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Department of Defense Education Activity

Secretary (Office Automation)

Location: Belgium, Brussels
Requires Relocation: No
Start Date: 13/11/2025
End Date: 24/11/2025
Offering Type: Permanent
Hiring Paths: Career transition (CTAP, ICTAP, RPL), Family of overseas employees, Federal employees - Competitive service, Internal to an agency - appears on USAJOBS, Land & base management, Military spouses, Veterans
Service Type: Competitive
Travel Percentage: Not required
Full Time On-site

Department of Defense Education Activity

About Department of Defense Education Activity

Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA), as one of only two Federally-operated school systems, is responsible for planning, directing, coordinating, and managing prekindergarten through 12th grade educational programs on behalf of the Department of Defense (DoD). DoDEA is globally positioned, operating 160 accredited schools in 8 districts located in 11 foreign countries, 7 states, Guam, and Puerto Rico. DoDEA employs approximately 15,000 employees who serve more than 72,000 children of active duty military and DoD civilian families. DoDEA is committed to ensuring that all school-aged children of military families are provided a world-class education that prepares them for postsecondary education and/or career success and to be leading contributors in their communities as well as in our 21st century globalized society. .

Summary

Job summary

About the Position: DoDEA Europe East District operates 15 schools in Germany across 5 communities. There are nearly 900,000 military connected children of all ages worldwide, of which more than 5,000 are enrolled in DoDEA Europe East District schools and served by thousands of teachers and educational aides. Federal employees in Brussels, Belgium are currently entitled to receive a 50% Post Allowance (COLA) in addition to the base salary. This percentage is subject to change.

Major duties

Maintain suspense files and schedule appointments for the administration and documents it on their calendars. In charge of preparing a variety of memoranda, documents, forms, and training materials for the administration and staff. Also responsible for preparing all requests for keys and locks. Receives calls, greets visitors, and directs inquires to the appropriate members of the school staff. Make travel arraignments and set up appointments for superintendent. Set up meetings and send out training material to staff and administration. Provide information and guidance on school procedures, reports, and requirements, as well as school programs, policies, procedures, and activities.

Qualification

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 Proof of Eligibility for an extensive list of document requirements for all employment authorities. Current Competitive Service Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) Civilian Employee Current Permanent Department of Defense (DoD) Civilian Employee Domestic Defense Industrial Base/Major Range and Test Facilities Base Civilian Personnel Workforce Excepted Service Overseas Family Member Appointment Family Member Preference (FMP) for Overseas Employment Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan Land Management Workforce Flexibility Act Military Spouse Preference (MSP) for Overseas Employment Non-Department of Defense (DoD) Transfer Priority Placement Program, DoD Military Reserve (MR) and National Guard (NG) Technician Eligible Priority Placement Program, DoD MR and NG Preference Eligible Tech Receiving Disability Retirement Priority Placement Program, DoD Retained Grade Preference Eligible Veterans Employment Opportunity Act (VEOA) of 1998 In order to qualify, you must meet the education and/or 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. Specialized Experience for GS-06: Specialized Experience: One year of specialized experience which includes utilize office automation programs to receive incoming correspondence; compose routine correspondence from verbal or written instructions; schedule appointments and meetings; compile data for school inventory and employee personnel information. This definition of specialized experience is typical of work performed at the next lower grade/level position in the federal service (GS-05). Specialized Experience for GS-07: Specialized Experience: One year of specialized experience which includes utilizing office automation software to develop correspondence, reviewing correspondence to ensure accuracy, and maintaining office records to include time and attendance, payroll and/or leave records). This definition of specialized experience is typical of work performed at the next lower grade/level position in the federal service (GS-06). Some federal jobs allow you to substitute your education for the required experience in order to qualify. For this grade, you must meet the qualification requirement using experience alone--no substitution of education for experience is permitted for this position. Proficiency Required: This position requires a qualified typist. A qualified typist can type 40 words per minute based on a 5-minute sample with three or fewer errors. The Hiring Manager may require a typing proficiency test to be administered to verify meeting the typing requirements for this position. Applicants determined not to meet the typing proficiency will be considered ineligible and will not receive consideration for this position. Time in Grade Requirement GS-06: 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-05). Time in Grade Requirement GS-07: 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-06). 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: https://help.usastaffing.gov/Apply/index.php?title=Reasonable_Accommodations_for_USA_Hire

Evaluations

This position is not covered by a bargaining unit. If you have retired from federal service and you are interested in employment as a reemployed annuitant, see the information in the Reemployed Annuitant information sheet. DoD Priority Placement Program (PPP) Applicants will receive preference consideration at the full-performance grade level only. You may claim Priority Placement Program (PPP) preference. 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 online assessments required for this position. You will be assessed on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics): Accountability Attention to Detail Customer Service Decision Making Flexibility Integrity/Honesty Interpersonal Skills Learning Reading Comprehension Reasoning Self-Management Stress Tolerance Teamwork 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. Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or application questionnaire may result in your removal from consideration. Cheating on the online assessment may also result in your removal from consideration. Additional Information regarding overseas appointments: If an employee brings a child to an overseas location and that child is entitled to attend a DoD school on a space-required basis in accordance with DoDEA Regulation 1342.13, the DoDEA and the Military Department responsible for providing related services will ensure that the child, if eligible for special education, receives a free appropriate public education, including related services pursuant to DoDI 1342.12 and DoDM 1342.12. If an employee brings an infant or toddler (up to 3 years of age) to an overseas location, and that infant or toddler, but for the child's age, is entitled to attend the DoDEA on a space-required basis in accordance with DoDEA Regulation 1342.13, then the Military Department responsible for EIS will provide the infant or toddler with the required EIS in accordance with the eligibility criteria consistent with DoDI 1342.12 and DoDM 1342.12. If an employee brings a family member to an overseas location who requires medical or dental care, then the employee will be responsible for obtaining and paying for such care. Access for civilian employees and their families to military medical and dental treatment facilities is on a space-available and reimbursable basis only.