DEFINITIONS:

Status applicants: are employees serving under career or career-type appointments in the civil service. Status candidates are not entitled to veteran's preference. Participants selected for the Department of the Interior’s SESCDP who are serving in career or career-type positions will remain employees of their current agencies/organizations, and will retain the grade, series, pay, and status of their current positions, including eligibility for step increases and career ladder promotions. 

Non-status applicants: are employees who occupy other than career or career-type appointments within the civil service, e.g., temporary appointments. Participants selected for the Department of the Interior’s SESCDP who are serving in other than career or career-type appointments will receive an excepted appointment under the Schedule B authority for the duration of the program, which may be extended not to exceed a total of three (3) years.

* Applicants will be asked to indicate status through the questionnaire.  Only one category can be identified; candidates may not apply under both categories.

The Department of the Interior's SESCDP is designed to provide a series of developmental experiences which include formal courses and seminars, developmental work assignments, and individual mentoring from current SES members.  Participation in this year-long SESCDP will require approximately 5 months away from the candidate’s position of record for formal SESCDP activities.

Key Program Features:

• A 12-month program, requiring extensive time away from the position of record
• OPM’s Senior Executive Assessment Center
• OPM’s 360 Assessment
• An Executive Development Plan
• Program orientation
• Formal mentoring program with assigned mentors
• A developmental assignment of at least 120 days, outside the participant’s organization
• At least 80 hours of executive education
• Developmental activities that may include events and projects that further develop a candidate’s understanding of the Department of the Interior’s mission, programs and challenges.
• Upon completion of the SESCDP and approval by the Executive Resources Board (ERB), the candidate’s Executive Core Qualifications (ECQs) will be reviewed by an Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Qualifications Review Board (QRB) for certification.  QRB certification allows for non-competitive placement into SES positions.  NOTE:  Participation in the program does not guarantee placement in a SES position.

The SESCDP is designed to provide a series of developmental experiences for high potential individuals to prepare them to occupy positions in the SES.  These developmental experiences include formal training and seminars, a four-month assignment outside of the participant's home organization/bureau, core learning sessions that focus on the competencies for successful SES-level performance, and working with an executive mentor.  All program selectees will participate in OPM’s Senior Executive Assessment Program, resulting in a tailored Executive Development Plan that will guide program development experiences.  The SESCDP is a rigorous program, and the curriculum must be completed while balancing current day-to-day job assignments. 

Conditions of employment

• U.S. citizenship is required
• One year supervisory experience at the GS-14 level (or equivalent) or above
• You must submit all required application documents by 11:59pm EST 09/07/18

Applicants may be required to accept developmental assignments away from their current duty station.  Geographic mobility is required as a condition of the Department of Interior SESCDP.  The applicant is expected to accept developmental activities that may require functional, organizational and geographical mobility.

Qualifications

Qualifications Required:

Candidates must demonstrate competence and potential for executive development in the five SES ECQs, which are the leadership criteria defined by OPM to certify candidates for SES positions.  An OPM-administered QRB will certify candidates on their demonstrated mastery of the ECQ's. OPM's Guide to the SES Qualifications provides detailed information on the ECQs.  You can access OPM’s Guide to SES Qualifications here https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/senior-executive-service/reference-materials/guidetosesquals_2012.pdf.

EXECUTIVE CORE QUALIFICATIONS

ECQ 1 – LEADING CHANGE: 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.

ECQ 2 – LEADING PEOPLE: 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.

ECQ 3 – RESULTS DRIVEN: 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.

ECQ 4 – BUSINESS ACUMEN: The ability to manage human, financial, and information resources strategically.

ECQ 5 – BUILDING COALITIONS: 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.

Other Information:

Selection for this program will be based solely on merit, without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, physical disability, political affiliation, marital status, sexual orientation, or membership in an employee organization.

The Department of the Interior provides reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities.  If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application, evaluations, and/or hiring process, please notify the announcement point of contact at the bottom of this announcement.  The decision on granting reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis.

Cost:

Current DOI employee’s salary and benefits will be paid by their current employing office. Travel and training costs are to be paid by the candidate’s current employing office.

Non-DOI federal participants’ salary and benefits will be paid by the participant's employing agency.  Travel and training costs are to be paid by the candidate’s current employing office.

How you will be evaluated

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

How You Will Be Evaluated:

Minimum Qualifications Review

Your application will be reviewed for completeness and to ensure you meet the minimum qualifications requirements.  Applicants who meet all requirements will move on for further consideration.

Executive Rating Panel

Your application will be reviewed by a panel of current SES members to determine the quality and extent to which you possess the Executive Core Qualifications (ECQs).  Applicants who are determined to be Best Qualified by the rating panel will move on to the next step in the assessment process, the structured interview.

Structured Interview/Oral Presentation

You will be interviewed by a panel of current SES members.  The structured interview will focus on a number of specific competencies.  In addition, you will be required to give a 5 minute ad-hoc oral presentation on a topic provided to you during the structured interview.  The structured interview panel will make recommendations to the Executive Resources Board, who will make the final selections.