The following requirements are prescribed by the Office of Personnel Management and used to determine minimum qualifications.
Individual Occupational Requirements
Experience
General Experience (for GS-5 positions): Three years of progressively responsible experience, 1 year of which was equivalent to at least GS-4, is qualifying for GS-5 level positions. General experience is experience that involved dealing with others in person-to-person work situations, in obtaining and providing a variety of services for an organization, or other work that demonstrated the ability to perform successfully the work of the position to be filled.
Specialized Experience (for positions above GS-5): One year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower level in the normal line of progression that demonstrated knowledge of the methods and procedures for providing or performing a variety of functions and services applicable to the position to be filled; ability to plan, organize, and control work involving diverse activities; ability to gain cooperation and coordinate the work of others; and skill in oral and written communications. Examples of qualifying specialized experience include:
- Management analyst or technician or other work that included study, analysis, or evaluation leading to the development or improvement of managerial or administrative policies, practices, and procedures.
- Administrative officer or assistant, budget administration, program analysis, or other work that demonstrated knowledge of an organization and its functions, and the ways in which support services can facilitate the work of the organization.
- Office management experience that included responsibility for directing a variety of support services such as typing, mail processing, purchase of supplies and equipment, etc.
- Secretarial work that required monitoring and coordinating administrative and processing work of subordinate elements through a system of internal procedures, controls, production, progress reporting, etc., to insure the efficient operation of an organization.
- Military experience that included responsibility for directing a variety of support functions such as communications, property management, mail service, facilities and equipment maintenance, etc.
OR
Education
Undergraduate Education: Successful completion of a full 4-year course of study in any field leading to a bachelor's degree, in an accredited college or university, is qualifying for GS-5 level positions.
Graduate Education: Major study -- public administration, business administration, industrial engineering, industrial management, or other administrative or management fields related to the position to be filled. For some positions in this series graduate education may not provide the knowledge and skills needed to perform the duties of the position. Specialized experience may be required for such positions. One full academic year of graduate-level education is creditable for GS-7; 2 years or a master's or equivalent graduate degree is creditable for GS-9; and 3 years or a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree is creditable for GS-11.
Note:
Equivalent combinations of education and experience are also qualifying for grade levels for which both education and experience are acceptable.