Duties

Summary

The Chief of Operations (ChOps) position serves as the principal deputy and advisor to the Regional Director (RD) in the discharge of his/her varied responsibilities, including developing strategies to improve the Region's operations. In concert with the RD, the position will be responsible for overseeing all aspects of strategic, organizational, and program objectives of the Region's headquarters unit in Washington as well as a portfolio of overseas posts.

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Responsibilities

The ChOps position is based at Peace Corps headquarters in Washington DC and will be assigned to one of the three Regions that oversee Peace Corps overseas operations: 1) Africa; 2) Europe, the Mediterranean and Asia; 3) Inter-America and the Pacific. A ChOps performs the following major duties:

• As directed by the Regional Director (RD), assumes full responsibility for day-to-day Regional operations including direction, supervision, and evaluation of personnel in headquarters and overseas; determination of manpower resource needs; establishment and management of Regional positions; identification of personnel vacancies, evaluation of candidates and initiation of candidate recommendations for Regional positions; and recommendation to the RD of Regional staff promotions, transfers, extensions, and terminations.
• Serves as expert advisor and mentor to Country Directors across a wide array of operational, communication, and representational issues. Guides Country Directors, in consultation with the Office of the General Counsel and senior Agency leadership, on interpreting and enforcing Peace Corps policies and procedures, including those relating to the performance and behavior of Volunteers and staff.
• Develops communications plans and products to enhance the understanding of Regional activities, including key strategic messages, documents and reports. Conducts meetings and briefings with various stakeholders, including senior leadership, to review Regional and posts' activities.
• As delegated by the RD, leads headquarters teams to support emergency and crisis response activities at overseas posts, such as coordinating multiple offices' support during natural disasters, political unrest, post evacuation, serious injury to or the death of a Volunteer, or other emergencies or crises.
• Participates in the formulation and development of Peace Corps program policies and operations, reflecting posts' input and operational realities.
• Advises the RD and other senior leadership to help determine long-range direction for Regional programs, necessary operational priorities, budgetary needs, the focus of special projects, staff development and staffing levels. Informs this advice by analyzing Agency policy, capacity, and the political, social, and economic conditions of host countries.
• Serves as Acting Country Director in overseas posts, as delegated by the RD.
• Assumes other responsibilities, as directed by the RD, in carrying out Region initiatives and serves as Acting RD with full responsibility for administration and direction of the Region during RD absence or vacancy.

Travel Required

Occasional travel - Travels periodically to overseas posts to assess Peace Corps operations, programs and projects.

Supervisory status
Yes

Promotion Potential
01

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

• Please refer to "Conditions of Employment"

Intelligence Background Information

Peace Corps Manual Section 611 is applicable to this position. This section prohibits the employment of certain persons previously engaged in intelligence activities or connected with intelligence agencies within the past 10 years. If you have ever worked for the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), you are not eligible for employment at the Peace Corps in any capacity, and you should not apply for employment.

PC-1336 Form: Applicants who are found to be otherwise qualified will be required to submit upon request in the future a completed PC-1336 form , or narrative signed statement, indicating whether the applicant has been involved in or has had any connection with intelligence activities or related work and, if so, the nature and dates of his or her involvement. Failure to meet this requirement will result in the applicant being rated ineligible for further consideration. If you have any other type of possible intelligence connection, your application will not be further considered until you submit this form. Except when the CIA or the National Security Agency (NSA) is involved (see below), if your connection with an Intelligence Agency involves an immediate family member who works or has worked in intelligence, the immediate family member should complete the form, not the applicant. Usually relying on memory is sufficient to answer most if not all of the questions. If you have an immediate family member who works or has worked for the CIA, you should not give them this form to complete. Please contact your relative in person-not by phone, email, social networking, or any other means that is not in person- and ask him or her to contact the Office of General Counsel at the CIA.

If your intelligence connection involves the NSA, you (or, if the connection is with a family member, that person) must contact NSA's Office of the General Counsel at 410-854-3910 before submitting this form to Peace Corps.

Qualifications

Selective Placement Factor(s):

This position has One (1) selective placement factor defined below:

Three (3) years of: 1) executive leadership experience in transitioning or developing countries involving international development work, or 2) community development experience working with under served communities in the United States. Experience may be with private sector, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), or government organizations (local, state, and/or federal). Executive experience must include either an international focus or a focus on domestic communities that are made up of a majority of culturally diverse members.

Examples of specialized professional experience include: held a senior level position such as Country Director, Executive Director, Regional Director, Chief of Party, CEO, Ambassador, or others in a complex organizational environment; experience leading and managing programs with an international development focus or a focus on work with under served U.S. communities that are made up of a majority of culturally diverse members; experience providing strategic direction to complex programs; and experience that includes high level representational duties. This experience MUST be well documented within your resume or application.

Specialized Experience:

You must meet the specialized experience at the grade level(s) in which you choose to be considered by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Standard Time (EST) on the closing date of the announcement. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. To ensure full credit for your experience, please indicate dates of employment by month, day, and year and the number of hours worked per week in your resume.

This vacancy is being announced at one (1) grade level:

FP-1 (Education cannot be substituted for experience at this level)

Qualifying experience for the FP-1 level includes one year of specialized experience at least equivalent to the FP-2 or GS-14 level which is in or directly related to the line of work of the position to be filled and which has equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position. Specialized experience includes: Experience developing and implementing complex studies and overarching analyses related to the administration of an organization's domestic and international programs; Experience applying a range of administrative laws, policies, regulations, and precedents applicable to the management of an organization's programs; Experience developing and implementing collaborative partnerships with internal and external stakeholders to build coalitions and achieve common organizational program goals and objectives; Experience formulating, executing, and providing oversight over an organization's budget, identifying and implementing programming and training initiatives, and managing the provision of program support for domestic and overseas support offices; Experience developing, implementing and evaluating multi-year work plans and reshaping programs to address changes in organizational needs, budget requirements, legislation, and international conditions.

Time-in-Grade Requirements: Internal applicants and Federal employees who are currently holding, or who has held within the previous 52 weeks, a position under a non-temporary appointment in the competitive or excepted service, must meet "time-in-grade" requirements (have served 52 weeks at the next lower grade of the grade for which you are applying). NOTE: All current or former Federal employees (including internal employees) must provide a copy of their SF-50 (you may need to submit more than one), "Notice of Personnel Action" that indicates proof of status and time-in-grade eligibility. The SF-50 must include your position, title, series, grade, step, tenure, and type of service (Competitive or Excepted).

All qualification requirements must be met by the closing date of this announcement. Qualification claims will be subject to verification.

Education

This position has no Individual Occupational Requirements (Specific Education).

Additional information

Peace Corps Information

• This is a Federal civilian job in the Excepted Service. PC employees are paid on the Foreign Service scale and employment is limited NTE 5 years.
• Qualified internal applicants will be given first consideration.
• Additional hiring needs may be filled through this vacancy.
• National Service (e.g., volunteer) refers to paid & unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional, philanthropic, religious, community, student).
• Peace Corps is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy and gender identity), national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, membership in an employee organization, retaliation, parental status, military service, or other non-merit factors.
• Peace Corps is a drug free workplace and promotes a drug free environment.
• Peace Corps is committed to maintaining a diverse and inclusive culture. Our goal is to attract and develop the best and brightest from all lifestyles and backgrounds. Peace Corps strives to create a culture of inclusion where individuals feel respected and are treated fairly in all aspects of differences. Our commitment is to make a difference in the lives of people around the world.
• Peace Corps provides reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the hiring process, please notify the Office of Human Resources by calling 202-692-1200 or the Office of Civil Rights and Diversity on 202-692-2139. Decisions on granting reasonable accommodation are made on a case-by-case basis.

Conditions of Employment

• Applicants must be U.S. citizens.
• You must successfully complete a background security investigation with favorable adjudication. Failure to successfully meet this requirement will be grounds for employment termination.
• All male applicants born after December 31, 1959, must have registered for the selective service. If selected for this position, you must sign a statement certifying your registration, or you must demonstrate exempt status under the Selective Service Law.
• Prior Intelligence Activity or Related Work: Individuals who have been engaged in certain intelligence activity or related work or who have been employed by or connected with an intelligence agency are ineligible for employment with Peace Corps. Acceptance of employment with Peace Corps precludes employment by certain intelligence organizations for a specific period of time, determined by the employing agency, after Peace Corps employment ceases.
• All Federal employees are required to have federal salary payments made by direct deposit to a financial institution of their choosing.
• A one (1) year trial period is required.
• This job has been identified as a testing designated position under our Drug-Free Workplace Program. Therefore, you must satisfactorily complete a drug test prior to being hired. As an employee, you will be subject to random drug testing.
• This is not a bargaining unit position.
• This position requires the filing of a Financial Disclosure report.
• Travel outside the continental United States is required.

If you have questions regarding this vacancy, you may contact peacecorpsjobs@peacecorps.gov . In the subject line, include the vacancy #, position title and closing date.

How You Will Be Evaluated

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

The following competencies will be evaluated in your application:

• Leadership and Management
• Manages organizational programs, operations, and resources; responds to emergencies; and represents the agency to national and international stakeholders. Knows and articulates Agency's vision into strategies, management techniques, and program and management plans. Is up-to-date on local, national, and international policies and trends that affect the organization and shape stakeholders' views. Understands the organization's impact on the external environment. Makes (and perceives the impact of) well-informed, objective decisions, and delivers high-quality programs with commitment to continuous improvement. Commits to action, even in uncertain situations, to accomplish organizational goals and manage change.
• Organizational Performance Analysis
• Knows methods for analyzing program, organizational, and mission performance. Knows approaches to assessing, evaluating, and monitoring programs and projects. Can ensure compliance with Federal, Agency, and host countries' laws, regulations, and guidance. Knows the organization's mission and functions; its social, political, and technological systems; and its programs, policies, procedures, rules, and regulations.
• Strategic Thinking
• Formulates objectives and priorities, and implements plans consistent with the long-term interests of the Agency in a global environment. Seizes opportunities and manages risks. Formulates effective strategies consistent with Agency's business objectives. Examines policy issues and strategic planning with a long-term perspective. Determines objectives and sets priorities; anticipates potential threats or opportunities.
• Innovation and Creativity
• Develops new insights into situations; assesses conventional approaches and encourages new ideas and innovations; designs and implements new strategies/programs/processes.
• Policy
• Can interpret, collaboratively develop, and enforce policies. Can manage up and down on policy implementation and advocate policy changes as required to enhance program performance and strategy application.
• Stakeholder Management
• Knows concepts, practices, and techniques used to identify, engage, influence, and monitor relationships with individuals and groups connected to a work effort; including those actively involved, those who exert influence over the process and its results, and those who have a vested interest in the outcome (positive or negative). Anticipates and meets the needs of both internal and external customers.
• Intercultural Competence
• Continually refines effective and appropriate actions to foster equity and inclusion. Builds and maintains relationships with and among others in a range of complex, ambiguous situations. Shows understanding, friendliness, courtesy, tact, empathy, concern, and politeness; can effectively deal with individuals who are difficult, hostile, or distressed; relates well to people from varied backgrounds; and is sensitive to cultural diversity, race, gender, disabilities, and other individual differences.

Please note that a complete, accurate application is required for consideration. Your resume and supporting documentation will be reviewed by a Human Resources Specialist, which must support the self-assessment answers you provide. Falsifying your background, education, and/or experience is cause for disqualification.

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Background checks and security clearance

Security clearance
Top Secret

Drug test required
Yes

Required Documents

To apply for this position, you must submit a complete Application Package. This includes: a detailed resume, a completed electronic self-assessment questionnaire, an SF-50 (for current and former Federal employees), and the submission of any other required documents. All required documents listed below, that are applicable to you, must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) on the closing date of this announcement.

Resume: Include relevant work experience including job title, duties and accomplishments, employer name and address, supervisor name and phone number, start and end dates, hours per week & salary. If you are a current Federal employee or former Federal employee, provide your pay plan, series and grade level (e.g. GS-0201-09).

Veterans Documents: Veterans' preference in appointment does not apply to this vacancy; however, if you are using your 30% or more disability rating to be considered, you must attach all required documentation; including a DD-214 reflecting the type of discharge, the SF-15 and a VA Letter. Proof of a service-connected disability is required at the time of application. For more information regarding veterans' preference, please review the OPM Vet Guide .

Federal Employees: If you are a current or former Federal employee (including internal employees), you must provide a copy of your most recent SF-50 (and/or the SF-50 which verifies your reinstatement eligibility). Please note that this appointment does not convey career or career-conditional tenure in the competitive service; however, federal employees who have earned career tenure will not lose it as a result of this appointment.

Note: All applicants (including internal) are required to submit the applicable documents listed above as verification of eligibility. If you fail to provide the information requested, or the information you submit is insufficient to verify your eligibility, you may lose consideration for these positions.

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.