Skip to main content
U.S. flag
Back to results

Congressional Relations Specialist

Legislative Branch
Library of Congress
This job announcement has closed

Summary

The Congressional Research Service (CRS) Office of the Counselor to the Director (COU) is seeking a Congressional Relations Specialist to join the Congressional Services Section. The Congressional Services Section manages CRS's intake, assignment, and tracking of requests from the United States Congress for research, information, and analysis.

The selectee for this position will assist Members of Congress and their office and committee staff with daily requests for analysis, research, and information and will be responsible for the first line of routine troubleshooting for congressional clients using CRS's website. The selectee will conduct in-depth reference interviews with congressional clients, enter and track client requests in CRS's client relationship management system, utilize and assist in maintaining the currency of a wide range of online and print tools and other authoritative information used in request assignment, and assist with a range of congressional outreach activities. The selectee will be expected to develop and maintain effective internal and external client relationships and to provide a positive image of CRS through use of client services practices.

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 nearly 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.

The position description number for this position is 315417.

This is a non-supervisory, bargaining unit position.

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

The incumbent of this position will work a fixed schedule.

The incumbent may be eligible to elect a compflex schedule at a future date.

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



Overview

Help
Reviewing applications
Open & closing dates
04/10/2017 to 04/24/2017
Salary
$54,972 to - $71,467 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 09
Locations
1 vacancy in the following locations:
Washington DC, DC
1 vacancy
Washington DC, DC
1 vacancy
Travel Required
Not required
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-time - Open
Service
Promotion potential
11
Job family (Series)
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Other
Announcement number
VAR000060
Control number
467492500

This job is open to

Help

Duties

Help

Responsible for intake, assignment, and tracking of daily requests from Members of Congress and their office and committee staff for research, information, and analysis. This includes monitoring CRS's call management system and other technologies to assist in providing adequate coverage of incoming requests.

Conducts in-depth reference interviews with congressional clients, evaluating and analyzing the facts bearing on clients' requests to determine the most accurate and effective formulation of each request. Enters and tracks requests in CRS's client relationship management system and utilizes a wide range of electronic tools and information to ensure correct assignment of requests to CRS analysts and information professionals for response.

Assists with orientations for congressional staff and training sessions for CRS staff on CRS's website and electronic tools, and conducts routine troubleshooting for clients using the website and these tools. Assists with the construction of advanced searches and creation of targeted marketing emails and collaborates with intra- and interdivisional stakeholders to maintain authoritative congressional data.

Develops and maintains effective internal and external client relationships and provides a positive image of CRS through use of client services practices.

Requirements

Help

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 conduct reference interviews**
  • Knowledge of the organization and processes of the U.S. Congress**
  • Ability to apply knowledge of public policy issues**
  • Ability to perform client services and outreach activities.
  • Ability to communicate in writing.
  • Ability to utilize information technology and online systems.
  • Ability to interact collaboratively with others.
  • Ability to communicate effectively other than in writing.

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 selectee will work a 40 hour week from 9:30-6:00pm and, if designated as excepted personnel, may be required to provide coverage in CSS when Congress is in session during weather and unforeseen agency closures.

The salary range indicated reflects the locality pay adjustment for the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. Although 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.

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.
To preview questions please click here.

Your session is about to expire!

Your USAJOBS session will expire due to inactivity in 8 minutes. Any unsaved data will be lost if you allow the session to expire. Click the button below to continue your session.