Clarification from the agency

All qualified individuals.

The Assistant Director - Office of Communications (AD-OC) develops policy, advises the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) Directorate, and provides executive leadership and oversight to support the work of FWS through effective communications with internal and external stakeholders. As AD-OC the incumbent is responsible for developing and executing communications strategies for a wide range of audiences; coordination, formulation, and integration of bureau-wide management of Congressional affairs; effective media and partner communications; print and virtual marketing; and internal communications across the bureau. These duties are accomplished through strategic leadership of the following divisions - Congressional Legislative Affairs, Marketing Communications, Partners and Intergovernmental Affairs, and Public Affairs - and in coordination and collaboration with Office of Communications programs supervised in the eight regions across the country.

The Assistant Director - Office of Communications is a member of the National Directorate Team responsible for working with the Director, fellow Assistant Director's, and Regional Directors to provide cross-programmatic, cross-regional leadership that leverages our collective strengths and forwards shared values to benefit the FWS.

Conditions of employment

• Must be a U.S. Citizen or National
• Resume (See "Required Documents"). Failure to provide ALL required information on your resume will result in loss of consideration due to an incomplete application package. It is your responsibility to ensure all information is provided on resume.
• Eligibility and Supporting documents - You will ONLY be considered for the eligibilities that you select "yes" to AND submit the required supporting documentation, as listed in the Required Documents section.
• Drug Testing Position: Selectees tentatively selected for this position will be required to submit to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment.
• Probationary Period: Appointment MAY include a requirement for 1 year Senior Executive Service probationary period.
• Notice of Financial Disclosure Report Requirement: This position is subject to a financial disclosure requirement and you will be required to complete OGE Form 278e as applicable within 30 days of your appointment.
• Suitability for employment, as determined by background investigation.
• Individuals assigned male at birth after 12-31-59 must be registered for Selective Service. To verify registration, visit SSS.gov.

Qualifications

Only experience and education obtained by 02/12/2024 will be considered.

Additionally, applicants MUST demonstrate progressively responsible leadership that is indicative of senior executive level managerial capability as outlined under Executive Core Qualifications and Technical Qualifications. Typically, experience of this nature will have been gained at or above the GS-15 grade level in the federal service or its equivalent with state or local governments, the private sector, or non-governmental organizations.

Unless you are currently serving under a career Senior Executive appointment, are eligible for reinstatement into the Senior Executive Service, or have successfully completed a Senior Executive Service Candidate Development Program approved by the OPM and been certified by the OPM, you must submit a narrative statement covering each of the Executive Core Qualifications and Technical Qualifications listed below. Your examples should be clear and concise, and emphasize your level of responsibilities, scope of complexity of programs managed, program accomplishments with results of your actions, policy initiatives and level of contacts.

The narrative addressing ECQ's must follow the format provided at http://www.opm.gov/ses/recruitment/ecq.asp Narrative statements may not exceed ten (10) pages for ECQ's; TQ's may not exceed six (6) pages.

Technical Qualifications:

1. Describe how you applied your leadership to plan, develop, direct, integrate and coordinate new communications products and solutions for internal and external stakeholders as part of a large, diverse, and geographically dispersed organization. Include the impact your leadership had on the process, the stakeholders, and the long-term outcomes for the organization.
2. Provide specific examples of your experience in directing and working collaboratively to support controversial or sensitive program objectives before Congress, Tribes, national and international organizations, the public, media, government partners, and other stakeholders, including the control, processing and production of correspondence and documents in response to Congressional inquiries, subpoenas, litigation and other inquiries.
3. Describe your experience implementing effective internal and external communications, engagement strategies, and public relations programs and events with employees, the public, Congress, media, Tribes, and various federal, state, and local government agencies.

Executive Core Qualifications:

ECQ 1 - LEADING CHANGE: You must have demonstrated an 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.

Leadership Competencies: Creativity & Innovation, External Awareness, Flexibility, Resilience, Strategic Thinking, Vision

ECQ 2 - LEADING PEOPLE: You must demonstrate 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.

Leadership Competencies: Conflict Management, Leveraging Diversity, Developing Others, Team Building

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.

Leadership Competencies: Accountability, Customer Service, Decisiveness, Entrepreneurship, Problem Solving, Technical Credibility

ECQ 4 - BUSINESS ACUMEN: This ECQ involves the ability to manage human, financial, and information resources strategically.
Leadership Competencies: Financial Management, Human Capital Management, Technology Management

ECQ 5 - BUILDING COALITIONS: This ECQ 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.

Leadership Competencies: Partnering, Political Savvy, Influencing/Negotiating

FUNDAMENTAL COMPETENCIES: The following competencies are the foundation for success in each of the Executive Core Qualifications: Interpersonal Skills, Oral Communication, Integrity/Honesty, Written Communication, Continual Learning, Public Service Motivation.

How you will be evaluated

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

Applicants who meet all the mandatory executive and technical qualifications will be evaluated by a panel of SES members to determine the degree to which they possess each of the listed qualifications. This evaluation will determine which applicants are best qualified. Total background, including experience, education, awards, self-development, and training will be reviewed. This information will be obtained from the application package, including the required narrative statements for the technical and Executive Core Qualifications described above.

All applicants must submit the following in order to receive consideration for this position:

1. A resume. You must include the following information:
- Vacancy announcement number
- Full name, mailing address, and day and evening telephone numbers
- Educational information, including the name, city and state of colleges or universities you attended, as well as the type and year of any degrees received
- Information about your paid and nonpaid work experience related to this position including:
- Job title (include series and grade if Federal job)
- Duties and accomplishments
- Employer's name and address
- Supervisor's name and phone number
- Starting and ending dates of employment (month and year)
- Salary
- Indicate if we may contact your current supervisor
- Information about honors, awards, and special accomplishments

2. A narrative statement addressing each of the Executive and Technical Qualifications - experience (paid and unpaid), education, training, awards, and/or self-development activities as related to each. Each technical qualification and each ECQ must be addressed separately. Narrative statements for the executive core qualifications may NOT exceed ten (10) pages total and narrative statements for the technical qualifications may not exceed six (6) pages total. IF YOU EXCEED THESE LIMITS YOU WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED. PLEASE SUBMIT THESE AS A SEPARATE DOCUMENT IN YOUR APPLICATION, DO NOT ATTACH IT TO YOUR RESUME.

3. Graduates of approved SES Candidate Development Programs must include a copy of the OPM certification of eligibility and a narrative statement addressing only the technical qualifications.

4. Current or former Career SES members must submit documentation of their SES status and a narrative statement addressing only the technical qualifications. NOTE: Non-Career SES members must address the narratives for BOTH the Executive Core Qualifications and the Technical Qualifications.

5. If a current federal employee, a copy of a recent SF-50, Notification of Personnel Action, that indicates Federal status, grade, tenure, and type of service.

6. A copy of your most recent annual performance appraisal (from either the government or private sector).