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DIRECTOR, RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT DIRECTORATE (RD)

Department of Defense
Defense Threat Reduction Agency
Research and Development Directorate (RD)
This job announcement has closed

Summary

This position serves as the Director, Research and Development Directorate (RD), Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA).

This is an SES Tier 3 position.

Overview

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Job canceled
Open & closing dates
10/23/2023 to 12/06/2023
Salary
$171,628 to - $212,100 per year
Pay scale & grade
ES 00
Location
1 vacancy in the following location:
Fort Belvoir, VA
1 vacancy
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Travel Required
Occasional travel - You may be expected to travel for this position. Travel to national and international locations is required, to include official travel into hazardous duty zones.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
Yes—You may qualify for reimbursement of relocation expenses in accordance with agency policy.
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Senior Executive
Promotion potential
None
Supervisory status
Yes
Security clearance
Sensitive Compartmented Information
Drug test
Yes
Position sensitivity and risk
Special-Sensitive (SS)/High Risk
Trust determination process
Announcement number
DTRA-24-12178736-SES
Control number
756213900

Duties

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The Director, Research and Development (RD) performs the following major functions:

  • Serves as a Senior Executive providing corporate leadership and communicating the Agency's vision to the RD workforce. Provides overall leadership, guidance, and management to the RD staff. Responsible for effective communications up, down, and across DTRA and DoD.
  • Provides scientific and technical program management, oversight, and direction to 500+ Service members and civilian scientists, engineers, and program managers possessing a PhD or Master's degree, engaged in a wide variety of science and technology (S&T) programs and projects. Ensures application and consideration of all elements required for mission accomplishment, to include requirements validation, technology infusion, planning, programming, and budgeting. Reviews new and/or proposed programs and projects and determines broad objectives, milestones, and initiatives. Reviews and evaluates feasibility and suitability of new or changed programs and projects from a technological and programmatic viewpoint. Determines the relative priority and technical emphasis to be placed on emerging programs, and, by working with stakeholders, develops initiatives for exploitation of modern technology. Approves technological and management aspects of all RD programs.
  • Provides oversight of all research, development, test and evaluation programs (unless specifically exempted) within DTRA.
  • Manages the RD portfolio which is approximately 90% of the total DoD basic and applied research investment in countering weapons of mass destruction.
  • Provides acquisition guidance on more than $1.2B in annual investments in science and technology to combat the threat of WMD.
  • Serves as an S&T executive supporting DoD, directly interfacing with Tier 3 level peers in the Services, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency and the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering.
  • Represents DTRA at key science and technology venues across the DoD, the Interagency, and Internationally.
  • Develops solutions in countering and combating WMD and CBRN, mitigating the effectiveness of these attacks, and providing treatment programs for those exposed to WMD or CBRN materials.
  • Creates a cooperative forum for international participation in the development of combating WMD solutions. Seeks opportunities for demonstration of new technologies and techniques among U.S. allies.
  • Establishes DTRA as the technical expert in WMD effects and CBRN defense for the DoD and the U.S. Government. Provides senior subject matter expertise on WMD-related matters for policy decisions, exercises, and budgetary actions.
  • Supports all DTRA operations regarding WMD and CBRN-related expertise.
  • Leads DTRA's science and technology, interfacing with senior DoD officials, congressional staff, senior officials in other Federal agencies, and representatives of foreign governments, industry, and academia. Provides technical S&T briefings to a wide variety of audiences.
  • Advises the Director, DTRA, Office of the Secretary of Defense, Services, and Combatant Commands on all aspects of CWMD-related research, development, test, and evaluation.
  • Ensures effective execution of Equal Employment Opportunity policies, goals, and objectives. Ensures supervisors and managers evaluate and take actions that are consistent with overall EEO/diversity goals. Ensures DTRA maintains an equal and consistent approach in determining applicant/employee qualifications, selections, assignments, training, promotions, details, discipline, and awards.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • Work Schedule: Full time
  • Must be a U.S. citizen
  • Males born after 12-31-59 must be registered for Selective Service
  • Resume and supporting documents (See How To Apply)
  • Suitable for Federal employment, determined by a background investigation
  • Veteran preference is not applicable to the Senior Executive Service
  • Must be able to obtain/maintain Special Sensitive/Top Secret SCI clearance
  • Designated and/or random drug testing is required
  • Mobility Agreement: All newly appointed Career SES leaders must sign the Reassignment Rights Obligations Agreement as a condition of appointment into the SES.
  • Probationary Period: You will serve a one-year Senior Executive Service (SES) probationary period unless you previously completed the probationary period in the SES.
  • Financial Disclosure: Senior Executives are required to comply with the provisions of the Ethics in Government Act, PL 95-521, which requires the submission of a financial disclosure statement (OGE-278), upon assuming an SES position.
  • Senior Executives are required to complete a "Declaration of Federal Employment," (OF 306), prior to being appointed to determine your suitability for Federal employment and to authorize a background check.
  • Overtime: None
  • Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
  • Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA): Exempt
  • Tour of Duty: Set Schedule
  • Telework: Situational telework eligible

Qualifications

As a basic requirement for entry into the Senior Executive Service, applicants must provide evidence of progressively responsible leadership experience that is indicative of senor level management capability and directly related to the skills and abilities outlined under the Executive Core Qualifications (ECQs) and Technical Qualifications (TQs).

To meet the minimum qualification requirements for this position, you must address the three mandatory TQs and the five ECQs.

EXECUTIVE CORE QUALIFICATIONS (ECQs): ECQs must not exceed ten pages (2 pages per each ECQ narrative).
The ECQs are:
-Leading Change
-Leading People
-Results Driven
-Business Acumen
-Building Coalitions

MANDATORY TECHNICAL QUALIFICATIONS (MTQs):

You must submit a separate narrative statement that addresses each of the MTQs related specifically to this position. Your narrative statements should include specific examples of experience, education, and accomplishments, applicable to the position. Your narrative statements must not exceed two pages for each MTQ.


1. Demonstrated ability and experience to effectively lead, manage, and direct professional, scientific, and technical members in the successful accomplishment of diverse research and development programs across all technical disciplines of countering WMD. Ability and experience must demonstrate strong program management skills in R&D acquisition programs.

2. Demonstrated experience providing oversight of subordinate organizations as well as managing RD activities nationally and internationally.

3. Demonstrated experience in formulation, defense, and execution, of all phases of the Planning, Programming, Budgeting, and Execution cycle or an equivalent large scale budgeting system.

SPECIAL NOTE: Current and former career SES employees or graduates of a SES Candidate Development Program who have been certified by OPM do NOT need to address the ECQs; however, you must address the

For information and assistance in preparing your narrative statements, please see the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) publication, "A Guide to SES Qualifications," available on the OPM web site at: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/senior-executive-service/reference-materials/guidetosesquals_2012.pdf.

Failure to comply with the specific instructions as stated in this announcement will result in an ineligible rating and removal from further consideration for the position.

Education

The incumbent must possess 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 OR Combination of education and experience -- education equivalent to one of the majors shown above that included at least 24 semester hours in physical science and/or related engineering science, plus appropriate experience or additional education.

This is an Acquisition and Sustainment (A&S) Workforce Critical Acquisition Position (CAP) in the Engineering & Technical Management, Science and Technology functional area. The Executive will be required to become certified in the Practitioner tier within 5 years. The Executive is required to acquire a minimum of 40 continuous learning (CLPs) ever fiscal year as a goal and 80 CLPs being mandatory within 2 years.

Additional information

The Executive of this position is subject to the Standards of Ethical Conduct for Employees of the Executive Branch, as well as the criminal conflict of interest statutes in addition to 5 CFR 2638.103, Government Ethics Responsibilities of Supervisors.

REEMPLOYED ANNUITANTS: https://www.dtic.mil/whs/directives/corres/pdf/1400.25- V300.pdf

SELECTIVE SERVICE REQUIREMENT: If you are a male born after December 31, 1959, and are at least 18 years of age, civil service employment (5 U.S.C. 3328) requires that you must be registered with the Selective Service System, unless you meet certain exemptions under Selective Service law. If you are required to register but knowingly and willfully fail to do so, you are ineligible for appointment by executive agencies of the Federal Government.

How you will be evaluated

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

Human Resources will review your resume and supporting documents, for the quality and extent of your total accomplishments, experience and education as it relates to the fundamental competencies, identified below. Your application package will be evaluated by an Executive Evaluation Panel rating and ranking panel, and highly qualified candidates may be contacted for an interview and provide reference checks.

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