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Legislative Affairs Specialist (Congressional Appropriations)

Department of Homeland Security
Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency
Office of the Chief External Affairs Officer-OCEAO
This job announcement has closed

Summary

Who May Be Considered:

View common definitions of terms found in this announcement.

Overview

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Reviewing applications
Open & closing dates
07/19/2024 to 08/01/2024
This job will close when we have received 100 applications which may be sooner than the closing date. Learn more
Salary
$82,764 to - $153,354 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 11 - 13
Location
1 vacancy in the following location:
Arlington, VA
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.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
13
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Secret
Drug test
Yes
Position sensitivity and risk
Noncritical-Sensitive (NCS)/Moderate Risk
Trust determination process
Financial disclosure
Yes
Bargaining unit status
No
Announcement number
OCEAO-DE-12461219-24-VM
Control number
800648400

This job is open to

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Clarification from the agency

U.S. Citizens and Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP) / lnteragency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP) eligibles

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Duties

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Typical work assignments include:

  • Develops and leverages strong working relationships, serving as a point of contact with staff of the House and Senate Appropriations Committees.
  • Monitors activities of the House and Senate Appropriations Committees to gather relevant information to an Agency's work on Capitol Hill.
  • Responds to House and Senate staff request for information and coordinates with the respective components/program offices for financial and programmatic inputs.
  • Secures clearance of Congressional briefing and hearing materials by working closely with CISA and DHS offices to gather information.
  • Prepares summaries of relevant Congressional briefings and hearings.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • You must be a U.S. citizen.
  • Complete the initial online assessment and USA Hire Assessment, if required.
  • Selective Service - Males born after 12/31/59 must be registered or exempt from Selective Service see http://www.sss.gov/
  • All Federal employees are required to participate in Direct Deposit/Electronic Funds Transfer for salary payments.
  • DHS uses e-Verify, an Internet-based system, to confirm the eligibility of all newly hired employees to work in the United States. Learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities.
  • You must be able to obtain and maintain a security clearance suitable for Federal employment as determined by a background investigation. This may include a credit check, a review of financial issues, as well as certain criminal offenses and illegal use or possession of drugs.
  • One-year probationary period may be required.
  • This position may be designated as essential personnel. Essential personnel must be able to serve during continuity of operation events without regard to declarations of liberal leave or government closures due to weather, protests, and acts of terrorism or lack of funding. Failure to report for or remain in this position may result in disciplinary or adverse action in accordance with applicable laws, rules, and regulations (5 U.S.C. 7501-7533 and 5 CFR Part 752, as applicable).
  • This position requires a pre-employment drug test. All applicants tentatively selected for this position will be required to submit to a drug test to screen for illicit/illegal drug use prior to receiving a final offer of employment. A final offer of employment is contingent upon a negative drug test result.
  • You are required to submit a Financial Disclosure Statement, OGE-450, (5CFR Part 2634, Subpart I USOGE, 6/08). Executive Branch Personnel Confidential Financial Disclosure Report upon entering the position, as well as annually.
  • Travel required (two days a month).
  • Geographical Restriction 50 miles within Arlington, VA.

Qualifications

To be considered minimally qualified for this position, you must demonstrate that you have the required education and/or experience for the respective grade level in which you are applying.

You qualify for the GS-11 grade level, if you have:
EXPERIENCE: At least one (1) year of specialized experience at the GS-09 grade level (or equivalent) performing the following duties:

  1. Organizing files and trackers for programs and teams; AND
  2. Tracking materials from development through final approval; AND
  3. Drafting summaries of congressional hearings and briefings; AND
  4. Conducting research to produce briefing memos, talking points and issue papers.
OR
EDUCATION:
A.
Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree from an accredited institution that included major study.
OR
B. Three (3) full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree from an accredited institution that included major study in the field of study described in statement "A" above.
OR
C. LL.M. (Master of Laws) degree, if related
OR
COMBINATION OF EXPERIENCE AND EDUCATION: To combine education and experience, determine your total qualifying experience as a percentage by dividing your total months of qualifying experience by 12. Then determine your education as a percentage by dividing the total number of completed graduate education beyond the second year (total graduate education minus 36 semester hours or 54 quarter hours) by 18 semester hours or 27 quarter hours. Finally, add the two percentages. The total percentage must equal at least 100% to qualify at this grade level.

GS-12
You qualify for the GS-12 grade level, if you have:
EXPERIENCE: At least one (1) year of specialized experience at the GS-11 grade level (or equivalent) performing the following duties:
  1. Working closely with congressional staff; AND
  2. Applying appropriations/federal budget process knowledge; AND
  3. Reviewing legislation to determine relevance to the agency; AND
  4. Drafting materials to support agency participation in congressional briefings and hearings.
You qualify for the GS-13 grade level, if you have: EXPERIENCE: At least one (1) year of specialized experience at the GS-12 grade level (or equivalent) performing the following duties:
  1. Acting as a lead point of contact with congressional staff to share priorities and information; AND
  2. Analyzing congressional legislation and reports to understand short- and long-term impacts; AND
  3. Assisting in preparing leaders and staff for participation in congressional briefings and hearings.
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.

All qualification requirements must be met by the closing date of this announcement.

Education

For positions with an education requirement, or if you are qualifying for a position by substituting education or training for experience, you MUST submit a copy of your transcripts or equivalent. Unofficial transcripts will be accepted that includes your name, the name of the educational institution, course title(s), number of credits, grade, and date of completion. An official transcript will be required if you are selected.

Education must be from an accredited institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

Foreign Education: Education completed in foreign colleges or universities may be used to meet the qualification requirements. You must show the education credentials have been evaluated by a private U.S. organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign educational credentials and such education has been deemed equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program. It is your responsibility to provide such evidence with your application. See Recognition of Foreign Qualifications for more information.

Additional information

  • Other incentives may be authorized.
  • 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 job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.
  • This position has been designated excluded from bargaining unit representation under the national security provision of 5 U.S.C. 7112(B)(6).
  • When entering a federal job at a grade level lower than the highest promotion potential level, you may be promoted to more complex duties and work more independently, as your career progresses. NOTE: Career ladder promotions are not automatic, and all eligibility and qualifications requirements must be met in order to progress to the next grade level.
Reasonable Accommodation (RA) Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a RA in your online application. Requests for RA for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for RA must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for RA are made on a case-by-case basis. If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, based on your adjudication decision. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, if you received the link after the close of the announcement. To determine if you need a RA, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments here: https://help.usastaffing.gov/Apply/index.php?title=Reasonable_Accommodations_for_USA_Hire

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.

Shared Certificate: When CISA completes their selections, the remaining list of qualified candidates may be shared with other Federal agencies who are hiring for similar positions. You will have an opportunity to opt-in if you would like your name, application materials, and assessment results shared to be considered for employment with other Federal agencies. There is no guarantee of further consideration, and you can continue to explore other job opportunity announcements.

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 based on how well you meet the qualifications listed in this vacancy announcement. Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g., resume, supporting documents), your responses on the application questionnaire, and your responses to all assessments required for this position. You will be assessed on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics):

  • Attention to Detail
  • Customer Service
  • Decision Making
  • External Awareness
  • Flexibility
  • Integrity/Honesty
  • Interpersonal Skills
  • Interpersonal Skills
  • Learning
  • Problem Solving
  • Quality Management
  • Reading Comprehension
  • Reasoning
  • Self-Management
  • Stress Tolerance
  • Teamwork


Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or application questionnaire may result in your removal from consideration. Cheating on an assessment may also result in your removal from consideration.

Category Rating Procedures: 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 (QRF) 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 SPFs and appropriate QRFs 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.
Interagency/Career Transition Assistance Program (I/CTAP) Eligibles: If you have never worked for the federal government, you are not I/CTAP eligible. View information about I/CTAP eligibility on OPM's Career Transition Resources website. To be considered eligible under I/CTAP, you must be placed in the well-qualified category for this position, as described above. In addition, you must submit the supporting documents listed under the required documents section of this job announcement.

Veterans: Qualified veterans who have a compensable service-connected disability of at least 10% are listed in the best-qualified category, except when the position being filled is scientific or professional at the GS-09 grade level, or higher. (This position is not considered scientific/professional.) Other 10-point preference eligibles and veterans with 5-point preference who meet the eligibility and qualification requirements are placed above non-preference eligibles within the category in which they qualify. View information on https://www.fedshirevets.gov

To preview the application questionnaire, click here: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12461219

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