This position is located in the Office of Inspector General (OIG), Headquarters, U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), Washington, DC. The incumbent serves as a Supervisory Writer-Editor in the Office of Strategic Communications. This office is the primary point of contact for our writers to assist OIG personnel in a variety of published materials for the Administration, Congress, and the general public.
Summary
This position is located in the Office of Inspector General (OIG), Headquarters, U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), Washington, DC. The incumbent serves as a Supervisory Writer-Editor in the Office of Strategic Communications. This office is the primary point of contact for our writers to assist OIG personnel in a variety of published materials for the Administration, Congress, and the general public.
This job will close when we have received 100 applications which may be sooner than the closing date. Learn more
Salary
$143,913 to - $187,093 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 14
Location
1 vacancy in the following location:
Washington, DC
1 vacancy
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
Yes—This position may be eligible for situational telework. Telework approval will be determined by your immediate supervisor or manager following the agency’s telework policy and guidance. If participating in the telework program, you will be required to sign a telework agreement detailing agency telework policy requirements, working conditions, and expectations for the position.
Travel Required
Occasional travel - Some travel may be required.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Permanent - This is a permanent position.
Work schedule
Full-time - This is a full-time position.
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
14 - The position is at the full performance level.
Current Federal employees serving under a career or career-conditional appointment in the competitive service; former Federal employees with reinstatement eligibility; applicants eligible for appointment under special appointing authorities(Sch A; VEOA, etc.); special selection priority consideration under either the Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP) or Interagency Transition Assistance (ICTAP) Program for well-qualified displaced or surplus candidates within the local commuting area.
Reviews, prepares and coordinates a wide variety of written materials, including reports, testimony, correspondence, as well as highly technical, complex, and/or sensitive materials related to programs and policies of the Department and/or the OIG. Ensures documents are accurate, comprehensive, clear, concise, and consistent and reflect the intent of Government Auditing Standards and DOT and OIG policies, standards, and guidance.
Serves as a chief advisor to senior staff in headquarters and the field on how to clearly and succinctly present technically complex and/or sensitive information for targeted audiences.
Advises the Chief Communications Officer (CCO) and other senior staff about identified weaknesses in product development or processes and proposes solutions to address these weaknesses.
Remains apprised of policies, processes, and other information related to assigned projects and OIG's mission.
Ensures quality and timeliness of OIG products by demonstrating initiative, creativity, and flexibility in conducting work; anticipating and effectively addressing obstacles; and fostering teamwork, collaboration, coordination, and matrixing with a wide variety of internal and external stakeholders, including offices of budget, human resources, legal, government and public affairs, and senior leadership.
In consultation with the CCO and Communications Team, develops and revises, as needed, writing guidance and design templates for products.
In consultation with the CCO, develops and conducts training for OIG personnel on critical thinking, messaging, and writing.
Contributes significantly to the development of OIG’s writing staff and junior Communications Team members in consultation with the CCO.
Serves as a direct supervisor for subordinate writing staff, including setting performance standards and monitoring and evaluating their performance.
In consultation with the CCO, selects and monitors performance of external contractors on tasks related to document production, publication, and accessibility, as needed.
In consultation with the CCO, makes recommendations regarding Communications Team resources and tasks to best address customers’ needs.
In consultation with the CCO, monitors subordinate staff work as needed for timeliness, relevance, quality, and adherence to OIG standards.
Demonstrates effective leadership on assigned projects and within the Communications Team, including helping to resolve problems impacting group's overall goals; assisting in guiding work needed to meet changing requirements, resources, or priorities; and monitoring and enhancing processes and procedures to reflect evolving requirements, efficiencies, and constraints.
Submit application and resume online by 11:59 P.M. EST on the closing date.
This position is subject to a background investigation.
Drug Screening may be required.
Relocation is not authorized.
Federal employees must meet Time-In-Grade (TIG) requirements for merit promotion consideration. TIG is the 52-week requirement Federal employees in competitive service, General Schedule (GS) positions at the GS-5 and above must serve before they are eligible for promotion to the next grade level.
Writing Sample Requirements
Given the primary duties of this position, you are required to provide with your application TWO (2) samples of a product or portion of a product that you have either authored or substantially revised or edited. Examples may include but are not limited to government reports, testimonies, articles or recent publications, congressional or executive correspondence, and speeches. Your sample will be evaluated on the following criteria:
Clear, concise, and convincing presentation of complex information
Appropriate diction, tone, and balance
Logical organization and flow
Correct and/or consistent use of spelling, grammar, punctuation, and style
Please submit TWO (2) writing samples that are at least 5 and no more than 30 pages long. Samples outside of this page range will not be considered. Sample at a minimum should demonstrate your ability to produce a high level of readability.
All documents including your writing sample must be received and eligibility requirements must be met by the closing date of the announcement. Your resume must be well documented with the specialized experience, otherwise you may be deemed ineligible.
To meet the minimum qualifications for this position, you must meet the SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE qualifications for the grade(s) at which you are requesting consideration. Applicants must meet qualifications and time-in-grade requirements by the closing date of this vacancy announcement.
GS-14:
Candidates must have least 1 (one) year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-13 grade level in the Federal Government. Non-governmental experience should be of similar complexity.
Specialized experience is defined as (obtained in either the public or private sectors):
Advising staff and senior leadership on the production of a wide variety of written materials for an oversight agency, including audit reports, testimony, correspondence, speeches, talking points, and fact sheets.
Experience ensuring highly technical, complex, and/or sensitive documents pertaining to topics including government oversight, transportation, infrastructure, financial management, government grants and acquisitions, and cybersecurity are accurate, comprehensive, clear, concise, and consistent with Government Auditing Standards and agency policies, standards, and guidance.
Experience conducting editorial reviews to ensure consistency of mechanics and expression; logical organization, development and support of conclusions; internal consistency; readability; clarity; flow; appropriate tone; adequacy and appropriateness of graphics and tables; correctness of spelling, grammar and punctuation; and compliance with the Government Printing Office Style Manual, OIG style, and Government Auditing Standards issued by the Comptroller General.
Experience supervising staff, to include setting performance standards and monitoring and evaluating performance.
Experience coordinating and reaching consensus with a wide variety of cross-agency stakeholders including offices of budget, human resources, legal, training, government and public affairs, and senior leadership to complete complex communication projects.
Experience selecting and monitoring contractor performance on tasks related to document production, publication, and/or accessibility.
Experience developing and conducting specialized internal training related to writing and editing government reports.
Competencies: Your resume will be evaluated on the following competencies in addition to the specialized experience as stated above:
Writing: Recognizes or uses correct English grammar, punctuation, and spelling; communicates information (for example, facts, ideas, or messages) in a succinct and organized manner; produces written information, which may include technical material that is appropriate for the intended audience.
Communication and Media: Knowledge of the production, communication and dissemination of information and ideas to inform and entertain via written, oral, and visual media.
Reasoning: Identifies rules, principles, or relationships that explain facts, data, or other information; analyzes information and makes correct inferences or draws accurate conclusions.
Oral Communication: Expresses information (for example, ideas or facts) to individuals or groups effectively, taking into account the audience and nature of the information (for example, technical, sensitive, controversial); makes clear and convincing oral presentations; listens to others, attends to nonverbal cues, and responds appropriately.
Decision Making: Makes sound, well-informed, and objective decisions; perceives the impact and implications of decisions; commits to action, even in uncertain situations, to accomplish organizational goals; causes change.
Leadership: Influences, motivates, and challenges others; adapts leadership styles to a variety of situations.
Education
There is no substitution for education at this grade level.
Additional information
THIS ANNOUNCEMENT MAY BE USED TO FILL ADDITIONAL LIKE VACANCIES IN THE ANNOUNCED DUTY LOCATION.
Relocation expenses will not be paid.
Best qualified candidates will be responsible for arranging and paying for their own travel expenses in conjunction with any required interviews, unless they are already employed by the Office of Inspector General at the U. S. Department of Transportation.
The Fair Chance to Compete for Jobs Act prohibits the Department of Transportation and its Operating Administrations from requesting an applicant's criminal history record before that individual receives a conditional offer of employment. In accordance with 5 U.S. Code § 9202(c) and 5 C.F.R § 920.201 certain positions are exempt from the provisions of the Fair Chance to Compete Act. Applicants who believe they have been subjected to a violation of the Fair Chance to Compete for Jobs Act, may submit a written complaint to the Department of Transportation by email at, careers@oig.dot.gov
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.
A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.
Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.
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 for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above and your writing sample.
All applicants: Your application will be reviewed in two phases to determine how you move forward in the hiring process.
Phase I: Your resume will be reviewed to determine your technical qualifications for this position based on the required specialized experience. ONLY two (2) pages of your resume will be reviewed. Additional information beyond your resume (e.g., cover letter, links embedded in your resume) will not be reviewed.
Applicants passing “Phase I” will move on to the “Phase II” of the assessment process where your application will be reviewed and rated based on the KSAs/Competencies listed and your writing sample submission in the vacancy announcement by a Subject Matter Expert (SME). Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g., resume, supporting documents). Applicants who do not respond to the application questions may be rated ineligible and do not provide the necessary documents for the next phase will be rated incomplete.
Supporting documents may either be uploaded or faxed to 571-258-4052. The requested information MUST be received by fax within 48 hours prior to the closing date of the vacancy announcement (not including Saturdays, Sundays or government holidays).
NOTE: If you exaggerate or falsify your experience, education and/or your responses to questions, your ratings are subject to change or you may be removed from employment consideration.
Applicants who fail to submit all the required documentation listed below, in addition to their resumes, will be considered ineligible for further consideration for this announcement.
A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.
Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.
Resume (required) - Your resume must sufficiently describe how your experience fully meets the specialized experience requirements as stated in this announcement for each grade level(s) you are applying (see "Qualifications" section). **Please limit your resume to 2 pages. If more than 2 pages are submitted, only the first 2 pages will be reviewed to determine your qualifications. Your resume must also support your responses to the assessment questionnaire. Credit will be given for paid and unpaid experience. We cannot assume you have performed the experience required for this position regardless of your employment history or academic career. Resume must contain all of the following for each experience/position listed: job title, name of employer, beginning and ending dates of employment (month/year format), hours worked per week, detailed description of duties performed, and if a Federal position, series and grade or equivalent. We will not access web pages linked on your resume to determine your qualifications. Do not include a photograph or video of yourself, or any sensitive information.
PERFORMANCE APPRAISAL -Please submit 1) a copy of your most recent performance appraisal/evaluation (documented within the last 18 months of employment) and 2) a list of any awards (e.g., superior performance awards, special act or achievement awards, quality step increase, etc.) you received in the last three years. Any performance appraisal/evaluation and award documentation you provide will be forwarded to the selecting official. The selecting official will review this documentation and give it due weight consideration during the selection process. If you do not have your most recent performance appraisal/evaluation, please submit a statement as to why it is unavailable and indicate if any prior performance appraisals/evaluations were at a satisfactory or above level.
Merit Promotion - All current Federal employees must submit a recent Notification of Personnel Action (SF-50) documenting proof of competitive status, tenure, current grade level and full performance level of the position held. All reinstatement eligibles/former Federal employees must submit a SF-50 documenting proof of competitive status, tenure, grade level and full performance level of the position.
DO NOT submit an award SF-50 as these often do not verify grade or eligibility. For consideration for a promotion, Box 4 of the SF-50 must show a date that is at least 52 weeks prior to the job announcement closing. We recommend submitting your last promotion SF-50, current SF-50 or within-grade increase SF-50. Pay adjustment raise SF-50s for the current year will not support the 52 weeks’ time-in-grade requirements. https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/working-in-government/service/SF-50/
Non-competitive eligibles - If requesting concurrent consideration for Non-competitive (NC) appointment eligibility, you must provide the appropriate SPECIAL APPOINTING AUTHORITY DOCUMENTS, such as PCS orders (military spouse) describing move & marriage certificate; letter from VA or DD214 describing 100% disability of spouse; letter from State Vocational Office certifying disability (schedule A), etc. For more information, visit military spouse NC appointments or Persons with Disabilities NC appointments.
DD-214 and/or Vet Letter/SF-15 or VEOA - To receive consideration including veteran's preference points, all veterans must submit a copy of their DD-214 (copy Member #4). If you are claiming 10-point preference, you must submit your SF-15 (revised 12/04) and Vet letter. The form is available at http://www.opm.gov/forms/html/sf.asp. If you are a current service member, in lieu of a DD-214, you may submit a statement from your military personnel center certifying the nature and dates of your service and expected date of separation.
SCHEDULE A - To receive consideration for Schedule A appointment, you must submit your certification from a State Vocational Rehabilitation Office or the Department of Veterans Affairs that you are likely to succeed in the performance of the position.
CTAP/ICTAP - If requesting consideration under the Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP) or Interagency CTAP program (ICTAP), you must meet the well qualified standards for this vacancy (meeting minimum requirements for position and scoring at least an 80) and provide all the following documents:
your most recent performance appraisal,
the proof of eligibility letter from the Agency, and
your most current SF-50, displaying current series and grade.
Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.
Applications submitted via WWW.USAJOBS.GOV must be received before midnight eastern time on the closing date of the announcement. No extensions will be granted. If you fail to submit a COMPLETE on-line resume, you WILL NOT be considered for this position. Please make sure that the responses provided in the questionnaire are fully supported by your resume, that your resume is detailed and you have highlighted your most relevant experience for this position (to include starting and ending dates of employment for each position held), and education (if applicable) as it relates to this job opportunity. If you fail to provide this information, it may result in you being rated "ineligible" or "not qualified" for this position.
If you exaggerate or falsify your experience, education and/or your responses to questions, your ratings are subject to change or you may be removed from employment consideration. Applicants who do not respond to the application questions will be rated ineligible.
If applying on-line poses a hardship to any applicant, the Servicing Personnel Office listed on the announcement will provide assistance to ensure that applications are submitted on-line by the closing date. Applicants must contact the Servicing Human Resources Office PRIOR TO THE CLOSING DATE to speak to someone who can provide assistance for on-line submission. Requests for extensions will not be granted.
DOT, OFFICE OF THE INSPECTOR GENERAL
1200 New Jersey Ave SE
Washington, District of Columbia 20590
United States
Next steps
Once your complete application is received, we will conduct an evaluation of your qualifications and determine your ranking. The most highly qualified candidates will be referred to the hiring manager for further consideration and possible interview. You will be notified of your application status by the servicing human resources specialist via e-mail. It is essential that you have a current e-mail address on file and remove any restrictions from your e-mail account that may prohibit our contacting you via e-mail. You may also check the status of your application at WWW.USAJOBS.GOV.
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
Resume (required) - Your resume must sufficiently describe how your experience fully meets the specialized experience requirements as stated in this announcement for each grade level(s) you are applying (see "Qualifications" section). **Please limit your resume to 2 pages. If more than 2 pages are submitted, only the first 2 pages will be reviewed to determine your qualifications. Your resume must also support your responses to the assessment questionnaire. Credit will be given for paid and unpaid experience. We cannot assume you have performed the experience required for this position regardless of your employment history or academic career. Resume must contain all of the following for each experience/position listed: job title, name of employer, beginning and ending dates of employment (month/year format), hours worked per week, detailed description of duties performed, and if a Federal position, series and grade or equivalent. We will not access web pages linked on your resume to determine your qualifications. Do not include a photograph or video of yourself, or any sensitive information.
PERFORMANCE APPRAISAL -Please submit 1) a copy of your most recent performance appraisal/evaluation (documented within the last 18 months of employment) and 2) a list of any awards (e.g., superior performance awards, special act or achievement awards, quality step increase, etc.) you received in the last three years. Any performance appraisal/evaluation and award documentation you provide will be forwarded to the selecting official. The selecting official will review this documentation and give it due weight consideration during the selection process. If you do not have your most recent performance appraisal/evaluation, please submit a statement as to why it is unavailable and indicate if any prior performance appraisals/evaluations were at a satisfactory or above level.
Merit Promotion - All current Federal employees must submit a recent Notification of Personnel Action (SF-50) documenting proof of competitive status, tenure, current grade level and full performance level of the position held. All reinstatement eligibles/former Federal employees must submit a SF-50 documenting proof of competitive status, tenure, grade level and full performance level of the position.
DO NOT submit an award SF-50 as these often do not verify grade or eligibility. For consideration for a promotion, Box 4 of the SF-50 must show a date that is at least 52 weeks prior to the job announcement closing. We recommend submitting your last promotion SF-50, current SF-50 or within-grade increase SF-50. Pay adjustment raise SF-50s for the current year will not support the 52 weeks’ time-in-grade requirements. https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/working-in-government/service/SF-50/
Non-competitive eligibles - If requesting concurrent consideration for Non-competitive (NC) appointment eligibility, you must provide the appropriate SPECIAL APPOINTING AUTHORITY DOCUMENTS, such as PCS orders (military spouse) describing move & marriage certificate; letter from VA or DD214 describing 100% disability of spouse; letter from State Vocational Office certifying disability (schedule A), etc. For more information, visit military spouse NC appointments or Persons with Disabilities NC appointments.
DD-214 and/or Vet Letter/SF-15 or VEOA - To receive consideration including veteran's preference points, all veterans must submit a copy of their DD-214 (copy Member #4). If you are claiming 10-point preference, you must submit your SF-15 (revised 12/04) and Vet letter. The form is available at http://www.opm.gov/forms/html/sf.asp. If you are a current service member, in lieu of a DD-214, you may submit a statement from your military personnel center certifying the nature and dates of your service and expected date of separation.
SCHEDULE A - To receive consideration for Schedule A appointment, you must submit your certification from a State Vocational Rehabilitation Office or the Department of Veterans Affairs that you are likely to succeed in the performance of the position.
CTAP/ICTAP - If requesting consideration under the Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP) or Interagency CTAP program (ICTAP), you must meet the well qualified standards for this vacancy (meeting minimum requirements for position and scoring at least an 80) and provide all the following documents:
your most recent performance appraisal,
the proof of eligibility letter from the Agency, and
your most current SF-50, displaying current series and grade.
Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.
Applications submitted via WWW.USAJOBS.GOV must be received before midnight eastern time on the closing date of the announcement. No extensions will be granted. If you fail to submit a COMPLETE on-line resume, you WILL NOT be considered for this position. Please make sure that the responses provided in the questionnaire are fully supported by your resume, that your resume is detailed and you have highlighted your most relevant experience for this position (to include starting and ending dates of employment for each position held), and education (if applicable) as it relates to this job opportunity. If you fail to provide this information, it may result in you being rated "ineligible" or "not qualified" for this position.
If you exaggerate or falsify your experience, education and/or your responses to questions, your ratings are subject to change or you may be removed from employment consideration. Applicants who do not respond to the application questions will be rated ineligible.
If applying on-line poses a hardship to any applicant, the Servicing Personnel Office listed on the announcement will provide assistance to ensure that applications are submitted on-line by the closing date. Applicants must contact the Servicing Human Resources Office PRIOR TO THE CLOSING DATE to speak to someone who can provide assistance for on-line submission. Requests for extensions will not be granted.
DOT, OFFICE OF THE INSPECTOR GENERAL
1200 New Jersey Ave SE
Washington, District of Columbia 20590
United States
Next steps
Once your complete application is received, we will conduct an evaluation of your qualifications and determine your ranking. The most highly qualified candidates will be referred to the hiring manager for further consideration and possible interview. You will be notified of your application status by the servicing human resources specialist via e-mail. It is essential that you have a current e-mail address on file and remove any restrictions from your e-mail account that may prohibit our contacting you via e-mail. You may also check the status of your application at WWW.USAJOBS.GOV.
Fair and transparent
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
