Videos

NOTE: The duty station for this position is negotiable after selection but near a Midcontinent Science Center (Region 3: Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, and Wisconsin, Region 5: Kansas, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota; and a portion of Montana)

The Regional Director reports to the USGS Deputy Director for Operations and manages the science and science support activities of the Region through immediate staff and the senior management-level science center directors. The Region encompasses Department of the Interior (DOI) Regions 3 and 5, and includes Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas and Montana. Responsibilities include:

• Provides executive leadership and advocacy for the technical and administrative implementation of program activities carried out professional and technical personnel including experts in geography, biology, geology, hydrology, and related scientific fields; involve multi-million-dollar annual expenditures; and are performed in cooperation with State, local, and Federal agencies, academia, Tribes, and the private sector.
• Represents the USGS on Departmental, interagency, international, Tribal, and bureau committees, as requested, and coordinates interagency activities of the USGS in the Region.
• Provides strategic leadership and actively participates in strategic planning and science program planning of integrated science activities within the Region, as well as across regional boundaries to advance USGS science priorities as established in Mission Area science requirements.
• Serves as a member of the USGS Executive Leadership Team and is directly involved in the planning, development, management, and implementation of the Bureau's natural science and information programs to ensure that regional and science center perspectives are considered.

Conditions of employment

NOTE: The duty station for this position is negotiable after selection but near a Midcontinent Science Center (Region 3: Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, and Wisconsin, Region 5: Kansas, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota; and a portion of Montana)

Key Requirements:

1. Applicants must be U.S. Citizens
2. More requirements are listed in Requirement section.

• A high risk background investigation is required for this position. It is not a prerequisite to apply, however, the selectee must possess the ability to obtain and maintain a background investigation for a high risk position as a condition of placement in this position. Failure to successfully meet these requirements will be grounds for termination.
• Subject to approval by the Department of the Interior's Executive Resources Board.
• Initial appointments to the career Senior Executive Service must have ECQs certified by an Office of Personnel Management Qualifications Review Board prior to appointment and you will be required to serve a one year probationary period.
• Employees of the USGS are subject to the provisions of the Title 43, U.S. Code, Section 31(a) and may not according to this legislation and related regulations: (a) have any personal or private interest, direct or indirect, in lands, or mineral wealth of such lands, whose title is in the United States; (b) execute surveys or examinations for private parties or corporations; or (c) have any substantial personal or private interest, direct or indirect, in any private mining or mineral enterprise doing business in the United States, except where specifically authorized by the Director of the U.S. Geological Survey.
• Within 30 days after selection, incumbent of this position will be required to file a Financial Disclosure Report (SF-278) and supplemental form, Confidential Statement of Employment and Financial Interest (DI-278).
• Every Federal employee is subject to comply with Ethics rules. Serious candidates for this position must be cleared of conflicts that would prevent them from performing the duties of the position.
• OPM must authorize any employment offers we make to current or former (within the last 5 years) political Schedule A, Schedule C, or Non-career SES employees in the executive branch. If you are currently, or have been within the last 5 years, a political Schedule A, Schedule C, or Non-career SES employee in the executive branch, you must disclose that to the Human Resources Office.

Qualifications

NOTE: The duty station for this position is negotiable after selection but near a Midcontinent Science Center (Region 3: Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, and Wisconsin, Region 5: Kansas, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota; and a portion of Montana)

As a basic requirement for entry into the Senior Executive Service (SES), applicants must provide evidence of progressively responsible executive leadership and supervisory experience that is indicative of senior executive level management capability and directly related to the skills and abilities outlined under the Executive Core Qualifications (ECQs) and Technical Qualifications (TQs) below. The ideal candidate will have science management experience supervising employees through subordinate supervisors and have experience hiring, developing, and evaluating employees. Typically, experience of this nature will have been gained at or above the GS-15 grade level in federal service or its equivalent in the private sector, State or local government, or non-governmental organizations. Failure to meet this basic qualification requirement and all ECQ and TQ factors automatically disqualifies an applicant.

Please provide a written narrative describing your experience that has equipped you for this position. Your examples should be clear and concise, and emphasize your level of responsibilities, scope, and complexity of programs managed, program accomplishments with results of your actions, policy initiatives, and level of contacts. Be specific in describing results achieved for each of the factors. EACH ECQ and TQ MUST BE ADDRESSED SEPARATELY. Narrative statements for the ECQs must not exceed 10 pages total. Narrative Statements for the TQs must not exceed two pages each. The narrative addressing ECQs should follow the format provided at http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/senior-executive-service/executive-core-qualifications/. Applicants who refer to their resume as a response will not receive consideration.

If you are a current or reinstatement eligible Career SES member or graduate of an Office of Personnel Management (OPM) approved SES Candidate Development Program (CDP) and your ECQs have been previously certified by OPM's Qualification Review Board (QRB), you are not required to address the ECQs. However, you MUST provide separate narrative responses addressing all mandatory TQs. Current and reinstatement eligible SES members should include a copy of your SF-50 (notification of personnel action) with your application documenting your career appointment to the SES. SES CDP graduates should include a copy of your OPM certificate.

Executive Core Qualifications (ECQs) - Mandatory:

ECQ 1 - LEADING CHANGE: This core qualification involves the ability to bring about strategic change, both within and outside the organization, to meet organizational goals. Inherent to this ECQ is the ability to establish an organizational vision and to implement it in a continuously changing environment. Leadership Competencies: Creativity & Innovation, External Awareness, Flexibility, Resilience, Strategic Thinking, Vision.

ECQ 2 - LEADING PEOPLE: This core qualification involves the ability to lead people toward meeting the organization's vision, mission, and goals. Inherent to this ECQ is the ability to provide an inclusive workplace that fosters the development of others, facilitates cooperation and teamwork, and supports constructive resolution of conflicts. Leadership Competencies: Conflict Management, Leveraging Diversity, Developing Others, Team Building.

ECQ 3 - RESULTS DRIVEN: This core qualification involves the ability to meet organizational goals and customer expectations. Inherent to this ECQ is the ability to make decisions that produce high-quality results by applying technical knowledge, analyzing problems, and calculating risks. Leadership Competencies: Accountability, Customer Service, Decisiveness, Entrepreneurship, Problem Solving, Technical Credibility.

ECQ 4 - BUSINESS ACUMEN: This core qualification involves the ability to manage human, financial, and information resources strategically. Leadership Competencies: Financial Management, Human Capital Management, Technology Management.

ECQ 5 - BUILDING COALITIONS: This core qualification involves the ability to build coalitions internally and with other Federal agencies, State and local governments, nonprofit and private sector organizations, foreign governments, or international organizations to achieve common goals. Leadership Competencies: Partnering, Political Savvy, Influencing/Negotiating. These competencies are the foundation for success in each of the ECQs: Interpersonal Skills, Oral Communication, Integrity/Honesty, Written Communication, Continual Learning, Public Service Motivation.

Technical Qualifications (TQs) - Mandatory:

TQ1 - Ability to manage a multi-disciplinary and geographically dispersed science organization; develop and implement long-term future directions for science initiatives; manage complex organizational areas such as funding, personnel, and facilities; and, implement bureau, department, and Administration policies and guidance within a diverse scientific community.

TQ 2 - Ability and professional stature to effectively represent the interests and capabilities of science programs to a diverse set of external partners, stakeholders, and constituencies; to promote the application of multi-disciplinary science in decision-making; and to leverage scientific assets and capabilities to build or strengthen long-term relationships and partnerships.

How you will be evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above. You must clearly show that you possess the experience, knowledge, skills, and ability to perform the duties of an executive. This information will be obtained from the application package. Verification of performance, suitability, and security information will be taken into consideration when making an offer of employment. Applicants who meet all the mandatory executive and technical qualifications will be evaluated by a panel of executives to who will determine which applicants are best qualified. The Department's Executive Resources Board will review results and make recommendations on final selection to the appointing authority.