Duties

Summary

The Congressional Research Service (CRS) Foreign Affairs, Defense and Trade Division (FDT), Research & Library Services Section seeks a Research Librarian. The section broadly supports the work of Congress in issue areas including defense management and budget; defense policy and arms control, foreign policy and global issues, international trade and finance; the Middle East and Africa; Asia, Europe, and the Americas.

Learn more about this agency

Responsibilities

This Research Librarian position will provide research and library services to CRS policy analysts and congressional clients, focusing on foreign affairs.

Candidates with a Master of Library Science (MLS) or equivalent degree and background working in a library, information center, or research organization are encouraged to apply. Previous experience with public speaking in an instructional capacity is desired.

CRS works exclusively for the United States Congress, providing policy and legal analysis to committees and Members of both the House and Senate, regardless of party affiliation. As a legislative branch agency within the Library of Congress, CRS has been a valued and respected resource on Capitol Hill for more than a century.

CRS is well known for analysis that is authoritative, confidential, objective, and nonpartisan. Its highest priority is to ensure that Congress has immediate access to the nation's best thinking on public policy issues of interest to its Members and Committees.

Duties

Analyzes and solves research problems within designated issue areas, often under deadlines. Factors that affect the complexity of these problems include novelty, the difficulty in locating authoritative information, and the specialized nature of the issue area.

Conducts research projects for congressional and internal clients that often require substantial knowledge of foreign policy and global affairs. Identifies, proposes, develops, and executes specialized research projects for clients. Collaborates and consults with internal and external subject specialists to develop and improve the projects. Uses specialized knowledge to negotiate with clients on the substance of research projects, which may include developing an array of different options and facilitating decisions related to sources, methodology, and form of a final product. Executes research methodologies and, in consultation with internal and external stakeholders, revises those methodologies as needed.

Designs and writes products describing the findings of specialized research projects and that may include abstracts, methodological descriptions, summaries, and tables. Authors or co-authors, in collaboration with analysts/attorneys and librarians, timely requested or anticipatory products. Uses and provides peer review of products. Updates own and others' products. Works within a multi-level review process to ensure accuracy, appropriate scope, adherence to organizational policies and values, and responsiveness of all products. Delivers products to clients in writing, by phone, and in person.

Develops and maintains knowledge of the content in, and methods for accessing the content of, general and specialized research resources. Identifies, tests, and evaluates general and specialized research resources; performs market analyses on competing resources; recommends research resources for purchase or renewal; promotes the use of research resources by congressional and internal clients; and provides training and instruction to congressional and internal clients on research resources, including on relevant applications, features, and value in relation to other available resources.

Travel Required

Not required

Supervisory status
No

Promotion Potential
13

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

No additional requirements to those listed above.

Qualifications

Applicants must have had progressively responsible experience and training sufficient in scope and quality to furnish them with an acceptable level of the following knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform the duties of the position without more than normal supervision.

• Ability to apply knowledge of research resources in foreign affairs**
• Ability to conduct information research**
• Ability to communicate in writing**
• Ability to utilize information technology
• Ability to interact collaboratively with others
• Ability to focus on the client
• Ability to solve problems and make decisions
• Ability to communicate effectively other than in writing

Education

Additional information

The Congressional Research Service, within the Library of Congress, is part of the Legislative Branch of the federal government. As such, all positions are in the excepted service.

The salary range indicated reflects the locality pay adjustment for the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. While it is the Library's policy to afford the maximum pay benefit to employees when setting rates of pay, a new appointee who has had no previous federal service will generally be paid the minimum step of the grade.

This is a non-supervisory, bargaining unit position.

The tour of duty for this position is full-time.

The position description number for this position is 336982.

The incumbent of this position may elect to work a flexitime, work schedule.

RELOCATION EXPENSES ARE NOT AUTHORIZED FOR THE PERSON(S) SELECTED UNDER THIS VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENT.

The Library reserves the right to fill a lesser or greater number of vacancies indicated during the life of this vacancy announcement.

Appointment/retention is subject to a favorable evaluation of an appropriate personnel security/suitability investigation.

Applicants who are referred for interview will be required to submit a completed OF-306, Declaration for Federal Employment .

Initial appointments, permanent or indefinite, to the Library of Congress require completion of a one-year probationary period.

This agency provides reasonable accommodations to applicants with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process, please notify this agency. The decision on granting reasonable accommodations will be made on a case-by-case basis.

Applicants with disabilities may be considered under special hiring procedures and must submit an appropriate certificate of eligibility when applying for this position. The certificate of disability may be issued by a State Vocational Rehabilitation Office, Disability Services or Career Services office of an applicant's college or university, or the Department of Veterans Affairs. The date of certification must be within one year of the vacancy closing date and must be submitted with your application. For more information view the directive on the Library's Selective Placement Program and/or contact the Library's Office of Equal Employment Opportunity and Diversity Programs at 202-707-6024 (voice or TTY) or email spp@loc.gov . FAILURE TO SUBMIT YOUR CERTIFICATION WILL CAUSE YOUR APPLICATION TO NOT BE CONSIDERED UNDER THE SELECTIVE PLACEMENT PROGRAM.

Are you a veteran? Please indicate the type of Veterans' Preference you are claiming in your application materials and/or applicant profile and provide the appropriate supporting documentation to validate your claim. Those applying for 5-point preference must submit Member Copy 4 of your DD 214. Those applying for 10-point preference must fill out an SF-15, Application for 10-Point Veteran Preference , and provide the required documentation listed on the back of the form. For more information regarding eligibility requirements, please see the Library's Merit Selection Plan , Section X.D. IF REQUIRED SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION IS NOT ATTACHED, VETERANS' PREFERENCE WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED IN THE APPLICATION PROCESS.

How You Will Be Evaluated

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

The Library of Congress evaluates applicants through an applicant questionnaire and a structured interview. Applicants may also be screened for some jobs through licensing, certification, and/or education requirements, a narrative/application review, and/or a preliminary telephone interview. The knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) that are marked with a double asterisk (**) in the vacancy announcement and the applicant questionnaire are considered the most critical for a position. To be considered for final selection, applicants must demonstrate fully acceptable experience in these designated KSAs in the narrative/application review, preliminary telephone and/or full structured interview. The various assessment tools listed above are designed to verify or explore applicants' experience, knowledge, and training directly related to the job in order to identify the best qualified applicants for selection.

For more information regarding eligibility requirements, please see the Library of Congress Merit Selection Plan, Section X.D, at: http://www.loc.gov/hr/employment/msp010909.pdf .

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Background checks and security clearance

Security clearance
Not Required

Drug test required
No

Required Documents

Current or former federal employees must submit their most recent Notification of Personnel Action (SF-50 or equivalent).

Disabled applicants claiming Selective Placement eligibility must submit the appropriate supporting documentation described in OTHER INFORMATION above. If this required documentation is not attached, your application will not be considered under the Selective Placement Program.

Veterans claiming Veterans' Preference eligibility must submit the appropriate supporting documentation described in OTHER INFORMATION above. If this required documentation is not attached, Veterans' Preference will not be applied to your application.

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.