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Assistant Director, Construction Management Branch

Legislative Branch
Architect of the Capitol

Summary

The position is located in the Architect of the Capitol (AOC), Office of the Chief Engineer (OCE), Director, Construction Management Division (CMD). The incumbent serves as Assistant Director of the Construction Management Division, Construction Management Branch (CMB) and serves as an assistant to the Director of CMD and advises the Office of the Chief Engineer on large size construction project delivery matters relating to new and historic buildings under the stewardship of the AOC.

Overview

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Accepting applications
Open & closing dates
01/16/2026 to 02/03/2026
Salary
$169,279 to - $197,200 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 15
Location
Washington, DC
1 vacancy
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Travel Required
Not required
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Permanent - Permanent Appointment, Full-time
Work schedule
Full-time - This is an Excepted Service position and does not require or confer Civil Service Competitive Status
Service
Excepted
Promotion potential
15
Supervisory status
Yes
Security clearance
Not Required
Drug test
No
Position sensitivity and risk
Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk
Trust determination process
Bargaining unit status
No
Announcement number
OCE-2026-044
Control number
854723400

This job is open to

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Clarification from the agency

See Requirements section of this announcement for information on who may apply. Please be advised that federal retired annuitant candidates may only be considered as a temporary employee if the role can be filled in that capacity.

Duties

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The incumbent assists in balancing the needs of a wide range of stakeholders, including AOC Jurisdiction leadership, Congressional leadership, oversight and appropriation committees, individual Members of Congress, congressional staff and congressional constituents.

MAJOR DUTIES:

Supervisory and Managerial Responsibilities (40%)

Performs administrative and technical supervisory functions for subordinates. Assigns duties and evaluates performance. Manages the organizational unit’s budget and workload. 

Provides leadership to ensure support for equal employment opportunity (EEO) goals and requirements.

Excellent interpersonal skills are necessary to interact with AOC staff, senior staff, officials from other agencies and the general public. Demonstrates skill in developing and delivering oral and written presentations as well as making recommendations on management issues in concise and convincing language.

Demonstrates the ability to bring about strategic change, both within and outside the organization, to meet organizational goals. Establishes and implements an organizational vision in a continuously changing environment. Leads people toward meeting the organization's vision, mission and goals. Provides an inclusive workplace that fosters the development of others. 

Construction Management (50%)

Establishes Branch strategic objectives, requirements and objectives for projects ranging in size, budget, and difficulty. Oversees Branch program execution including development and review of project status, progress and metrics. Provides management guidance and direction, advice and decisions. Sets workload conditions and plans resources to meet agency goals and ensures projects are delivered safely on schedule, within budget and scope. 

Monitors Branch fiscal progress. Directs the allocation of project resources in accordance with strategic and operational plans. Analyzes deviations and problems and develops solutions to ensure commitments are met. Directs the preparation, compilation, review, analysis and submission of all program data required for budget and oversight congressional committees. 

Ensures contactor services comply with quantitative and qualitative requirements, and specifications. Develops methodology to reduce project costs and schedules. Oversees construction execution and progress reports to respond to third party inquiries, including the General Accountability Office and Office of Inspector General.

Oversees the management of project planning and design execution responsibility for construction, commissioning, and close-out to ensure integration and coordination within established time frames. 

Conducts periodic Branch program review and analysis briefings to compare progress with objectives and established milestones. Identifies areas where slippage is occurring and determines causes and required corrective action to realign with established schedules. 

Mentors and provides guidance for functional managers to facilitate the effective resolution of technical problems, conflicts and controversial issues. Oversees plan reviews and specifications for consistencies and ensures they are adaptable to site and other conditions. 

Ensures customers are informed of the status of work and budgets. Conducts periodic coordination meetings and program reviews to ensure full understanding and communication on critical project issues, budget and schedules.

Serves as a senior customer interface on construction project matters, in close coordination with AOC Procurement on contractual related activities performed by or on behalf of OCE staff. Attends pre-bid and post-bid conferences to discuss and clarify principal construction features and problems anticipated due to site conditions. 

Ensures construction activities align with environmental standards and sustainability goals.

Identifies potential project risks and implements mitigation measures throughout the project. Advises senior leadership on risk exposure and proposes prevention strategies.

Implements business measures for construction projects and sets additional specific goals for Capitol complex initiatives using a metric-driven approach.

Contractor Oversight (10%)

Monitors contract administration activities. Provides for technical and/or administrative support as necessary. Collaborates with functional staff (i.e., engineering, planning and design, construction, contracting, resource management, etc.) to ensure accurate and efficient administration and close-out of contracts.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • You must be a U.S. Citizen.
  • You must meet the definition of specialized experience.
  • You must possess a bachelor's degree or higher.
  • Your resume and question answers must demonstrate the job-related KSAs.

To be employed by the Architect of the Capitol in a paid position, an individual must meet one of the categories below:

A citizen of the United States;
A person who is lawfully admitted for permanent residence and is seeking citizenship as outlined in 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3)(B);
A person who is admitted as a refugee under 8 U.S.C. 1157 or is granted asylum under 8 U.S.C. 1158 and has filed a declaration of intention to become a lawful permanent resident and then a citizen when eligible;
A person who owes allegiance to the United States (nationals of American Samoa, Swains Island, and the Northern Mariana Islands, and nationals who meet other requirements described in 8 U.S.C. 1408); or
A person who is currently an officer or employee of the Government of the United States.

Qualifications

You must meet the United States Office of Personnel Management's (OPM) qualification requirements (including specialized experience and/or educational requirements) for the advertised position. You must meet all eligibility and qualifications requirements by the closing date of the job announcement. Additional information on the qualification requirements is outlined in the OPM Qualifications Standards Handbook of General Schedule Positions. It is available for your review on the OPM web site at OPM qualification standards
 
Specialized experience is experience that has equipped you with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the position to be filled. To be creditable, specialized experience must have been equivalent to at least the next lower grade level.
 
Candidates for the GS-15 grade level must have at least 52 weeks of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-14 grade level in the Federal service.

Specialized experience is defined as experience: (1) Planning, organizing and administering a multi-million dollar construction management program; (2) Supervising a construction management workforce to include performance management evaluations; (3) Advising and providing solutions to senior level management on major issues on construction projects and complex problems that cross organizational boundaries; (4) Serving as Contracting Officer Technical Representative (COTR), or equivalent, on assigned construction and consulting contracts; (5) Monitoring and inspecting contractor performance to ensure that the entire scope of the contract is performed and all quality requirements specified are in strict compliance; and (6) Recommending improvements in design and efficiencies, reducing changes to the contract, and enhancing operations.

Education

Special Instructions for Foreign Education

Education completed outside of the United States must be deemed equivalent to that gained in conventional/accredited U.S. education programs to be acceptable for Federal employment.

Qualifying education from colleges and universities in foreign countries must be evaluated in terms of equivalency to that acquired in U.S. colleges and universities. Applicants educated in whole or in part of foreign countries must submit sufficient evidence, including transcripts, to an accredited private organization for an equivalency evaluation of course work and degree.

You must provide a copy of the letter containing the results of the equivalency evaluation with a course-by-course listing if selected.

Additional information

Welcome Veterans. The Veterans Employment Opportunities Act of 1998 (VEOA) gives veterans' preference rights in the legislative branch to certain veterans as applied by the Congressional Accountability Act. Veterans' preference is applied on this vacancy announcement. If you are a veteran and have been separated under honorable conditions, you must submit a copy of your DD-214 or other proof of eligibility; SF-15, if applicable; and Department of Veterans Affairs documentation of disability, if applicable. For more information, please visit OPM vet guide

If you are a male applicant born after December 31, 1959, you must certify that you have registered with the Selective Service System. If you are exempt from registration under Selective Service Law, you must provide appropriate proof of exemption. Please visit the Selective Service System website for more information.

DRUG TESTING: The Architect of the Capitol (AOC) is a Drug Free Workplace. As part of the AOC’s suitability assessment, a candidate tentatively selected for a position who is not currently an AOC employee is required to submit to screening for illegal drug use. Satisfactory completion of a drug test is a condition of employment with the Agency. A candidate must test negative prior to being eligible for appointment into a position. We will schedule, provide and cover the cost for the drug test.
 
The selectee(s) under the vacancy announcement for this position is subject to a criminal record check by the U.S. Capitol Police and satisfactory adjudication to be eligible for employment at the Architect of the Capitol.
 
The Architect of the Capitol is an E-VERIFY Participant. E-VERIFY is an Internet-based system that compares information from an employee's Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification, to data from U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Social Security Administration records to confirm employment authorization in the United States. If you are selected for this position, the documentation that you present for purposes of completing the DHS Form I-9 will be verified through the DHS "E-VERIFY" electronic system. For more information on E-Verify, please visit http://www.dhs.gov/files/programs/gc_1185221678150.shtm

The Architect of the Capitol is an Equal Opportunity Employer and prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, age, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information and/or disability.

This agency provides reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process, please notify the agency. The decision on granting reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis.
 
Moving expenses are not authorized.
 
Relocation expenses are not authorized.
 
Probationary Period A newly appointed selectee is subject to the completion of a one-year trial/probationary period, regardless of whether or not a trial/probationary period has been completed previously with the Architect of the Capitol or another Federal agency.

This vacancy announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies in any of the jurisdictions of the Architect of the Capitol.

All application materials become the property of the Architect of the Capitol.

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

How you will be evaluated

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

Review your resume and responses carefully. Your eligibility for consideration and qualifications for the position will be determined based upon a review of your detailed resume and your responses to job specific self-assessment questions. 

Your resume will be evaluated based on evidence of your ability to demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) for this position, possession of any specialized experience, and how well your background and experience relates to the self-assessment questions in the job announcement. The self-assessment questions relate to the following knowledge, skills, abilities, and competencies:

1: LEADERSHIP/SUPERVISION

2: CONSTRUCTION PROJECT MANAGEMENT

3: WRITTEN COMMUNICATION

4: ORAL COMMUNICATION

5: PROBLEM SOLVING

6: INFLUENCING/NEGOTIATING

Your responses to the self-assessment questions serve as the basis for your initial rating. You will receive a numerical score based on your responses to these questions.  Next, your responses will be evaluated by a Human Resources Specialist and/or a subject matter expert against the information provided in your resume and optional cover letter. Your resume must support your answers to the self-assessment questions. Falsifying your background, education and/or experience is cause for non-selection or disqualification from further consideration.

Please note that a complete application is required for consideration. (Please review the “Required Documents” section of this job announcement to see what must be included in a complete application).


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