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Deputy Director, Capitol Grounds and Arboretum

Legislative Branch
Architect of the Capitol
This job announcement has closed

Summary

The AOC is accepting applications for an exceptional leader to become the Deputy Director, Capitol Grounds and Arboretum. The leader will be responsible for assisting in planning, administering and managing work operations, and historic preservation and maintenance activities for the care, maintenance and improvement of the Capitol Grounds.

The Architect of the Capitol is responsible for preserving and maintaining approximately 274 acres of landscape across Capitol Hill.

Overview

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Hiring complete
Open & closing dates
10/18/2023 to 11/17/2023
Salary
$155,700 to - $183,500 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 15
Location
1 vacancy in the following location:
Washington, DC
1 vacancy
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Travel Required
Not required
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Permanent - Permanent, Full Time
Work schedule
Full-time - This is an Excepted Service position and does not require or confer Civil Service Competitive Status
Service
Excepted
Promotion potential
15
Supervisory status
Yes
Security clearance
Not Required
Drug test
Yes
Position sensitivity and risk
Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk
Trust determination process
Announcement number
CGA-2024-014
Control number
755489100

This job is open to

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Clarification from the agency

Applications will be Accepted from all USA Citizens Note: Please be advised that federal retired annuitant candidates may only be considered as a temporary employee if the role can be filled in that capacity.

Duties

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At the Architect of the Capitol (AOC), we are proud to be ranked as one of the Best Places to Work in the Federal Government. Our employees are passionate about AOC’s mission to serve Congress and the Supreme Court, preserve America’s Capitol and inspire memorable experiences. AOC is a legislative branch agency, the recognized authority for the preservation, maintenance and construction of the world’s most iconic treasures and buildings on Capitol Hill. As a global destination for thousands of visitors every day, Capitol Hill intersects history, architecture and art with the birthplace of our nation’s laws.

We have an exciting opportunity for an exceptional leader to become the Deputy Director, Capitol Grounds and Arboretum. The leader will be responsible for assisting in planning, administering and managing work operations, and historic preservation and maintenance activities for the care, maintenance and improvement of the Capitol Grounds.

A Valid Driver's License Is Required.

Responsibilities:

  • Serves as the expert in horticultural design projects and historic preservation.
  • Implements the CG Integrated Pest Management (IPM) program.
  • Sets goals and deadlines, oversees, plans, implements and assesses all grounds related horticultural programs including designs, installations, development and maintenance activities.
  • Manages implementation of a strategic plan for initiating, overseeing and evaluating a sustainability program and irrigation system.
  • Implements new tactics to meet industry standards and best practices.
  • Collaborates with stakeholders on the planning, execution of exhibits and other public events.
  • Provides lectures and tours on horticultural and landscape preservation topics to the general public and other interested parties.
  • Communicates long term organizational planning.
  • Provides technical guidance to all staff on horticultural and gardening practices.

Successful candidates must have strong leadership, project management and public landscape management, facility operations and historic preservation experience.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • You must be a U.S. Citizen.
  • You must be able to pass a drug test.
  • Your resume and question responses must demonstrate the job-related KSAs.
  • You must meet the definition of specialized experience.
  • Must possess a valid, unexpired driver's license.

Who May Apply/Clarification From the Agency:

See Requirements section of this announcement for information on who may apply.

Requirements:

To be employed by the Architect of the Capitol in a paid position, an individual must meet one of the categories below:

  • A citizen of the United States;
  • A person who is lawfully admitted for permanent residence and is seeking citizenship as outlined in 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3)(B);
  • A person who is admitted as a refugee under 8 U.S.C. 1157 or is granted asylum under 8 U.S.C. 1158 and has filed a declaration of intention to become a lawful permanent resident and then a citizen when eligible;
  • A person who owes allegiance to the United States (nationals of American Samoa, Swains Island, and the Northern Mariana Islands, and nationals who meet other requirements described in 8 U.S.C. 1408); or
  • A person who is currently an officer or employee of the Government of the United States.

Qualifications

You must meet the United States Office of Personnel Management's (OPM) qualification requirements (including specialized experience and/or educational requirements) for the advertised position. You must meet all eligibility and qualifications requirements by the closing date of the job announcement. Additional information on the qualification requirements is outlined in the OPM Qualifications Standards Handbook of General Schedule Positions. It is available for your review on the OPM web site at http://www.opm.gov/qualifications.

ADDITIONAL EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS

In addition to the basic entry qualification requirements, applicants must meet the following specialized experience.

Specialized experience is experience that has equipped you with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the position to be filled. To be creditable, specialized experience must have been equivalent to at least the next lower grade level.
 
Candidates at the GS-15 grade level must have at least 52 weeks of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-14 grade level in the Federal service.

Specialized experience for this position includes the following:

  • Applied Mastery of the principles, theories, concepts, methods, and techniques of horticulture.
  • Demonstrated extensive experience supervising and providing leadership to a staff involved in carrying out project operations and maintenance activities in a public botanic garden, monumental park, historic estate, or similar establishment.
  • Demonstrated experience analyzing organizational and operational problems and developing solutions.
  • Demonstrated experience in communicating effectively in writing.
  • Demonstrated experience communicating effectively other than in writing.

Education

There is no educational requirement for the Miscellaneous Administration and Program series (0301) 

IMPORTANT NOTE: Education completed in foreign colleges or universities may be used to meet the qualification requirements if the applicant can provide documentation indicating that the foreign education is comparable to that received in an accredited educational institution in the United States. It is the responsibility of the applicant to provide such evidence when applying for further information. Please visit: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html

Additional information

Welcome Veterans. The Veterans Employment Opportunities Act of 1998 (VEOA) gives veterans' preference rights in the legislative branch to certain veterans as applied by the Congressional Accountability Act. Veterans' preference is applied on this vacancy announcement. If you are a veteran and have been separated under honorable conditions, you must submit a copy of your DD-214 or other proof of eligibility; SF-15, if applicable; and Department of Veterans Affairs documentation of disability, if applicable. For more information, please visit http://www.opm.gov/veterans/html/vetguide.asp#6.

If you are a male applicant born after December 31, 1959, you must certify that you have registered with the Selective Service System. If you are exempt from registration under Selective Service Law, you must provide appropriate proof of exemption. Please visit the Selective Service System website for more information.



DRUG TESTING: The Architect of the Capitol (AOC) is a Drug Free Workplace. As part of the AOC’s suitability assessment, a candidate tentatively selected for a position who is not currently an AOC employee is required to submit to screening for illegal drug use. Satisfactory completion of a drug test is a condition of employment with the Agency. A candidate must test negative prior to being eligible for appointment into a position. We will schedule, provide and cover the cost for the drug test.
 
The selectee(s) under the vacancy announcement for this position is subject to a criminal record check by the U.S. Capitol Police and satisfactory adjudication to be eligible for employment at the Architect of the Capitol.
 
The Architect of the Capitol is an E-VERIFY Participant. E-VERIFY is an Internet-based system that compares information from an employee's Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification, to data from U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Social Security Administration records to confirm employment authorization in the United States. If you are selected for this position, the documentation that you present for purposes of completing the DHS Form I-9 will be verified through the DHS "E-VERIFY" electronic system. For more information on E-Verify, please visit http://www.dhs.gov/files/programs/gc_1185221678150.shtm

The Architect of the Capitol is an Equal Opportunity Employer and prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, age, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information and/or disability.

This agency provides reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process, please notify the agency. The decision on granting reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis.

Moving expenses are not authorized.
 
Relocation expenses are not authorized.
 
Probationary Period A newly appointed selectee is subject to the completion of a one-year trial/probationary period, regardless of whether or not a trial/probationary period has been completed previously with the Architect of the Capitol or another Federal agency.

This vacancy announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies in any of the jurisdictions of the Architect of the Capitol.

All application materials become the property of the Architect of the Capitol.

How you will be evaluated

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

Review your resume and responses carefully. Your eligibility for consideration and qualifications for the position will be determined based upon a review of your detailed resume and your responses to job specific self-assessment questions.

Your resume will be evaluated based on evidence of your ability to demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) for this position, possession of any specialized experience, and how well your background and experience relates to the self-assessment questions in the job announcement. The self-assessment questions relate to the following knowledge, skills, abilities, and competencies:

(1) Leadership Skills

(2) Management Skills

(3) Technical Expertise in Horticulture

(4) Knowledge of Historic Preservation

(5) Communication Skills

(6) Interpersonal Skills

Your responses to the self-assessment questions serve as the basis for your initial rating. You will receive a numerical score based on your responses to these questions. Next, your responses will be evaluated by a Human Resources Specialist and/or a subject matter expert against the information provided in your resume and optional cover letter. Your resume must support your answers to the self-assessment questions. Falsifying your background, education and/or experience is cause for non-selection or disqualification from further consideration.

Please note that a complete application is required for consideration. (Please review the “Required Documents” section of this job announcement to see what must be included in a complete application).
You may preview questions for this vacancy.

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