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This position is located in the Architect of the Capitol (AOC), Office of Legislative and Public Affairs (LPA). The selectee will perform House legislative liaison activities between the AOC, the Congress and external stakeholders on a broad range of AOC program activities.
Learn more about this agency05/16/2024 to 06/03/2024
$99,200 - $153,354 per year
GS 12 - 13
No
Yes—Telework eligible as determined by agency policy.
Not required
No
Permanent - Permanent, Full Time
Full-time - This is an Excepted Service position and does not require or confer Civil Service Competitive Status
Excepted
13 - Full Performance Level is GS-13
No
Yes
LPA-2024-300
791801400
See Requirements section of this announcement for information on who may apply.
The Legislative Affairs Specialist, in support of the legislative program for the AOC, is responsible for legislative initiatives, active legislation, congressional correspondence, hearings, congressional visits, briefings and internal and external communication while staying abreast of legislative initiatives and congressional activity impacting or relating to the AOC.
The selectee has primary responsibility for enhancing the AOC's legislative and other interactions with congressional oversight committees and the congressional community. Identifies and maintains liaison with members of congress, their staff and other key stakeholders in the legislative process to enable the AOC to effectively interact on legislative issues of primary importance to the Architect.
MAJOR DUTIES (quoted at GS-13 level) include:
- Provides support in preparing, reviewing, editing, analyzing and coordinating congressional correspondence. Ensures that all congressional inquiries, written and verbal, are addressed within an adequate timeframe and the response is appropriate and in accordance with AOC policy.
- Tracks deadlines and execution of congressional reports transmitted to Congress. Ensures adequate record-keeping of all official agency communications with Congress through online file management system.
- Creates and coordinates monthly presentations to House oversight committees. Attends/participates in monthly oversight committee meetings. Ensures all related congressional inquiries, written and verbal, are promptly forwarded to supervisors. As needed and with approval from supervisors, responds to inquiries from congressional offices, e.g., individual members of the House and/or their staff and representatives of congressional committees.
- Researches and analyzes high visibility queries/challenges posed to the AOC. Responds to inquiries from congressional offices, e.g., individual members of the House and/or their staff and representatives of congressional committees.
- Supports the legislative program of the AOC, providing technical expert analysis and advice on all legislative matters affecting the AOC. Develops strategy and programs for improving the AOC’s process for proposing and strengthening legislative proposals. Integrates information that assists Congress in understanding the AOC’s policies, actions, operations, projects and requirements.
- Provides oversight and analysis of congressional activities, including analysis and status of significant legislation, rules and daily operations impacting the AOC’s missions and programs. Conducts in-depth research and detailed analysis of congressional marks, bills and reports of interest to the AOC. Determines the potential effect of significant legislation initiatives on the AOC. Tracks initiatives from early developmental stages through the entire legislative process. Analyzes trends and evaluates legislation in order to formulate the AOC legislative plan of action.
- Reviews and monitors a variety of periodicals, papers and journals in order to obtain information related to the AOC’s missions and activities. Verifies information through the Congressional Record for accuracy of verbatim remarks and debates; reviews the congressional schedule to determine and provide coverage for congressional hearings. Provides daily analysis and regular updates on significant activities for the Architect.
- Monitors congressional proceedings and reviews the Congressional Record in order to obtain information on member positions and statements as well as senior level testimony and official statements. Researches and prepares reports, fact sheets, information packets and position papers to disseminate throughout the AOC.
- Researches, analyzes and creates presentations, briefings and speeches. Prepares detailed analytical briefings and reports. Interprets the AOC’s vision to ensure the consistency of the message delivered to all audiences.
- Supports preparation of AOC testimony, budget book, newsletter articles, point papers and drafts briefings, memoranda and web content describing AOC policies, issues and programs. Collects information to help develop statements and build prep books. Schedules and arranges interactions with key external stakeholders such as briefings and tours.
- Directly prepares an agency principle to testify for a hearing.
- Is responsible for utilizing a thorough knowledge of and compliance with applicable AOC and Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) safety rules and regulations.
To be employed by the Architect of the Capitol in a paid position, an individual must meet one of the categories below:
You must meet the United States Office of Personnel Management's (OPM) qualification requirements (including specialized experience and/or educational requirements) for the advertised position. You must meet all eligibility and qualifications requirements by the closing date of the job announcement. Additional information on the qualification requirements is outlined in the OPM Qualifications Standards Handbook of General Schedule Positions. It is available for your review on the OPM web site at OPM qualification standards
Specialized experience: is experience that has equipped you with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the position to be filled. To be creditable, specialized experience must have been equivalent to at least the next lower grade level.
For the GS-12:
Candidates for the GS-12 grade level must have at least 52 weeks of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower (GS-11) grade level in the Federal service.
Specialized experience for this position is defined as the following: (1) Maintaining professional working relationships with members of Congress and congressional staff and/or congressional liaisons by utilizing congressional and legislative affairs principles and methods; (2) Managing congressional requests for information (promoting coordination and integration of agency requirements and program plans with congressional requests and responding to information requests on the organization's programs in written and oral form); (3) Preparing a variety of clear, cogent, accurate, and well-organized written products. Reviewing these products to ensure they achieved their objective, complied with an agency's or organization's communications policies, are logically constructed, and are written in concise, unambiguous language. Examples include: (a) briefing papers; (b) planning documents; (c) policies and procedures; (d) memoranda; (e) congressional testimony or other analogous high-level materials); (f) talking points; and (g) official correspondence; (4) Monitoring proposed legislative actions; and (5) Directly preparing a Member of Congress for a hearing or agency principle to testify before a hearing.
For the GS-13:
Candidates for the GS-13 grade level must have at least 52 weeks of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower (GS-12) grade level in the Federal service.
Specialized experience for this position is defined as the following: (1) Maintaining professional working relationships with members of Congress and congressional staff and/or congressional liaisons by utilizing congressional and legislative affairs, principles and methods; (2) Managing congressional requests for information (promoting coordination and integration of agency requirements and program plans with congressional requests and responding to information requests on the organization's programs in written and oral form, often requiring detailed explanations made on the organization's activities or performance in a particular situation); (3) Preparing a variety of clear, cogent, accurate, and well-organized written products. Reviewing these products to ensure they achieved their objective, complied with an agency's or organization's communications policies, are logically constructed, and are written in concise, unambiguous language. Examples include: (a) briefing papers; (b) planning documents; (c) policies and procedures; (d) memoranda; (e) contract proposals; (f) congressional testimony or other analogous high-level materials); (g) talking points; and (h) official correspondence; and (4) Monitoring proposed legislative actions and providing advice on intent and scope.
Selective Placement Factor (All Grades): You must have broad knowledge and experience with legislative affairs that was attained through work performed while working for a Member of Congress in a legislative role or serving in a legislative affairs role in the private sector or serving as a member of a federal agency’s legislative team.
No education substitution.
Welcome Veterans. The Veterans Employment Opportunities Act of 1998 (VEOA) gives veterans' preference rights in the legislative branch to certain veterans as applied by the Congressional Accountability Act. Veterans' preference is applied on this vacancy announcement. If you are a veteran and have been separated under honorable conditions, you must submit a copy of your DD-214 or other proof of eligibility; SF-15, if applicable; and Department of Veterans Affairs documentation of disability, if applicable. For more information, please visit OPM vet guide
If you are a male applicant born after December 31, 1959, you must certify that you have registered with the Selective Service System. If you are exempt from registration under Selective Service Law, you must provide appropriate proof of exemption. Please visit the Selective Service System website for more information.
DRUG TESTING: The Architect of the Capitol (AOC) is a Drug Free Workplace. As part of the AOC’s suitability assessment, a candidate tentatively selected for a position who is not a current AOC employee is required to submit to screening for illegal drug use. Satisfactory completion of a drug test is a condition of employment with the Agency. A candidate must test negative prior to being eligible for appointment into a position. We will schedule, provide, and cover the cost for the drug test.
The selectee(s) under the vacancy announcement for this position is subject to a criminal record check by the U.S. Capitol Police and satisfactory adjudication to be eligible for employment at the Architect of the Capitol.
The Architect of the Capitol is an E-VERIFY Participant. E-VERIFY is an Internet-based system that compares information from an employee's Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification, to data from U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Social Security Administration records to confirm employment authorization in the United States. If you are selected for this position, the documentation that you present for purposes of completing the DHS Form I-9 will be verified through the DHS "E-VERIFY" electronic system. For more information on E-Verify, please visit http://www.dhs.gov/files/programs/gc_1185221678150.shtm
The Architect of the Capitol is an Equal Opportunity Employer and prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, age, national origin, genetic information, sexual orientation and/or disability.
This agency provides reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process, please notify the agency. The decision on granting reasonable accommodation will be on a case-by-case basis.
Moving expenses are not authorized.
Relocation expenses are not authorized.
Probationary Period - A newly appointed selectee(s) is subject to the completion of a one-year trial/probationary period, regardless of whether or not a trial/probationary period has been completed previously with the Architect of the Capitol or another Federal agency.
This vacancy announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies in any of the jurisdictions of the Architect of the Capitol.
All application materials become the property of the Architect of the Capitol.
Note: Please be advised that federal retired annuitant candidates may only be considered as a temporary employee if the role can be filled in that capacity.
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
Review your resume and responses carefully. Your eligibility for consideration and qualifications for the position will be determined based upon a review of your detailed resume and your responses to job specific self-assessment questions.
Your resume will be evaluated based on evidence of your ability to demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) for this position, possession of any specialized experience, and how well your background and experience relates to the self-assessment questions in the job announcement. The self-assessment questions relate to the following knowledge, skills, abilities, and competencies: [update KSAs for your position below]
Your responses to the self-assessment questions serve as the basis for your initial rating. You will receive a numerical score based on your responses to these questions. Next, your responses will be evaluated by a Human Resources Specialist and/or a subject matter expert against the information provided in your resume and optional cover letter. Your resume must support your answers to the self-assessment questions. Falsifying your background, education and/or experience is cause for non-selection or disqualification from further consideration.
Please note that a complete application is required for consideration. (Please review the “Required Documents” section of this job announcement to see what must be included in a complete application).
The Architect of the Capitol's (AOC) job application process is designed to ensure you only provide information necessary to evaluate your qualifications and eligibility for the position vacancy.
To apply for this position, you only need to submit: a) your resume and b) answers to the online vacancy assessment questionnaire. The online questionnaire contains eligibility and screening questions and other relevant information. No additional documentation or attachments are required at the time of application.
Your resume should list your education, training and work experience including job titles, employment dates, duties and accomplishments.
Nothing further is required until it is requested by AOC’s Human Capital Management Division. If additional documentation is required for the position, you will be asked to provide it during the interview or selection process. At that time, you may be asked to submit documentation to support statements made in your resume.
For example, you may be asked to provide a copy of your diploma, college transcripts, or proof of Federal employment status. If the position requires licensure or certification, you will be asked to provide proof at the time of selection.
If Veterans’ preference is claimed, you will be asked to submit proof (DD-214, and, if claiming a 10-point preference, a SF-15 and the proof required by that form).
Failure to provide the required documents will end further consideration and/or result in the withdrawal of any tentative job offers.
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.
You MUST apply online. FORMS RECEIVED BY FAX, EMAIL OR U.S. POSTAL SERVICE DELIVERY WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED.
If you are a new user to the USAJobs Site and have never registered for an account; you will first need to create an account profile with your basic contact information and a resume to begin applying. You must be a registered USAJobs user AND you must be signed-in to your account in order to apply for this position. For help setting up an account or for general help using USAJobs, go to USAJobs Help Page.
NEED HELP?
If you experience any difficulties with the application site, help is available! If you have problems completing your on-line application, contact the Monster Hiring Management Help Desk at 1-866-656-6831 or by e-mail at MGSHELP@monster.com. The help desk is available Monday - Friday 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Eastern Time. You may call and leave a voice mail message at all other times.
All required supporting documents will be collected electronically via the USAJobs “Saved Documents” feature.
If you are unable to apply on-line, you may visit our Employment Center for technical assistance in entering your application. The Employment Center is located at 441 Second & D Streets S.W., Washington, D.C., Room H2-178, and is open Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. You may call (202) 226-7000 for directions.
You will receive a notice generated by the USAJobs System when you have successfully submitted your application. we will review your application and transcript(s) (if you are qualifying based on education) to ensure you meet the basic qualification requirements.
You can check the status of your application by logging into http://www.usajobs.gov. You may also sign up to receive automatic emails anytime the status of your application has changed by logging into your USAJobs Account, editing your profile and changing the ‘Notification Settings’ to indicate that you want to be notified by email when the status changes. Information regarding the status of your application should be updated in the system within 2 weeks after the closing date of this job announcement.
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/791801400. Only resumes submitted according to the instructions on the job announcement listed at www.usajobs.gov will be considered.
Learn more about
The mission of the Architect of the Capitol (AOC) is to serve Congress and the Supreme Court, preserve America's Capitol and inspire memorable experiences. The AOC is responsible for the maintenance, operation, development and preservation of 18.4 million square feet of buildings and more than 570 acres of land throughout Capitol Hill. The AOC provides a welcoming and educational environment for millions of visitors through the U.S. Capitol Visitor Center and the US Botanic Garden. Learn more at https://www.aoc.gov/careers. The AOC prides itself on its Core Values of Respect, Integrity, Safety and Empower (RISE).
