NSF is relocating to Alexandria, Virginia. In late summer of 2017, NSF will begin the transition from its current location in Arlington, VA to 2415 Eisenhower Avenue, Alexandria, VA 22314. The new location is adjacent to a Metro station (Eisenhower Avenue on the Yellow Line) and there is ample parking in the area. There are several amenities nearby, such as restaurants, hotels, and shops.
This position is located in the Office of the Director, Office of Legislative and Public Affairs. The Office of Legislative and Public Affairs (OLPA) communicates information about the activities, programs, research results and policies of the National Science Foundation. OLPA employs a wide variety of tools and techniques to engage the general public and selected audiences including Congress, the news media, state and local governments, other Federal agencies, and the research and education communities.
Summary
NSF is relocating to Alexandria, Virginia. In late summer of 2017, NSF will begin the transition from its current location in Arlington, VA to 2415 Eisenhower Avenue, Alexandria, VA 22314. The new location is adjacent to a Metro station (Eisenhower Avenue on the Yellow Line) and there is ample parking in the area. There are several amenities nearby, such as restaurants, hotels, and shops.
This position is located in the Office of the Director, Office of Legislative and Public Affairs. The Office of Legislative and Public Affairs (OLPA) communicates information about the activities, programs, research results and policies of the National Science Foundation. OLPA employs a wide variety of tools and techniques to engage the general public and selected audiences including Congress, the news media, state and local governments, other Federal agencies, and the research and education communities.
Duties: The incumbent works with senior OLPA and NSF staff on congressional, state and local interactions under the direction of the Supervisor for Legislative Affairs, Congressional Affairs Section. Specific duties include:
Works closely with senior legislative staff members to maintain close and continuing contacts with individual Members of Congress and Congressional Staff with interest in and/or responsibility for NSF oversight.
Assists in the planning and development of NSF Congressional hearing testimony and associated background materials.
Assists in the development and implementation of a legislative strategy for the Foundation based on insight developed through contact with congressional and other sources.
Assists in the planning and execution of ongoing strategic congressional relations activities that provide NSF program information in both proactive and reactive modes, to Members of Congress and their staff.
Works with NSF program staff, integrates state-related information available within OLPA and NSF, and coordinates state-related activities when appropriate.
Attends and prepares reports of Congressional hearings, mark-ups, and floor debates pertaining to issues important to NSF and the science and engineering research and education community. Communicates congressional interest to other affected NSF staff and assists in developing information and/or recommendations for NSF policy and follow-up actions.
Assists in the development and management of the distribution of information materials to the Congress, state and local officials, and general public.
Supports the maintenance of the congressional grant notification system and the congressional report tracking system.
Supports the legislative clearance process and interacts with OMB on behalf of the agency as appropriate.
Develops, maintains, and updates files, databases, and other materials of state or regional research and education information that can be used to inform Congress and provide background information to the Congressional Affairs team, Director, the Deputy Director and the Assistant Directors.
Identifies opportunities to develop working partnerships between states, institutions of higher education, and NSF.
Preview questions at bottom of Qualifications & Evaluations-see tab above
Selective Service registration required for male applicants, unless exempt
U.S. Citizenship
You must meet eligibility and qualification requirements within 30 days of the closing date.
You must answer all job-related questions in the NSF eRecruit questionnaire. All online applicants must provide a valid email address. If your email address is inaccurate or your mailbox is full or blocked, you may not receive important communication that could affect your consideration for this position.
This position is in the bargaining unit.
Qualifications
GS-11: For GS-11 level, you must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-09 level in federal service. Examples of experience include:
-Applying a variety of analytical techniques to gather, analyze, and evaluate complex policy and legislation;
-Establishing and maintaining contact with Members of Congress and their staffs;
-Assisting in the preparation of relevant background materials for Congressional testimony;
-Assisting in the development and implementation of legislative strategies; and
-Supporting the legislative clearance process.
-OR-
-Have a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree;
-OR-
-Have 3 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree;
-OR-
-Have an LL.M., if related;
-OR-
-Have a combination of post high school education and experience that together meet the qualification requirements for this position.
GS-12: For the GS-12 level, you must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-11 level in federal service. Examples of experience include:
-Applying a variety of analytical techniques to gather, analyze and evaluate complex policy and legislative issues to make recommendations;
-Establishing, developing, and maintaining relationships with Members of Congress and Congressional Staff;
-Assisting in the planning and development of Congressional hearing testimony, and associated background materials;
-Assisting in the development and implementation of legislative strategies;
-Participating in the Federal legislative process on Capitol Hill; and
-Supporting the legislative clearance process.
GS-13: For the GS-13 level, you must have at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-12 level in federal service. Examples of experience include:
-Applying a variety of analytical techniques to gather, analyze and evaluate complex policy and legislative issues to make recommendations;
-Establishing, developing, and maintaining relationships with Members of Congress and Congressional Staff with an interest in STEM topics;
-Participating in the planning and development of Congressional hearing testimony, associated background materials, and reports for Congressional hearings and debates;
-Assisting in the planning, development, implementation and execution of legislative strategies;
-Participating in the Federal legislative process on Capitol Hill with Members of Congress; and
-Supporting the legislative clearance process, interacting with OMB as necessary.
Education
Education may be substituted for experience as described in “Qualifications."
Additional information
Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP): ICTAP and CTAP provide eligible displaced Federal competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. If your agency has notified you in writing that you are a displaced employee eligible for ICTAP or CTAP consideration, you may receive selection priority if:
1) this vacancy is within your ICTAP or CTAP eligibility;
2) you apply under the instructions in this announcement; and
3) you are found well-qualified for this vacancy.
To be well-qualified you must meet the following: OPM qualification requirements for the position, all selective factors, where applicable; special OPM approved qualifying conditions for the position; is physically qualified with reasonable accommodation, where appropriate, to satisfactorily perform the duties of the position upon entry; and receives a rating of at least “Very Good” on the questionnaire.
You must provide proof of eligibility with your application to receive selection priority. Such proof may include a copy of your written notification of ICTAP or CTAP eligibility, or a copy of your separation personnel action form. Additional information regarding ICTAP or CTAP eligibility is available from OPM's Career Transition Resources
Veteran's Preference: If you are entitled to veterans' preference, you should indicate the type of veterans' preference you are claiming on your resume. Your veterans' preference entitlement will be verified by the employing agency. For 5-point veterans' preference, please provide your DD-214 (Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty), official statement of service from your command if you are currently on active duty, or other official documentation (e.g., documentation of receipt of a campaign badge or expeditionary medal) that proves your military service was performed under honorable conditions. For 10-point veterans' preference, please submit a Standard Form (SF) 15, Application for 10-Point Veteran Preference, DD-214, and the required documentation as specified on the SF-15.
A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.
Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.
How you will be evaluated
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
Ratings will be assigned based on your responses to the occupational questionnaire. In some cases, additional assessment processes may be used. Review your resume and responses carefully. Responses that are not fully supported by the information in your application package may result in adjustments to your score. A Human Resources Representative will validate the qualifications of those candidates eligible to be referred to the selecting official. Applicants eligible for selection preference under the Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) must meet the agency definition of "well qualified." At NSF, this means a score of 90.0 or higher. In the merit promotion selection process, due weight will be given to incentive awards and performance appraisals. To preview questions please click here.
A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.
Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.
If you are an NSF employee in a permanent, competitive service position or you are an NSF employee who is reinstatement eligible based on prior Federal permanent, competitive service, you need not submit documents to confirm status.
1. Notification of Personnel Action (SF-50) or comparable federal agency form if you are a current or former permanent federal civil service employee.
2. DD-214 (Member-4 copy); and if applicable, the Department of Veterans Affairs Notice of Compensable Disability Rating from applicants requesting consideration under the Veterans Employment Opportunity Act (VEOA), Veteran Recruitment Act (VRA), or the disabled veterans appointing authority.
3. Schedule A Certification – from applicants requesting consideration under the Schedule A appointing authority for disabled applicants.
4. Other – Documentation which verifies you are eligible to be appointed to a permanent position in the federal competitive civil service.
If you are requesting special employment consideration under the Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP) you must submit documentation provided by your current or former employing agency verifying your eligibility for that program. You must submit proof of meeting the basic education requirement described in the QUALIFICATIONS paragraph. Therefore, you should submit TRANSCRIPTS (unofficial copies are acceptable) or a DIPLOMA that verifies that the requirement is met.
All faxing/uploading must be completed before 11:59 PM Eastern time on the vacancy closing date. If you are faxing your information, please use extreme care in dialing the fax number to assure we receive your information. You will receive an email confirmation of receipt of your faxed/uploaded document(s).
If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:
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.
Your application should be submitted online and must be completed and all required documents successfully faxed (or uploaded) before 11:59 PM Eastern time on the closing date. You must answer all of the job-related questions to ensure full consideration for this position. For more detailed information, please review our NSF eRecruit Applicant Guide.
If you do not have internet access or if you have questions, please contact the Human Resources Representative listed in the vacancy announcement.
WARNING! Applications submitted online must have a valid email address. If your email address is inaccurate or your mailbox is full or blocked, you may not receive important communication that could affect your consideration for this position.
If you are an NSF employee in a permanent, competitive service position or you are an NSF employee who is reinstatement eligible based on prior Federal permanent, competitive service, you need not submit documents to confirm status.
1. Notification of Personnel Action (SF-50) or comparable federal agency form if you are a current or former permanent federal civil service employee.
2. DD-214 (Member-4 copy); and if applicable, the Department of Veterans Affairs Notice of Compensable Disability Rating from applicants requesting consideration under the Veterans Employment Opportunity Act (VEOA), Veteran Recruitment Act (VRA), or the disabled veterans appointing authority.
3. Schedule A Certification – from applicants requesting consideration under the Schedule A appointing authority for disabled applicants.
4. Other – Documentation which verifies you are eligible to be appointed to a permanent position in the federal competitive civil service.
If you are requesting special employment consideration under the Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP) you must submit documentation provided by your current or former employing agency verifying your eligibility for that program. You must submit proof of meeting the basic education requirement described in the QUALIFICATIONS paragraph. Therefore, you should submit TRANSCRIPTS (unofficial copies are acceptable) or a DIPLOMA that verifies that the requirement is met.
All faxing/uploading must be completed before 11:59 PM Eastern time on the vacancy closing date. If you are faxing your information, please use extreme care in dialing the fax number to assure we receive your information. You will receive an email confirmation of receipt of your faxed/uploaded document(s).
If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:
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.
Your application should be submitted online and must be completed and all required documents successfully faxed (or uploaded) before 11:59 PM Eastern time on the closing date. You must answer all of the job-related questions to ensure full consideration for this position. For more detailed information, please review our NSF eRecruit Applicant Guide.
If you do not have internet access or if you have questions, please contact the Human Resources Representative listed in the vacancy announcement.
WARNING! Applications submitted online must have a valid email address. If your email address is inaccurate or your mailbox is full or blocked, you may not receive important communication that could affect your consideration for this position.
