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Lead Conflict Management Specialist & Organizational Ombuds

Department of the Interior
Office of the Secretary of the Interior
DAS- Administrative Services, Office of Collaborative Action and Dispute Resolution
This job announcement has closed

Summary

The Department of the Interior is devoted to protecting and preserving the natural resources of this great nation, including National Parks, Landmarks, and the well-being of communities, including those of Native American, Alaska Natives and affiliated Islanders.

Overview

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Hiring complete
Open & closing dates
12/12/2024 to 12/16/2024
Salary
$163,964 to - $191,900 per year

First time hires to the federal government typically start at the beginning salary in the range for their respective grade level.

Pay scale & grade
GS 15
Location
1 vacancy in the following location:
Arlington, VA
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Travel Required
25% or less - Some travel will be required within the U.S.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
15
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Not Required
Drug test
No
Position sensitivity and risk
Moderate Risk (MR)
Trust determination process
Financial disclosure
No
Bargaining unit status
No
Announcement number
OS-6083-25-CM- 053(DEU)
Control number
823645900

Duties

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This position is located within the Department of the Interior, Department of the Interior, Office of the Secretary, Deputy Assistant Secretary - Administrative Services, Assistant Secretary-Policy, Management, and Budget, Office of Collaborative Action and Dispute Resolution (CADR) located in Arlington, VA.

At the full performance level GS-15 the major duties of this position include, but are not limited to the following:

  1. Leads CADR's CORE PLUS Team, in support of Interior's integrated conflict management system and Department-wide workplace ADR services, facilitating problem-solving and identifying/distributing/balancing workload and tasks among employees. Supports, through facilitative leadership, team/individual needs, checking on work progress and reviewing completed work to ensure the Director's instructions have been met. Represents the team on strategic planning, operational, and administrative matters. Monitors and reports to the CADR Director on the status and progress of specific program areas/issues, team resource and information needs, and team/individual work accomplishments/problems.
  2. Serves as an independent and impartial organizational ombuds, who listens to issues and concerns in confidence, is a source of information and education, offers options for collaboration and conflict resolution, and adheres to the professional ethical principles of organizational ombuds. Mentors other CADR staff on the ombuds role.
  3. Handles requests for impartial assistance from managers and employees in a high case volume environment, providing a safe place for confidential discussions about sensitive situations. Convenes mediations (including for EEO complaints, administrative grievance, and general workplace matters), facilitated dialogues, leadership coaching, group facilitation, and other ADR and informal processes. Maintains a routine in-person presence in client office headquarters locations to regularly interact with leaders, supervisors, and employees and be available for in-person assistance.
  4. Serves as a technical liaison, in collaboration with CADR's Contracting Officer's Representative, for workplace cases and projects to provide substantive practice assistance in developing statements of work, assisting with neutral third-party selection, monitoring performance under task orders, and ensuring high quality service.
  5. Develops high trust relationships and coordinates with CADR's strategic partners including the Solicitor's Office, human resources offices, Office of Diversity, Inclusion, and Civil Rights, EEO offices, budget offices, and others to carry out the CADR mission and support effective conflict prevention, management, and resolution, and collaborative problem solving. Initiates and facilitates discussions between key management officials, union officials, and other stakeholders, to further the integrated conflict management system model and promote information sharing/partnerships on workplace matters.
  6. Develops and delivers trainings on communication, collaboration, and conflict resolution skills, including CADR's standard training offerings, and mentors other trainers. Develops outreach products and uses standard CADR outreach products, and provides communication to and education for bureau and office clients. Plans for and arranges periodic meetings with senior leadership of assigned offices to share observations and information, including aggregate trend data, suggest options for addressing any identified concerns, and solicit their feedback.
  7. Provides oversight for implementation of the CORE PLUS case management system and in developing evaluation and reporting tools and protocols for tracking, evaluating, and reporting on ombuds and other CADR workplace ADR services. Ensures that all ombuds, mediation, facilitation, coaching, and other services are properly tracked in a timely fashion and evaluated according to CADR's evaluation protocols.
  8. Serves as a SME and advisor on the CORE PLUS integrated conflict management system, including the role of organizational ombuds in that system. Provides leadership and technical advice on organizational ombuds practice and on EEO and workplace ADR program administration, including management and staffing of Interior's CORE PLUS ADR practitioner rosters. Recommends revisions to CORE PLUS policies and procedures to the CADR Director and develops such policies and procedures as assigned.
The Office of the Secretary has determined that the duties of this position are suitable for telework and may be allowed to telework with supervisor approval.

Salary Information:
GS-15: $163,964-$191,900 per annum.

First time hires to the Federal government normally start at the lower salary range of the grade level.

This vacancy may be used to fill additional positions as vacancies become available.

This vacancy is also announced as OS-6083-25-CM-054(MP) for those applicants who wish to apply and be considered under Merit Promotion procedures.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  1. You must be a U.S. Citizen.
  2. You will be subject to a background/suitability investigation/determination.
  3. You will be required to have federal payments made by Direct Deposit.
  4. You must submit ALL required documents and a completed questionnaire.
  5. Selective Service: If you are a male applicant born after December 31, 1959, you must certify that you have registered with the Selective Service system, or are exempt from having to do so under the Selective Service Law. See http://www.sss.gov/.

Qualifications

Minimum Qualification Requirements:

To qualify for this position you must meet the Specialized Experience for the series to which you are applying.

Specialized Experience
To qualify for the GS-15, you must possess at least one full year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-14 level in the Federal service, or comparable experience not gained through Federal service. Specialized experience is experience that equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position, and that is in or related to the work of the position to be filled. Specialized experience is defined as demonstrated experience:

1. Leading or supervising a permanent team of Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) practitioners providing conflict management and resolution and collaborative problem-solving services for the workplace, including mediation, group facilitation, organizational ombuds, conflict coaching, and/or training to improve communication;

2. Individually serving a minimum of 180 clients per year as an organizational ombuds for a geographically dispersed (nation-wide or international) client-base within a large organization;

3. Providing ombuds services, including impartial conflict coaching and referrals;

4. Engaging and building trust relationships with program staff and key stakeholders to facilitate the design and operation of an integrated conflict management system within an organization;

5. Developing and delivering training on communication and conflict resolution skills;

6. Working as an independent neutral with managers to improve their organization's supervision, human services, and conflict management system; and

7. Contributing to program policy development related to collaborative action and dispute resolution.
MUST MEET ALL.


Additional information on the qualification requirements is outlined in the OPM Qualification Standards Handbook of General Schedule Positions and is available at OPM's website: https://www.opm.gov/qualifications/standards/indexes/num-ndx.asp

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

Education

This job does not have an education qualification requirement.

Additional information

Applicants who include vulgar, offensive, or inappropriate language or information in their application package will be ineligible for further consideration for this position.

Identification of promotion potential in this announcement does not constitute a commitment or an obligation on the part of management to promote the employee selected at some future date. Promotion will depend upon administrative approval and the continuing need for and performance of higher-level duties.

The application contains information subject to the Privacy Act (P.L. 93-579, 5 USC 552a). The information is used to determine qualifications for employment, and is authorized under Title 5, USC, Section 3302 and 3361.

Important Note: All Department of the Interior (DOI) employees are subject to the conflict of interest restrictions imposed upon all employees of the Executive Branch of the Federal Government and may be required to file a Financial Disclosure Report. In addition, DOI employees, GS-15 and above, who work in the Office of the Secretary; along with the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) and the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) employees (at ALL grade levels), are further restricted concerning their interests in Federal lands and resources administered or controlled by the Department of the Interior. This includes holding stock in energy corporations which lease Federal lands (e.g.: oil, gas, coal, alternative energy resources, etc.). If you have any such investments you should contact the DOI, BOEM or BSEE Ethics Office before accepting employment. DOI employees are held to the highest level of integrity. Employees must be objective and impartial in the performance of their work. All potential issues (e.g.: work-related interactions with friends, family members, or previous employers) must be disclosed at the time of application or during the interview process.

NOTICE: This employer participates in E-Verify and will utilize your Form I-9 information to confirm you are authorized to work in the U.S.
A preliminary background check must be completed before a new employee can begin work with the U.S. Department of the Interior. The preliminary background check consists of a search of Office of Personnel Management and Department of Defense background investigation files and an FBI National Criminal History Fingerprint Check; it may take up to 3 weeks to complete. If selected for this position, you will be extended a tentative offer of employment pending a satisfactory background check. Current Federal employees or individuals with an existing completed background investigation may not be required to undergo another background check; these will be handled on a case-by-case basis in coordination with the Bureau security office.

How you will be evaluated

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

Once the application process is complete, we will review your application to ensure you meet the job requirements. To determine if you are qualified for this job, a review of your resume, supporting documentation and responses to the online questionnaire will be made. Your responses to the online assessment will be used to measure the degree to which your background matches the requirements for this position. You are being evaluated under the Category Rating method, which means, if you are determined to be qualified you will be placed in one of three pre-defined categories. These categories are "Platinum", "Gold", and "Silver". However, your resume must support your responses to the scored occupational questionnaire, or your score may be lowered. Candidates placed in the "Platinum" category will be identified for referral to the hiring manager and may be invited for an interview. Veterans' preference rules for category rating will be applied.

Your answers to the on-line assessment will be used to evaluate your competencies in the following areas:

  • Interpersonal Skills - Shows understanding, friendliness, courtesy, tact, empathy, concern, and politeness to others; develops and maintains effective relationships with others; may include effectively dealing with individuals who are difficult, hostile, or distressed; relates well to people from varied backgrounds and different situations; is sensitive to cultural diversity, race, gender, disabilities, and other individual differences.
  • Leadership - Inspires, motivates and guides others toward goal accomplishment; coaches, mentors, and challenges subordinates; adapts leadership styles to a variety of situations; models high standards of honesty, integrity, trust, openness, and respect for the individual by applying these values to daily behaviors.
  • Planning and Evaluating - Organizes work, sets priorities, and determines resource requirements; determines short- or long-term goals and strategies to achieve them; coordinates with other organizations or parts of the organization to accomplish goals; monitors progress and evaluates outcomes.
  • Technical Competence - Understands and appropriately applies procedures, requirements, regulations, and policies related to specialized expertise (for example, engineering, physical science, law, or accounting); maintains credibility with others on technical matters

If you are a status applicant (current career or career-conditional Federal employee or former permanent Federal employee with reinstatement eligibility in the competitive service), or are eligible under a special appointing authority and you are selected under this vacancy, you may be subject to serving a new one-year probationary period.

To preview the assessment questionnaire click: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12639172

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