Administrative Officer

U.S. Geological Survey (USGS); Las Cruces (NM); On-site; USD 90,000 - 118,000; Full time

Job summary

U.S. Geological Survey, a federal agency, seeks an Administrative Officer in New Mexico. The role involves planning, budgeting, HR and procurement oversight, and advising on policy and procedures.

At the GS-12 level, you will supervise staff, manage complex budgets, and implement multi-year objectives within regulatory guidelines. This position supports the Rocky Mountain Region and NM Water Science Center with nationwide responsibilities.

Qualifications

• Specialized experience advising managers on administrative operations.
• Experience developing and managing budgets and financial resources.
• Experience advising on human resources matters such as staffing, position management or organizational structure.
• Experience with procurement, acquisitions, property, space, travel or other business operations.

Responsibilities

• Plan work and assignments, evaluate subordinates, and arrange training.
• Monitor obligations and expenditures and align with the financial plan.
• Oversee recruitment, promotion, awards, and training activities.
• Advise on policies, regulations, and management systems; identify and resolve conflicts.
• Conduct complex analytical studies to improve efficiency and resource use.
• Advise management on regulatory impacts and organizational changes.

Skills

Budget management

HR advisory

Procurement

Administrative ops

Job description

Summary

You will serve as a Administrative Officer with Geological Survey.

You will serve as a Administrative Officer with Geological Survey.

Salary

GS-12: $89,5080 (Step 01) to $117,6252 (Step 10).

It is anticipated that one position will be filled in one of the following locations: Alburquerque, New Mexico; Taos, New Mexico, Las Cruces, New Mexico; Roswell, New Mexico. Pay will vary based on grade level and/or duty location for which you’re selected. First time hires to the Federal government normally start at the step 1 rate.

Open to

• Help
• Federal employees - Competitive service
• Current federal employees whose agencies follow the U.S. Office of Personnel Management’s hiring rules and pay scales.
• Federal employees - Excepted service
• Current federal employees whose agencies have their own hiring rules, pay scales and evaluation criteria.
• Career transition (CTAP, ICTAP, RPL)
• Federal employees whose job, agency or department was eliminated and are eligible for priority over other applicants.
• Veterans
• Veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces or a spouse, widow, widower or parent of a veteran, who may be eligible for derived preference.
• Military spouses
• Military spouses of active duty service members or whose spouse is 100 percent disabled or died on active duty.
• Individuals with disabilities
• Individuals who are eligible under Schedule A.
• Family of overseas employees
• Family members of a federal employee or uniformed service member who is or was, working overseas.
• Peace Corps & AmeriCorps Vista
• Individuals who have served at least 2 years with the Peace Corps or 1 year with AmeriCorps VISTA.
• Special authorities
• Individuals eligible under a special authority not listed in another hiring path.
• Clarification from the agency
• This is a Merit Promotion announcement for current and former career and career conditional Federal employees, Career Transition eligibles (CTAP & ICTAP) and those who are eligible under the hiring paths listed above. Refer to Required Documents section for more information.

Duties

This position is located within the Department of the Interior, Us Geological Survey, Rocky Mountain Region, New Mexico Water Sci Ctr, Albuquerque, Las Cruces, Roswell, and Taos, New Mexico. At the full performance level (GS-12) the major duties of this position include, but are not limited to the following:

• Plans work to be accomplished by subordinates; makes assignments based on capability and expertise; evaluates the work performance of subordinates; develops performance standards; gives advice or instruction to subordinates on work and administrative matters; and identifies developmental and training needs of employees, providing or arranging for needed development or training.
• Directs the monitoring and tracking of obligations and expenditure throughout the budget execution phase. Verifies that obligations and expenditures occur on a timely basis in accordance with the financial plan and regulatory controls and are within amounts obligated. Reports variations more than accepted funding limitations and recommends corrective actions. Participate in decisions concerning revisions on projects due to increases or decreases in funds. Recommends adjustments to planned expenditures to satisfy highest priority needs or to meet unplanned emergency expenditures.
• Oversee recruitment, selection, promotion, awards, and training activities to ensure compatibility with staffing plans, personnel ceilings, and funding levels. Advises supervisors in structuring and describing positions and writing performance plans.
• Advises on a broad range of policies, issues, regulations, problems, and management systems; formulates innovative approaches to resolve conflicting requirements and differing opinions among affected parties regarding the proposed action to be taken; identifies, quantifies, and evaluates the mutual effects and interrelationships between program goals and accomplishments, and available resources and policies; and provides consultation in planning and analyzing multi year objectives that often conflict with long-range goals and objectives of higher level management.
• Plans and conduct complex analytical studies of organizational elements and work to identify problems and approve resource utilization, administrative support, and management effectiveness.
• Advises management officials regarding the impact of changing regulations on the organizations and recommends changes in organization procedures to conform to new policies.

Requirements

• Must be a U.S. Citizen or National.
• Appointment subject to background investigation and favorable adjudication.
• Males born after 12-31-59 must be registered for Selective Service.
• Direct Deposit participation required.
• Successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check. To learn more, visit https://www.e-verify.gov/.
• You are required to complete training, obtain and maintain a government credit card with travel and purchase authority.
• A financial disclosure report will be required within 30 days of appointment.

This is a supervisory position that may require completion of a supervisory probationary period.

• Additional Requirements located under qualifications*

Qualifications

All qualifications must be met by the closing date of this announcement - 11/12/2026 - unless otherwise stated in this vacancy announcement. Competitive candidates must also meet Time-in-Grade requirements as defined in 5 CFR 300, Subpart F.

For current Federal employees, if hours worked per week are not included on your resume, you must submit a non-award SF-50 as part of your application to be used to validate your work schedule and determine the amount of specialized experience that you will be granted. An award SF-50 will not be acceptable documentation for which to consider your amount of qualifying experience. For periods of time that reflect military service, the DD-214 or Statement of Service is sufficient to meet the work schedule requirement as the service dates will be reflected. For all other applicants who are not current federal employees, your resume must state either "full-time" (or "40 hours a week") or "part-time" with the number of hours worked per week to ensure proper crediting of specialized experience.

Minimum Qualification Requirements: To qualify for this position, you must meet the following minimum qualifications:

Specialized Experience: To qualify for this position at the GS-12 grade level:

To qualify, you must possess at least one full year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-11 level in the Federal service (obtained in either the public or private sectors). Specialized experience is defined as demonstrated experience: Advising managers on administrative operations and identifying or recommending ways to improve business processes; developing, managing, monitoring, or analyzing budgets and financial resources; advising managers on human resources matters such as staffing, position management, personnel actions or organizational structure; and managing or providing guidance on administrative functions such as procurement, acquisitions, property, space, travel, or other business operations.

Volunteer Experience: Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community, student, social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

Education

This position does not allow substituting education for experience.

Additional information

Additional vacancies may be filled using this job announcement.

Reasonable Accommodation (RA) Requests:

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. (https://appsupport-usastaffing.opm.gov/hc/en-us/sections/45063131363475-Reasonable-Accommodation-Information)

All DOI employees, their spouses, and minor children may not acquire or retain any claim, permit, lease, small tract entry, or other rights granted by the Department in Federal lands, with limited exceptions. Additional ethics prohibitions can be found here, DOI Ethics Prohibitions | U.S. Department of the Interior.

The duties of this position are suitable for telework and the selectee may be allowed to telework with supervisor approval.

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

Benefits

A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.

Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.

Evaluation

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g. resume, supporting documents), the responses you provide on the application questionnaire, and the result of the additional assessment(s) required for this position. To be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process.

Your resume must not exceed 2 pages. Only the document submitted as the "Resume" under the Documents section will be used to determine your qualifications/eligibility and for rating purposes. In the event you submit more than one resume, only the latest submission will be reviewed.

You will be assessed in the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics):

• Attention to Detail
• Integrity/Honestry
• Interpersonal Skills
• Learning
• Self-Management
• Teamwork
• Decision Making
• Rading Comprehension
• Reasoning

In addition to the application and application questionnaire, this position requires successful completion of the USA Hire Assessment, if required.

The USA Hire Assessments includes a cut score based on the minimum level of required proficiency in these critical general competencies. You must meet or exceed the cut score to be considered. You will not be considered for the position if you score below the cut score or fail to complete the assessment.

The assessment includes a cut score based on the minimum level of required proficiency in these critical general competencies. You must meet or exceed the cut score to be considered. You will not be considered for the position if you score below the cut score or fail to complete the assessment.

All qualified non-competitive applicants and the best-qualified Merit Promotion applicants will be referred to the hiring manager for consideration.

Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or application questionnaire may result in your removal from consideration or your score may be lowered. Cheating on an assessment may also result in your removal from consideration. Applicants who include vulgar, offensive, or inappropriate language or information in your application package will be ineligible for further consideration for this position.

Current or former displaced Federal employees who are surplus, displaced, or involuntarily separated have special priority selection rights under the Agency Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP) or the Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP). To be considered under CTAP/ICTAP, you must be well-qualified, score at least 85 (i.e., meet the minimum qualification requirements, including any selective placement factors; education, and experience requirements), and be able to perform the duties of the position upon entry.

Required Documents

• Resume which includes a list of all significant jobs held and duties performed, with dates in month-year format (include month/day/year format if needed for 52 weeks of experience), and indicate hours worked per week (or full-time). Your resume must clearly show how long you have held each grade/rank. Resumes must not exceed two single-sided pages and resumes longer than two pages will not be accepted. The minimum font size is 10-point for all body text. All resumes must maintain a minimum 0.5-inch margins on all sides to ensure readability and prevent excessive content compression. Including supplemental pages or attachments disguised as resume extensions are prohibited and will not be reviewed to determine your eligibility/qualifications. Your 2-page resume must contain information sufficient to make a valid determination that you fully meet the specialized experience requirements. If you have federal experience, you should include series, and grade for each position held, and if experience is part of a career ladder position, you must clearly distinguish the job duties and length of time working for each grade level. More information on how to write a Federal Resume: https://help.usajobs.gov/faq/application/documents/resume/what-to-include
• Complete All Required Assessment(s).
• Performance Appraisals and Awards: You must submit your most recent performance appraisal showing the official rating of record and signed by a supervisor dated within the past 18 months. If unavailable, a written explanation is required (including if any prior performance appraisals/evaluations were at an acceptable level). Performance awards dated within the past 5 years may also be submitted for due weight consideration.
• All College Transcript(s), if qualifying based on education.
• Eligibility Documentation:
• Current and former Federal employees must submit latest SF-50 (i.e. Promotion, Separation, Within Grade Increase (WGI)) showing tenure 1 or 2 in block 24, grade, and if applicable, an additional SF-50 showing the highest grade or promotion potential held. Time in grade will be determined by reviewing your resume and required SF-50s. If your SF-50 showing highest permanent grade held has an effective date within the past year, your resume must clearly show that you held that grade for one year. Do not submit award SF-50s.
• Interagency Career Transition (ICTAP) and Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP): You MUST submit proof of eligibility including 1) copy of the agency notice, e.g., RIF Separation Notice, Notice of Proposed Removal, etc.; 2) SF-50s (Notifications of Personnel Action) showing career/conditional tenure competitive status, promotion potential and duty location; and 3) your most recent performance appraisal. To exercise selection priority, displaced or surplus Federal employees must be well qualified. For more information visit: USAJOBS Help Center - Career Transition Programs (CTAP, ICTAP, RPL).

Failure to submit any of the above-mentioned required documents will result in loss of consideration due to an incomplete application package. It is your responsibility to ensure all required documents have been submitted.

Do not submit photographs with your application package. Do not upload Adobe portfolio documents.

If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:

Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.

Agency contact information

DOI Staffing Team 5 (USGS)

Email: [e-mail]

Address: NEW MEXICO WATER SCI CTR

12201 Sunrise Valley Drive

Mail Stop 600

Reston, VA 20192

US

Next steps

Please refer to your USAJOBS account for application status; the Human Resources Office cannot respond to individual status inquiries.

Once your online application is submitted you will receive a confirmation notification by email. Your application will be evaluated by the Human Resources Office to determine your eligibility for the position. After the evaluation is complete, you will receive another notification regarding the status of your application.

You can find your path with the Department of Interior at https://careers.doi.gov/.

Any exaggeration of your experience, false statements, or attempt to conceal information may disqualify you for employment consideration. We may verify all information you provide in your resume and questionnaire responses, through reference and/or background checks, and/or verification of your education. If you are selected, you will be contacted personally by the Human Resources Office posting this announcement.