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Special Assistant

Department of Health and Human Services
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
This job announcement has closed

Summary

This position is located in the Department of Health And Human Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, headquartered in Rockville, Maryland.

This vacancy is also being announced concurrently with vacancy announcement HHS-SAMHSA-MP-22-11524872 under merit promotion procedures. Please review this announcement to see if you are eligible for consideration under merit promotion procedures.

Overview

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Hiring complete
Open & closing dates
06/03/2022 to 06/09/2022
Salary
$126,233 - $164,102 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 14
Location
Rockville, MD
FEW vacancies
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Travel Required
Occasional travel - You may be expected to travel for this position.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
14
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Other
Drug test
No
Position sensitivity and risk
Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk
Trust determination process
Announcement number
HHS-SAMHSA-DE-22-11524871
Control number
658107300

Duties

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WHAT YOU'LL BE DOING DAY TO DAY

As a Special Assistant, you will use your knowledge of and experience with program management to optimize business results and customer experience by:

  1. Serving as a senior advisor to the Director, performing a composite of complex administrative and technical duties auxiliary to the work of the Director.
  2. Advising the Director, in the coordination of the budget, fiscal, personnel, and other management functions of the Center.
  3. Developing long and short-range plans, resource projections, priorities, justifications, etc.
  4. Using qualitative and quantitative techniques in the research and development of speeches, management of administrative workflow, assigning and coordinating tasks to achieve administrative objectives, and charting productivity and task assignments made by the Director and Deputy Director.
  5. Developing staff papers for use by the Director in meetings with other SAMHSA and DHHS executives, members of Congress, national and international professionals, and constituency groups to ensure that good working relationships are maintained.
  6. Ensuring that legislative and policy requirements are carried out in Center projects, managing congressional mandates by working directly with members of Congressional staffs.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • U.S. Citizenship required
  • Males born after December 31, 1959 must be registered or exempt from Selective Service - http://www.sss.gov
  • Suitable for federal employment
  • Appointment will be subject to the applicant's successful completion of a background security investigation and favorable adjudication. All information concerning qualifications is subject to investigation.
  • Documentation that you present for purposes of completing the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Form I-9 will be verified through the DHS "E-Verify" System.
  • All Federal employees are required to have Federal salary payments made by direct deposit to a financial institution of their choice.
  • All qualification requirements must be met by the closing date.
  • Financial disclosure statement may be required.
  • One-year probationary period may be required.

Qualifications

WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR

Minimum Qualifications

AT THE GS-14:
Specialized Experience: To qualify for this Special Assistant, GS-0301-14 position at the GS-14 level, your resume must clearly demonstrate that you have one full year of specialized experience comparable in difficulty and responsibility to at least the GS-13 level in the federal service. Examples of qualifying experience include the following types of tasks performed on a regular and recurring basis:

  1. Participating in the development and documentation of long and short-range planning efforts to accommodate newly enacted behavioral health legislation that directly impacts Behavioral Health programs;
  2. Participating in the implementation of budget formulation and justification;
  3. Coordinating behavioral health program documents, proposals, reports, etc. on policy and program; and
  4. Responding to requests from the Agency, department, congressional committees, the White House and other constituency groups.
Documenting experience: IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. Qualifications are based on breadth/level of experience. In addition to describing duties performed, applicants must provide the exact dates of each period of employment (from MM/YY to MM/YY) and the number of hours worked per week if part time. As qualification determinations cannot be made when resumes do not include the required information, failure to provide this information may result in disqualification. Applicants are encouraged to use the USAJOBS Resume Builder to develop their federal resume.

Do not copy and paste the duties, specialized experience, or occupational assessment questionnaire from this announcement into your resume as that will not be considered a demonstration of your qualifications for this position.

In accordance with Office of Personnel Management policy, federal employees are assumed to have gained experience by performing duties and responsibilities appropriate for their official series and grade level as described in their position description. Experience that would not normally be part of the employee's position is creditable, however, when documented by satisfactory evidence, such as a signed memorandum from the employee's supervisor or an SF-50 or SF-52 documenting an official detail or other official assignment. The documentation must indicate whether the duties were performed full time or, if part time, the "percentage of times" the other duties were performed. It is expected that this documentation is included in the employee's official personnel record. In order to receive credit for experience in your resume that is not within the official series and grade level of your official position, you must provide a copy of the appropriate documentation of such experience as indicated above.

Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through national Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; community; student; social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to gain employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. If such experience is on a part-time basis, you must provide the average number of hours worked per week as well as the beginning and ending dates of the experience so it can be fully credited.

OPM Qualification General Policies Website

Education

This position does not have an education requirement.

Additional information

THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW

Federal agencies may request information regarding the vaccination status of selected applicants for the purposes of implementing other workplace safety protocols, such as protocols related to masking, physical distancing, testing, travel, and quarantine.

Incentives may be authorized; however, this is contingent upon multiple factors, including funds availability. If authorized, certain incentives may require you to sign a service agreement to remain in the Federal government for a period of up to 3 years. Note: This statement does not imply nor guarantee an incentive will be offered and paid. Incentives may include the following: moving expenses, recruitment or relocation incentive; student loan repayment, superior qualifications appointment, creditable service for annual leave for prior non-federal work experience or prior uniformed military service, etc.

Bargaining Unit Position: No

Research position: No

Drug Screening Required: No

Veterans' Preference - https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/working-in-government/unique-hiring-paths/veterans/

Career Transition Assistance Program/Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP/ICTAP): For information on how to apply as an CTAP/ICTAP eligible see http://opm.gov/rif/employee_guides/career_transition.asp#ictap. To be well-qualified and exercise selection priority for this vacancy, displaced Federal employees must be rated at 85.0 or above on the rating criteria for this position.

Beginning January 1, 2010, agencies must seek prior approval from OPM before they can appoint a current or recent political appointee to a competitive or non-political excepted service position at any level under the provisions of title 5, United States Code. 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.

How you will be evaluated

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

In accordance with Executive Order 12564 of September 14, 1986, The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is A Drug-Free Federal Workplace. The use of illegal drugs, on or off duty, by Federal employees is inconsistent not only with the law-abiding behavior expected of all citizens, but also with the special trust placed in such employees as servants of the public.

Once the application process is complete, a review of the resume and supporting documentation will be made and compared against your responses to the assessment questionnaire to determine if you are qualified for this job. If, after reviewing your resume and/or supporting documentation, a determination is made that you have inflated your qualifications and/or experience, you may lose consideration for this position. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your eligibility. Category rating procedures will be used to rate and rank candidates. The category assignment is a measure of the degree in which your background matches the competencies required for this position. Qualified candidates will be ranked into one of three categories:

  • Best Qualified - Applicants who have experience that is almost identical to those required by the position.
  • Well Qualified - Applicants who have experience that is very similar to those required by the position.
  • Qualified - Applicants who meet minimum qualification requirements, but do not identify any additional qualifying experience or skill.
Candidates in the highest category will be referred to the hiring agency.

The Category Rating Process does not add veterans' preference points but protects the rights of veterans by placing them ahead of non-preference eligibles within each category. Preference eligibles who meet the minimum qualification requirements and who have a compensable service-connected disability of at least 10 percent must be listed in the highest quality category (except in the case of scientific or professional positions at the GS-9 level or higher). Your qualifications will be evaluated on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities and other characteristics):

Your qualifications will be evaluated on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities and other characteristics):
  • Organizational Awareness
  • Planning and Evaluating
  • Project Management
  • Written Communication

To preview the assessment questionnaire, click the following link: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/11524871

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration

Become a part of the Department that touches the lives of every American! At the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) you can give back to your community, state, and country by making a difference in the lives of Americans everywhere. It is the principal agency for protecting the health of citizens. Join HHS and help to make our world healthier, safer, and better for all Americans.

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) is the agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services that leads public health efforts to advance the behavioral health of the nation. SAMHSA's mission is to reduce the impact of substance abuse and mental illness on America's communities.

Agency contact information

HR Team
Phone
000-000-0000
Email
SAMHSA_HR@SAMHSA.hhs.gov
Address
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
5600 Fishers Ln
Rockville, MD 20857
US

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