ANS: There are several ways of getting selected
- You follow Opportunities and are selected by the Business Development Lead
- You may get a call by one of our Business Development Leads who put together a search on TOD and your profile came up
- You could get a recommendation by other Associates and / or our leadership team
- Our clients can access TOD and find you that way as well based on their search criteria
Do I have a "right to refuse" an opportunity? If so, what are consequences?
- ANS: There are no consequences, you always have the right to refuse an opportunity. We do ask that once you commit to working a deployment and your TOD resume is confirmed by our client that you fulfill that role.
If chosen, will I need to travel to the customer's location (their HQ or proposal location of the site of the project)?
- ANS: The opportunity's description will mention a geographic location or "remote." Occasionally, some work may be partial remote and or fully remote.
How do I handle travel arrangements?
- ANS: You book your travel through our Concur system and are responsible for submitting your expenses to be fully reimbursed. Anything above 50 miles will usually cover travel & expenses (this information is communicated on TOD and your statement of work). Depending on the agreement we can give out a stipend, reimburse actuals or per-diem. Should I consider an apartment? We reimburse on hotels.
Do I need to be in accordance with Joint Travel Regulations (JTR)?
- ANS: We comply with Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR) and JTR regulations – no need to do anything on your end.
If it is a long term effort (i.e. in excess of some time frame), do I get opportunities to return home to be with my family? IF so, who covers travel costs?
- ANS: Yes, we provide a home rotation program to Associates traveling extensively. That cover a trip to see family every other weekend.
What about rental cars during trips?
- ANS: That is also covered by us or you can select to do Ubers if you don't want to rent a car.
What equipment do I need, and who provides (computer, printer, phone, etc.)? Cell phone to communicate with you.
- ANS: The client may provide you with a computer but at times they may expect you to bring your own laptop (this should be communicated by the BD Lead before sending you out to the client).
What is the delay in receiving pay? Do I log time, send hours to SMA, the invoice the customer and the customer pays in 30 or 45 days?
- ANS: We pay Associates bimonthly, considering weekly timesheets and expenses are submitted on time.
In the profile, there is an entry for career level. Does SMA have definitions for this so we are consistent?
- ANS: You cannot edit this section. That section is automatically updated once we determine our hire decision. We will fill out the career level.
Under opportunities, I see some postings with what appear to be expired dates. Are they still valid?
- ANS: Yes, sometimes it take some time to close the opportunity hence you may see some back-dated opportunities.