The John S. McCain Strategic Defense Fellowship Program is a 1-year Department of War (DoW) development program for recent advanced degree program graduates from across multiple academic disciplines. While these are temporary appointments, Fellows that successfully complete this program are eligible to be considered for conversion into permanent positions if vacancies are available. Find out more about this Program on our website and LinkedIn page.
In order to qualify for this position, you must meet the requirements described below. You may qualify at the GS-12 level, if you fulfill the following qualification requirement: One year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-11 grade level in the Federal service (experience may have been gained in the private sector) that demonstrates your ability to: 1) Develop and implement recruitment strategies for hard-to-fill positions, 2) Advise managers on staffing options, hiring flexibilities, pay setting, promotions, and other compensation-related matters, and 3) Use USA Staffing or other HR systems to manage the recruitment process. You may qualify at the GS-11 level, if you fulfill the following qualification requirement: One year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-9 grade level in the Federal service (experience may have been gained in the private sector) that demonstrates your ability to: 1) Develop and implement recruitment strategies for hard-to-fill positions and 2) Use USA Staffing or other HR systems to manage the recruitment process. OR Have a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree or 3 full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree. OR Have a combination of specialized experience and education. You may qualify at the GS-10 level, if you fulfill the following qualification requirement: Have a master's degree or equivalent graduate degree or 2 years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree. Education must have been completed in a college or university in the U.S. (Note: You must attach a copy of your transcripts for verification) 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. All qualifications and education requirements must be met by the cut-off date for which you applied for and clearly documented in your resume. Read more about what should I include in my federal resume at https://help.usajobs.gov/faq/application/documents/resume/what-to-include
This is an OPEN CONTINUOUS ANNOUNCEMENT and will remain open until September 30, 2026. The Department of War is seeking applicants for the John S. McCain Strategic Defense Fellowship Program. The application period opens on December 1, 2025, with an initial cut off date of January 5, 2026. Applications received before 11:59pm on January 5, 2026 will be evaluated and assessed for current, available positions. Subsequent cutoff dates include March 5, 2026; May 5, 2026; July 6, 2026, and September 30, 2026. Qualified applicants that apply after the initial cut off date will be considered and referred if initial vacancies are not filled and if future vacancies become available. This Public Notice is to gather applications which may or may not result in a referral or selection. This position is being filled under Section 932 of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2019, and its later amendment Section 1113 of the NDAA Fiscal Year 2024. NDAA FY25 Sec 1112 NDAA FY24 Sec 1113 NDAA FY19 Sec 932 Please read this Public Notice in its entirety prior to submitting your application for consideration. Assignments during the Fellows program are to an Excepted Service position either in the Office of the Secretary of War or other Department of War Components. Typical work assignments may include the following: Provide full-range human resources services, advice and guidance to management officials on all aspects of civilian personnel programs. Ensure that merit staffing principles are implemented and that processing of all staffing, recruitment, classification requests are legal, appropriate and completed within time-to-hire standards. Support and prepare for panels, brief members on the process and their responsibilities.