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Congressional Outreach Strategist

Department of Homeland Security
U.S. Secret Service
Congressional Affairs Program, Office of Intergovernmental and Legislative Affairs
This job announcement has closed

Summary

Joining the Secret Service, Congressional Affairs Program, Office of Intergovernmental and Legislative Affairs will allow you to serve as an expert on legislative and congressional matters to support Secret Service initiatives and priorities on Capitol Hill.

For more information on the Secret Service click here.

Overview

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Hiring complete
Open & closing dates
05/16/2024 to 05/22/2024
Salary
$139,395 to - $181,216 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 14
Location
1 vacancy in the following location:
Washington, DC
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
Yes—Situational only, as determined by the supervisor and agency policy.
Travel Required
Occasional travel - You may be expected to travel up to 5 nights per month for this position. Regular travel to Capitol Hill is required.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
None
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Top Secret
Drug test
Yes
Position sensitivity and risk
Critical-Sensitive (CS)/High Risk
Announcement number
DE-12335613-24-LW
Control number
791452200

Duties

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The selectee will serve as a Congressional Outreach Strategist in the Office of Intergovernmental and Legislative Affairs. Typical work assignments include:

  1. Assesses and anticipates congressional/political shifts and inclinations to be considered when determining strategic tactics.
  2. Maintains, develops, and advances an updated database of key Congressional members and staff that are active on Secret Service policy issues, identifies their positions and recommends an outreach strategy for each member.
  3. Monitors legislative proceedings to assess and prepare the timing, frequency, and effect of items of interest appearing on congressional agenda, to include attending Congressional hearings in person.
  4. Studies and analyzes proposed legislation under development that involve or impact the Secret Service. Prepares reports, statistical support, and other information that provide clear justification to Congress for Secret Service goals and views. Tracks and monitors legislation to forecast topics of interest or relevance to congressional agenda.
  5. Represents the Secret Service at Congressional hearings, mark-ups (subcommittee and full committee), and committee conferences.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

If selected for this position, you will be required to:

  • You must be a U.S. citizen to apply for this position.
  • One-year probationary period may be required.
  • Males born after 12/31/59 must be registered or exempt from Selective Service (see http://www.sss.gov/).
  • Obtain and maintain a top secret Tier 5 clearance. For more information visit OPM Mythbuster Page here.
  • Submit to a drug test prior to your appointment and random drug testing while you occupy the position.

Qualifications

You qualify for the GS-14 level (starting salary $139,395.00) if you possess one full year of specialized experience comparable in scope and responsibility to the GS-13 level in the Federal service (obtained in either the public or private sectors) performing the following duties:

  1. Analyzing congressional activities to support and/or defend an organization's priorities;
  2. Developing communication strategies on legislation that impacts an organization;
  3. Interfacing with policymakers on matters relating to an organizations' s mission; and
  4. Advising on the management of congressional issues.
NOTE: Your resume must explicitly indicate how you meet this requirement, otherwise you will be found ineligible.

All qualification requirements must be met by the closing date of this announcement. Qualification claims will be subject to verification.

Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community, student, social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

Veterans' Preference: For more information on veterans' preference see: https://www.opm.gov/fedshirevets/veteran-job-seekers/#

Current or Former Political Appointees: The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) must authorize employment offers made to current or former political appointees. If you are currently, or have been within the last 5 years, a political Schedule A, Schedule C, Non-career SES or Presidential Appointee employee in the Executive Branch, you must disclose this information to the Human Resources Office.

Interagency/Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP/CTAP): This program applies to Federal service employees whose positions have been deemed surplus or no longer needed, or employees who have been involuntarily separated from a Federal service position within the competitive service. To receive selection priority for this position, you must: 1) meet eligibility criteria for CTAP or ICTAP; 2) be rated well-qualified for the position; and 3) submit the appropriate documentation to support your CTAP or ICTAP eligibility. Well-Qualified includes those applicants whose knowledge, skills, and abilities clearly exceed the minimum qualification requirements for the position. For information on eligibility criteria and required documentation, go to: http://www.opm.gov/rif/employee_guides/career_transition.

You will often be expected to physically report to capitol hill.

Education

This job does not have an education qualification requirement.

Additional information

Any offers of employment made pursuant to this announcement will be consistent with all applicable authorities, including Presidential Memoranda, Executive Orders, interpretive U.S. Office of Personnel Management guidance and U.S. Office of Management and Budget plans and policies concerning hiring. These authorities are subject to change.

If you receive a conditional offer of employment for this position, you will be required to complete an Optional Form 306, Declaration for Federal Employment, and to sign and certify the accuracy of all information in your application, prior to entry on duty. False statements on any part of the application may result in withdrawal of offer of employment, dismissal after beginning work, fine, or
imprisonment.

This position will require a credit check after a conditional offer of employment has been accepted.

The agency's Telework Policy allows up to 80% telework, which is at the discretion of management and based on roles and responsibilities. Additionally, compressed or flexible work schedules are offered with appropriate approval.

More than one selection may be made from this announcement if additional identical vacancies in the same title, series, grade and unit occur. Applying to this announcement certifies that you give permission for DHS to share your application with others in DHS for similar positions.

DHS uses e-Verify, an Internet-based system, to confirm the eligibility of all newly hired employees to work in the United States.

The Secret Service prohibits employees from having visible body markings (including but not limited to tattoos, body art, and branding) on the head, face, neck, hand and fingers (any area below the wrist bone) (exception: a single conservative and unobtrusive tattoo in the form of a ring is authorized on one finger).

If you are unable to apply online contact Philadelphia@opm.gov.

How you will be evaluated

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

Your application will be rated on the extent and quality of your experience, education and training relevant to the duties of the position. If you meet the minimum qualifications, a score will automatically be calculated based on your answers to the vacancy specific questions to place you in one of three categories. All answers provided in the online process must be substantiated by your resume. Upon review, your resume and/or supporting documents need to support your answer choices and reflect the one year of specialized experience requirement, in order to be considered. If the one year of specialized experience, equivalent to the next lower grade level cannot be identified in your resume, you will be considered not qualified. The competencies or knowledge, skills, and abilities needed to perform this job are:

  • External Awareness
  • Influencing/Negotiating
  • Political Savvy
  • Research


If you meet the minimum qualifications, you will be placed in one of the following categories:
  1. Best-Qualified: Applicants possessing experience that substantially exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position and demonstrate high proficiency in all of the critical competencies, including all Selective Placement Factors (SPF), and appropriate Quality Ranking Factors (ORF) as determined by the job analysis.
  2. Well-Qualified: Applicants possessing experience that exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position and demonstrates acceptable proficiency in all of the critical competencies, including all SPF's and appropriate ORFs as determined by the job analysis.
  3. Qualified: Applicants possessing experience that meets the minimum qualifications of the position and demonstrate basic proficiency in most of the critical competencies, including all SPFs and appropriate QRFs as determined by the job analysis.
The Category Rating Process does not add veteran's preference points but protects the rights of veterans by placing them ahead of non-preference eligibles within each category. Preference eligibles who meet the minimum qualification requirements and who have a compensable service-connected disability of at least 10 percent must be listed in the highest quality category (except in the case of scientific or professional positions at the GS-9 level or higher). This position is not considered scientific/professional. Veteran preference eligibles will receive selection consideration before non-preference eligibles within each quality category.

If you are among the best qualified, you may be referred to the hiring manager for consideration.

An interview may be required for this position. If an interview is required, failure to complete the interview may result in removal from further consideration.

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