Project Manager (Recent Graduates)

Full Job Description

The SSA Recent Graduates Program provides Recent Graduates with entry-level developmental experience and is designed to lead to a career in the Federal government.

Program participant(s) are placed in excepted service appointments, not-to-exceed 1 year. Note: This position is being filled on a full-time basis. This is a 1-year developmental program.

After successful completion of the program, you may be non-competitively converted to a term (not to exceed 1-4 years) or permanent appointment.

Resumes exceeding two pages in length will not be considered, please visit the new resume guidance for more information.

To be considered for selection, you must be eligible for the Recent Graduate Program AND meet the qualifications specified for the posted position(s).

Recent Graduate Program Eligibility To qualify for appointment to the Recent Graduates Program, you must have completed all requirements of an academic course of study leading to an associate's, bachelor's, master's, professional, doctorate, vocational, or technical degree or qualifying certificate program from an accredited educational institution.

Your graduation (degree conferred) date must be within the 2 years preceding your application to this announcement OR no later than Note: See Required Documents section to ensure you provide the correct documentation to prove your Recent Graduates Program eligibility.

Preference-eligible veterans who, due to military service obligations, were precluded from applying to the Program during any portion of the 2-year eligibility period are entitled to a full 2-year period of eligibility upon release or discharge from active duty.

In no event, however, may the eligibility period extend beyond 6 years from the date on which the preference eligible veteran completed the requirements of an academic course of study, when a qualifying degree or certificate was conferred.

Note: See Required Documents section to ensure you provide the correct documentation to prove your Recent Graduates Program and preference eligibility.

Qualifications You must also meet the below qualifications for the posted position(s) by the closing date of this announcement, 04/20/2026.

To qualify for the GS-0301-09 Project Manager position, applicants must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-0301-07 level in the Federal service.

Specialized experience is defined as: Coordinating administrative or program-related project tasks and supporting the management of project resources within a team or cross-functional environment; Assisting in the development, scheduling, and tracking of project plans and deliverables using project management tools (such as MS Project, Jira, or similar); Analyzing project data or information to identify trends or issues and providing recommendations for process improvements; Preparing and delivering project-related communications, such as presentations or briefings, to stakeholders; Identifying and helping to mitigate project risks, and supporting quality assurance activities.

OR Education: A master's or equivalent graduate degree, two full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree, or an LL.B. or J.D.

may be substituted for specialized experience at this grade. Major Duties:

• Administers and coordinates resources for cross-functional projects that support organizational transformation and operational efficiency.
• Leads project teams, facilitates meetings, and ensures clear communication of objectives, milestones, and deliverables.
• Identifies project documentation requirements or procedures; develops and implements product release plans.
• Participates in phase, milestone, and final project reviews; implements project plans to meet objectives and coordinates integration of project activities.
• Determines appropriate products or services with clients or customers to define project scope, requirements, and deliverables.
• Develops, modifies, or provides input to project plans using diagrams, root cause analysis, and control charts to analyze complex data sets, identify trends, and inform decision-making.
• Establishes and monitors project performance metrics; implements corrective actions as needed to maintain scope, schedule, and budget.
• Makes improvements, solves problems, or takes corrective action when issues arise.
• Monitors project activities and resources to manage risk; implements or maintains quality assurance processes to enhance service delivery and implement innovative solutions.
• Prepares and delivers presentations or briefings on all aspects of the project to senior executives and stakeholders.
• Develops and implements change management strategies to facilitate adoption of new processes, technologies, or solutions resulting from the project.
• Ensures project activities comply with relevant laws, regulations, policies, and standards.
• Conducts project closure activities, including documentation, lessons learned, and post-implementation reviews to evaluate project success and inform future initiatives.
• Facilitates training and knowledge transfer to ensure sustainability and continuity of project outcomes.