Duties

Summary

The Architect of the Capitol has an exciting career opportunity for an exceptional leader to represent the Architect's views on programs, policies and operations, and be responsible for strategic communication initiatives, liaison for legislative affairs, media and community relations. The Director will assist in balancing the needs of a wide range of stakeholders, including Congressional leadership, oversight and appropriation committees, Congressional constituents and the visiting public.

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Responsibilities

• Provides leadership of the congressional relations and legislative affairs program. Initiates strategic change, both within and outside the organization, to meet organizational goals in a continuously changing environment.
• Establishes positive relationships with Congressional Members and their staffs. Manages the responsiveness of AOC organizational elements to legislative inquiries and mandates in order to ensure they are appropriately addressed in a timely manner.
• Prepares materials for Congress, including testimony, briefings and reports. Works with outside groups that interact with Congress on legislative matters and AOC-related policies or operations.
• Monitors policy initiatives, decisions, precedent cases and matters. Provides an inclusive workplace that fosters staff development, facilitates cooperation and teamwork and supports constructive resolution of conflicts.
• Serves as principal AOC liaison to Members of Congress, their staffs and staffs of relevant Committees to promote the AOC strategic plan, accomplishments, activities and agendas.
• Communications leader who establishes and updates communications standards and guidelines for AOC internal and external communications while managing a staff who develops, reviews and maintains website content, and prepares news releases for media.
• Responsible for testimony development and replies to congressional inquiries; and develops informational releases to develop positive awareness by stakeholders of AOC programs and projects.
• Represents the AOC through attendance at events, speech writing, communications policy and preparation of publications. Maintains knowledge of current policies and political trends affecting the AOC and responds quickly to media inquiries.
• Prepares and presents briefings to and for the Architect of the Capitol, COO and senior management officials/staff on complex, highly sensitive and controversial issues such as legislative and congressional reports that may impact AOC.
• Provides information to stakeholders on AOC accomplishments of interest to historical and preservation organizations, community engagement groups and archivists.
• Provides advice and guidance to senior management on media reports and public affairs issues to promote the vital interests of the AOC.
• Edits a wide variety of publications (e.g., public notices, articles, news releases, information bulletins, advisories, fact sheets) including a review of the material for coordination and collaboration with initiating organizations.
• Contributes to the AOC Strategic Planning process by developing and implementing appropriate annual performance objectives that address the goals of the AOC. Provides content for the annual Performance and Accountability Report.
• Responsible for administrative and technical supervision as well as performance evaluation, coaching, mentoring and training of seven staff. Resolves or refers for resolution employee complaints and grievances pursuant to AOC policies.
• Complies with Office of Congressional Workplace Rights and AOC safety rules and regulations to ensure a safe work environment.

Travel Required

Occasional travel - Occasional travel is required.

Supervisory status
Yes

Promotion Potential
00

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

• You must be a U.S. Citizen.
• You must be able to pass a drug test.
• You must provide narratives to the ECQs and PTQs in your resume.
• This position serves at the pleasure of the Architect of the Capitol.
• You must be able to obtain and maintain a Top Secret Clearance.

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Qualifications

You must meet the United States Office of Personnel Management's (OPM) qualification requirements for the advertised position. You must meet all eligibility and qualifications requirements by the closing date of the job announcement.

You must address the ECQs in your resume. Do not address the ECQs in separate narrative statements. Your resume should emphasize your level of responsibility, scope and complexity of programs managed, program accomplishments, policy initiatives undertaken and the results of your actions.

Executive Core Qualifications (ECQ's):

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 and local governments, nonprofit and private sector organizations, foreign governments, or international organizations to achieve common goals.

Professional/Technical Qualification (PTQs)
You must also address the PTQs in your resume. Please provide specific examples that address relevant experience and accomplishments. Examples should detail the level of responsibility, scope and complexity of work performed.

PTQ 1 - Experience applying communications principles, techniques, and analytical methods to develop new strategies and approaches in planning, integrating, and evaluating an overall communications program to wide range of constituents/stakeholders.

PTQ 2 - Demonstrated experience effectively supporting organizational leadership in a politically sensitive environment.

PTQ 3 - Demonstrated experience in overseeing the production/publication/distribution of a wide variety of informational material such as reports, training materials, newsletters or brochures, delivered in a variety of media.

For more information about the Executive Core Qualifications, please visit this site: OPM ECQ guidance

Education

Applicants for positions at grades GS-14 and above in the Architect of the Capitol must possess a Bachelor's Degree or higher from an accredited college or university.

If selected, you will be required to furnish official transcripts or copy of the official diploma. It is your responsibility to provide adequate proof that you meet the above educational requirements. Inadequate or illegible information could result in non-qualification and loss of consideration.

Special Instructions for Foreign Education:

Education completed outside of the United States must be deemed equivalent to that gained in conventional/accredited U.S. education programs to be acceptable for Federal employment. Qualifying education from colleges and universities in foreign countries must be evaluated in terms of equivalency to that acquired in U.S. colleges and universities. Applicants educated in whole or in part of foreign countries must submit sufficient evidence, including transcripts, to an accredited private organization for an equivalency evaluation of course work and degree. You must provide a copy of the letter containing the results of the equivalency evaluation with a course by course listing along with your application if selected.

Additional information

If you are a male applicant born after December 31, 1959, you must certify that you have registered with the Selective Service System. If you are exempt from registration under Selective Service Law, you must provide appropriate proof of exemption. Please visit the Selective Service System website for more information.

DRUG TESTING: The Architect of the Capitol (AOC) is a Drug Free Workplace. As part of the AOC's suitability assessment, a candidate tentatively selected for a position who is not currently an AOC employee is required to submit to screening for illegal drug use. Satisfactory completion of a drug test is a condition of employment with the Agency. A candidate must test negative prior to being eligible for appointment into a position. We will schedule, provide and cover the cost for the drug test.

The selectee(s) under the vacancy announcement for this position is subject to a criminal record check by the U.S. Capitol Police and satisfactory adjudication to be eligible for employment at the Architect of the Capitol.

The Architect of the Capitol is an E-VERIFY Participant. E-VERIFY is an Internet-based system that compares information from an employee's Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification, to data from U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Social Security Administration records to confirm employment authorization in the United States. If you are selected for this position, the documentation that you present for purposes of completing the DHS Form I-9 will be verified through the DHS "E-VERIFY" electronic system. For more information on E-Verify, please visit http://www.dhs.gov/files/programs/gc_1185221678150.shtm

The Architect of the Capitol is an Equal Opportunity Employer and prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, age, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information and/or disability.

This agency provides reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process, please notify the agency. The decision on granting reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis.

Moving expenses are not authorized.

Relocation expenses are not authorized.

All application materials become the property of the Architect of the Capitol.

How You Will Be Evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

Review your resume and responses carefully. Your eligibility for consideration and qualifications for the position will be determined based upon a review of your detailed resume which should cover the ECQs and PTQs.

Your resume will be evaluated to determine if you possess the Executive Core Qualifications (ECQs) and the background and experience to meet the technical expertise required for this position.

Candidates must develop a resume not to exceed 5 pages. Within the resume, candidates must demonstrate evidence of progressively responsible leadership experience that is directly related to the skills and abilities outlined in the Executive Core Qualifications (ECQs) and Professional/Technical Qualifications (PTQs) listed below. Failure to meet or address any of the ECQs and/or PTQs will eliminate you from further consideration, and information in excess of 5 pages will not be considered.

Falsifying your background, education, and/or experience is cause for non-selection or disqualification from further consideration.

Please note that a complete application is required for consideration.

To preview questions please click here .

Background checks and security clearance

Security clearance
Top Secret

Drug test required
Yes

Required Documents

The Architect of the Capitol's job application process is designed to ensure that we only ask you for the information that is absolutely needed to evaluate your qualifications and eligibility for the position.

To apply for this position, you only need to submit online the following: a) your resume which addresses the ECQs and PTQs; b) completion of the online vacancy questionnaire which contains eligibility questions. No additional documentation or attachment is required at the time of application.

We ask that you prepare and submit a resume that best describes fully your background experience, skills, abilities, education, training and other relevant credentials. The resume should include dates of employment.

Nothing further is required until it is requested by the staff of the Human Capital Management Division. If additional documentation is required for a position, you will be asked to provide it during the selection process or upon selection. At that point, we may ask you to submit documentation to support statements made in your resume.

For example, we may ask you to provide documents such as college transcripts, copy of diploma or proof of Federal employment status. If the position requires a license or certification, we will ask candidate(s) to provide proof at the time of selection.

If you fail to provide the required documents, we will withdraw a tentative job offer made and/or remove you from further consideration.

If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:

Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education .

Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.