Congressional Affairs Advisor (GS-14)

Summary

This position is located in the Bureau of Legislative Affairs, Deputy Assistant Secretary for House Affairs (H/HA). The Bureau of Legislative Affairs serves as a liaison between the Department of State and Congress and is responsible for leading the development of and advancing the President's and the Department's legislative agenda in the areas of foreign policy, national security, and strategy. Vacancy closing date has been extended.

Duties

Serves as the primary liaison with Congress and interagency partners on Department investigations and inquiries. Prepares Briefing Materials and Congressional Testimony. Ensures materials accurately reflect Department positions and are appropriate for the intended audience. Independently prioritizes and manages multiple concurrent congressional inquiries and investigations involving changing deadlines, sensitive issues, and competing demands. Review classified, sensitive, and unclassified information for congressional responses. Recommend strategies to address complex or sensitive congressional concerns.

Qualifications

Applicants must meet all the required qualification requirements described below by the closing date of this announcement. NOTE: Applicants must meet time-in-grade and time after competitive appointment requirements, by the closing date of this announcement. Time-In-Grade Requirements: Federal applicants must have served 52 weeks at the next lower grade to satisfy time-in-grade restrictions, per 5CFR 300, Subpart F. Applicants must have 1 year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-13 level in the Federal service which provided the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities to perform the duties of the position. Qualifying specialized experience must demonstrate the following: Experience serving as a principal point of contact between a federal agency and congressional committees, Members, or staff on oversight inquiries or investigations. This includes coordinating the agency's responses to requests for documents or information, letters, subpoenas, or other investigative demands. Experience developing or critically reviewing congressional testimony, briefing memoranda, talking points, chronologies, or options papers for senior officials. It also includes preparing senior officials or witnesses for hearings, briefings, transcribed interviews, or depositions. Experience analyzing complex, politically sensitive oversight or investigative matters to build response strategies and recommendations for senior leadership. This includes assessing risks, likely congressional reaction, and long-term effects on agency programs. It also includes developing or improving processes for intake, tasking, clearance, and production of responses. Experience working with legal counsel and interagency counterparts on matters involving classified, privileged, or otherwise protected information. This includes preparing classified and unclassified versions of products that remain accurate and complete without disclosing protected information. There is no substitute of education for specialized experience for the GS-14 position.

Education

Education requirements do not apply to this vacancy announcement.

How you will be evaluated

A review of your resume will be conducted and compared against your responses to the crediting plan questions to determine if you are qualified for this job. Applicants who meet the minimum qualification requirements, as described in the “Qualifications” section of this announcement, will be assigned a score between 70 and 100. The evaluation process consists of an online assessment and a subject matter expert resume review of applicants found to be among the top qualified candidates based on the crediting plan assessment. Resumes longer than two pages will be deemed ineligible and will not be considered further. Responses to questions that are not fully supported by the information in your resume may result in adjustments to your rating. Your qualifications will be evaluated on the following competencies: Knowledge of the principles and requirements for preparing congressional testimony, briefing materials, talking points, and official responses to congressional inquiries. Ability to analyze complex congressional inquiries, investigations, legislation, and Department policies to identify issues and recommend appropriate courses of action. Skill to analyze complex legal, policy, intelligence, and operational issues and develop recommendations for senior Department leadership. Ability to develop long-range strategies, establish performance measures, improve Department-wide processes, anticipate congressional oversight priorities, and recommend solutions to complex, politically sensitive issues In describing your experience, please be clear and specific. We do not make assumptions regarding your experience. Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials may result in your removal from consideration. Applicants found to be among the top qualified candidates will be referred to the hiring official for further consideration and possible interview. Qualified non-competitive candidates must be deemed best qualified based on the applicant assessment in order to be referred to the hiring official for further consideration and possible interview. Resume review: Subject matter experts (SMEs) will review your resume to determine your qualifications for this position based on the required specialized experience. Your resume should demonstrate how you meet all aspects of the specialized experience statement. SMEs will not review additional information beyond your resume (e.g., links embedded in your resume will not be opened.). If meeting basic qualifications through education only or a combination of education and experience, applicants will not be referred to the SME panel but will be reviewed by the HR Specialist for referral. Agency Career and Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP and ICTAP) candidates must be considered well-qualified for the position and submit the supporting documents listed under the required documents section of this job announcement to receive consideration for selection priority. To be considered well-qualified, in addition to earning a score of 85 or above and meeting minimum qualifications, candidates must demonstrate proficiency in some, but not all of the major aspects of the position. You may preview questions for this vacancy.

How to apply

Prepare your application in USAJOBS To start your application, click Apply and we'll walk you through the process to attach a resume and any required documents. During the application process you can review, edit, delete, and update your information. We'll automatically save your progress as you go, so you won't lose any changes. You have until 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) on the closing date of this announcement to complete the application process. STEP 1: Select the "Apply" button and follow the instructions to register or sign into USAJOBS. STEP 2: Submit your resume. Please see the Required Documents section for specific information that should be outlined in your resume. STEP 3: Complete the online assessment questions. STEP 4: Submit all required documentation applicable to you, as listed in the Required Documents section. To learn how to view the status of your submitted supporting documentation and application, visit the Application Instructions section of our agency's Civil Service selection process site. Technical assistance with your on-line application is available through the Help Desk at fedhirehelp@applygovernment.com or by calling (866) 656-6830 between the hours of 7:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. ET Alternate Application Procedures If applying online poses an extreme hardship, you may request alternate application procedures to submit your application package. Contact the Human Resources office listed on the announcement between the business hours of 8:15 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. ET at least 2 working days prior to the closing date of this announcement. The application package for alternate application procedures must be submitted and received in the Human Resources office no later than 11:59 p.m. ET on the closing date of this announcement. Paper applications and information sent by mail will not be accepted.

Other information

For reasonable accommodation at the U.S. Department of State, please contact the Office of Accessibility and Accommodations at OAA@state.gov. If eligible, situational telework agreements may be permitted with supervisory approval. Multiple positions may be filled from this announcement. If eligible, applicants to this announcement may be referred to other similar positions in other Bureaus/Offices in the Department for up to 240 days and may require a higher or lower security clearance. Telework eligibility and security clearance requirements may vary for such similar positions. Agency & Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP & ICTAP): View OPM's CTAP & ICTAP eligibility website for more information. You must be rated in the Well-Qualified category and submit supporting documents under the required documents section of this announcement to receive selection priority consideration. To be considered Well-Qualified applicants must: score an 85 or above, meet Minimum Qualifications, and demonstrate proficiency in some, but not all major aspects of the position.