Clarification from the agency

This job is opened to all qualified U.S. Citizens, Current Federal Employees, and Former Federal Employees.

The DASD(AT) will serve as the principal advisor to the ASD(CT) with responsibility for providing management oversight, policy guidance, and coordination for the Research and Engineering programs in the Military Services and Defense Agencies to all areas of applied technology. These areas include directed energy, hypersonics, and integrated sensing and cyber. Major duties and responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

• Cognizance over the complete portfolio of efforts in computers and software technology, communications, electronic warfare, cyber, information assurance information management, sensors, distribution, and command, control, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance.
• Provides oversight and assessment of the DoD-wide investments related to the Applied Technology areas.
• Oversees a process that includes the DoD Components, as appropriate, to ensure investments and alignment in these priority areas.
• Participates in the planning, programming, and budgetary decisions affecting all programs in the area of purview. Responsibilities include reviewing, evaluating, and monitoring program and project plans to ensure that planned efforts properly support program objectives.
• Provides analyses of the requirements and the program and project plans proposed by the Military Departments and Defense Agencies in the area of Applied Technology.
• Responsible for conducting comprehensive reviews of technology efforts. These actions must consider the current and potential threats, national priorities and objectives, and technical opportunities in order to develop the specific criteria for assessing the validity of the proposals and their value to the DoD.
• Serves on boards, committees, and other groups pertaining to the DASD(AT) functional areas, and represents the Secretary of Defense, the Deputy Secretary of Defense, and the USD and DUSD (R&E) or the ASD(CT) may direct.

Conditions of employment

• You must be a U.S. citizen to qualify for this position.
• Males born after 12-31-59 must be registered or exempt from Selective Service (see https://www.sss.gov/Home/Registration).
• All newly appointed Career SES leaders must sign the Reassignment Rights Obligations Agreement as a condition of appointment into the SES.
• You must submit to a drug test and receive a negative drug test before you can be appointed into this position. Designated and/or Random Drug Testing required.
• In order to qualify for this position, you must be able to obtain a Top Secret security clearance and access to Sensitive Compartmented Information (TS/SCI).
• This is a Critical Acquisition Position. This position requires an Engineering and Technical Management, Practitioner, acquisition certification. The incumbent has 48 months to achieve this certification.
• This position is eligible for situational telework, as determined by agency policy.
• Submit resume and all other required documents online by 11:59 PM Eastern Standard Time on 10/17/2023
• The individual selected will be required to file an 'Executive Branch Personnel Financial Disclosure Report (OGE-278) in accordance with the Ethics in Government Act of 1978.
• You will serve a one-year probationary period unless you have previously completed the probationary period in the SES.
• The position is designated as emergency essential. Emergency recall to duty during non-duty hours may be necessary.
• Please read the vacancy announcement in its entirety before applying.

Qualifications

To meet the minimum qualification requirements for this position, you must show that you possess the five Executive Core Qualifications (ECQs), the Mandatory Technical Qualifications, and other qualifications, if applicable, listed below.

EXECUTIVE CORE QUALIFICATIONS: All applicants must submit written statements (narrative format) describing accomplishments that would satisfy the ECQs. You must address each ECQ separately, not to exceed 10 pages. You are required to respond to all ECQs. If you fail to do so will result in a rating of 'ineligible.' When responding to the Executive Core Qualifications (ECQs), you must clearly show that you possess the experience, knowledge, skills and ability to perform the duties of this position by submitting narrative responses in which you detail your experience in each of the ECQs. Your examples should be clear and emphasize your level of responsibilities, scope and complexity of programs managed, program accomplishments with results of your actions, policy initiatives and level of contacts. You should limit your narrative to two pages per ECQ, and address each ECQ separately. OPM's Guide to Senior Executive Service Qualifications can assist you in writing an effective SES application. In particular, please note the Challenge-Context-Action-Result Model that is recommended and very helpful when drafting ECQ narrative responses. The Guide is available on OPM's Website at:
http://www.opm.gov/ses/references/guidetoSESQuals_2012.pdf

Applicants must utilize the Challenge-Context-Action-Result (CCAR) Model when writing Executive Core Qualifications (ECQ). Use two examples of relevant experience for each ECQ being sure your experience matches the ECQ criteria.
Challenge - Describe a specific problem or goal.
Context - Describe the individuals and groups you worked with, and/or the 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.

Each accomplishment should be clear, concise, and emphasize your level of responsibilities; the scope and complexity of the programs, activities, or services you managed; program accomplishments; policy initiatives undertaken; level of contacts; the sensitivity and criticality of the issues you addressed; and the results of your actions. You should use action oriented leadership words to describe your experience and accomplishments (e.g., Led the development and implementation of....) and quantify your experience wherever possible to demonstrate your accomplishments (e.g., number of employees supervised; size of budget managed; amount of money saved, etc.).

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.

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.

Applicants that are either Career SES members, or graduates of the Office of Personnel Management Certified Development Program are not required to address the ECQs.

MANDATORY TECHNICAL QUALIFICATIONS: All applicants must submit written statements (narrative format) of accomplishments that would satisfy the technical qualifications. You must address each technical qualification separately. You are required to respond to all of the technical qualifications. If you fail to do so, you will be rated as ineligible. Please limit your written statements to no more than two pages per technical qualification.

1. Demonstrated knowledge of cutting-edge science and technology research anddevelopment to include the ability to assess technology impacts upon national anddepartment programs, capabilities, and initiatives. Experience integrating newtechnology and capabilities into Department-wide strategy, acquisition, and operations.
2. Demonstrated practical experience and operational relevance in one or more of these fields: Hypersonics, Directed Energy, and Integrated Sensing and Cyber. Experience leading, managing and directing technical programs and studies involving cost, schedule, risk and performance of complex architectures.
3. Demonstrated experience initiating and leading international agreements and collaboration. Experience building international collaborations to leverage partner and allied investments in support of US capabilities.

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 on the quality and extent of your total accomplishments, experience, and education. Your application will be evaluated by a rating and ranking panel. Highly qualified candidates may undergo an interview and a reference check. The Office of the Secretary of Defense Executive Resources Board will review results and make recommendations on final selections to the appointing authority. Unless you have already been certified by the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Qualifications Review Board (QRB), your ECQs must be certified by the OPM QRB before your appointment can occur.