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The Congressional Research Service (CRS) Office of the Director seeks a Head of Congressional Programs and Communication Office to supervise, manage, and lead the work of the CRS Congressional Programs and Communications Office. The Congressional Programs and Communications Office is responsible for leading efforts to develop and promote CRS products and services for Congress; providing CRS staff a broad range of services including: planning and implementation of congressional programs, seminars, events, and outreach activities; and managing all aspects of the CRS communications program. Serving under the administrative supervision of the CRS Deputy Director, the incumbent supervises and leads the work of the office and collaborates with senior management officials, supervisors, and other CRS employees involved in developing, shaping, and implementing congressional outreach strategies, policies, and efforts. The incumbent works highly independently, exercising considerable judgment, and carries out duties and responsibilities in accordance with broad overall guidelines and policies.
Candidates with demonstrated experience in developing and managing seminars, programs and other events for Congress and/or a communications program or office, including working for and with senior-level federal legislative or executive branch, private sector, and nonprofit communications officials and experience in developing and managing online and print external and internal communications are encouraged to apply. The ideal candidate will have strong interpersonal skills, expert knowledge of the U.S. Congress and its legislative processes, and experience in leading and collaborating with a highly professional, diverse workforce. Strong writing, reviewing, and communication skills are essential.
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.
09/11/2017 to 10/02/2017
$131,767 - $161,900 per year
GS 15
Permanent
Full-time
15
Yes
VAR000196
479107800
Directly supervises up to twelve staff members in the Office of the Director, Congressional Programs and Communications Office performing work at a variety of levels up to the GS-14 level. Plans work to be accomplished by subordinates; sets and adjusts priorities, prepares schedules for completion of work; assigns work to subordinates based on priorities, provides informal feedback, and conducts performance evaluations. Establishes performance expectations for staff and clearly communicates these through the formal employee performance management system. Exhibits commitment to the Library’s Supervisor Core Competencies.
Oversees CRS internal and external communications projects/strategies, utilizing critical judgment in determining the scope, approach, techniques, and manner of presentation of communications. Devises internal and external communications strategies and policies that support CRS’s mission and are aligned with its strategic plan. Formulates the communications goals and identifies opportunities for improvements in methods and procedures. Develops benchmarking and performance measurement criteria; determines milestones and targets; and recommends short- and long-range strategies and solutions to achieve desired outcomes for CRS communications goals.
Develops and implements methodologies, processes, and policies for planning, implementing, and evaluating CRS programs, seminars, and events. Formulates outreach goals and identifies opportunities for improvements in methods and procedures. Anticipates outreach needs, requirements, opportunities, developments, and trends to ensure new or revised outreach efforts are planned and integrated with current programs and priorities. Leads the development of new and innovative processes and techniques to enhance 1) the value of CRS programs, seminars, and events to congressional clients and 2) the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of the overall CRS programs function. Develops benchmarking and performance measurement criteria and recommends strategies to achieve desired outcomes for CRS outreach goals.
Develops and implements a CRS social media strategy and creates/integrates communications policies and initiatives to ensure CRS marketing, publicity, and promotional materials increase the understanding and awareness about CRS’s products and services among Members of Congress and their staffs. Directs the development of print and/or electronic marketing, publicity, and promotional materials for CRS programs, seminars, events, and congressional outreach activities to ensure effective communication appropriate to the audience.
No additional requirements to those listed above.
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 selected applicant may be required to file a financial disclosure statement with the House of Representatives, U.S. Congress, in accordance with the provisions of Public Law 95-521, Ethics in Government Act of 1978.
This is a supervisory, non-bargaining unit position.
The tour of duty for this position is full-time.
The position description number for this position is 364196.
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. In addition, per Library of Congress Regulation 2010-12, an appointee is subject to a one-year supervisory probationary period, if this is his/her first supervisory/managerial position at the Library.
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.
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.
To preview questions please click here.
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 proof of disability and a certification of job readiness. If Selective Placement is applicable to you, you will not be considered without submitting this documentation.
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.
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.
Please carefully follow all instructions under the How to Apply tab to ensure you are considered for the position.
You are required to apply online for this announcement. We are unable to accept mailed or emailed documents. You must complete the entire application process, including submission of all documents BEFORE this announcement closes. To do so, complete the following steps.
Step 1: If you do not already have one, create a resume on USAJOBS. Although you must enter your Social Security Number for USAJOBS, this information will not be provided to the Library of Congress.
Step 2: Review the Job Announcement. We recommend you go to the end of the Qualification and Evaluation section of the job announcement to preview the online questions that you will answer in Step 4. You may wish to customize your USAJOBS resume to ensure that it supports your responses to these questions.
Step 3: Click on the "APPLY ONLINE" button to the right of this announcement. Follow USAJOBS' instructions to access your account and submit your resume. You will be redirected to the Hiring Management website to complete the application process. If this is your first time in Hiring Management, you will be asked to answer questions related to your eligibility for Federal employment. You will be able to update this information and save it to our account for future announcements.
Step 4: Once you have completed the eligibility questions, you will be taken directly to the vacancy application questions. Answer all questions honestly and thoroughly.
Step 5: Hiring Management offers three options that will electronically attach your documentation to your online application once you finish answering the questions in the job announcement.
(1) You may select a document that you have already uploaded to USAJOBS for a previous announcement.
(2) You may electronically upload a document directly from your computer to your application. Be certain to review your complete application for confirmation of the document uploaded and click on "Finished" to be returned to USAJOBS.
(3) You may follow the "Faxing Supporting Documentation" instructions within the online application, which will provide the necessary cover sheets for each of your documents so that they will be correctly submitted. The fax number will be available on the cover sheet.
Please note that each cover sheet and corresponding document must be faxed separately. Be certain to review your complete fax transmittal confirmation to ensure that all pages have been received.
IMPORTANT NOTE: If you have multiple documents of the same kind, e.g. 2 undergraduate transcripts from different schools or 2 SF-50s, etc., be sure that they are all in the same file on your computer or in your USAJOBS profile before uploading them. If you try uploading them individually, only the last one sent will be visible in our system. Likewise, if sending them by fax, be sure and include both of them behind the respective fax cover sheet and send them as one fax. If you send them individually with the same cover sheet, the last one sent will overwrite the first one. Finally, if you upload a document, e.g. your undergraduate transcript, do not also fax that same document (or fax another undergraduate transcript), because whichever one you send last will be the only one that is visible in our system. If you have any questions about this information, please contact the person on this announcement BEFORE the closing date.
Step 6: Click on "Finish" after you have completed your application. Once you have submitted your application, you can check your status online through your Hiring Management or MY USAJOBS account. Your complete online application and any required supplemental documentation (e.g., SF-50, etc.) must be received by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Standard Time (EST) on the closing date of the announcement. It is your responsibility to ensure that all documents are received on time and that the materials are readable. Failure to do so will result in your application being excluded from consideration for this announcement.
If you are experiencing any technical difficulty with the online process, you MUST CONTACT THE POINT OF CONTACT FOR THIS ANNOUNCEMENT BEFORE THE CLOSING DATE. For all technical issues please contact jobhelp@loc.gov , no later than 4:30pm EST of the Closing Date. REQUESTS FOR EXTENSIONS WILL NOT BE GRANTED.
Please review our evaluation process under Evaluation. You may check the status of your application for this position at any time by logging onto the USAJOBS "My USAJOBS" tab and clicking on "My Applications." You will receive final notification via e-mail when the vacancy has been filled.
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
This job originated on www.usajobs.gov. For the full announcement and to apply, visit www.usajobs.gov/job/479107800. Only resumes submitted according to the instructions on the job announcement listed at www.usajobs.gov will be considered.
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