FUTURE OPERATIONS PLANNER (PLANS & OPERATIONS)

Duties

• Serve as future operations planner and senior action officer in the USSOUTHCOM Future Operations Division.
• Coordinate contingency and crisis action planning while applying fundamentals of the Joint Operational Planning Process (JOPP) and Joint Doctrine.
• Monitor command-level planning activities related to future and ongoing planning activities.
• Provide guidance to personnel on planning and policy issues that involve future operations.
• Analyze interrelated issues of effectiveness and efficiency regarding substantive mission-oriented work.
• Execute major projects and analytical reviews designed to resolve problems in support of our partner nations.
• Develop courses of action to meet organizational objectives.

Requirements

Conditions of employment

• Appointment may be subject to a suitability or fitness determination, as determined by a completed background investigation.
• Required to deploy on short notice (in under 24 hours) as directed in response to a Presidential Disaster Declaration (PDD) involving acts of terrorism, natural disasters, homeland defense and civil support contingency operations.
• Position requires travel up to 10% of the time.
• Participation in the DOD/Department of the Army (DA) Immunization program to include live vaccinations as required by DOD/DA policy.
• Must be able to obtain and maintain a Top Secret/SCI security clearance. Failure to satisfactory complete any aspect of this process is grounds for termination.
• Drug testing position under the Department of the Army Drug-Free Federal Workplace Program IAW AR 600-85. Signing of a DA Form 5019 acknowledging periodic random drug testing requirements is mandatory prior to being placed into this position.
• Those individuals not currently occupying a TDP position must successfully complete a pre-appointment drug test prior to being placed into this position and periodically thereafter.
• Immunization screening is required.
• This position requires shift work to provide coverage on evenings, weekends, holidays, or special situations. Overtime and shift work may be required on short notice
• Employees may be required to have a mobile phone/PDA and maintain a working telephone at all times.
• This position is designated Tier 5, Special Sensitive, High Risk and the incumbent is required to obtain and maintain a Top Secret Security Clearance Level with Sensitive Compartmented Information (SCI) access as a condition of employment.

Qualifications

Who May Apply: Only applicants who meet one of the employment authority categories below are eligible to apply for this job. You will be asked to identify which category or categories you meet, and to provide documents which prove you meet the category or categories you selected. See for an extensive list of document requirements for all employment authorities.

• 30 Percent or More Disabled Veterans
• Current Department of Army Civilian Employees
• Current Department of Defense (DOD) Civilian Employee (non-Army)
• Domestic Defense Industrial Base/Major Range and Test Facilities Base Civilian Personnel Workforce
• Executive Order (E.O.) 12721
• Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan
• Land Management Workforce Flexibility Act
• Military Spouses, under Executive Order (E.O.) 13473
• Non-Appropriated Fund Instrumentality (NAFI)
• Non-Department of Defense (DoD) Transfer
• Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Interchange Agreement Eligible
• People with Disabilities, Schedule A
• Priority Placement Program, DoD Military Reserve (MR) and National Guard (NG) Technician Eligible
• Priority Placement Program, DoD Military Spouse Preference (MSP) Eligible
• Priority Placement Program, DoD MR and NG Preference Eligible Tech Receiving Disability Retirement
• Priority Placement Program, DoD Retained Grade Preference Eligible
• Reinstatement
• Veterans Employment Opportunity Act (VEOA) of 1998

In order to qualify, you must meet the experience requirements described below. 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). You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. Your resume must clearly describe your relevant experience; if qualifying based on education, your transcripts will be required as part of your application. Additional information about transcripts is .

Specialized Experience : One year of specialized experience in the Federal service which includes 1) serving as a future operations planner and senior action officer for contingency and crisis action planning utilizing the Joint Operational Planning Process (JOPP) to develop and brief courses of action (COA) for senior leadership; 2) coordinating with directorates and command counterparts to develop and produce plans and orders such as Concepts of Operations (CONOPS), Operations Orders (OPORDs), and Execution Orders (EXORDs); 3) leading and serving on Operational Planning Teams (OPTs) to develop and brief key products like Mission Analysis, Decision Briefs, and Requests for Forces (RFFs) that support a Combatant Commander's decisions; and 4) conducting reviews of joint publications, preparing informational papers, and providing planner support for command exercises and operations.

This definition of specialized experience is typical of work performed at the next lower grade/level position in the federal service (GS-12 or above).

Some federal jobs allow you to substitute your education for the required experience in order to qualify. For this job, you must meet the qualification requirement using experience alone--no substitution of education for experience is permitted.

Time in Grade Requirement: Applicants who have held a General Schedule (GS) position within the last 52 weeks must have 52 weeks of Federal service at the next lower grade or equivalent (GS-12).

Education

Some federal jobs allow you to substitute your education for the required experience in order to qualify. For this job, you must meet the qualification requirement using experience alone--no substitution of education for experience is permitted.

Additional information

• Male applicants born after December 31, 1959, must complete a Pre-Employment Certification Statement for Selective Service Registration.
• You will be required to provide proof of U.S. Citizenship.
• This position requires a 1 year probationary period during which the agency evaluates your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In making this determination, the agency may consider your performance and conduct; agency needs and interests; whether your continued employment supports organizational or Government goals; and whether it promotes the efficiency of the Federal service. Continued employment requires written certification that it advances the public interest.
• Direct deposit of pay is required.
• Selection is subject to restrictions resulting from Department of Defense referral system for displaced employees.
• If you have retired from federal service and you are interested in employment as a reemployed annuitant, see the information in the information sheet.
• This is a Security & Intelligence Career Program position aligned under the Operational Support Career Management Directorate.
• Multiple positions may be filled from this announcement.
• Salary includes applicable locality pay or Local Market Supplement.
• When you perform a Civilian Permanent Change of Station (PCS) with the government, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) considers the majority of your entitlements to be taxable. Visit for more information.
• Permanent Change of Station (PCS) allowances may be authorized, subject to the provisions of the Joint Travel Regulations and an agency determination that a PCS move is in the Government Interest.
• Advance-in-Hire may be authorized.
• Recruitment/Relocation/Retention Incentive may be authorized.
• This position is statutorily excluded from bargaining unit eligibility.

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 here: