This job originated on www.usajobs.gov. For the full announcement and to apply, visit www.usajobs.gov/job/680858700. Only resumes submitted according to the instructions on the job announcement listed at www.usajobs.gov will be considered.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is calling on those who want to help protect American interests and secure our Nation. DHS Components work collectively to prevent terrorism; secure borders and our transportation systems; protect the President and other dignitaries; enforce and administer immigration laws; safeguard cyberspace; and ensure resilience to disasters. We achieve these vital missions through a diverse workforce spanning hundreds of occupations. Make an impact; Join DHS.
Learn more about this agency09/30/2022 to 10/28/2022
$135,468 - $203,700 per year
ES 00
1 vacancy in the following location:
No
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Occasional travel - 25% or less
Yes—You may qualify for reimbursement of relocation in accordance with agency policy.
Permanent -
Full-time -
Senior Executive
00
Yes
Yes
ERS-2022-0022
680858700
Current or former competitive service federal employees.
Current excepted service federal employees.
U.S. Citizens, Nationals or those who owe allegiance to the U.S.
Those who meet the five Executive Core Qualifications (ECQs).
All groups of qualified individuals
Before applying for this position, please read the entire announcement and follow the instructions in the How to Apply section.
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is an agency within the U.S. Department of Homeland Security comprised of approximately 19,000 Federal employees, and additional contractor employees, working in approximately 250 Headquarters and field offices around the world. We are responsible for the administration of immigration and naturalization adjudication functions and establishing immigration services policies and priorities.
Functions include adjudication of:
The Director independently manages all service-related program activities and operations for USCIS in a specific geographic area. For an assigned area, he/she has full authority and responsibility for managing the program of accepting and processing applications and petitions for immigration benefits and privileges.
Exercises executive leadership in carrying our all delegated authorities and responsibilities for planning, directing, managing, and coordinating the activities of the Service Center to include processing and adjudicating applications and petitions for immigration and nationality benefits and privileges. Administers key national goals and priorities of the immigration benefits program and is responsible for results to Headquarters’ senior management. Collaborates with Headquarters in the formulation and application of broad policy and procedures that impact service center operations.
Recommends changes in legislation, regulations, and interpretations of policy. Advises higher management of current and emerging immigration benefit and privilege issues.
Oversees the Center’s responsibility for related functions to support its operations, including fraud detection, records operations, public information services, and operation of computer support systems and administrative support systems and activities.
Develops and implements policies, procedures, guidelines, and standards for the effective and efficient operation of all the Service Center functions. Remains cognizant of and sensitive to the national, political, social, economic, and national security conditions that impact eh petitioners and applicants for immigration benefits and privileges.
Provides guidance and recommendations to senior agency officials and subordinates on advanced techniques and resolves critical problems in a timely and cost-effective manner.
Represents USCIS’ interests, concerns, and relationships within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and among other agencies within and outside of DHS. Provides executive leadership and direction to subordinates under his/her supervision to ensure effective and efficient program management. Ensures that programs are carried out in conformance with federal immigration laws, regulations, policies and procedures governing Center operations.
Contributes to the development of national policy-based on perspectives for all immigration and nationality benefits and privileges.
Performs equal employment opportunity (EEO) programs in Federal and agency guidelines. Carries out EEO policies and program activities, communicates support of the policies to subordinates and encourages active participation in EEO programs, activities, and training.
As a member of the agency's executive team, you will implement the President's Management Agenda within your specific area of responsibility. For an overview of the diverse responsibilities USCIS carries out within the Government, visit our website at http://www.uscis.gov.
The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) must authorize employment offers made to current or former political appointees. If you are currently, or have been within the last 5 years, a political Schedule A, Schedule C, Non-career SES or Presidential Appointee employee in the Executive Branch, you must disclose this information to the Human Resources Office.
As a basic requirement for entry into the SES, applicants must provide evidence of progressively responsible leadership experience that is indicative of senior executive level managerial capability. This experience should be sufficiently broad in scope and at a major management level in a large or complex organization. The ideal candidate will have experience supervising a large number of employees through subordinate supervisors and have experience hiring, developing and evaluating employees.
Your application should demonstrate that you possess the knowledge, skills and abilities to successfully fulfill responsibilities inherent in SES positions such as:
To meet the minimum qualification requirements for this position, your application must show evidence that you possess the five (5) Executive Core Qualifications listed below. Typically, experience of this nature is gained at the GS-15 or equivalent level in the federal service or its equivalent in the private sector.
If your experience does not include these basic qualifications, you will not be determined qualified for this position.
**Noncompetitive status- if you are a current or reinstatement eligible Career SES or a graduate of an Office of Personnel Management (OPM) approved SES Candidate Development Program (CDP) and your ECQs have been certified by OPM's Qualifications Review Board (QRB)-you are not required to address the ECQs. Current and reinstatement eligible SES must include with your application a copy of your most recent SF-50, Notification of Personnel Action, documenting your SES Career Appointment. CDP graduates must include a copy of your OPM CDP graduation certificate or other proof that your ECQs have been QRB certified.**
The application process used to recruit for this position is the TRADITIONAL METHOD.
MANDATORY EXECUTIVE CORE QUALIFICATIONS
All applicants must submit a written narrative addressing each ECQ generally not to exceed two (2) pages per ECQ for a total of no more than 10 pages. Any information in excess of ten (10) pages WILL NOT be considered.
A sample 5-page executive level resume and ECQ narratives can be viewed at this link http://www.opm.gov/ses/references/GuidetoSESQuals_2012.pdf
Applicants are encouraged to follow the Challenge, Context, Action and Results (C-C-A-R) model when preparing written ECQs narratives.
Challenge: Describe a specific problem or goal.
Context: Describe the individuals and groups you worked with, and/or environment in which you worked to address a particular challenge (e.g., clients, co-workers, members of Congress, shrinking budget, low morale).
Action: Discuss the specific actions you took to address a challenge.
Result: Give specific examples of measures/outcomes that had some impact on the organization. These accomplishments demonstrate the quality and effectiveness of your leadership skills.
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 Executive Core Qualification (ECQ) is the ability to establish an organizational vision and to implement it in a continuously changing environment.
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.
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.
ECQ 4 -BUSINESS ACUMEN: This core qualification involves the ability to manage human, financial, and information resources strategically.
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.
Additional information on the Executive Core Qualifications is available at https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/senior-executive-service/executive-core-qualifications/
MANDATORY TECHNICAL QUALIFICATION(S)
All applicants must submit a written narrative explaining how they meet the mandatory technical qualification(s) not to exceed one (1) page for each MTQ. Please give examples and explain the depth of the knowledge you possess and the sensitivity of the issues you handled, etc. Any information in excess of one (1) page per MTQ WILL NOT be considered.
MTQ 1. Expertise in managing immigration (or related homeland security) programs or other complex benefit application or adjudication programs (e.g., assistance, licensing).
There is no substitution for education of experience for this position.
Our Benefits Package: You will be eligible for performance bonuses of 5 to 20 percent of base pay for superior accomplishments. You will be covered by a defined benefit, contributory Federal retirement system. You may participate in a retirement savings investment plan that offers before-tax savings and tax-deferred investment earnings. You may select one of a variety of health plans and options under the Government's Federal Employees' Health Benefits program and you may participate in the Federal Employees' Group Life and Long Term Care Insurance Programs. You will earn 26 vacation days and 13 days of sick leave per year. In addition, the Government observes 10 regular paid holidays each year.
Veterans' preference does not apply to Senior Executive Service positions.
Financial Disclosure: If you are hired, you will have to complete a Public Financial Disclosure Report within 30 days after appointment.
Selective Service: If you are a male born after December 31, 1959 and selected for this position, you must certify that you have registered with the Selective Service System, or are exempt from having to do so under Selective Service law.
Immigration Reform and Control Act: The Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 seeks to preserve jobs for those who are legally entitled to them: American citizens and aliens who are authorized to work in our country. This law requires employees to provide a document or documents that establish identity and employment eligibility.
The United States Government does not discriminate in employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, disability and genetic information, age, membership in an employee organization, or other non-merit factor.
USCIS provides reasonable accommodations to applicants with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process, please notify us. Decisions on granting reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis.
Background Investigation: This position is a sensitive position and the tentative selectee must undergo and successfully complete a background investigation as a condition of placement/retention in the position. A security clearance is required.
Drug Testing: This position has been identified as a Testing Designated Position under the USCIS Drug-Free Workplace Program. Satisfactory completion of a drug test is a condition of placement and/or employment in the position and the incumbent(s) of this position is thereafter subject to Random Drug Testing.
Probationary Period: You will serve a one-year probationary period unless you previously completed a probationary period in the SES.
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
To ensure compliance with an applicable preliminary nationwide injunction, which may be supplemented, modified, or vacated, depending on the course of ongoing litigation, the Federal Government will take no action to implement or enforce the COVID-19 vaccination requirement pursuant to Executive Order 14043 on Requiring Coronavirus Disease 2019 Vaccination for Federal Employees. Therefore, to the extent a Federal job announcement includes the requirement that applicants must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 pursuant to E.O. 14043, that requirement does not currently apply. 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.
Guidance from the Task Force is available at: Protecting the Federal Workforce.
Our evaluation will be based on the information you provide. Verification of performance, suitability and security information from reference checks will be taken into consideration when making offers of employment.
You will be evaluated on the quality and extent of your total accomplishments, experience and education. Your application will be evaluated by a rating and ranking panel, and highly qualified candidates may undergo an interview and a reference check. The USCIS Executive Resources Board (ERB) will review results and make recommendations on final selections to the appointing authority. Unless you have already been certified by a Qualifications Review Board (QRB) in the past, your ECQs must be certified by a QRB after selection and before appointment can occur.
Failure to submit the required documents will result in your application being disqualified.
1. Resume should not exceed five (5) pages. Please do not submit an application form (such as OF 612, Optional Application for Federal Employment) in lieu of a résumé. Applicants typically provide the following information:
When uploading your resume, choose the label "Executive Resume."
2. Submit a copy of your official SF-50 (no text version) or other official "Notification of Personnel Action" document that shows the following information:
If your SF-50(s) does not provide the information needed to make a final determination for qualification, you will be found ineligible for the position. SF-50B print screens from NFC are not official documents and are not acceptable. This includes USCIS employees as well. All current DHS employees can print their own SF-50's by accessing the DHS eOPF website. If you have forgotten your user name or password, eOPF offers a self-service feature to assist you.
3. Executive Core Qualifications- Written narratives addressing each ECQ generally not to exceed 2 pages per ECQ for a total of no more than 10 pages.
When uploading your ECQs, it should be one document, choose the label "ECQs."
4. Mandatory Technical Qualifications - Written narratives addressing the Mandatory Technical Qualification(s) (MTQ) not to exceed one (1) page for each MTQ.
When uploading your Technical Qualification(s), it should be one document, label this Supporting Document as "Other."
5. Non-competitive applicants: Current of former career SES members must provide a recent SF-50 showing their current status or reinstatement eligibility. Candidates who have successfully completed an Office of Personnel Management approved SES Candidate Development Program must submit a copy of their certification. Your status must be clearly stated in your resume.
When uploading your SF-50, choose the label "SF-50."
When uploading your SES CDP Certification, label this Supporting Document as "Other."
Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.
Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.
To apply for this position, you must at a minimum provide a complete application package which includes:
1. Your 5-page (or shorter) resume (any excess pages will not be considered)
2. ECQ narrative statements (ten page maximum, any excess pages will not be considered)
3. Mandatory Technical Qualifications narrative statement (1 page maximum for each MTQ, any excess pages will not be considered)
See Required Documents section for more detail.
To begin your online application, click here to create your account and follow the prompts to register or sign into USAJOBS. Once there, click the apply button, take the online questionnaire, and submit the required documents.
It is your responsibility to verify that information entered, uploaded, sent (i.e. resume, ECQs, MTQs SF-50s) is received and is accurate by 11:59 PM EST on October 28, 2022. You may complete the assessment questionnaire more than once, but only your most recent submission will be used.
Once you submit your application, we will review your experience and qualifications to determine if you possess the required ECQs for the position based on the information submitted in your package. Those who meet the qualifications will be referred to a panel of SES members to determine the "best qualified" candidates who will be referred to the selecting official for further consideration.
Once a selection has been made, the selectee's application will be forwarded to the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) for approval by the OPM Qualifications Review Board (QRB), unless the selectee is a noncompetitive candidate that has been successfully certified by the OPM QRB.
You may verify your documents have been processed by logging into https://applicationmanager.gov. Uploaded documents may take up to one hour to clear the virus scan. Faxed documents may take 2-3 business days to process.
Your application status will be updated on USAJOBS throughout the process. To check your status, log on to your USAJOBS account, click on "Track this Application," and then click "More Information." We expect to make a final job offer within 90 business days after the deadline for applications. If you are selected, we will conduct a suitability/security background investigation.
Due to COVID-19, the agency is currently in an expanded telework posture. If selected, you may be expected to temporarily telework, even if your home is located outside the local commuting area. Once employees are permitted to return to the office, you will be expected to report to the duty station listed on this announcement in an agreed upon number of days. At that time, you may be eligible to request to continue to telework one or more days a pay period depending upon the terms of the agency’s telework policy.
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
This job originated on www.usajobs.gov. For the full announcement and to apply, visit www.usajobs.gov/job/680858700. Only resumes submitted according to the instructions on the job announcement listed at www.usajobs.gov will be considered.
Learn more about
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is calling on those who want to help protect American interests and secure our Nation. DHS Components work collectively to prevent terrorism; secure borders and our transportation systems; protect the President and other dignitaries; enforce and administer immigration laws; safeguard cyberspace; and ensure resilience to disasters. We achieve these vital missions through a diverse workforce spanning hundreds of occupations. Make an impact; Join DHS.
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is the government agency that oversees lawful immigration to the United States. We uphold America’s promise as a nation of welcome and possibility with fairness, integrity, and respect for all we serve. Visit uscis.gov/careers for more information.