Job Title: Mine Safety and Health Assistant (OA)
Department: Department Of Labor
Agency: Mine Safety and Health Administration
Sub Agency: U.S. Department of Labor
Job Announcement Number: DE-11-ATL-MSHA/D7-114
SALARY RANGE: $31,315.00 – $45,376.00 /year
OPEN PERIOD: Friday, July 15, 2011 to Friday, July 29, 2011
SERIES & GRADE: GS-1802-05/06
POSITION INFORMATION: Full-time Permanent
PROMOTION POTENTIAL: 06
DUTY LOCATIONS: 1 vacancy – Hazard, KY
WHO MAY BE CONSIDERED: U.S. Citizens; ICTAP eligibles in the local commuting area.
THIS IS A BARGAINING UNIT POSITION.
This position is located in the District 7 Office, Mine Safety and Health Administration in Hazard, KY.
RELOCATION and PCS EXPENSES WILL NOT BE PAID.
JOB SUMMARY:
Opportunities are Open! Begin a challenging career with the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL), and you will help shape the workforce of tomorrow. DOL offers rewarding opportunities to contribute to a noble mission; to serve and protect American workers, prepare them for new and better jobs, and to ensure the safety and fairness of American workplaces.
This position is located in the Mine, Safety and Health Administration (MSHA), District Office 7 located in Hazard, Kentucky. The district office has primary responsibility for enforcement of the Federal Mine Safety and Health Act of 1977 (Mine Act) and its implementing regulations contained in Title 30, Code of Federal Regulations (30 CFR). The District is responsible for regular inspection activities, the approval of plans for ventilation and dust control, roof control, and impoundments, and for training.
The incumbent in this position provides program and administrative support, as well as liaison duties in direct support of the supervisor and a cadre of Mine Safety and Health Inspectors. Due to the nature of the work performed, the supervisor and inspectors are required to be out of the office for extended periods of time, necessitating that the incumbent work independently to ensure the efficiency and effectivness of the functions of the office.
The incumbent provides program support to the district as the district expert on the Mine Information System (MIS)coding and procedures. The data on the MIS system is used by MSHA to determine enforcement activities, special focus or emphasis projects, and industry’s compliance with the Act.
College Transcript and Evaluation of Foreign Education – Transcripts (in English) must be submitted if (a) a degree is required for the position, and/or (b) education is used as the basis for qualifying for this position. The Department of Labor does not recognize academic degrees from schools that are not accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the Department of Education. Any applicant falsely claiming an academic degree from an accredited school will be subject to actions ranging from disqualification from federal employment to removal from federal service. If courses were taken at both the undergraduate and graduate levels, or from several different colleges or universities, you must submit all the necessary transcripts. If your education was completed at a foreign college or university, you must show comparability to education received in accredited educational institutions in the United States and comparability to applicable minimum course work requirements for this position. Click Evaluation of Foreign Education for more information.
KEY REQUIREMENTS:
This is a bargaining unit position.
Occasional travel is required.
Typing Proficiency – Must type a minimum of 40 words per minute.
Relocation and PCS expenses will not be paid.
Requires a background investigation
Back to top Duties
Additional Duty Location Info:
1 vacancy – Hazard, KY
The incumbent receives and reviews for completeness a variety of documents submitted by inspectors, e.g., mine plans, inspection and investigation reports. Identifies and recommends solutions for any discrepancies found prior to submission to the supervisor for final review and signature. Ensures that completed reports and any additional information, including special assessment review form packages, are complete, comply with the proper MSHA format, and forwarded to the District in a timely manner.
Generates violation and inspection tracking documents and reports of discrimination. Gathers and compiles FOIA data. Reviews mine assignment listings. Tracks motor vehicle usage. Prepares, transmits and retrieves a myriad of informational documents, reports and conference data in a variety of formats.
Researches, gathers and assembles information for use by field office staff in special projects, evaluations, conferences, and meetings, etc. using various sources such as, but not limited to, the Mine Information System (MIS), mine files and Internet access.
Maintains records systems for the work unit in support of Division operations. Tracks citations and orders for assessment purposes to ensure submission to the District Office within established timeframes. Record-keeping may include both electronic and manual/hard copy systems. Assures records comply with appropriate policy and procedure directives and established timeframes. Prepares documents for transmittal to archives.
Receives calls and visitors. Ascertains the nature of the call/visit and determines those which s/he can personally handle, referring others to the appropriate staff. Keeps a log of callers/visitors.
Arranges conferences and appointments for the office, following up with staff members to ensure commitments are met.
Makes travel arangements for employees. Provides itinerary, secures travel and motel reservations, and prepares travel vouchers upon completion of travel.
Receives, reviews and distributes incoming correspondence. Responds to those which do not require the attention of the supervisor or staff. Attaches appropriate background information from files as necessary. Reviews outgoing correspondence for compliance with policy, procedure, format, grammar, punctuation, etc. Maintains a log of all incoming and outgoing correspondence and action items.
Performs a variety of administrative functions e.g., posts and maintains time and attendance records, prepares necessary personnel documents, requisitions and distributes supplies, prepares milegage reports, tracks individual and safety awards, etc.
Expedites record-keeping, tracking and production of documents using specific automated systems. Uses standard formats or software functions to set up standard documents or format styles that can be retrieved. Develops methods for automating reports, considering the interrelationship and multiple uses of the data. Determines the data categories to be established, identifies the sorting and calculating functions to be performed, and sets up the detailed functional procedures needed to enter and retrieve data in the required format.
Assists inspectors in downloading mine data and Agency directives from the mainframe to the desktop and inspector laptop computers; assists uploading the Inspectors’ Portable Application for Laptop (IPAL) data on a regular basis. Ensures that the data uploads and downloads are successfully completed. Uses standard and customized queries to electronically request and retrieve various enforcement data from MIS for use by the staff.
A qualified typist is required. Must type a minimum of 40 words per minute.
Back to top Qualifications and Evaluations
QUALIFICATIONS REQUIRED:
For GS-5: Applicants must have 52 weeks of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level, GS-4, in the Federal Service.
For GS-6: Applicants must have 52 weeks of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level, GS-5, in the Federal Service.
Specialized experience is experience that equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSA’s) to perform successfully the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the position to be filled. Examples of specialized experience include, but are not limited to ability to analyze, interpret, and compile data from a computer system, as well as the ability to communicate effectively both orally and in writing.
In addition to meeting experience or education requirements, applicants for these positions must show possession of the following skill and proficiency level: Typing-ability to type a minimum of 40 words per minute.
Applicants may meet these requirements by passing the appropriate performance test, presenting a certificate of proficiency from a school or other organization authorized to issue such certificates by the Office of Personnel Management local office, or by self-certifying their proficiency. Performance test results and certificates of proficiency are acceptable for 3 years. Agencies may verify proficiency skills of self-certified applicants by administering the appropriate performance test.
GS-05: Successful completion of four years of education above the high school level in any field is creditable. This education must have been obtained in an accredited business, secretarial or technical school, junior college, college or university. One year of full-time academic study is defined as 30 semester hours, 45 quarter hours, or the equivalent in a college or university, or at least 20 hours of classroom instruction per week for approximately 36 weeks in a business, secretarial, or technical school.
GS-06: As a general rule, education is not creditable above GS-5 for most positions covered by this standard; however, graduate education may be credited in those few instances where the graduate education is directly related to the work of the position.
Additionally, equivalent combinations of successfully completed post-high school education and experience may be used to meet total experience requirements at grade GS-5.
Only education in excess of the first 60 semester hours (i.e., beyond the second year) is creditable toward meeting the specialized experience requirement. One full academic year of study (30 semester hours) beyond the second year is equivalent to 6 months of specialized experience.
College Transcript and Evaluation of Foreign Education – Transcripts (in English) must be submitted if (a) a degree is required for the position, and/or (b) education is used as the basis for qualifying for this position. The Department of Labor does not recognize academic degrees from schools that are not accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the Department of Education. Any applicant falsely claiming an academic degree from an accredited school will be subject to actions ranging from disqualification from federal employment to removal from federal service. If courses were taken at both the undergraduate and graduate levels, or from several different colleges or universities, you must submit all the necessary transcripts. If your education was completed at a foreign college or university, you must show comparability to education received in accredited educational institutions in the United States and comparability to applicable minimum course work requirements for this position. Click Evaluation of Foreign Education for more information.
Applicants must meet all legal and regulatory requirements. Please reference the “Required Documents” section for additional requirements.
HOW YOU WILL BE EVALUATED:
If you meet the minimum qualification requirements for this position, you will be evaluated against the evaluation factors (competencies) noted below and will be placed into one of the following quality categories based on your responses to the vacancy questions.
Categories
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Category A – Meets the basic qualification requirements for the vacancy announcement and has successful experience in the same or similar job that has demonstrated superior proficiency in applying knowledge, skill, and ability in the critical competencies for this position to work of increased levels of difficulty and complexity.
Category B – Meets the basic qualification requirements for the vacancy announcement and demonstrates satisfactory proficiency in the critical competencies for this position.
Category C – Meets the specialized experience outlined in the minimum qualifications requirements section of the vacancy announcement and demonstrates proficiency in the basic competencies required for this position.
Evaluation Factors (Competencies) – All qualified applicants will be evaluated on the following key competencies (click Evaluation Tools for information):
INTERPERSONAL SKILLS: Ability to show understanding, friendliness, courtesy, tact, empathy, cooperation, concern, and politeness to others; relates well to different people from varied backgrounds and different situations.
SELF MANAGEMENT: Sets well-defined and realistic personal goals; monitors progress and is motivated to achieve; manages own time and deals with stress effectively.
WRITING: Ability to use correct English grammar, punctuation, and spelling to communicate thoughts, ideas, information and messages in writing.
TEAM WORK: Encourages and facilitates cooperation, pride, trust, and group identify; fosters commitment and team spirit; works with others to achieve goals.
CUSTOMER SERVICE: Ability to work and communicate well with others e.g., individuals who use or receive services or products from your work unit) to satisfy their expectations. Commited to quality services.
DECISION MAKING: Ability to specify goals and obstacles to achieving those goals, generates alternatives, considers risks, and evaluatives and chooses the best alternative in order to make a determination, draw conclusions or solve a problem.
MANAGES AND ORGANIZES INFORMATION: Ability to identify a need; gathers, organizes, and maintains information; determines its importance and accuracy, and communicates it by a variety of methods.
ORGANIZATIONAL AWARENESS: Knows how social, political, organizational and technological systems work and operate effectively within them. This includes the policies, procedures, rules and reuglations of the work or organization.
APPLIES TECHNOLOGY TO TASKS: Knowlege of various software functions to produce a range of documents that often require complex formats (e.g., graphics, tables).
TECHNICAL COMPETENCE: Knowledge of how to perform one’s job. Refers to specialized knowledge that is required through formal training or extensive on-the-job experience.
The information you provide may be verified by a review of your work experience and/or education, by checking references and through other means, such as the interview process. The examining Human Resources Office (HRO) makes the final determination concerning applicant ratings. It is essential that your resume provide sufficient information to substantiate your responses in the self-assessment vacancy questions. If your responses are not adequately substantiated by your resume, the HRO will amend your responses to more accurately reflect the level of competency that is indicated by the content of your resume. Your evaluation may also include a review by a Human Resources Specialist or panel and may include other assessments such as an interview, a panel review, written test, writing sample, etc.
INFORMATION FOR ICTAP/CTAP ELIGIBLES ONLY: If you meet the eligibility requirements for special priority selection under ICTAP/CTAP you must be well-qualified for the position to receive consideration for special priority selection. ICTAP/CTAP eligibles who are placed into Category C or higher will be considered “well-qualified” for priority selection purposes.
Click Application of Veterans Preference for Category Rating Jobs for more information.
To preview questions please click here.
Back to top Benefits and Other Info
BENEFITS:
The Department of Labor (DOL) offers a great benefit package to eligible employees. The benefit package includes but is not limited to health benefits, supplemental dental and vision plans, flexible spending accounts, 13 days paid sick leave per year, vacation leave and 10 paid holidays per year. We offer a variety of employee benefit options, a family-friendly work environment, a child care subsidy program, transit subsidy program, career assistance program, health services and fitness programs, access to LifeCare, a resource and referral service and more. Employees on Part-Time work schedules receive all of these benefits on a prorated basis. For a comprehensive site about all federal benefits, please refer to OPM. For specific DOL benefits information, please refer to DOL BENEFITS.
OTHER INFORMATION:
All MSHA employees and their spouses, and minor children are prohibited by regulation from having any interest, direct or indirect, in any mine or mining company which may be directly affected by the work of MSHA through its investigations, technical research, or other activities. These interests are prohibited under the Department of Labor’s Supplemental Standards of Ethical Conduct Regulations at 5 CFR 5201.105. Certain MSHA employees are required to file a financial disclosure report. For questions related to this prohibition, please contact the agency’s point of contact listed in this vacancy announcement.
Back to top How To Apply
HOW TO APPLY:
Follow the 5 steps below to apply online to a Department of Labor (DOL) vacancy. Your application and ALL required supplemental documents must be received by 11:59 pm Eastern Time (ET) on the vacancy closing date to be considered. Paper applications and supplemental documents submitted in any other manner without prior approval from the vacancy contact will not be considered.
For more details, reference How To Apply Detailed Instructions. For help, refer to the Vacancy Contact on the announcement in the “Questions about this job” section. Save your information before the 60 MINUTE TIMEOUT or risk losing your information!
STEP 1 – Create USAJOBS Account, including Resume and Saved Documents
It is essential that your resume provide sufficient information to substantiate your responses in the self-assessment vacancy questions. If your responses are not adequately substantiated by your resume, the HRO will amend your responses to more accurately reflect the level of competency that is indicated by the content of your resume.
STEP 2 – Answer Vacancy Questions (DOORS)
Click the Apply Online button, which is available when you search for a job on www.usajobs.gov, click on the title and proceed.
STEP 3 – Submit Supplemental Documents
Submit the required documents (only if applicable to you) specified in the “Required Documents” section of this vacancy. For details: click How to Submit Supplemental Documentation. If you submit a document using the same document title, the 2nd submission will OVERWRITE the 1st submission. To avoid this, submit documents (ex. undergraduate and graduate degree transcripts) as one document.
STEP 4 – Review Application and click Finish
STEP 5 – Edit Application as needed by 11:59 pm ET of Close Date
REQUIRED DOCUMENTS:
The following documents must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. (ET) on the vacancy closing date. Submit your documents by following the instructions provided in the “How to Apply” section or go to www.jobs.dol.gov and click on “How To Submit Supplemental Documentation”. You are not required to submit a document if it does not apply to you.
- Veterans Documents (if applicable): In order to be considered as a 5-point preference eligible, you must submit a copy of your Certificate of Release or Discharge From Active Duty, DD214. Your DD-214 must show the type of discharge and dates of active duty. If you are claiming 10-point preference eligible, you must submit a copy of your DD214; an Application for 10-point Veteran’s Preference, SF15; and the proof of entitlement of this preference which is normally an official statement, dated 1991 or later, from the Department of Veterans Affairs certifying to the present existence of the service-connected disability and indicating the percentage of your disability. Without this documentation, you will not receive veteran’s preference. Additional information on veterans’ preference is available in the Vet’s Guide at: http://www.fedshirevets.gov/hire/hrp/vetguide/index.aspx
- Displaced Employee Placement Documents – Only required if requesting priority consideration under ICTAP/CTAP Eligibility.
- Cover Letters are not mandatory and will not be used to verify experience, but may be submitted
Applicants selected for employment who are not current DOL employees will be required to provide proof of citizenship, and the E-Verify system will be used to confirm the employment eligibility of all new hires.
AGENCY CONTACT INFO:
HR Specialist
Phone: 404-302-5842
Fax: 000-000-0000
TDD: 800-877-8339
Email: little.karen@dol.gov Agency Information:
U.S. Department of Labor
Sam Nunn Center
61 Forsyth Street SW
Atlanta, GA 30303
Fax: 000-000-0000