U.S. Merchant Marine Academy
                     Job Opportunity

Job Title:   Head, Department of Physical Education & Athletics

Department:   U.S. Department of Transportation
Agency:   Maritime Administration
Sub Agency:   U.S. Merchant Marine Academy

Job Announcement #:   USMMA-2015-01

SALARY RANGE:   $117,342 to $167,000  Per Annum

SERIES & GRADE:   Sports Specialist, AD-0030-00

OPEN PERIOD:   11/17/2014  to  12/16/2014 

POSITION INFO: Excepted Service appointment with an initial term Not-To-Exceed 13 months; however, each year with a satisfactory performance appraisal, the appointment may be extended for an additional year.

DUTY LOCATIONS:   1 (one) Vacancy at the following location: Kings Point, NY

WHO MAY BE
CONSIDERED:   Applications will be accepted from any U.S. Citizen

JOB SUMMARY:

The Mission of the United States Merchant Marine Academy (USMMA) is to educate, and graduate licensed merchant mariners and leaders of exemplary character who will serve America’s marine transportation and defense needs in peace and war.

The position is that of the Head of the Department of Physical Education & Athletics, U.S. Merchant Marine Academy, located on the North Shore of Long Island in Western Nassau County at Kings Point, N.Y.  The Academy, one of the five Federal Academies, is a degree granting institution fully accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education.  Upon graduation, the Midshipmen (male and female) are awarded Bachelor of Science degrees, credentialed as Merchant Marine Officers by the U.S. Coast Guard, and are commissioned as Officers in the U.S. Reserve or Active Duty Military Service.  The USMMA is one of the world’s foremost institutions in the field of maritime education and consists of 82 acres of waterfront land including a Museum, library, and fitness/recreational facilities available to both faculty and staff. As an NCAA, Division III school and member of the Landmark Conference, the Academy currently supports 16 athletic teams. For further information, visit our web site at http://www.usmma.edu.

The ideal candidate will have advanced graduate degrees in both physical education (or similar related field) and higher education administration (or related field); and more than ten (10) years of professional experience in an accredited institution of higher education that includes progressively increasing responsibilities as a supervisor or manager in a physical education and/or athletics department program. This experience should also include teaching physical education courses (at least at the undergraduate level); supervising coaches and faculty members (including responsibility for hiring, performance management, time and attendance, disciplinary actions, etc.); management of a departmental budget with multiple income and spending streams; experience recruiting student athletes in support of ensuring a diverse and highly successful student body; and working with members of other institutional departments, alumni, donors, and external organizations to support the institutional mission of the organization.    

KEY REQUIREMENTS:
* You must be a U.S. citizen and meet all the educational and specialized experience listed below.
* Submit application and resume by 11:59 PM EST on the closing date
* Review Required Documents Section as specific documents are required
* This is an Excepted Service, Non-Tenure Track, 13 month appointment with extension eligibility
* Successful completion of a background investigation is required.
* If the selectee resides outside the local commuting area relocation expenses may be approved.
* This position requires occasional travel and is not Telework eligible.

Major Duties:  With subordinate staff, you will be responsible for the following duties and responsibilities:
* Developing and recommending educational policies; analyzing and evaluating educational data, practices, and trends; developing and evaluating physical education curricula; preparing and evaluating schedules; and otherwise planning and directing the work of the department; including responsibility to ensure departmental course offerings, instructional programs, student programs, and other activities are up-to-date, properly scheduled, effectively taught, supported with necessary equipment and services; and periodically reviewed and evaluated to ensure gender equity, policy, and regulatory compliance.
* Overall management, administration, and supervisory oversight of the department’s staff, budget, and facilities usage; including necessary coordination with other departments and contractors.
* In collaboration with key internal and external stakeholders (including students, staff, faculty, donors, alumni, industry and government officials, as well as representatives from other agencies, colleges, and professional organizations), serves as the head of co-curricular and extra-curricular athletic and sports programs, which currently include NCAA, and other intercollegiate / intramural programs in various sports (including: football, track & field, soccer, basketball, lacrosse, swimming/diving, volleyball, tennis, wrestling, baseball, rugby, ice hockey, and others). For more information on our current sports programs see our Athletic Department website: http://www.usmmasports.com/landing/index
* Service on institutional committees and boards; facilitation of the employee wellness program; work with Admissions and other offices to recruit and retain a diverse student population; represent the Academy at meetings, conferences, and events. 

QUALIFICATIONS

Minimum Qualifications Requirements: 
Qualification standards are used to determine which applicants would be able to perform satisfactory in the position to be filled.  The education, training, experience, or other requirements included in the qualification standards are minimum requirements. i.e., it would be unlikely that an applicant for employment would be able to perform satisfactorily in a particular position or occupational series if he or she did not possess these qualifications.

To qualify for this position, you must meet both the Educational and Specialized Experience requirements listed below.

Educational Requirements: 
The educational requirement for this position includes a minimum of a Master’s Degree in an appropriate discipline (such as Physical Education, Higher Education Administration, Sports Management, Exercise Physiology, Kinesiology, etc.).

In exceptional cases a Master’s (or equivalent) degree in an unrelated field combined with professional experience at a level of complexity and responsibility equal to this position and documented professional training, which demonstrates the possession of equivalent knowledge, skills, and abilities, may be considered for a substitution of the required Master’s degree in a related field, on a case by case basis.

Specialized Experience Requirements:  You must meet all the specialized experience requirements (i, ii, and iii) listed below:
i) At least 1 year of experience teaching physical education courses and/or coaching extra-curricular competitive sports at a higher education institution.
      AND
ii) At least 1 year of experience leading or supervising a physical education (or athletics) program or department, establishing good working rapport with subordinate staff, as well as other internal and external stakeholders, as a contributing member of a higher (or adult) educational institutional management team.
      AND
iii) At least 1 year of experience in a position of higher education administration or supervision (or other similar related experience), which demonstrates the ability to develop or recommend educational policies; analyze and evaluate education data, practices and trends, develop and evaluate curricula, prepare and evaluate instructional materials and teaching aids; plan student and faculty schedules; plan or conduct scholarly research; and plan and direct the work of a physical education or athletics department in an institution of higher or adult level education.

Applicants must meet all qualification requirements by the closing date of this announcement.

HOW YOU WILL BE EVALUATED:

Basis for Rating:  For this announcement, all applicants will be reviewed to determine if they meet the minimum qualifications for this position, specifically the educational and specialized experience requirements listed above. 

All applications that are verified to meet the minimum basic qualifications requirements will be referred to the selecting official. All referred veterans’ preference eligibles will be given positive consideration for selection.

HOW TO APPLY

To Apply for this position: You must submit a complete application package including: resume and transcripts showing education/degree, applicant questionnaire responses, and any other required supporting documents (see ‘Required Documents’ section below for more details) no later than 11:59 PM Eastern Time on the closing date of the announcement.

SEND ALL INFORMATION VIA EMAIL TO:   HRApplicantInbox@usmma.edu

Note: You MUST list the Job Announcement # and Job Title in the subject line of your email.

If you are unable to send your application materials by email, they can be sent by U.S. Mail but MUST be received by the closing date of the announcement.

FOR QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS ANNOUNCEMENT (CONTACT INFORMATION):

      U.S. Department of Transportation/Maritime Administration
      USMMA Office of Human Resources
      300 Steamboat Road
      Kings Point, New York 11024-1699
      Phone: (516)726-6182 or 6180

REQUIRED DOCUMENTS:
The following documents must be provided by the closing date:
* COMPLETED APPLICANT QUESTIONNAIRE
* RESUME - showing relevant details of your experience and education (including start and end dates for each position held)
* TRANSCRIPTS – verifying that you meet the stated education requirements.  Unofficial copies are sufficient to apply but official copies may be required prior to appointment.  Foreign degrees & transcripts must include an official translation & certification of equivalence to be considered.
* LICENSURE/CERTIFICATIONS/TRAINING VERIFICATION DOCUMENTS – Required to support an applicant’s request to allow a substitution for the educational requirement as listed above.
* CURRENT AND FORMER FEDERAL EMPLOYEES MUST SUBMIT AN SF-50 (Notification of Personnel Action) showing your tenure, occupational series and grade level.
* VETERANS – In order to be considered as a preference eligible, you must submit a copy of your Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty, DD-214(Member 4 copy) or equivalent document showing your rank/position, the type of discharge, and dates of active duty service. In addition, if you are claiming 10 point preference eligibility, you must also submit proof of entitlement of this preference such as a valid letter from the Department of Veterans Affairs certifying to the present existence of the service-connected disability and indicating the percentage of your disability.  You must also submit a completed Request for 10 Point Preference Form SF-15. http://www.opm.gov/forms/pdf_fill/sf15.pdf

      Additional information on Veterans Preference is available at:
      http://www.opm.gov/StaffingPortal/vetguide.asp

Failure to submit any of the required documents by the closing date of the vacancy announcement will result in disqualification and removal from consideration for this position.

Employee Benefits: Benefits include health and life insurance, annual and sick leave, and retirement benefits.  Explore the major benefits offered to most Federal Employees at http://www.opm.gov/insure/

EEO Policy Statement: https://help.usajobs.gov/index.php/EEO_Policy_Statement

Reasonable Accommodation Policy Statement can be reviewed at: 
https://help.usajobs.gov/index.php/Reasonable_Axxommodation-Policy_Statement

APPLICANT QUESTIONNAIRE

Please answer the following questions and include your responses with your application package:

1. Are you a U.S. Citizen?

      a) Yes      b) No

2. Are you claiming Veterans Preference Eligibility? If yes, please note that in order to receive positive consideration (hiring preference) based on veterans preference eligibility, you must provide all the appropriate documentation as listed in the ‘Required Documents’ section of this announcement with your application package.

a) Yes  b) No

3. Which of the following responses best describes the education you have completed to qualify for this position?  For responses ‘a’ or ’b’ please also list: Degree, Major, Year completed, and school. You will also need to provide transcripts for verification of education.

a) I have earned a minimum of a Master’s degree (or equivalent) from an accredited school in the discipline or related field for this position.
Degree: __________________ Major: ______________________ Year Completed: ________

b) I have earned a minimum of a Master’s degree (or equivalent) from an accredited school in a discipline unrelated to this position combined with professional experience at a level of complexity and responsibility equal to this position and documented professional training, which demonstrates the possession of equivalent knowledge, skills, and abilities and am requesting consideration for a substitution.
Degree: __________________ Major: ______________________ Year Completed: ________

c) None of the above.

4. For each of the following responses, please indicate if you possess the described experience and where on your resume this experience is demonstrated. Please note, in order to be considered for this position you must confirm and demonstrate that you possess all of the specialized experience required for this position.

i. Do you possess at least 1 year of experience teaching physical education courses and/or coaching extra-curricular competitive sports at a higher education institution?

a) Yes, I possess at least 1 year of experience teaching physical education courses and/or coaching extra-curricular competitive sports at a higher education institution. This is experience was gained while working in the position(s) of: ____________________________________________
For the period of: _____________________________
b) No, I do not meet this requirement.

ii. Do you possess at least 1 year of experience leading or supervising a physical education (or athletics) program or department, establishing good working rapport with subordinate staff, as well as other internal and external stakeholders, as a contributing member of a higher (or adult) educational institutional management team?

a) Yes, I possess at least 1 year of experience leading or supervising a physical education (or athletics) program or department, establishing good working rapport with subordinate staff, as well as other internal and external stakeholders, as a contributing member of a higher (or adult) educational institutional management team. This is experience was gained while working in the position(s) of: _________________________________________________________
   For the period of: _____________________________
  
b) No, I do not meet this requirement.

iii. Do you possess at least 1 year of experience in a position of higher education administration or supervision (or other similar related experience), which demonstrates the ability to develop or recommend educational policies; analyze and evaluate education data, practices and trends, develop and evaluate curricula, prepare and evaluate instructional materials and teaching aids; plan student and faculty schedules; plan or conduct scholarly research; and plan and direct the work of a physical education or athletics department in an institution of higher or adult level education?

a) Yes, I possess at least 1 year of experience in a position of higher education administration or supervision (or other similar related experience), which demonstrates the ability to develop or recommend educational policies; analyze and evaluate education data, practices and trends, develop and evaluate curricula, prepare and evaluate instructional materials and teaching aids; plan student and faculty schedules; plan or conduct scholarly research; and plan and direct the work of a physical education or athletics department in an institution of higher or adult level education. This is experience was gained while working in the position(s) of: ________________________________________________________________
   For the period of: _____________________________
  
b) No, I do not meet this requirement.

5.  I certify that, to the best of my knowledge and belief, all of the information included in this application package and questionnaire is true, correct, and provided in good faith.  I understand that if I make an intentional false statement, or commit deception or fraud in this application or its supporting materials, or in any document or interview associated with the selection process: I may be fined or imprisoned (18 U.S. C. 1001); my eligibilities may be cancelled; I may be denied and appointment; and/or removed and debarred from Federal service (5 CFR, Part 731).  I understand that any information I give may be investigated.  I understand that responding ‘No’ to this item will result in my not being considered for this position.

      a) Yes  b) No

6. How did you first become aware of this position vacancy?

   a) From a friend, family member, or colleague who is attending or working at the USMMA.
   b) From HigherEdJobs.com
   c) From the USMMA Official Website
   d) Other source (Please identify): _________________________________________________.