Legislative Liaison (GS-14/15)

Summary

This position is located within the Council of the Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency (CIGIE), Office of the Executive Director. The incumbent will be responsible for developing and implementing CIGIE's legislative strategy; responding to Congressional inquiries; and analyzing and advising on legislation affecting CIGIE and the Inspector General (IG) community.

Duties

Duties below are listed at the full performance level: Develops and implements legislative strategies, including arranging personal contacts between organizational leadership and Members of Congress and staff to communicate the organization's mission and accomplishments. Serves as the chief senior advisor to leadership to establish and communicate strategic objectives and initiatives to legislative and external audiences. Serves as a spokesperson and maintains relationships with congressional staff and external contacts; represents the organization in support of senior leadership's vision and direction. Identifies and defines major issues, monitors appropriate committee hearings, reviews source materials, and coordinates issue papers, briefing slides, and handouts. Coordinates congressional hearing preparation, including schedules, witness testimony and questioning, compliance with committee procedures, and responses to post-hearing congressional inquires.

Qualifications

Applicants must carefully review the information in the "How You Will Be Evaluated" section for important information and instructions pertaining to the multi-hurdle assessment process for this position. Only experience and education obtained by the closing date of this announcement will be considered. At the GS-14 level, you must meet the following qualifications: One (1) full year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level (GS-13) in the Federal Service that has given you the particular knowledge, skills and abilities required to successfully perform the duties the position. Specialized experience is defined as: Experience coordinating legislative affairs and congressional relations activities, monitoring congressional developments, preparing briefings and legislative materials, and advising management on communicating agency programs and policies to congressional and external stakeholders. At the GS-15 level, you must meet the following qualifications: One (1) full year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level (GS-14) in the Federal Service that has given you the particular knowledge, skills and abilities required to successfully perform the duties the position. Specialized experience is defined as: Expert in designing and implementing legislative strategies; advising senior leadership on legislative issues and congressional relations; coordinating congressional testimony, hearing preparation, and legislative products; and representing the organization in congressional and external affairs. TIME-IN-GRADE: Current career or career-conditional employees of the Federal government, or former career or career-conditional employees, who have a break in service of less than one year, are required to meet the time-in-grade restriction of one year of Federal experience at the next lower grade, with few exceptions outlined in 5 CFR 300.603(b). 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). You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

Requirements

US Citizenship is required. Suitable for Federal employment, determined by background investigation. Must obtain and maintain a favorable background investigation through Continuous Vetting throughout the duration of employment. All employees are required to be enrolled in Continuous Vetting, which authorizes government agencies to receive notifications of criminal activity and financial monitoring on individuals who hold low risk, public trust, or national security positions. Direct Deposit of pay is required. Selective Service registration required for male applicants, unless exempt. Status candidates must meet time-in-grade (see Qualifications). Must meet all conditions of employment listed under Stipulations of Employment below.

Education

Education cannot be substituted for this series/grade.

How you will be evaluated

Once the application process is complete, your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g., resume, supporting documents), and any applicable assessment required for this position. Cheating on the online assessment may result in your removal from consideration. If you are found to be among the top candidates, you will be referred to the selecting official for employment consideration. You will be evaluated for this job based on: Technical Assessment Questionnaire: Questionnaire that measures your technical expertise Questionnaire designed to measure components of knowledge that you will be required to display on the job and are administered as part of the application process. You will be assessed on the following technical and soft skill competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics). Note: Duplicative competencies indicate that the competency is being assessed in two different assessments. Technical Competency Leadership Analytical Thinking Decision Making Planning and Evaluation Oral Communication Written Communication Due Weight Consideration is a review process used to provide consideration to performance appraisals and awards submitted with each application on a used merit promotion certificate and factoring the results into the merit promotion selection process. Please submit 1) a copy of your most recent performance appraisal/evaluation and 2) a list of any awards (e.g. superior performance awards, special act or achievement awards, quality step increase, etc.) you received in the last 5 years. Any performance appraisal/evaluation and award documentation you provide will be forwarded to the selecting official. The selecting official will review this documentation and give it due weight consideration during the overall selection process. If you do not have your most recent performance appraisal/evaluation, please submit a statement as to why it is not available. Please indicate if any prior performance appraisals/evaluations were at an acceptable level. It is your responsibility to obtain and upload your performance appraisal/evaluation and/or list of awards prior to the closing of the vacancy announcement.

How to apply

To apply for this position, you must complete the online application and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section of this vacancy. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on the closing date to receive consideration. To begin, click Apply Online to access an online application. Follow the prompts to select your USAJOBS resume and/or other supporting documents. You will need to be logged into your USAJOBS account or you may need to create a new account. You will be taken to an online application. Complete the online application, verify the required documentation, and submit the application. Read the Eligibility questions carefully. The questions address if you are eligible to apply to this JOA. Your responses will affect your consideration for the position. You may qualify for more than one eligibility, so please choose carefully. You will only be considered under the options you have selected. If you respond that you do not meet any of the eligibility questions, you will not be considered for this position. You will receive an email notification when your application has been received for the announcement. To verify the status of your application, log into your USAJOBS account, https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login, select the Application Status link and then select the More Information link for this position. The Application Status page will display the status of your application, the documentation received and processed, and your responses submitted to the online application. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process. You may preview the Minimum Qualification Questionnaire at: If you have questions about this job, please contact the HR Office representative listed in the "Agency Contact Info" section of this vacancy announcement. Applying online is highly encouraged. We are available to assist you during business hours (normally 8:00a.m. - 4:00p.m., Mountain Time, Monday - Friday). If applying online poses a hardship, you may request an alternate application method from the Agency Contact listed in the vacancy. All hardship application packages must be complete and submitted no later than noon EST on the closing date of the announcement. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on the closing date to receive consideration.

Other information

Appointment Authorities: For more information on appointment authority eligibility requirements: Persons with Disabilities-Schedule A Special Hiring Authorities for Veterans Special Hiring Authority for Certain Military Spouses Other Special Appointment Authorities OPM Interchange Agreement and Other Miscellaneous Authorities Telework Suitability: The duties of this position are suitable for occasional telework and the selectee may be allowed to telework with supervisor approval and if they meet the eligibility criteria based on agency policy. Stipulations of Employment: As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you may be required to serve a 1-year probationary period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider: Your performance and conduct; The needs and interests of the agency; Whether your continued employment would advance the organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and Whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service. Upon completion of your probationary period, your employment may be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest. If selected, the position to which you will be appointed is subject to a financial disclosure report requirement and you will be required to complete a new entrant Confidential Financial Disclosure Report (OGE Form 450) as applicable within 30 days of your appointment. Work Schedule: This position allows for a flexible work schedule. Miscellaneous: Council of the Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency uses E-Verify to confirm the employment eligibility of all newly hired employees. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, please visit http://www.uscis.gov/e-verify. This vacancy announcement may be used to fill similar positions within 90 days. If selection is made below the full performance level, promotion up to the full performance level may be made without further competition. However, promotion(s) will depend on the performance of the incumbent and are not guaranteed. This position requires occasional overnight travel.