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Assistant Director, Architecture and Preservation Branch

Employer
USAJobs
Location
Washington, D.C
Closing date
Sep 24, 2019
Duties

Summary

This position is located in the Architect of the Capitol (AOC), Director, Planning and Project Management (PPM), Assistant Director, Architecture and Preservation Branch. The selectee will provide leadership and general direction of the branch utilizing a professional knowledge of architecture and historic preservation.

It is desirable that the incumbent be a Registered Architect (RA) with training and experience in Preservation of architecturally significant monumental structures.

Learn more about this agency

Responsibilities

At the Architect of the Capitol, we are proud to be ranked as one of the Best Places to Work in the Federal Government. Our employees are passionate about AOC's mission to serve Congress and the Supreme Court, preserve America's Capitol and inspire memorable experiences. AOC is a legislative branch agency, the recognized authority for the preservation, maintenance and construction of the world's most iconic treasures and buildings on Capitol Hill. As a global destination for thousands of visitors every day, Capitol Hill intersects history, architecture and art with the birthplace of our nation's laws.

The architect will serve on multi-disciplinary, in-house design projects and resolve specific issues regarding architectural design and historic preservation for projects under the jurisdiction of the Architect of the Capitol. Will also be responsible for chairing and conducting the AOC Architectural Review Board, and monitoring, coordinating and reporting on in-house design and task leader efforts.

MAJOR DUTIES INCLUDE:

Leadership and Managerial Responsibilities
  • Performs administrative and technical supervisory functions for subordinates which include: the Historic Preservation Officer, the Executive Architect (Supervisory), Preservation Architect(s), Structural Engineer(s) and Interior Design Specialist(s). Assigns duties and evaluates performance. Manages the organizational unit's budget and workload. Develops performance requirements for subordinates and ensures a mutual understanding of the performance standards. Resolves complaints and grievances.
  • Provides leadership to ensure support for equal employment opportunity (EEO) goals and requirements. Practices non-discriminatory and non-retaliatory employment actions and prevents unlawful discrimination or harassment based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, genetic information, gender identity, age or disability.

Architecture and Historic Preservation Program Management
  • Has the responsibility of planning, coordinating and managing the preparation and review of the architectural design functions for a wide variety of historic buildings. Serves as Architect, technical consultant and advisor to the Architect of the Capitol, Director of Planning and Project Management, Director of Energy and Design Services Division, Architect-Engineer (A-E) contractors and construction agencies.
  • Oversees a variety of complex, long-term projects which involve state-of the-art architectural designs many with significant preservation components. Coordinates the project work with program requirements, schedules and the work of other relevant engineering specialties.
  • Works directly with AOC senior leadership, Congressional offices, technical representatives of industry and others in the development of criteria and requirements. Tasks involve program scheduling, program monitoring and coordination, staff training, program analysis and recommendation/justification for additional or new programmatic approaches and staffing.

Architecture Design Solutions
  • Responsible for professional architectural, historic preservation and relevant engineering design solutions for facility maintenance, renovation and new construction involving major and minor projects under jurisdiction of the AOC, including architectural design, structural engineering, materials conservation, space planning and interior design.
  • Responsible for chairing and conducting the AOC Architectural Review Board which provides design guidance and recommendations to the Architect. Oversees conformance of proposed projects and maintenance with the AOC Preservation policy.
  • Ensures that the existing condition of a historic asset will be evaluated to determine the appropriate level of intervention. Utilizes technical understanding of the AOC Preservation Policy and Standards which are aligned with those provided in the Secretary of the Interior standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties.
  • Oversees the development of planning, A-E construction documentation and progress reports to respond to third party inquiries, including the Government Accountability Office and Office of Inspector General.
  • Serves as a Contracting Officer's Technical Representative (COTR) for development of the Scope of Work (SOW) and on the bidder selection committee. Provides architectural oversight of contractors for compliance with contract specifications.
  • Accountable for maintaining an empirical outcomes-oriented sustainable workplace, a place people want to work and an organization that engages and inspires its employees.
  • Prepares and delivers focused technical presentations to internal staff and outside entities on architecture and preservation issues. Provides architectural and preservation tours for dignitaries, Congressional leadership, staff and outside entities.


Travel Required

Not required

Supervisory status
Yes

Promotion Potential
15

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

  • You must be a U.S. Citizen.
  • You must be able to pass a drug test.
  • Your resume and question responses must demonstrate the job-related KSAs.
  • You must meet the definition of specialized experience.

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Qualifications

You must meet the United States Office of Personnel Management's (OPM) qualification requirements (including specialized experience and/or educational requirements) for the advertised position. You must meet all eligibility and qualifications requirements by the closing date of the job announcement. Additional information on the qualification requirements is outlined in the OPM Qualifications Standards Handbook of General Schedule Positions. It is available for your review on the OPM web site at OPM qualification standards

Specialized experience is experience that has equipped you with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the position to be filled. To be creditable, specialized experience must have been equivalent to at least the next lower grade level.

Candidates for the GS-15 grade level must have at least 52 weeks of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-14 grade level in the Federal service.

Specialized experience for this position includes experience:

(1) Performing architectural design, technical reviews, quality control, and project management on building projects from planning and programming through construction;

(2) Assessing compliance with construction standards, preparing full construction drawings and specifications, and preparing scope of work documents and statements of work;

(3) Providing technical architectural and historic preservation knowledge as well as engineering concepts, methods, and procedures;

(4) Working directly with top level technical representatives of industry, Congressional offices, and others in the development of Architectural and Historic Preservation criteria and requirements; and

(5) Serving as administrative supervisor.

The Ideal candidate would be a Registered Architect (RA) and have had at least 10 years' experience with Secretary of the Interior's Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties or experience in a federal historic preservation office or state historic preservation office.

Education

1. Degree: architecture; or related field that included 60 semester hours of course work in architecture or related disciplines of which at least (1) 30 semester hours were in architectural design, and (2) six semester hours were in each of the following: structural technology, properties of materials and methods of construction, and environmental control systems.
--OR--
2. Combination of education and experience -- college-level education, training, and/or technical experience that furnished:

(a) a thorough knowledge of the arts and sciences underlying professional architecture, and
(b) a good understanding, both theoretical and practical, of the architectural principles, methods, and techniques and their applications to the design and construction or improvement of buildings. The adequacy of such background must be demonstrated by related curriculum or experience as defined in the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) General Schedule Qualification Standards.

For a detailed explanation of the related curriculum or experience , please visit the following website at http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/0800/architecture-series-0808/

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 if selected.

Additional information

Welcome Veterans. The Veterans Employment Opportunities Act of 1998 (VEOA) gives veterans' preference rights in the legislative branch to certain veterans as applied by the Congressional Accountability Act. Veterans' preference is applied on this vacancy announcement. If you are a veteran and have been separated under honorable conditions, you must submit a copy of your DD-214 or other proof of eligibility; SF-15, if applicable; and Department of Veterans Affairs documentation of disability, if applicable. For more information, please visit OPM vet guide

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, genetic information, sexual orientation 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 on a case-by-case basis.

Moving expenses are not authorized.

Relocation expenses are not authorized.

Probationary Period - A newly appointed selectee is subject to the completion of a one-year trial/probationary period, regardless of whether or not a trial/probationary period has been completed previously with the Architect of the Capitol or another Federal agency.

This vacancy announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies in any of the jurisdictions of the Architect of the Capitol.

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 and your responses to job specific self-assessment questions.

Your resume will be evaluated based on evidence of your ability to demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) for this position, possession of any specialized experience, and how well your background and experience relates to the self-assessment questions in the job announcement. The self-assessment questions relate to the following knowledge, skills, abilities, and competencies:

-Design

-Historic Preservation

-Project Management

-Leadership

-Communication

Your responses to the self-assessment questions serve as the basis for your initial rating. You will receive a numerical score based on your responses to these questions. Next, your responses will be evaluated by a Human Resources Specialist and/or a subject matter expert against the information provided in your resume and optional cover letter. Your resume must support your answers to the self-assessment questions. Falsifying your background, education, and/or experience is cause for not hiring you or disqualification for further consideration.

Please note that a complete application is required for consideration. (Please review the "Required Documents" section of this job announcement to see what must be included in a complete application).
To preview questions please click here .

Background checks and security clearance

Security clearance
Other

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 and 2) answer the online vacancy assessment questionnaire. The online questionnaire contains eligibility and screening questions and other relevant supplemental information. 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 are claiming veterans' preference, we may ask you to submit proof of Veterans preference (DD-214, and, if claiming 10-point preference, the SF-15 plus proof required by that form).

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.

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