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Department of Labor Senior Executive Service Candidate Development Program

Department of Labor
Office of the Assistant Secretary for Administration and Management
This job announcement has closed

Summary

The Department of Labor invites qualified individuals to apply to its prestigious Senior Executive Service Candidate Development Program (SESCDP), expected to begin in December 2022. The SESCDP is focused on helping candidates develop their leadership skills and executive core qualifications. Qualified individuals are those who have demonstrated through their performance and experience the potential to assume executive-level positions within the Federal Government.

Overview

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Reviewing applications
Open & closing dates
07/08/2022 to 08/08/2022
Salary
$111,521 to - $176,300 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 14 - 15
Location
Many vacancies in the following location:
Washington, DC
Telework eligible
No
Travel Required
Occasional travel - Candidates will be required to travel for training sessions and developmental assignments, as appropriate. These costs are the responsibility of the candidate's organization.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Excepted
Promotion potential
None - This is a developmental opportunity for candidates interested in the Senior Executive Service (SES). Participation in this program does not guarantee placement in a SES position.
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Not Required
Drug test
No
Announcement number
DOL-SES-CDP-22-32
Control number
664322800

Duties

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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 Labor'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 Labor'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.

Responsibilities:

The 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 6 months away from the candidate's position of record for formal SESCDP activities, this time includes: a 120-day developmental assignment, five 1-week in-person training sessions, and additional virtual training days. Selected candidates' home organization will be responsible for any travel expenses related to training sessions and travel for the developmental assignment. In addition, tuition costs are the responsibility of the candidate's organization.

Key Program Features:

  • A 12-month program, requiring extensive time away from the position of record
  • Senior Executive Assessment Center
  • 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; training will be a combination of in person and virtual sessions 
  • Leadership focused site visits
  • 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.

In-Person and Virtual Training:

The SESCDP is designed to provide a series of developmental experiences for high potential individuals to prepare them to serve in SES positions. 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 the 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.

The first in-person training session will be held on December 12-16, 2022 in Columbia, South Carolina.  Future in-person and virtual training dates will be provided to the Best Qualified candidates.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • U.S. Citizenship is required.
  • One year of supervisory experience at the GS-14 level or above is required.
  • You must submit all required application documents by 11:59pm EDT on the closing date of the announcement. See "Required Documents" section for details.

Qualifications

The Senior Executive Service Candidate Development Program (SESCDP) requires that all qualified individuals within the civil service have at least one full year of supervisory experience at the GS-14 level or above (REQUIRED), and have demonstrated exceptional executive leadership potential. Supervisory experience includes planning, assigning, and evaluating the work of subordinate employees. Note: Your resume must explicitly demonstrate one full year of supervisory experience. 

All qualified candidates must demonstrate executive leadership potential. Applicants must demonstrate a level of competence and potential sufficient to lead, direct, and evaluate programs and activities related to accomplishing a major program's mission. This experience must demonstrate an applied knowledge of management principles, developments, trends, and generally-accepted practices and techniques utilized in effective program planning and problem solving. The applicant should also demonstrate competence in executing the business functions necessary to support a large, complex organization, including those related to resource allocation, budget and finance, human capital management, organization development, contracting and information technology.

Candidates must demonstrate competence and potential for executive development in the five SES Executive Core Qualifications (ECQs), which are the leadership criteria defined by OPM to certify candidates for SES positions.  In writing your responses to the ECQs, your narrative must address each ECQ separately in the spaces provided. Each ECQ should contain at least two examples describing your experiences and accomplishments/results. Responses to ECQs must not exceed 10 pages. It is recommended that applicants draft their ECQs in a Word document first, then cut and paste into the spaces provided following each ECQ to ensure length requirements.

For additional guidance, applicants may visit the Office of Personnel Management's Guide to Senior Executive Qualifications. Applicants are strongly encouraged to follow the Challenge, Context, Action, and Result model outlined in the guide.

EXECUTIVE CORE QUALIFICATIONS:

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.

Competencies: Creativity and Innovation, External Awareness, Flexibility, Resilience, Strategic Thinking and 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. 

Competencies: Conflict Management, Leveraging Diversity, Developing Other, and 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. 

Competencies: Accountability, Customer Service, Decisiveness, Entrepreneurship, Problem Solving and Technical Credibility

ECQ 4. Business Acumen: This core qualification involves the ability to manage human, financial, and information resources strategically. 

Competencies: Financial Management, Human Capital Management, and 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. 

Competencies: Partnering, Political Savvy, and Influencing/Negotiating.

Education

There is no educational requirement for this opportunity.

Additional 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.

Persons who are deaf, hard of hearing, blind, or have speech disabilities, please dial 711 to access telecommunications relay services.

Refer to these links for more information: GENERAL INFORMATION, ADDITIONAL DOCUMENTATION

Cost:

Current DOL 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-DOL 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.

You will be evaluated based on your experience and your responses to the Executive Core Qualifications (ECQs).

Minimum Qualifications Review: Your application will be reviewed for completeness and to ensure you meet the minimum qualifications requirements. It is essential that your resume provide sufficient information to substantiate your responses in the ECQs. If your responses are not adequately substantiated by your resume, your application will be rated ineligible.  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. 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 oral presentation on a topic provided to you prior to the structured interview. The structured interview panel will make recommendations to the Executive Resources Board, who will make the final selections.


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