Duties

Summary

This assignment is a 1-year non-reimbursable assignment and may be extended in 120-day increments as needed.

The position serves as a Program Manager in the Office of Academic Engagement (OAE), Office of Partnership and Engagement (OPE), Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
Learn more about this agency

Responsibilities

The OPE promotes an integrated approach to homeland security by serving as DHS's primary liaison to partners in the private sector, academic community, and state, local, tribal, and territorial governments. The OAE supports DHS's mission by building, improving and leveraging relationships with the academic community. The OAE's work with the academic community occurs across DHS and focuses on six key areas: academic research and faculty exchange; campus resilience; cybersecurity; homeland security academic programs; international students; and student and recent graduate recruitment.

Duties:
Serves as a Program Manager and as such provides management and oversight of OAE programs, communications and stakeholder relationships. Serves as a focal point for reporting program and project specific information to both internal customers and the academic community. Works with senior management to define the goals, objectives, and linkages needed to build, improve and leverage relationships with the academic community.

Identifies the impact of OAE operations and activities on the academic community, other agencies and organizations and works to resolve their concerns regarding OAE policies and programs.

Builds and maintains relationships with stakeholder groups for continued participation in OAE programs. Manages and implements projects designed to improve customer engagement. Coordinates communications in response to questions and issues raised from entities external to OAE.
Identifies and evaluates major programmatic issues that may require mitigation and planning and develop proposals and recommendations to address them.

Analyzes and interprets established and purposed policies and procedures affecting OAE activities. Develops technical and policy papers, speeches, reports, testimony and various types of correspondence regarding OAE issues. Drafts briefing memoranda, talking points, and other materials to support OAE, OPE, and IGA leadership.

Identifies opportunities to improve the accountability and efficiency of OAE business areas to include advocating a culture of integration and risk management that will strengthen interdependencies and mitigate program weaknesses.

Identifies areas for performance measurement and quality improvement and leads development and administration of quality assurance activities. Works with the Executive Director to establish, implement and measure annual OAE strategies, goals and objectives.

Continually fosters effective and harmonious working relationships with other departments, both domestically and abroad, for purposes of sharing and gathering pertinent information that could advance and improve OAE capabilities and effectiveness.
Represents OAE at high-level, inter-departmental meetings, conferences, interagency task forces, and governmental seminars. Participates in various councils, professional organizations, and working groups, both internal and external to the DHS,

Oversees office operations including administrative management, development of Standard Operating Procedures (SOP), responses to correspondence, Continuity of Operations Programs (COOP); asset inventory management, and contract oversight.

Performs other duties as assigned.

Travel Required

Not required

Supervisory status
No

Promotion Potential
None

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

• Must be a current permanent Federal employee
• Must have supervisory approval to apply to the Joint Duty Assignment. DHS 250-2 Application Form under "required documents" section.
• Must NOT have any pending/outstanding disciplinary actions
• Must have achieved a minimum of "meet expectations/proficiency" on latest performance appraisal/evaluation
• Must be currently at the grade level of the detail. *No Temporary Promotion Opportunity*
• The program does not apply to members of the Military service or contractors.

Qualifications

Qualifications required:

Expert knowledge of the laws, policies and regulations governing agency relationships with the academic community sufficient to advise management, develop policies, manage and implement projects, and assess program effectiveness.

Expert knowledge of management techniques, methods, principles sufficient to provide direction and oversight of a program, assess overall effectiveness, efficiency and productivity. The knowledge is used in identifying, diagnosing and consulting on problem areas that affect the achievement of program goals.

Expert knowledge of management methodologies, business process engineering, and metrics design at the organizational level that includes producing management tools and metrics (e.g.,., Six Sigma, etc.) to identify, analyze, and recommend solutions to problems related to organizational structure, administrative procedures, work processes, and workload distribution.

Mastery of the principles, methods, practices and techniques of external agency relations and communications sufficient to develop and improve outreach, liaison and engagement programs, and develop recommendations for improvements.

Knowledge of a variety of analytical techniques involved in gathering, assessing and evaluating numerous sources of data, and developing appropriate recommendations for management.

Skill and ability to communicate, both orally and in writing, sufficient to give presentations to various internal and external groups and to provide information on the department's programs, objectives and activities. Skill in writing and editing a variety of materials sufficient to convey information in a style and manner suitable for a range of audiences.

Expert knowledge of public administration practices, business administration, or other relevant area to identify, recommend, innovate and implement public sector best practices.

Ability to represent an organization, negotiate consensus decisions, or advise at an executive level including to senior executives, shareholders or other government officials.

Thorough knowledge of the current and planned DHS organization, functional roles and perspectives and operational responsibilities, work processes and procedures, as related to the performance of major programs.

Please read the following important information to ensure we have everything we need to consider your application:
It is your responsibility to ensure that you submit appropriate documentation prior to the closing date. Your resume serves as the basis for qualification determinations and must highlight your most relevant and significant experience as it relates to this Joint Duty assignment opportunity announcement.

Be clear and specific when describing your work history since human resources cannot make assumptions regarding your experience. Your application will be rated based on your resume.

Please ensure EACH work history includes ALL of the following information:

Job Title (Include series and grade of Federal Job)

Duties (Be specific in describing your duties)

Name of Federal agency

Supervisor name, email, and phone number

Start and end dates including month and year (e.g. June 2007 to April 2008)

Education

EDUCATIONAL SUBSTITUTION: There is no educational substitution for this position.

Additional information

**DHS does not offer any additional benefits beyond that which the Federal employee is already receiving.

If the position requires a security clearance, employees must have a SECRET or TOP SECRET clearance to placement AND must maintain that level of clearance while performing in the position.

Selected applicants for a JDA are requested to fulfill the items below during the JDA:

Complete the DHS Training Course 15 days prior to the arrival to the JDA.

Complete the DHS Joint Duty Assignment Progress Plan to include:

• Phase 1: Establish assignment objectives within the first 30 days of the JDA.
• Phase 2: Complete a self-assessment of the duties performed at the mid-point of the JDA.
• Phase 3: Complete a final review within the last 30 days of the JDA.

Complete 12 hours of professional development using Skillsoft courses, videos, and books in conjunction with the established assignment objectives for the JDA.

Attend each of the DHS Joint Duty Program Director's quarterly webinars (1 hour per quarter).

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 and supporting documentation to ensure you meet the basic qualification requirements. If you meet the minimum qualifications, your experience, education, and training will be rated using a job questionnaire based on the competencies or knowledge, skills, and abilities needed to perform this Joint Duty Assignment.

If you are among the best qualified, you may be referred to the hiring manager for consideration and may be called for an interview. After reviewing your resume and supporting documentation, a determination will be made. You must submit the supporting documents listed under the required documents section of this announcement.

Note: DHS continues to take necessary steps to keep our workforce safe amid the COVID-19 pandemic. If you receive a final Joint Duty Assignment offer to onboard, please complete the onboarding requirements and/or forms and submit them electronically in an expeditious manner. Your start date may be delayed if the action above is not completed.

Background checks and security clearance

Security clearance
Not Required

Drug test required
No

Required Documents

1. Resume: Do not include any personally identifiable information (PII) i.e., home address, social security number, or date of birth. Your resume must clearly demonstrate you have experience which meets the requirements of this position as outlined in the "Qualifications" section.

2. SF-50: Submit a copy of your official SF-50 (no text version) or other official "Notification of Personnel Action" document which shows the following information:

Your appointment in the Federal service

Tenure

Grade and Step

Full performance level

If your SF-50(s) does not provide the information needed to make a final determination for qualification, you will be found ineligible for the position.

3. DHS Joint Duty Assignment Application Form signed by your supervisor. Please click on the following link to access the required form DHS Form 250-02 .