Duties

Summary

This position is located in the Office of Director. This position serves as the Ombudsman responsible for the coordination, oversight, development, implementation, management, and evaluation of Internal and External Problem Resolution Programs. The mission is to assist employees in seeking fair and equitable solutions to work-related problems through an informal, confidential process.

Learn more about this agency

Responsibilities

• Lead ATF's alternative dispute resolution (ADR) programs. Develop, implement, and update policies, practices, and procedures. Develop, assess, and evaluate program goals, needs, operations, and accomplishments. Conduct short- and long-range planning for overall goals and objectives, accounting for policy or legislative changes pertaining to programs, projects, and employee conflicts.
• Manage and direct the work of the Office of the Ombudsperson, performing the full range of supervisory functions over subordinate personnel.
• Manage the Office of the Ombudsperson's internal operating budget and coordinate the submission of required internal reports.
• Investigate employee concerns and encourage the use of informal ADR to resolve problems and conflicts. If an agreeable solution cannot be reached, recommend formal options offered by ATF, the Department of Justice, the Office of Personnel Management, and other Federal programs to address grievances and complaints.
• Brief the Deputy Director and other executive staff on issues and trends observed through complaints and ADR sessions. Provide data-driven analysis and recommendations to improve the ATF workplace and the services provided by the Office of the Ombudsperson, while maintaining confidentiality.
• Provide training to ATF personnel and supervisors about the role of the Ombudsperson, informal conflict resolution in the workplace, and improving communication. Represent ATF at meetings, seminars, and conferences on issues related to ATF's mission, mediation, and conflict resolution. Coordinate with internal and external partners on ADR topics, projects, and programs.

Travel Required

Occasional travel - Occasional travel is required for this position.

Supervisory status
Yes

Promotion Potential
15

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

• Must be a U.S. Citizen or National.
• Suitable for Federal employment determined by background investigation.
• Must be registered or exempt from the Selective Service. See www.sss.gov
• May be required to serve a one year probationary period.

The time-in-grade requirement must be met by the closing date of this announcement. The qualification requirements listed below must be met by the closing date of the announcement.

MOBILITY PLAN : New employees hired pursuant to this vacancy announcement must sign a mobility agreement. The purpose of ATF's mobility policy is to enhance career development and progression, and achieve mission and business effectiveness. To accomplish these objectives, the mobility plan will facilitate the movement of employees through special short-term assignments or permanent reassignments throughout the Bureau. Applicants who decline to sign a mobility agreement, as required, will be removed from the hiring process.

Qualifications

To qualify for the GS-15 level, candidates must also have at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower grade level GS-14.

Specialized experience is demonstrated experience that has equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities to perform successfully the duties of this position. Experience must be in the normal line of progression or must be related to the work of the position advertised and must be reflected in resume. Examples of specialized experience include:

Experience leading an ombudsperson or alternative dispute resolution (ADR) program for a government or law enforcement agency

Experience serving as an ombudsperson or ADR mediator as your primary responsibility for a government or law enforcement agency

Experience creating and implementing ADR programs.

Experience resolving disputes through the ADR process and experience conducting settlement negotiations.

Experience in the principles and practices of supervision and management, including hiring and budget formulation.

Please do not cut and paste the position description, specialized experience, or occupational assessment questionnaire from this announcement into your resume, as this will not be considered a demonstration of your qualifications for this position.

The GS-15 salary range starts at $144,128. If you are a new federal (civil service) employee, your starting salary will be set at Step 1 for this position and the grade level for which you are selected.

The Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) provides eligible displaced Federal competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. If your agency has notified you in writing that you are a displaced employee eligible for ICTAP consideration, you may receive selection priority if: 1) this vacancy is within your ICTAP eligibility; 2) you apply under the instructions in this announcement; and 3) you are found well-qualified for this vacancy. To be well qualified, you must satisfy all qualification requirements for the vacant position and score 85 or better on established ranking criteria. You must provide proof of eligibility with your application to receive selection priority. Such proof may include a copy of your written notification of ICTAP eligibility or a copy of your separation personnel action form. Additional information about ICTAP eligibility is at: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/working-in-government/unique-hiring-paths/federal-employees/career-transition/

The Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provides eligible surplus and displaced competitive service employees in the Department of Justice with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. If your Department of Justice component has notified you in writing that you are a surplus or displaced employee eligible for CTAP consideration, you may receive selection priority if: 1) this vacancy is within your CTAP eligibility, 2) you apply under the instructions in this announcement, and 3) you are found well-qualified for this vacancy. To be well qualified, you must satisfy all qualification requirements for the vacant position and score 85 or better on established ranking criteria. You must provide a copy of your written notification of CTAP eligibility with your application. Additional information about CTAP eligibility is at: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/workforce-restructuring/employee-guide-to-career-transition .

The Veterans Employment Opportunity Act (VEOA) VEOA allows eligible veterans to apply and compete for positions announced under merit promotion procedures when the hiring agency is recruiting from outside its own workforce. To be eligible for a VEOA appointment, a veteran must be honorably separated and either a preference eligible or have substantially completed three (3) or more years of continuous active military service. If you are applying for a Merit Promotion announcement and wish to be considered under the VEOA, you must submit a copy of the Member Copy 4 of your DD-214, in addition to any other required documents listed on this announcement.

Education

This job does not have an education qualification requirement.

Additional information

Notice to Prospective Employees of Ethical Obligations from ATF's Human Resources Operations Division. Please click on the following link to read important information. DOJ Notice to Prospective Employees of Ethical Obligations Notice to Prospective Employees of Ethical Obligations

Selective Service: If you are a male applicant born after December 31, 1959, you must certify that you have registered with the Selective Service System or are exempt from having to do so under the Selective Service Law. See www.sss.gov .

EEO Statement: The United States Government does not discriminate in employment on the basis of race, religion, color, sex (including pregnancy, gender identity, and sexual orientation), parental status, national origin, age, disability (physical and mental), family medical history or genetic information, political affiliation, military service, retaliation, or other non-merit based factors.

Reasonable Accommodation Statement: ATF provides reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the job application and hiring process, and you meet the eligibility requirements listed above, please notify the human resources specialist listed on the vacancy announcement or contact the ATF's Office of Equal Employment Opportunity at (202) 648-8760. The decision on granting a reasonable accommodation is handled on a case-by-case basis.

Federal Regulations state no ATF employee, his/her spouse, or his/her minor child shall have, directly or indirectly, any financial interest, including compensated employment, stock, or proprietary interest in the alcohol, tobacco, firearms or explosives industries. You should be aware that you may be asked to relinquish any ownership of or interests in the alcohol, tobacco, firearms or explosives industries before a determination can be made whether access to ATF information, information technology systems, and/or facilities can be authorized.

Additional vacancies may be filled from this vacancy announcement.

A one-year probationary period is required for new supervisors and managers.

How You Will Be Evaluated

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

Your resume and supporting documentation will be used to determine whether you meet the job qualifications listed in this announcement. If you are basically qualified for this job, your resume and supporting documentation will be compared to your responses on the online assessment questionnaire. If you rate yourself higher than is supported by your application materials, your responses may be adjusted and/or you may be excluded from consideration for this job. If you are found to be among the top candidates, you will be referred to the selecting official for employment consideration.

The assessment questionnaire is designed to measure your ability in the following competencies:

Executing the role of a senior ombudsperson, building programs and training modules, and creating data-driven evaluation ceriteria to measure to measure performance.

Deep understanding and demonstration of active listening techniques, emotional intelligence, negotiation skills, and alternative dispute resolution process in a government or law enforcement environment.

Ability to provide constructive or difficult feedback to subordinates and employees, develop professional relationships, and create and manage a budget for an office, branch, or department.

Demonstrated and well-developed oral/written communication skills sufficient to convey findings of studies to executive management; ability to make presentations to the Bureau's senior leadership team and professional groups; skill in coordinating and articulating requirements to subordinates.

Understanding issues and concerns particular to law enforcement agencies and professional knowledge of federal law enforcement organizational structure/functions to conduct surveys, perform procedural reviews, prepare impact analysis reports, and conduct complex studies in the effort to create a productive environment where employees are heard and valued.

Skill in written and oral communications.

To preview questions please click here .

Background checks and security clearance

Security clearance
Top Secret

Drug test required
No

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

Trust determination process
Suitability/Fitness

Required Documents

• Resume showing relevant experience (cover letter optional) .
• Most recent SF-50, Notification of Personnel Action, which shows your grade, step, career or career-conditional tenure dated within the last year, if applicable. Do not include an "award" SF-50, as it does not show grade and step.
• Veterans' preference documentation (Member Copy 4 of DD-214, Revised October 2013 SF-15 https://www.opm.gov/forms/pdf_fill/sf15.pdf and VA letter, if applicable). NOTE: The revised October 2013 SF-15 is the latest copy and all others are not usable.
• CTAP/ICTAP documentation, if applicable.
• Schedule A documentation, if applicable. Note: DOJ welcomes and encourages applications from persons with disabilities. Qualified applicants with disabilities may be eligible for special hire, non-competitive appointment under Schedule A eligibility. Please visit http://www.usajobs.gov/Help/working-in-government/unique-hiring-paths/individuals-with-disabilities or contact the Selective Placement Program Coordinator at 202-648-7454.

It is your responsibility to ensure all documents are received on time and the materials are legible. If applying online poses a hardship, please contact us at the telephone number listed on this announcement. Applicants MUST CONTACT US PRIOR TO THE CLOSING DATE to speak to someone who can provide assistance for online submission. Requests for extensions will not be granted. Paper applications submitted without prior approval from the agency point of contact may be handled as incomplete.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION: If your contact information changes after the closing date of this vacancy announcement, update your profile information in MYUSAJOBS as well as contact the Human Resources Specialist listed on this vacancy announcement to ensure you can be contacted throughout the selection process.

Prior to selection, the candidate may be required to provide an original copy of any supporting/validating documentation as well as other documentation to verify eligibility. All required materials must be uploaded using the supporting documentation instructions described in the announcement.

Failure to provide the required documentation by the closing date of this announcement will result in elimination of further consideration for this position.