Self Determination Officer

Summary

One position is being filled. Serves as lead contracting authority for the award, administration, and oversight of Indian Self-Determination (P.L. 93-638) contracts, grants, and cooperative agreements, ensuring statutory, regulatory, financial, and audit compliance while providing technical guidance to support effective tribal self-governance. Duty location determined at selection. Must reside within 49 miles of a DOI office.

Duties

Serves as Lead Awarding Official for P.L. 93-638 contracts, grants, and cooperative agreements, performing pre- and post-award functions and ensuring compliance with applicable statutes, regulations, and policies. Administers financial assistance and payment provisions for P.L. 93-638 agreements, including funding, cost reimbursement, obligations, distributions, and contract support funding. Reviews and analyzes tribal proposals and applications for completeness, accuracy, legal and regulatory compliance, funding limitations, and award readiness; coordinates internal reviews and resolves issues prior to award. Maintains official award files and records from proposal receipt through closeout, ensuring documentation supports contractual actions, financial accountability, audit requirements, and regulatory compliance. Monitors post-award performance and financial execution, identifies budget overages, shortfalls, and other issues, and recommends corrective actions to support successful agreement administration. Provides authoritative technical guidance and assistance to Self-Determination Specialists, USWFS staff, tribes, and tribal organizations on contracting methods, statutory authorities, waivers, financial requirements, and P.L. 93-638 program administration. Conducts and supports program reviews and compliance assessments of tribal self-determination programs; prepares findings, follow-up reports, and recommendations to address deficiencies and improve program operations. Develops and delivers training and technical assistance for USWFS and tribal personnel on P.L. 93-638 requirements, including financial, personnel, property, travel, indirect costs, contract support costs, and cost principles. Prepares reports and responds to information requests from departmental leadership; tracks appropriations and obligations, resolves discrepancies, and ensures timely and equitable distribution and utilization of P.L. 93-638 funds.

Requirements

U.S. Citizenship required. Males born after 12/31/1959 must be registered for Selective Service or exempt. Appointment subject to background investigation and favorable adjudication of background investigation and/or fingerprint check. Per Public Law 104-134 all Federal employees are required to have federal payments made by direct deposit to their financial institution. Must be 18 years of age at time of close date of announcement. You may be required to work on-call, evenings, weekends, holidays, overtime and shift work. Incumbent will be required to complete training and obtain/maintain a government charge card with travel and/or purchase authority. If new to the federal government, and this is your first appointment, as a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary period during which your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest will be evaluated. This probationary period is an extension of the appointment process and therefore requires the agency to determine if continued employment would advance the public interest, meet the organization goals and mission of the agency, and/or otherwise promote the efficiency of the service. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, the agency will 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. Under applicable law, the employment of an individual serving a probationary or trial period automatically terminates when that period ends unless the agency affirmatively certifies, in writing, that the individual's employment should continue and that their appointment should be finalized. In the absence of agency action to affirmatively certify continued employment beyond the probationary or trial period, such appointments are terminated.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.

Qualifications and evaluation

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), the responses you provide on the application questionnaire, and the result of the additional assessments required for this position. A review of your resume and supporting documentation will be made and compared against your responses to the Assessment Questionnaire to determine if you are qualified for this job. If your resume is incomplete or does not support the responses provided in the Assessment Questionnaire, or if you fail to submit all required documentation, you will be rated 'ineligible', 'not qualified', or your score will be adjusted accordingly. If a determination is made that you have inflated your qualifications or experience, you can lose consideration for this position. Please follow all instructions carefully; errors or omissions can affect your rating. Resumes must not exceed two single-sided pages and resumes longer than two pages will not be accepted. You may only submit one resume. 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. Candidates who apply under Competitive Merit Promotion procedures will undergo a quality review to determine if they are highly qualified based on the content of their resume and their responses to the questionnaire. Best qualified candidates will be referred if all required supporting documentation has been provided. Candidates who apply under Noncompetitive Merit Promotion procedures will undergo a quality review to determine if they are minimally qualified based on the content of their resume and their responses to the questionnaire. Qualified candidates will be referred if all required supporting documentation has been provided. You will be evaluated on the following competencies: Attention to Detail Customer Service Flexibility Integrity/Honesty Interpersonal Skills Learning Reading Comprehension Reasoning Self-Management Stress Tolerance Teamwork In order to be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. In addition to the application and application questionnaire, this position requires successful completion of additional assessments. These assessments measure the critical competencies listed above that are required to successfully perform the job. Please submit 1) a copy of your most recent performance appraisal/evaluation and 2) a list of any awards (e.g. superior performance awards, special act or achievement awards, quality step increase, etc.) you received in the last 5 years. Any performance appraisal/evaluation and award documentation you provide will be forwarded to the selecting official. The selecting official will review this documentation and give it due weight consideration during the overall selection process. If you do not have your most recent performance appraisal/evaluation, please submit a statement as to why it is not available. Please indicate if any prior performance appraisals/evaluations were at an acceptable level.

Education

Please note - there is no qualifying education for this series.

How to apply

To apply for this position: You must complete the occupational questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section below. To receive consideration, the complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on 10/13/2026. You must provide documentation to support your claim for each eligibility selected. Please review the required documentation listed in the eligibilities language to ensure you submit the appropriate information. Note: You will only be marked eligible for those eligibilities that you selected and provided the appropriate supporting documentation. WE DO NOT ACCEPT HARD-COPY OR E-MAIL APPLICATION PACKAGES. Select Apply. If you are not logged in, you will be prompted to login or create an account. Prompted to Start the Application Process by selecting "Start Application." Click here for USAJobs Help with "How to create an application" To PREVIEW the application questionnaire, select the following link: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/13070448 Select or add the resume you want to use for this application. Click here on how to build a resume in USAJOBS. Select documents you want included in this application. Review package to acknowledge your documents were reviewed. Select if you want to include your demographic information. After reading and certifying the application is true and submitted in good faith, select "Continue to Agency Site." Follow onscreen prompts and instructions to complete your application. Add the supporting documents by indexing your documents with the dropdown. Upload any missing required documents or optional documents. Review and Submit Application. While logged in, you can check the status of your application by selecting "+" next to the job title for this position. You can review or revise your application at any point during the open period of the announcement. To update an application, you should log into your USAJOBS account and select "+" next to the job title for this position. Select "Update Application" for this job. Note: When you click Update Application, you will be prompted to re-select your documents from USAJOBS. Documents submitted with the first application will no longer be associated with the applicant record. So it is important that you select all documents you want to use in the re-application.

Required documents

The following documents are required and must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on the closing date of the announcement: Resume: Must not exceed two single-sided pages. Resumes longer than two pages will not be accepted. MUST clearly indicate duties and responsibilities for each position, employment dates (month/year), and total hours worked (e.g., 40+ hours/week, full-time, part-time). Part-time hours must be listed to prorate qualified specialized experience. If a resume is incomplete or does not support the minimum qualifications or specialized experience, a rating of "ineligible" or "not qualified" will be assigned and no further consideration given. If military or civilian, include your rank and/or grade. Including supplemental pages or attachments disguised as resume extensions is prohibited and will not be reviewed. Complete All Required Assessments. Merit Promotion Eligibility Documentation, such as: Federal employees must submit their latest SF-50, "Notification of Personnel Action," reflecting career or career-conditional tenure (initial hire, promotion, or reassignment), showing position title, series, grade, and tenure (do not submit an Award SF-50). If different, also submit the SF-50 showing the highest permanent grade held. Time in grade will be determined from your resume and SF-50s. If your most recent SF-50 is effective within the past year and does not clearly show one year of time-in-grade, submit an additional SF-50 (such as a Within Grade Increase) that does. Land Management Workforce Flexibility Act (LMWFA): Submit ALL Appointment and Termination SF-50s for EACH appointment, ALL performance evaluations for each qualifying period of temporary employment claimed, or a statement explaining any missing appraisal. Interagency/Career Transition Assistance Plan (I/CTAP): Submit proof of eligibility, including the agency notice, most recent performance rating, and SF-50 showing position, grade, and duty location. For more information, visit USAJOBS Help Center - Career Transition Programs (CTAP, ICTAP, RPL). Other Supporting Documents, if applicable, such as: Veterans Preference Documentation If you are a Discharged, Non-Disabled Veteran, submit a DD-214 (Member 4 copy) showing character of discharge or other acceptable documentation listed on the SF-15. If unavailable, request it from the National Archives. If within 120 days of discharge, submit signed Armed Forces documentation certifying: (1) expected release/retirement date, (2) honorable conditions, (3) pay grade/rank/rate, (4) active duty dates, (5) campaign or expeditionary medals received, and (6) documentation dated within 120 days of separation. If you are a Disabled Veteran, Purple Heart Recipient, or Mother or Spouse of a Disabled or Deceased Veteran, submit all documentation required by the SF-15 and, if applicable, a completed SF-15. A VA disability letter may be requested through eBenefits or by calling 1-800-827-1000. Performance Appraisals and Awards: Submit your most recent performance appraisal showing the official rating of record and supervisor's signature. If it is older than 18 months, submit a statement explaining why it is the most recent. OR If no appraisal is available, submit a statement explaining why (including whether prior evaluations were at an acceptable level). Failure to submit any required documents will result in loss of consideration due to an incomplete application package. It is your responsibility to ensure all required documents are submitted. Do not submit photographs or Adobe portfolio documents with your application package.

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) PCS INFORMATION: Entitlements for payment of basic moving expenses, as required and to the extent allowed by the Federal Travel Regulation (FTR) 302-3.101, are authorized for eligible applicants changing duty station when the change meets the distance tests as provided in FTR 302-1.1 and 302-2.6. All moving expenses are taxable. If otherwise eligible and qualified, you may be offered a recruitment or relocation incentive. The decision to offer an incentive will be made on a case-by-case basis and is neither promised nor guaranteed. For information visit: Recruitment Incentive or Relocation Incentive. A continued service agreement may be required if it is determined you are eligible for a permanent change in duty station (PCS), recruitment, or relocation incentive.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. Reasonable Accommodation: The USWFS provides reasonable accommodations to applicants with disabilities. Please visit USAJOBS Help Center | Reasonable accommodation policy if you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process. Physical Demands: Work is primarily sedentary, involving reviewing documents, using a computer, and attending meetings, with occasional travel and no special physical demands. Incumbent may be required to travel in vehicles or commercial air carriers. Working Conditions: Work is performed in a typical office or administrative setting with minimal risks or discomforts.