The Chief Scientist is an advisor and chief consultant to the GAO and Congress and regularly interacts with other federal agencies and government programs on cutting-edge science and technology (S&T), highly-specialized complex systems, engineering policies and best practices, and original research studies in the fields of engineering, computer, and the physical and biological sciences.
Summary
The Chief Scientist is an advisor and chief consultant to the GAO and Congress and regularly interacts with other federal agencies and government programs on cutting-edge science and technology (S&T), highly-specialized complex systems, engineering policies and best practices, and original research studies in the fields of engineering, computer, and the physical and biological sciences.
Serves as GAO's principal spokesperson on scientific, technology, and engineering issues to represent GAO in contacts with members and committees of Congress and their staffs; representatives of other federal departments and agencies; officials of foreign government; state and local authorities; and private industry.
Develops, cultivates and maintains ongoing relationships with the science and technology community, including but not limited to academia, government, and private sector experts.
Designs, supervises, and directs scientific studies in collaboration with GAO's subject matter teams to supports Congressional and federal agency decision making on scientific issues.
Provides policy and program direction for GAO's science priorities to facilitate the integration and coordination of research efforts across GAO, with other federal agencies, and with the external scientific community.
Leads the development GAO's science strategy and policy to ensure that GAO's policy is aligned with science goals and objectives of Congress.
Identifies and analyzes emerging science and technology issues to address and develop solutions to issues that may impact the federal government.
Advises and may lead original research studies of emerging science and technology work to improve the performance of federal programs and public policy.
Advises the Comptroller General, GAO senior executives, and mission teams on determining the appropriate methodological approaches, techniques, formulas, methods, and procedures to solve complex scientific issues GAO encounters.
Participates in setting, revising, and introducing standards for GAO's scientific work to ensure the quality of GAO's audits and evaluations.
You must be registered with the Selective Service, as applicable.
You must serve a 1-year Senior Executive Service probationary period unless you've already completed one.
You may be required to obtain and maintain a security clearance depending on the engagements, projects, and initiatives assigned to you.
If selected, you will be required to submit transcripts to support your claim that you meet the education requirements for the position.
If selected, you may be eligible for a recruitment incentive.
Qualifications
You must meet the qualification requirements by 11:59 pm Eastern Time on the closing date of the announcement.
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; spiritual; community, student, social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.
If you are a federal employee, the level of experience we are looking for is typically gained in a GS-15, Senior Executive Service, Senior Level, or equivalent-level positions.
Technical qualifications
The technical qualifications describe the necessary professional and technical knowledge, skills, and competencies needed to successfully perform the duties of this position.
The technical qualifications for this position are:
Experience designing, directing, and overseeing studies to evaluate novel or emerging science or technology issues.
Experience serving as an organization's spokesperson to lead interactions and presenting complex policy issues and analyses on science or technology issues to non-technical audiences.
Experience reviewing science or technology-related forecasts, analyses, modeling, or methodologies to recommend improvements.
Executive core qualifications (ECQs)
The ECQs assess executive experience and potential. They measure whether you have the broad executive skills needed to succeed in a variety of Senior Executive Service positions.
The ECQs for this position are:
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.
Leading People: This core qualification involves the ability to lead people toward meeting the organizations 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.
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.
Business Acumen: This core qualification involves the ability to manage human, financial, and information resources strategically.
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.
Education
You must meet the education requirements by 11:59 pm Eastern Time on the closing date of the announcement.
Required
You must have one of the following:
A degree in physical science, engineering, or mathematics that included 24 semester hours in physical science and/or related engineering science such as mechanics, dynamics, properties of materials, and electronics;
Education equivalent to a major in physical science, engineering, or mathematics that included at least 24 semester hours in physical science and/or related engineering science, plus appropriate experience or additional education;
A degree in biological sciences, agriculture, natural resource management, chemistry, or related disciplines appropriate to the position; or
Courses equivalent to a major in biological sciences, agriculture, natural resource management, chemistry, or related disciplines, plus appropriate experience or additional education.
Desired
Our ideal candidate will have a PhD or equivalent.
Additional information
Appointment type: This is a GAO career Senior Executive Service (SES) appointment. This appointment makes you eligible for:
Reinstatement to the SES as a career appointee; and
Noncompetitive transfer to a career SES appointment in the civil service SES under GAO's interchange agreement with the Office of Personnel Management (OPM).
Equal employment opportunity: The U.S. Government Accountability Office's policy is to provide equal employment opportunity for all regardless of race, religion, color, sex (including pregnancy), national origin, age, disability, genetic information, sexual orientation, or gender identity.
Option for additional selections: Multiple positions may be filled from this announcement.
Premium pay: you cannot earn overtime, compensatory time unless it is for religious observances available to all U.S. Government Accountability Office employees, or credit hours.
Reasonable accommodation: GAO provides reasonable accommodations to applicants and employees with disabilities. To request an accommodation, please email ReasonableAccommodations@gao.gov.
Veterans' preference: does not apply to the U.S. Government Accountability Office Senior Executive Service (SES) positions.
A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.
Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.
How you will be evaluated
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
Basis for rating
The experience listed in your resume and whether your experience and skills match what we're looking for.
Answers to the online assessment
Interview
Type of rating
Top group: Individuals show expert and/or advanced proficiency in the technical qualifications (TQs) and executive core qualifications (ECQs).
Middle group: Individuals who did not make it into the top group but either have expert or advanced proficiency in the TQs or ECQs but not both.
Bottom group: Individuals whose grasp of ECQs or TQs is limited or not evident.
A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.
Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.
Emphasize your level of responsibility, scope and complexity of programs managed, program accomplishments, policy initiatives undertaken, and the results of your actions.
Your resume must show evidence of progressively responsible leadership experience that is indicative of senior executive-level management capability and directly related to the executive core qualifications.
Address the executive core qualifications (ECQs) listed in the Qualifications section in your resume. The Addressing Executive Qualifications in a Resume (Resume-Based Method) and Example of Resume sections of the Guide to Senior Executive Service Qualifications have useful information that explains how to address your executive qualifications in a resume.
Online assessment
You will complete this by following the directions in the How to Apply section.
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.
A complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 pm Eastern Time on the closing date of the announcement to receive consideration.
To apply for this position, you must complete the online application and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section of the announcement.
To begin, click Apply to access the online application. You will need to be logged into your USAJOBS account to apply. If you do not have a USAJOBS account, you will need to create one before beginning the application.
Follow the prompts to select your résumé and/or other supporting documents to be included with your application package. You will have the opportunity to upload additional documents to include in your application before it is submitted. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process.
After acknowledging you have reviewed your application package, complete the Include Personal Information section as you deem appropriate and click to continue with the application process.
You will be taken to the online application which you must complete in order to apply for the position. Complete the online application, verify the required documentation is included with your application package, and submit the application.
To verify the status of your application, log into your USAJOBS account (https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login), all of your applications will appear on the Welcome screen. The Application Status will appear along with the date your application was last updated. For information on what each Application Status means, visit: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/how-to/application/status/.
If you are unable to apply online, you must request an alternative application which is available from the Human Capital Office. Please contact at to obtain an alternative application.
Government Accountability Office
Human Capital Office
441 G Street NW
Washington, DC 20548
US
Next steps
Confirmation that we received your application
Once your online application is submitted you will receive a confirmation notification by email.
Conduct minimum qualifications screening
After the announcement closes, we will review your application package to determine if you are eligible, have the technical qualifications, and provided the required documents.
Rate applications
If you reach this phase, a panel of executives will rate the breadth and depth of your executive qualifications.
If you are rated high enough you may be referred for an interview.
Conduct structured interviews
If you reach this phase, panels of executives will interview you.
The selecting official will participate in the final panel and decide who to select for the position.
Conduct reference checks
We may contact your references.
Make a tentative job offer
If you're selected, we will make you a tentative job offer and begin negotiating your salary.
Conduct a background investigation
If you're not a current GAO employee, we will ask you to complete a background investigation. We use the background investigation to determine if you're suitable for federal employment.
Make a final job offer
We will work with you and your future supervisor to set an onboarding date.
After your onboarding date is approved, you will get your final job offer.
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
Emphasize your level of responsibility, scope and complexity of programs managed, program accomplishments, policy initiatives undertaken, and the results of your actions.
Your resume must show evidence of progressively responsible leadership experience that is indicative of senior executive-level management capability and directly related to the executive core qualifications.
Address the executive core qualifications (ECQs) listed in the Qualifications section in your resume. The Addressing Executive Qualifications in a Resume (Resume-Based Method) and Example of Resume sections of the Guide to Senior Executive Service Qualifications have useful information that explains how to address your executive qualifications in a resume.
Online assessment
You will complete this by following the directions in the How to Apply section.
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.
A complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 pm Eastern Time on the closing date of the announcement to receive consideration.
To apply for this position, you must complete the online application and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section of the announcement.
To begin, click Apply to access the online application. You will need to be logged into your USAJOBS account to apply. If you do not have a USAJOBS account, you will need to create one before beginning the application.
Follow the prompts to select your résumé and/or other supporting documents to be included with your application package. You will have the opportunity to upload additional documents to include in your application before it is submitted. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process.
After acknowledging you have reviewed your application package, complete the Include Personal Information section as you deem appropriate and click to continue with the application process.
You will be taken to the online application which you must complete in order to apply for the position. Complete the online application, verify the required documentation is included with your application package, and submit the application.
To verify the status of your application, log into your USAJOBS account (https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login), all of your applications will appear on the Welcome screen. The Application Status will appear along with the date your application was last updated. For information on what each Application Status means, visit: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/how-to/application/status/.
If you are unable to apply online, you must request an alternative application which is available from the Human Capital Office. Please contact at to obtain an alternative application.
Government Accountability Office
Human Capital Office
441 G Street NW
Washington, DC 20548
US
Next steps
Confirmation that we received your application
Once your online application is submitted you will receive a confirmation notification by email.
Conduct minimum qualifications screening
After the announcement closes, we will review your application package to determine if you are eligible, have the technical qualifications, and provided the required documents.
Rate applications
If you reach this phase, a panel of executives will rate the breadth and depth of your executive qualifications.
If you are rated high enough you may be referred for an interview.
Conduct structured interviews
If you reach this phase, panels of executives will interview you.
The selecting official will participate in the final panel and decide who to select for the position.
Conduct reference checks
We may contact your references.
Make a tentative job offer
If you're selected, we will make you a tentative job offer and begin negotiating your salary.
Conduct a background investigation
If you're not a current GAO employee, we will ask you to complete a background investigation. We use the background investigation to determine if you're suitable for federal employment.
Make a final job offer
We will work with you and your future supervisor to set an onboarding date.
After your onboarding date is approved, you will get your final job offer.
Fair and transparent
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
