DETROIT — Defense Contract Management Agency employees recently capitalized on the timing of a major veterans hiring fair to showcase job opportunities here and across the agency.
“It provided DCMA with a great opportunity to recruit veterans for our vacancies and employ those who wore the uniform to help defend our country,” Maria Pacheco, DCMA Human Capital Directorate recruitment director, said.
Thousands of veterans seeking employment flocked to the Department of Veterans Affairs-sponsored event, which was part of the National Veterans Conference.
What made this event different from a typical job fair was the number of potential candidates – an estimated 8,000 veterans over three days – and more before and after coordination between participating employers and the VA, Pacheco explained.
DCMA Detroit and HC recruiting staff coordinated the necessary actions to direct interested veterans to agency job opportunities so interviews could be conducted during the event.
Approximately 175 resumes were collected and 50 interviews were conducted during the event.
“It’s great to see a national-level effort to hire our military veterans. We were certainly grateful for the opportunity to participate, and are optimistic this event will yield dividends for our organization,” Army Col. Frank Steinbugl, DCMA Detroit commander, said.
DCMA Detroit is pursuing several eligible veterans using the Veterans’ Recruitment Appointment. VRA allows managers to fill positions by appointing eligible veterans to positions for which they are qualified, up to and including GS-11 or equivalent, without issuing vacancy announcements, according to the Office of Personnel Management website.
DCMA HC personnel who worked the event included Pacheco and Sonya Alston, field support representative for the Central Regional Command.
DCMA Detroit personnel who worked the event included Army Reservists Lt. Col. Nancy Hansen, Lt. Col. Andrew Lawfield and Lt. Col. Matthew Harvey; Melissa Kippley, Mission Support Office; and team leaders John Raschke, Manufacturing; Marya Davis, Manufacturing; Timothy Wolma, Engineering; Rick Weigel, Quality; and Mary Lynn Williams, Contracts.
Detroit and HC staff worked together prior to the event to make sure DCMA recruitment information, exhibit display and logo items were shipped in time for the event. During the event, HC personnel provided on-site advice and assistance to the Detroit staff regarding qualifications and eligibility of candidates.
“Through its contract administration services, DCMA ensures delivery of quality products and services to our men and women of the armed forces, so it is imperative that we do our jobs correctly to protect those who serve us now and those who have served in the past,” Pacheco said. “It is extremely rewarding for veterans to assist with helping those currently serving.”
The HC Recruitment teams attend on average 10-15 major events per calendar year. “When selecting our events, we look at past participation, diversity and degree programs the event focuses on,” Pacheco said.
Applicants can find out more information about DCMA jobs and duties and which locations are hiring by:
- Going to www.dcmacareers.com and select “apply now” for either “Keystone jobs” and/or “Journeymen/ advanced level jobs,” which shows all current advertised jobs and locations by region.
- Visiting the USAJOBS website at www.usajobs.gov and searching by the agency name under the advanced search option for other DCMA vacancy announcements.