Duties

The National Institute of Justice (NIJ) is seeking an Executive Science Advisor with a passion for improving the knowledge and understanding of crime and justice issues through science. NIJ is the research, development and evaluation agency of the U.S. Department of Justice and provides objective and independent knowledge and tools to reduce crime and promote justice, particularly at the state and local levels.

As the Executive Science Advisor to the NIJ Director and Principal Deputy Director, you will provide expertise in an array of research and evaluation (process, outcome, impact, etc.) methodological approaches and techniques. You will provide direction and guidance on research designs, sample size, sample population, data collection, data collection instruments, data analysis, data interpretation, replication, and dissemination strategies. You will advise NIJ scientists on scientific merits of proposals and review scientific documents and provide critiques.

In this role, you will support NIJ's strategic research planning and overarching research goals, continuing the development of additional critical strategic research plans in support of NIJ's mission and research agenda. You will serve on interagency, national, and/or other special work groups, task forces, or expert panels on special projects or studies critical to the resolution of far-reaching operating issues and problems. You will represent NIJ at national and local conferences, presenting information and serving as a panel member or facilitator of discussions.

You will provide ongoing mentoring and coaching to NIJ scientists and other NIJ staff to enhance capacity, build knowledge, strengthen commitment, increase productivity, and promote success.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

• You must be a U.S. citizen to qualify for this position.
• Pre-employment drug testing may be required.
• Subject to background/suitability investigation/determination.
• Individuals entering the Senior Executive Service for the first time are subject to a one-year probationary period.
• Males born after 12/31/59 must be registered with the Selective Service. Visit www.sss.gov.
• Financial Disclosure may be required.

Qualifications

As a basic requirement for entry into the SES, applicants must provide evidence of progressively responsible executive leadership and supervisory experience that is indicative of senior executive level management capability and directly related to the skills and abilities outlined under Executive Core Qualifications and Technical Qualifications listed below. Typically, experience of this nature will have been gained at or above the GS-14/15 grade level in the federal service or its equivalent in the private sector. As such, your resume should demonstrate that you have the knowledge, skills, and abilities to successfully fulfill responsibilities inherent in most SES positions such as:

• Directing the work of an organizational unit;
• Ensuring the success of one or more specific major programs or projects;
• Monitoring progress toward strategic organizational goals, evaluating organizational performance and taking action to improve performance;
• Supervising the work of employees; and
• Exercising important policymaking, policy determining, or other executive functions.

Applicants must also demonstrate social science research, research administration, and/or managerial experience pertinent to the position. A PhD in a social science, physical science or forensic science is preferred.

Executive Core Qualifications:

You must clearly document and demonstrate the following Executive Core Qualifications (ECQs); your responses to the ECQs must be addressed separately, not to exceed ten pages total:

ECQ 1: LEADING CHANGE - This core qualification involves the ability to bring about strategic change, both within and outside the organization, to meet organizational goals. Inherent to this ECQ is the ability to establish an organizational vision and to implement it in a continuously changing environment.

ECQ 2: LEADING PEOPLE - This core qualification involves the ability to lead people toward meeting the organization's vision, mission, and goals. Inherent to this ECQ is the ability to provide an inclusive workplace that fosters the development of others, facilitates cooperation and teamwork, and supports constructive resolution of conflicts.

ECQ 3: RESULTS DRIVEN - This core qualification involves the ability to meet organizational goals and customer expectations. Inherent to this ECQ is the ability to make decisions that produce high-quality results by applying technical knowledge, analyzing problems, and calculating risks.

ECQ 4: BUSINESS ACUMEN - This core qualification involves the ability to manage human, financial, and information resources strategically.

ECQ 5: BUILDING COALITIONS - This core qualification involves the ability to build coalitions internally and with other Federal agencies, state, local and tribal governments, nonprofit and private sector organizations, foreign governments, or international organizations to achieve common goals.

Additional information on the Executive Core Qualifications can be found at http://www.opm.gov/ses/recruitment/ecq.asp (http://www.opm.g o v/ses/recruitment/ecq.asp)

Mandatory Technical Qualifications:

You will be evaluated on the following Mandatory Technical Qualifications (MTQs): Your responses to the MTQs must be addressed separately, not to exceed two pages per MTQ.

MTQ 1: Demonstrated expert knowledge and direct hands-on experience developing research and evaluation plans, creating and testing innovative research theories and principals, employing complex research methodologies, drafting data collection and analysis plans, analyzing multi-faceted data, writing comprehensive reports, and disseminating practical results to key constituents. Proven experience in conducting, implementing, and managing comprehensive substantive criminal and juvenile justice research programs, preferably in a social science, physical science, or forensic science specialty field.

MTQ 2: Demonstrated leadership, vision, and direct hands-on experience in recognizing innovative and emerging science and technology activities to stay on the cutting edge of criminal and/or juvenile justice solutions, including infusion of new technologies into criminal and/or juvenile justice programs. Proven experience implementing and employing strategies to improve the validity of research findings and mitigate risks associated with emerging data and methodological challenges.

Failure to meet the basic qualification requirement and address all Mandatory Technical and Executive Core Qualification factors will result in your application being disqualified.

Education

This job does not have an education qualification requirement.

Additional information

• Veterans' preference is not applicable to the Senior Executive Service.
• Only experience obtained by the closing date of this announcement will be considered.
• Incomplete applications will not be considered.
• COVID-19 Vaccination: To ensure compliance with an applicable preliminary nationwide injunction, which may be supplemented, modified, or vacated, depending on the course of ongoing litigation, the Federal Government will take no action to implement or enforce the COVID-19 vaccination requirement Safer Federal Workforce Task Force 2 pursuant to Executive Order 14043 on Requiring Coronavirus Disease 2019 Vaccination for Federal Employees. Therefore, to the extent a Federal job announcement includes the requirement that applicants must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 pursuant to Executive Order 14043, that requirement does not currently apply. Federal agencies may request information regarding the vaccination status of selected applicants for the purposes of implementing other workplace safety protocols, such as protocols related to masking, physical distancing, testing, travel, and quarantine.