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This position is with the Small Business Administration, Office of Field Operations - Region IV in Columbia, South Carolina. The Business Opportunity Specialist is responsible for the full scope of the agency's government contracting and business development programs, as well as developing and conducting outreach and training to strengthen and improve business opportunities for eligible small businesses.
Learn more about this agency10/31/2024 to 11/14/2024
$86,962 - $113,047 per year
GS 12
1 vacancy in the following location:
No
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
50% or less - You may be expected to travel for this position.
No
Permanent
Full-time
Competitive
None
No
No
No
25-034-KS-MP
816844900
Current or former competitive service federal employees.
Federal employees who meet the definition of a "surplus" or "displaced" employee.
Family members of a federal employee or uniformed service member who is or was, working overseas.
Certain current or former term or temporary federal employees of a land or base management agency.
The Business Opportunity Specialist coaches and guides a portfolio of 8(a) firms in the development and maintenance of business plans. Maintains regular performance monitoring and reporting techniques to assure compliance with the firm's participation in the 8(a) Business Development program. Develops and administers the portfolio by providing support to address the firm's gaps in areas such as contract sourcing, business capture and marketing assistance, financial consultation and providing guidance regarding business growth and development.
Duties include, but are not limited to:
- Marketing the 8(a) program to create awareness of the program and its benefits to socially and economically disadvantaged entrepreneurs;
- Providing training to federal contracting officers, Procurement Center Representatives (PCR), Commercial Market Representatives (CMR), small business officers and other federal contracting officers, decision makers and influencers;
- Promoting SBA programs and services through outreach and marketing;
- Recruitment, training, education and development of small businesses interested in working with the government (federal, state and local level);
- Small business consultation and working with SBA PCRs/CMRs to identify the needs of government organizations (federal, state and local level); OSDBU/OSBP (DOD) and primes/sub contractors to assist them with meeting their small business goals;
- Linking and matching the needs of organizations (government organizations and prime/sub contractors) to the capabilities of small businesses through business matchmaking and other outreach and marketing initiatives;
-Education regarding public-private sector relationship-building, SBIR/STTR; and corporate procurement/partnership strategy (portfolio expansion, mentor-protege opportunities, micro-macro private sector relationship building);
- Furthering the SBA mission.
Physical Demands: This position combines an office environment with outreach and training activities. Requires extensive travel throughout the District, including frequent early morning, evening and occasional weekends and overnight travel and/or may travel outside the District. Use multi-modes of transportation including operation of either a government-owned motor vehicle or a privately-owned motor vehicle (GOV/POV). The work requires some physical exertion such as lifting boxes of hand-outs, information packets, computers and other items that can weigh up to 40 pounds. Transport, set-up and tear-down displays and/or other equipment at trade shows, training sessions and other activities as needed. A valid state driver's license is required.
Work Environment: Work is normally performed in an office setting and in a variety of rural and urban environments (office, hotels, warehouses, factories, farms, faith-based and community-based locations, construction sites, restaurants, garages, laboratories, etc.) and may incur exposure to moderate risk, discomfort and unpleasant surroundings. The work may require special safety precautions, e.g ., visiting or working in industrial plants or test environments where hazards are present such as machines, moving equipment, chemicals, noise, vibrations, hazardous or extreme weather conditions, or comparable situations. May be required to use protective clothing or gear such as masks, gowns, coats, boots, hardhats, goggles, gloves or shields.
This is a bargaining unit position with AFGE Local 228.
This is not a (drug) testing designated position (TDP).
APPLICANTS PLEASE NOTE: 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 (particularly positions with a positive education requirement.) Therefore, applicants must report only attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Verify School accreditation. All education claimed by applicants will be verified by the appointing agency accordingly. *** If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. *** For further information, click on: Foreign Education.
Reasonable Accommodation Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended and Americans with Disabilities Act 1990 as amended, that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a reasonable accommodation in your online application. Requests for Reasonable Accommodations for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for Reasonable Accommodation must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for Reasonable Accommodations 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. 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 Reasonable Accommodation, 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
Career and InterAgency Career Transition Assistance Programs:
Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) is a program that helps "surplus" or "displaced" federal employees improve their chances of finding a new job in their current agency (intra-agency, i.e. SBA employees only).
Inter-Agency Career Transition Assistance (ICTAP) is a program that helps "surplus" or "displaced" federal employees improve their chances of finding a new job at another agency (inter-agency; i.e. not applying to their current or former agency).
You are eligible for CTAP/ICTAP if:
1. You are a current federal employee who meets the definition of a "surplus" or "displaced" employee meaning you have received official notice that your job is no longer needed or that you will lose your job by Reduction-in-Force (RIF).
2. Your agency, or the agency to which you are applying, is accepting applications from within or outside of the permanent workforce.
3. The position to which you are applying MUST BE in the Local Commuting Area of the position of record from which you are being displaced.
4. You meet the qualifications and other requirements of the job for which you are applying. This includes being rated as well-qualified for the position (score of 85 or better based on your responses to the competencies and associated questions listed within the assessment).
Selective Service: If you are a male applicant born after December 31, 1959, you must certify that you have registered with the Selective Service System, or are exempt from having to do so under the Selective Service Law. For additional information visit www.sss.gov.
Consistent with work requirements and current SBA Policy, and all applicable provisions of the collective bargaining agreement with AFGE the SBA offers employees opportunities to perform work at an alternative location (e.g. home).
Telework may be available. For information on Telework visit: http://www.telework.gov/
Additional vacancies may be filled from this vacancy announcement if additional vacancies occur within 180 days of the date the certificates were issued.
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
Applicants meeting basic eligibility requirements will be further evaluated based on the information provided in the Occupational Questionnaire. To preview this questionnaire, click on the following link: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12595162. You will be rated based on your responses to the occupational questionnaire. The occupational questions relate to the following Competencies required to do the work of this position:
Failure to submit any of the required documents by the closing date/time of the vacancy will result in your removal from consideration for this position. Please review your application prior to final submission and ensure you have submitted all appropriate documents. Uploading documents to USAJobs does NOT ensure inclusion with your application to our system. You must verify that the documents are in the system with your application prior to final submission.
1. Your Resume - must contain the following information:
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.
Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions will affect your rating. If, after reviewing your resume and/or supporting documentation, a determination is made that you have inflated your qualifications and/or experience your rating may be adjusted to more accurately reflect your abilities.
Please read the entire announcement and all the instructions before you begin an application. To apply for this position, you must complete the initial online application, to include the initial online assessment and submission of the required documentation specified in the Required Documents section below. 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:
1. To begin the application process, click the Apply Online button.
2. Answer the questions presented in the application and attach all necessary supporting documentation.
3. Click the Submit Application button prior to 11:59PM (ET) on the announcement closing date.
4. 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 both on screen and via email notification.
5. If you are asked to take the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be presented with a unique URL to access the USA Hire system. Access to USA Hire is granted through your USAJOBS login credentials. Be sure to review all instructions prior to beginning your USA Hire Assessments. Click here for Computer System Requirements
6. Note, set aside at least 3 hours to take these assessments; however, most applicants complete the assessments in less time. If you need to stop the assessments and continue at a later time, you can re-use the URL sent to you via email and also found on the Additional Application Information page that can be located in the application record in your USAJOBS account.
To update your application, including supporting documentation, at any time during the announcement open period, return to your USAJOBS account. There you will find a record of your application, the application status, and an option to Update Application. This option will no longer be available once the announcement has closed.
To verify the status of your application both during and after the announcement open period, log into your USAJOBS account: https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login. All of your applications will appear on the Welcome page. The application record in your USAJOBS account provides an Additional Application Information page that provides information regarding the documentation you submitted and any correspondence we have sent related to this application. The Application Status will appear along with the date your application was last updated. For information on what each Application Status means, visit: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/how-to/application/status/
Based on your application and your responses to the application questionnaire, you may be presented with instructions on how to access the USA Hire system to complete the online assessments. The online assessments must be completed within 48 hours following the close of this announcement. You will have the opportunity to request a testing accommodation for the assessment should you have a disability covered under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
Your assessment results will be kept on record for one year and used toward future positions for which you might apply that require the same assessments.
To be considered for the position, you must meet all qualifications, including meeting or exceeding the cut score on the required assessments.
SUITABILITY, CLEARANCE & REQUIREMENTS: A background investigation may be required for all new hires. Appointment will be subject to the applicant's successful completion of a background investigation and favorable adjudication. Failure to successfully meet these requirements will be grounds for termination.
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
This job originated on www.usajobs.gov. For the full announcement and to apply, visit www.usajobs.gov/job/816844900. Only resumes submitted according to the instructions on the job announcement listed at www.usajobs.gov will be considered.
Learn more about
Are you passionate about small businesses and the role they play as a leading job-creator in our nation's economy? Do you want to help nurture the entrepreneurial spirit that is at the heart of who we are as Americans?
The SBA was created more than 70 years ago to support our nation's small businesses by ensuring access to capital, markets and networks. Over the past year, we've played an outsized role in helping our nation's more than 33 million small businesses and innovative startups survive a once-in-a-generation pandemic and economic crisis. We've scaled dramatically - growing from a $40 billion portfolio to an agency that's disbursed more than $1 trillion in economic relief. We've distributed a record number of loans, grants, debt relief and other resources to help small businesses in every corner of our nation.
Today, we're leading the effort to help our small businesses recover and rebuild - using technology to be as entrepreneurial as the small businesses we serve, while increasing accessibility to every one of our programs to ensure equity for entrepreneurs from underserved communities. Most of all, we're focused on putting our customers - the nation's small businesses - first. Come join the SBA's mission-driven team and help us build new small businesses, create jobs and build an equitable economy that works for everyone.
