Duties

Summary

This position is located in the Department of Commerce, Economic Development Administration, Office of Regional Affairs. This position performs analysis and advisory assignments related to the effectiveness of programs and/or the efficiency of the management of operations.

Learn more about this agency

Responsibilities

Duties include, but are not limited to:

• Conduct detailed analyses on operating programs, analyze findings, and make recommendations for improvement in the effectiveness and efficiency of work operations.
• Develop new methods, organizational structures, and management processes.
• Counsel and advise program managers on methods, management surveys, reports, and control techniques.

This Job Opportunity Announcement may be used to fill other Congressional Affairs Specialist, GS-343-11/12, FPL 12 positions within EDA in the same geographical location with the same qualifications and specialized experience.

This position is also being announced concurrently under Delegated Examining vacancy number: EDA-HQ-2019-0031. Applicants who wish to be considered under MAP and DE must apply to both vacancies separately.

Travel Required

Occasional travel - This position approximates 5-10% travel.

Supervisory status
No

Promotion Potential
12 - If you are selected for a position with further promotion potential, you may be non-competitively promoted if you perform successfully and if recommended by management.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

• You must be a suitable for Federal employment.
• You must be a U.S. citizen.
• You must be registered for Selective Service if applicable (www.sss.gov).
• Time-in-grade requirements must be met by the closing date.

• A one year probationary period may be required.
• Payment of relocation expenses is not authorized.
• Time-in-grade/band requirements must be met by the closing date of the announcement unless eligible for special hiring authority, reinstatement eligible, non-current Federal employee applying as a VEOA eligible which do not require time-in-grade/band.

Security Clearance: You must be able to obtain and maintain a Low Risk Security Clearance.

Qualifications

Qualification requirements in the vacancy announcements are based on the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Qualification Standards Handbook, which contains federal qualification standards. This handbook is available on the Office of Personnel Management's website located at: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/ .

Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations e.g., professional; philanthropic, religious; spiritual; community, student, social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies; knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

To qualify at the GS-11 level: One full year (52 weeks) of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-09 in the Federal service. Specialized experience is experience that has equipped the applicant with the particular competencies/knowledge, skills and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position. This experience need not have been in the federal government. Specialized experience MUST include all the following:

• Studying of administrative and managerial processes.
• Assessing and refining the productivity, effectiveness, and efficiency of program operations.

OR

Education: Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree

OR

3 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree

or

LL.M., if related

OR

Combination of Education and Experience: Combinations of successfully completed education and experience may be used to meet total qualification requirements.

To qualify at the GS-12 level: One full year (52 weeks) equivalent to at least equivalent to GS-11 in the Federal Service. Specialized experience is experience that has equipped the applicant with the particular competencies/knowledge, skills and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position. This experience need not have been in the federal government. Specialized experience MUST include all the following:

• Studying of administrative and managerial processes.
• Assessing and refining the productivity, effectiveness, and efficiency of program operations.
• Presenting proposals for negotiation further developing rapport with personal contacts.
  
  

Education cannot be substituted for experience at the GS-12 level.

Education

Please see the Qualifications section of this announcement.

Additional information

CTAP and ICTAP candidates will be eligible if it is determined that they have exceeded the minimum qualifications for the position by attaining at least a rating of 85 out of 100. Information about ICTAP eligibility is on the Office of Personnel Management's Career Transition Resources website at: Employee Guide to Career Transition

CTAP applicants MUST submit the following documents:

A copy of your specific RIF notice; notice of proposed removal for failure to relocate; a Certificate of Expected Separation (CES); or certification that you are in a surplus organization or occupation (this could be a position abolishment letter, a notice eligibility for discontinued service retirement, or similar notice).

A copy of your SF-50 "Notification of Personnel Action", noting current position, grade level, and duty location;

A copy of your latest performance appraisal including your rating; and

Any documentation from your agency that shows your current promotion potential.

ICTAP applicants MUST submit the following documents:

A copy of your RIF separation notice; notice of proposed removal for failure to relocate; notice of disability annuity termination; certification from your former agency that it cannot place you after your recovery from a compensable injury; or certification from the National Guard Bureau or Military Department that you are eligible for disability retirement;

A copy of your SF-50 "Notification of Personnel Action" documenting your RIF separation, noting your positions, grade level, and duty location, and/or Agency certification of inability to place you through RPL, etc;

A copy of your latest performance appraisal including your rating; and

Any documentation from your agency that shows your current promotion potential.

Use if applicable: The following links provide information on various hiring authorities that do not fall under competitive examining procedures; however, they may enable you to apply through merit assignment procedures, or be eligible for a non-competitive appointment.

Veterans Recruitment Act (VRA)

Veterans Employment Opportunities Act (VEOA)

30% or more disabled veterans

Persons with disabilities

Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP)

Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP)

How You Will Be Evaluated

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

We will review your resume, optional cover letter and supporting documentation (transcripts if applicable) to determine if you meet the minimum qualifications for the position. If you meet the minimum qualifications stated in the vacancy announcement, we will compare your resume, optional cover letter and supporting documentation to your responses on the scored occupational questionnaire that you completed as part of the application. However, your resume or optional cover letter must support your responses to the occupational questions, or your score will be lowered. The best-qualified candidates will be identified for referral to the hiring manager and may be invited for an interview.

The scored occupational questionnaire will evaluate you on the following competencies; please do not provide a separate written response:

• Knowledge of agency regulations, the specific organization's programs and missions, pertinent laws, regulations, and policies related to program/operations
  area in order to analyze their impact on programs.
• Knowledge of qualitative and quantitative techniques for measuring effectiveness, efficiency, and productivity of assigned programs.
• Skill in applying analytical and evaluative methods in developing new procedures and approaches to identify and resolve significant complications.
• Ability to communicate effectively to make recommendations to management and brief them.

If applicable, performance appraisals and/or Incentive award documentation may be submitted and will be forwarded to the selecting official as support in consideration of your application in the evaluation process. To receive due weight, you must submit a recent performance appraisal (dated within 18 months) showing the official rating of record, signed by a supervisor, or statement why the performance appraisal is unavailable (do not submit a performance plan) and/or incentive award documentation (i.e. superior performance awards, special act or achievement awards, quality step increases, etc..) Due weight shall be given to performance appraisals and awards in accordance with 5 CFR 335.103(b)(3), during the interview/selection process conducted by the hiring manager.

To preview questions please click here .

Background checks and security clearance

Security clearance
Other

Drug test required
No

Required Documents

Resume showing relevant experience; cover letter optional. Your resume must indicate your citizenship and if you are registered for Selective Service if you are a male born after 12/31/59. Your resume must include information about your paid and nonpaid work experience related to this position including: job title, duration of employment (mm/dd/yy - mm/dd/yy), hours per week, duties and accomplishments, salary, and your education. For work in the Federal service, please include the grade level for the position/s. Your resume may be used to validate your responses to the scored occupational questionnaire.

SF-50, "Notification of Personnel Action," showing tenure code, position occupied, and highest grade and step.

If applicable, performance appraisals and/or Incentive award documentation may be submitted and will be forwarded to the selecting official as support in consideration of your application in the evaluation process. To receive due weight, you must submit a recent performance appraisal (dated within 18 months) showing the official rating of record, signed by a supervisor, or statement why the performance appraisal is unavailable (do not submit a performance plan) and/or incentive award documentation (i.e. superior performance awards, special act or achievement awards, quality step increases, etc..)

Veterans Employment Opportunities Act (VEOA) documentation, if applicable. For more information, please go to: www.opm.gov/veterans/html/vetguide.asp#6 .

Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) and Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) documentation if applicable (see other information).

Documentation supporting eligibility for non-competitive appointment, (severely disabled, eligible veterans, certain military spouses, etc.).

Education. If this position requires proof of higher education, you must submit an unofficial transcript or a list of courses that includes the following information: name of accredited institution, grades earned, completion dates, and quarter and semester hours earned. Special Instructions for Foreign Education: Education completed in foreign colleges or universities must be evaluated in terms of equivalency to that acquired in U.S. colleges and universities. Applicants educated in whole or in part in foreign countries must submit sufficient evidence, including transcripts, to an accredited private organization for an equivalency evaluation of course work and degree. A listing of these accredited organizations can be found on the Department of Education's website. 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. Failure to provide such documentation by the closing date of the announcement will result in lost consideration.

You are not required to submit official documents at this time; copies are sufficient.

Failure to provide such documents when requested may result in lost 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.