Clarification from the agency

This vacancy announcement is open to current employees of the federal judiciary (AO or U.S. Courts) nationwide. Relocation expenses will not be provided unless specifically authorized by the Director of the AO.

The AO is seeking a Chief of Staff in the Department of Administrative Services (DAS). The incumbent will report to the DAS Associate Director and assist them with the oversight of services that support the federal Judiciary, including budget, human resources, facilities, emergency management, continuous process improvement, support for Judicial Conference Committees and Advisory Councils, procurement and acquisitions, financial management, accounting, physical security, appropriations liaison and analysis, and administrative information technology systems.

DAS has 500 government employees that manage programs serving 26,000 judiciary staff and 3,740 active, senior, and retired judges. DAS oversees judiciary facilities and security programs, encompassing 375 courthouses and 800 facilities and serves as the liaison to General Services Administration, the Federal Protective Service, and US Marshals Service. DAS has budgetary and fiduciary responsibility for $10 billion in annual appropriations.

The duties of the Chief of Staff include, but are not limited to:

1. Managing internal communications, planning, and preparing timely messages (e.g., memos, alerts, video content, email) from the Associate Director to the department's managers and staff; coordinating meetings with the department's senior staff and Management Network; and preparing the agenda and talking points for the Associate Director.
2. Overseeing the processing and coordination of correspondence and documents requiring the Associate Director's review; reviewing communications products for content, style, and format; and providing the Associate Director a recommendation.
3. Coordinating department-level strategic planning activities; organizing strategic planning sessions and discussions on behalf of the Associate Director; and coordinating department-wide tasks to provide input into the AO and Judiciary strategic plans.
4. Managing the department's leadership calendar; identifying key meetings, suspense dates, training opportunities, and agency activities; coordinating department-wide tasks, including collecting inputs from the appropriate offices, and developing integrated department responses for review and approval by the Associate Director.
5. Overseeing the execution of the department's decentralized salary allocations; coordinating with each DAS subunit to develop personnel plans for approval by the Associate Director; monitoring the execution of personnel funding to ensure the department remains within budget; advising the department's senior leaders regarding strategies for maximizing the impact of available salary allocations; and coordinating the development of department-wide requests for new positions.
6. Coordinating the annual performance management and performance award processes; providing guidance, deadlines, and timely reminders to the department's managers to ensure all staff have a performance plan and receive mid-term feedback and annual appraisals; and developing the final submission package for the department.
7. Assisting and advising the Associate Director on personnel matters pertaining to the department's senior staff, including preparing vacancy announcements, conducting candidate screening panels, participating in interviews, and preparing recommendations.
8. Serving as the executive champion for continuous process improvement; overseeing the Continuous Process Improvement Staff (CPIS); maturing the department's business processes; providing process improvement training to AO staff; and fostering a culture of process improvement.
9. Participating in meetings of the AO Executive Management Group (EMG); providing advisory support to the EMG, including preparing analysis, developing policy recommendations, gathering decision support materials, and providing similar support.
10. Assisting the Associate Director in overseeing the department's role in supporting seven Judicial Conference Committees and six AO advisory bodies.
11. Serving on formal and informal teams and working groups to address emergent issues, such as lapses in appropriations, natural disasters, and unanticipated emergencies; serving on the Judiciary Emergency Response Team; and ensuring DAS offices are alerted and respond in a timely manner.
12. Serving as an advisor and resource for the department's senior staff on a wide range of issues, including questions regarding AO and Judiciary policies and processes, personnel issues, communications strategies, and resources.

Conditions of employment

Qualifications

Applicants must have demonstrated experience which shows competence in the qualifications as listed below. This requirement is according to the AO Classification, Compensation, and Recruitment Systems which includes interpretive guidance and reference to the OPM Operating Manual for Qualification Standards for General Schedule Positions.

Specialized Experience: Applicants must have at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-15/JSP-15/CL 31 level which is in or directly related to the line of work of this position. Specialized experience for this position is defined as follows:

1. Experience serving as an advisor and resource for senior staff regarding policies, processes, personnel issues, and communications strategies.
2. Experience developing and implementing communications strategies and preparing and delivering analysis of complex issues.

1. Demonstrated experience providing executive oversight of a highly complex organization with a broad portfolio of missions, including budgeting, congressional appropriations, procurement and acquisition, human resources, financial Management, accounting, facilities, security, and administrative information technology systems.
2. Demonstrated experience leading a large, complex organization. This includes experience defining mission, vision, goals; overseeing strategic planning; monitoring and evaluating mission performance; managing significant portfolios of human and financial resources; leading transformation, change management, and process improvement; managing significant resources such as funding and personnel; guiding strategic communications; and establishing and sustaining a culture of customer service.
3. Demonstrated knowledge and experience with the structure, function, and processes of the committees and subcommittees composing the Judicial Conference of the U.S. Courts and the AO advisory bodies.

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.
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.
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.
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.
5. Building Coalitions / Communication: 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.

How you will be evaluated

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

We will review your resume and supporting documentation and compare this information to your responses on the occupational questionnaire to determine if you meet the minimum qualifications for this job. If you meet the minimum qualifications for this job, we will evaluate your application package, to assess the quality, depth, and complexity of your accomplishments, experience, and education as they relate to the requirements listed in this vacancy announcement.

You should be aware that your ratings are subject to evaluation and verification. If a determination is made that you have rated yourself higher than is supported by your resume and/or narrative responses, you will be assigned a rating commensurate to your described experience. Failure to submit the mandatory narrative responses will result in not receiving full consideration and/or rating credit. Deliberate attempts to falsify information may be grounds for not selecting you, withdrawing an offer of employment, or dismissal after being employed.