) Interpreting and applying personnel and administrative policies (e.g., agency policy issuances and Office of Personnel Management guidance) to advise managers on position management, staffing, and workforce development.

You will receive credit for all experience material to the position, including experience gained in religious, civic, welfare, service, and organizational activities, regardless of whether you received pay. Do not copy and paste the duties or specialized experience from this announcement into your resume as that will not be considered a demonstration of your qualifications for this position. We may verify or assess your qualifications at any time.

Inflated or unsupported qualifications may affect your rating. Any misrepresentation or material omission of facts may be sufficient cause to end further consideration of your candidacy. Persons listed as knowing your past accomplishments or experience in your application may be contacted for verification purposes at any time.

Verification may, but need not, begin before receiving an offer. Preview application questionnaire before you apply: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12902235

Major Duties

Advise and provide guidance on work and administrate matters; hear and resolve complaints and refers more serious complaints to a high authority, effects more serious cases approves short- and long-term leave requests.

Set performance expectations, evaluates employee performance, provides formal and informal feedback on work performance, and conducts final performance reviews.

Plan, develop, organize, direct, and evaluate a complete and comprehensive program of workforce, management, and program analysis functions that are tailored to meet the needs of a dynamic, complex, scientific research institution.

Direct, provide guidance on, and/or facilitates the resolution of administrative management issues and problems that might arise regarding facilities and space management responsibilities.

Provide guidance on planning and implementing new programs, and in developing and effecting reorganizations, realignments, or other organizational changes affecting the management, structure, or allocation of the Institutes’ resources.

How You Will Be Evaluated

You will be evaluated based on how well you meet the qualifications listed in this vacancy announcement.

Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g., resume, supporting documents), your responses on the application questionnaire, and your responses to all assessments required for this position.

You will be assessed on the following competencies: Accountability Customer Service Decisiveness Flexibility Interpersonal Skills Problem Solving Resilience Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or application questionnaire may result in your removal from consideration. Cheating on an assessment may also result in your removal from consideration. We may make additional selections for similar positions across the National Institutes of Health within the local commuting area(s) identified in this vacancy announcement.

By applying, you agree to have your application shared with any interested selecting official(s) at NIH. Clearance of CTAP will be applied for similar positions across NIH. To be considered well qualified for the purposes of the Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP) you must be able to satisfactorily perform the duties of the position upon entry and substantively exceed the basic qualifications by scoring at least an 80 on the assessment and meet all eligibility, physical, medical, suitability, and all other requirements.

Additional Information

Based on your appointment, a one or two-year trial/probationary period may be required. A decision regarding your continued employment with NIH will be made as you near the end of this period. A one-year supervisory trial/probationary period may be required upon selection/ placement.

If selected, you will be required to complete a Confidential Financial Disclosure Report, OGE Form 450 to determine if a conflict or an appearance of a conflict exists between your financial interest and your prospective position with the agency. This information is required annually. For information, visit the NIH Ethics website: https://ethics.od.nih.gov/fd.

This position is designated as a "non-emergency/teleworker" position and the selected candidate will be considered a "non-emergency/teleworker" employee. In the event of a closure, you must be available to telework or request leave. Visit our Help Applying for helpful information on the application process.

If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a RA in your online application. Requests for RA for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for RA must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for RA 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, based on your adjudication decision.

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 RA, 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. Must be able to perform the essential duties of the position, with or without reasonable accommodation.

Veterans' Preference only applies to Schedule A (disability appointment), HHS Reemployment Priority List (RPL) Eligibles, HHS Priority Reemployment List (PRL) Eligibles, and Veterans Recruitment Appointments (if applicable).

How to Apply

Please read the entire announcement and all the instructions before you begin an application. To apply and be considered for this position, you must complete and submit all required questionnaires, assessments, and required documentation as specified in the How to Apply and Required Documents sections.

The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on the closing date of the announcement to receive consideration. The application process is as follows: Click Apply Online button.

Follow the prompts to select your resume and/or other supporting documents to be included with your application package. See the "Required Documents" section for any additional forms and/or supplemental materials required. Read all Eligibility questions and respond accordingly to any Eligibility you wish to claim.

You will only be considered for those Eligibility questions (Veteran, Schedule A, etc.) you respond in the affirmative to, regardless of what documentation you submit. We cannot assume you intended to respond differently to a question based on other information in your application package.

Complete the application questionnaire. Applicants are asked all questions regardless of their consideration preferences. We will only consider you for the grades, series, locations, specialties, and other considerations that you self-identify as being qualified for or interested in.

Preview application questionnaire before you apply: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12902235 After submitting an online application, you will be notified whether or not you are required to take additional online assessments through the USA Hire Competency Based Assessment system. This message will be delivered to you via email notification. The email may be routed to your "Spam" or "Junk" folder.

If you are required to complete any USA Hire Assessments, you will be notified after submitting your application. The notification will be provided in your application submission screen and via email. The notification will include your unique assessment access link to the USA Hire system and the completion deadline.

Additionally, in USAJOBS you can click "Track this application" to return to your assessment completion notice. Access USA Hire using your unique assessment link. Access is granted through your USAJOBS login credentials.

Review all instructions prior to beginning your assessments.

You will have the opportunity to request a testing accommodation before beginning the assessments should you have a disability covered under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended. Set aside at least 3 hours to take the USA Hire assessments; however, most applicants complete the assessments in less time. If you need to stop the assessments and continue later, you can re-use your unique assessment link.

Your responses to the USA Hire Assessments will be reused for one year (in most cases) from the date you complete an assessment. If future applications you submit require completion of the same assessments, your responses will be automatically reused. Verify all required documentation is included in your application package, review your responses to the assessment questionnaire for accuracy, and then submit your application. Visit the USA Hire Applicant Resource Center for practice assessments and assessment preparation resources at https://support-usahire.opm.gov/hc/en-us.

In addition to the required documents, we encourage you to submit a cover letter, copy of your transcripts, and any applicable certifications or licenses. Even though this information is not required at the time of application, we may request this information later. We cannot assume responsibility or grant extensions for personal issues (e.g., troubles navigating the application process, loss of internet, not understanding a question) when applying to our announcements.

For technical difficulties, contact HR Systems Support between 8:00 AM and 4:30 PM ET Monday through Friday at [email protected]. For reasonable accommodations not related to USA Hire, please contact Jessica Phillipsat [email protected]. Requests for reasonable accommodations must be made before the announcement closing date.

Visit our site for information on NIH's EEO program, Reasonable accommodation procedures, laws, policy statements, and the operation of the EEO complaint process.

Required Documents

RESUME: Your resume must clearly demonstrate, in two pages or less, how your skills and experiences align with the "Qualifications" section and support your questionnaire responses. While cover letters provided with your application will be shared with hiring officials, they will not be used for initial qualification determinations. We cannot assume required experience based on your work or academic history.

If your resume exceeds two pages, only the first two will be reviewed. Use a legible font such as Lato, Calibri, Helvetica, or Arial, with 0.5-inch margins. Suggested formatting: 14-point for titles and 10-point for body text.

You may use the USAJOBS Resume Builder or upload your own resume. If uploading, ensure it includes all required information and is organized so we can match the following to each position: Job title Employer name Employment dates (MM/DD/YYYY) Hours worked per week (full-time assumed; part-time prorated) Detailed duties, accomplishments, skills, responsibilities, and supervisory details (if applicable) Series and grade or equivalent (for federal positions) If the position has an education requirement or you are qualifying on the basis of education, you must list your education history including the type of degree and your major of study. If the position requires a certain number of credit hours, you are strongly encouraged to list the relevant courses in your resume.

Do not include a photograph or video of yourself, or any sensitive information (age, date of birth, marital status, protected health information, religious affiliation, social security number, etc.) on your resume or cover letter. We will not access web pages linked on your resume or cover letter to determine your qualifications. For resume writing guidance, please visit the following resources: NIH Help Applying, USAJOBS Resource Center, and the USAJOBS Resume Guidance.

If the position has an education requirement or you are qualifying on the basis of education, you need to list your education history including the type of degree and your major of study. APPLICATION QUESTIONNAIRE: You must submit a completed application questionnaire. ELIGIBILITY/PREFERENCE DOCUMENTATION: You must submit the following documentation, if applicable to you AND respond accordingly to the associated question on the online questionnaire.

If you do not provide the required information, we will assume you are not eligible or you do not wish to be considered for any preference or eligibility. SF-50 - A copy of your most recent competitive career or career conditional SF-50 that shows the effective date of your latest position and the full performance level.

You may obtain a copy of your SF-50 from your eOPF. Visit our site on the Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP) for more information on eligibility and required documentation. Do not submit documentation that is not requested of you. To protect your personal information, we will only send your resume and cover letter to the selecting official(s).

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the salary for the Supervisory Administrative Officer position at National Institutes of Health?
The salary range for this position is $154,492 - $197,200/yr. This is a GS-15 position on the General Schedule pay scale. Actual pay may vary based on locality adjustments.
Where is the Supervisory Administrative Officer job located?
This position is located in Baltimore, Maryland. This is an on-site position.
What qualifications do I need?
You qualify at the GS-15 level, if you meet one of the following qualification requirements: You must demonstrate in your resume at least one (1) year of qualifying experience equivalent to at least the GS-14 level in the Federal service obtained in either the private or public sector, performing the following types of tasks: 1.) Advising senior...
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 Mar 13, 2026.
Is a security clearance required?
No security clearance is required for this position.
What does GS-15 mean?
GS-15 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.