Duties

Summary

The Deputy Assistant Secretary (DAS) for Emergency Management and Resilience directs and oversees coordination of VA's emergency management, resilience, preparedness and national security programs. As VA's Continuity Manager, the DAS identifies and leads the development of innovative programs and partnerships in support of a whole of community response to ensure VA's Primary Mission Essential Function and Mission Essential Functions are maintained in an all-hazards environment.

Learn more about this agency

Responsibilities

DUTIES:
The DAS serves as the senior advisor to the Assistant Secretary for Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security and Preparedness (HRA/OSP), Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for HRA/OSP, and Chief Security Officer (CSO), Operations, Security and Preparedness (OSP) on matters pertaining to emergency management and national security. Key responsibilities include, but are not limited to the following:

• Lead Department-level emergency management programs and services.

• Develop and oversee Department-level emergency management strategy, policy and capabilities.

• Lead Department-wide planning and exercise efforts to validate VA's ability to perform Primary Mission Essential Function and Mission Essential Functions during all-hazards events.

• Oversee development and management of Department-wide risk assessment program to create resiliency in continuity processes.

• Lead VA security administration programs ensuring that they are structured to prevent compromise of classified national security resources.

• Oversee and manage VA's Insider Threat Program designed to detect, deter, mitigate and respond to actions that could compromise national security.

Travel Required

Occasional travel - You may be expected to travel for this position.

Supervisory status
Yes

Promotion Potential
00

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

• US citizenship is required.
• One year probationary period required for initial SES appointment.
• Males born after 12-31-59 must be registered for Selective Service.
• Incumbents of this position will be subject to a background investigation commensurate with the risk and sensitivity level of the position.
• Successful completion of drug screening required.
• Public Financial Disclosure Report (SF-278) is required.
• May be subject to reassignment geographically or organizationally.

Qualifications

To meet the minimum qualifications, applicants must possess the following technical and executive core qualifications. These qualifications would typically be gained through progressively responsible management or executive level assignments such as director of a regional office, medical facility or program manager. An individual's total experience, education and volunteer work experience must demonstrate the ability to perform the duties of the position.

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.

MANDATORY EXECUTIVE CORE QUALIFICATIONS (ECQs): All applicants must submit a written narrative response to each of the following ECQs and include your name on each page.. Your narrative must address each ECQ separately. Additional information on ECQs is available at: http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/senior-executive-service/executive-core-qualifications/ . Applicants are encouraged to follow the Challenge, Context, Action and Results model outlined in the guide. It is recommended that you draft your ECQs in a Word document and then upload into the system.

1. Leading Change: 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.

2. Leading People: 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.

3. Results Driven: 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.

4. Business Acumen: The ability to manage human, financial and information resources strategically.

5. Building Coalitions: 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.

TECHNICAL QUALIFICATION (TQ)s: In addition, all applicants must submit a written narrative response to the following specific TQ(s). Please label and include your name on each page. Please give examples and explain how often you used your skills, the complexity of the knowledge possessed, the level of people you interacted with, the sensitivity of the issues you handled managing a large public or private sector organization that administers complex, rules-based benefits or services, etc. It is recommended that you draft your TQ(s) in a word document and then upload into the system.

TQ1: Demonstrated experience in leading Agency-level emergency management programs and services.

TQ2: Demonstrated experience in leading Agency-level continuity planning initiatives, risk assessments, and
programs.

TQ3: Demonstrated experience in managing and directing classified national security resources and requirements.

Education

This job does not have an education qualification requirement.

Additional information

Veteran Preference does not apply to the Senior Executive Service.: https://www.opm.gov/faqs/topic/Senior-Executive-Service/index.aspx .

Drug Testing: All applicants tentatively selected for VA Senior Executive Service employment in any position are subject to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment. Applicants who refuse to be tested will be denied employment with VA.

Incumbents of this position will be subject to a background investigation commensurate with the risk and sensitivity level of the position.

How You Will Be Evaluated

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

Step 1: ECQ qualifications

Step 2: Technical Qualification(s)

Step 3: VA Executive Resources Board

Step 4: Nominating Organization may conduct interviews

Step 5: Approval by the Selecting Official (may include additional screening)

Step 6: OPM Qualifications Review Board certification

Background checks and security clearance

Security clearance
Top Secret

Drug test required
Yes

Position sensitivity and risk
Critical-Sensitive (CS)/High Risk

Trust determination process

Required Documents

A complete application for this position includes the following items:

1. Resume not to exceed 5 pages;

2. Written narrative response to address each Technical Qualification(s) not to exceed 2 pages each; and

3. Written narrative responses to address each Executive Core Qualifications (ECQs) not to exceed 2 pages each for a total of 10 pages; or

4. Proof of non-competitive eligibility (if applicable). Proof consists of an SF-50 showing career status in the SES and proof of certification of your Executive Core Qualifications (ECQs) from the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) administered Qualifications Review Board (QRB).

Non-Competitive Consideration: You are considered a non-competitive applicant if you are a current career Senior Executive, graduate of a Senior Executive Service (SES) Candidate Development Program (CDP) or an individual with SES reinstatement eligibility and your ECQs have been certified by the OPM QRB. You may be considered non-competitively for appointment to this position if you meet the mandatory technical qualifications requirements.

Non-competitive applicants do not need to submit ECQ narratives but you must clearly state your status in your resume and submit a written narrative response to the Technical Qualification (s); not more than 2 pages per each TQ with a font size no smaller than 12 points. Proof of non-competitive eligibility is required. The agency has the option of considering you non-competitively or including you in the competitive process.