Clarification from the agency

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

Major duties and responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

• Provides recommendations and guidance on all related functional, operational, and management activities. Responsible for maintaining awareness and ensuring that assignments and/or commitments are carried out by leveraging various offices within the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering (OUSD(R&E)) and across the DoD for technical advice and assistance.
• Serves as the senior functional authority, architect, implementer, and advisor for integrating all R&E planning, programming, and budgeting activities, as well as for overseeing the efficient functioning of the Department's formal weapons systems acquisition process.
• Integrates the diverse aspects of Defense acquisition into a balanced and coherent program that supports the National Defense Strategy and make the most effective use of resources provided.
• Provides overall direction and integrated analytic support on acquisition resource and long-term investment planning issues to guide R&E in the budgeting phase of the Planning, Programming, Budgeting and Execution System (PPBES).
• Identifies and defines current and long-range research and development and acquisition planning issues where useful precedents do not exist. These activities, which address all acquisition programs, are highly complex and involve detailed analyses as well as extensive interaction within OSD, the Joint Staff, the Military Departments, and the Defense Agencies, and with other government agencies.

Conditions of employment

• You must be a U.S. citizen to qualify for this position.
• 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).
• Submit resume and all other required documents online by 11:59 PM Eastern Standard Time on 05/28/2024
• 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.
• Males born after 12-31-59 must be registered or exempt from Selective Service (see https://www.sss.gov/Home/Registration).
• This is a Critical Acquisition Position. This position requires a Business Financial Management, Advanced, acquisition certification. The incumbent has 48 months to achieve this certification. Selectee must execute, as a condition of appointment, a written agreement to remain in Federal service in the position for at least three years. In signing such agreement, the employee does not forfeit any employment rights, nor does such an agreement alter any other terms or conditions of employment. This critical acquisition position requires certification in the acquisition functional area of Business Financial Management.
• Must be able to obtain and maintain a Level 3 Financial Management Certification.
• 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. The incumbent must possess thorough knowledge of the principles, theories, and methods of economic analysis, and resource management, broad knowledge of DoD and national security organizations and functions. Demonstrated knowledge of the DoD Planning, Programming, Budgeting System, or another Federal financial planning/programming system.
2. Expert knowledge of strategic planning processes and principles. Ability to drive strategic planning, establish effective policies, develop Agency goals and objectives, analyze requirements, set Agency priorities, and translate plans into specific projects or programs.
3. Demonstrated expertise supporting multi-disciplined functional areas to include providing technical expert resource to senior leadership in the interpretation, and applications of specific laws, regulations, and policies. Comprehensive knowledge of current laws and pending legislation that impacts the Federal budget process.

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.