This position is located in the Applied Research and Methods, Center for Library Science (CLS). CLS analysts and librarians support GAO research needs by conducting research for audit work, including: developing strategies and methodologies for searches, developing subject-specific information guides, teaching classes on research and the use of information, creating guidance on the evaluation and use of information, serving the public, and curating information and data collections. Visit: ARM
Summary
This position is located in the Applied Research and Methods, Center for Library Science (CLS). CLS analysts and librarians support GAO research needs by conducting research for audit work, including: developing strategies and methodologies for searches, developing subject-specific information guides, teaching classes on research and the use of information, creating guidance on the evaluation and use of information, serving the public, and curating information and data collections. Visit: ARM
Current, permanent employees of GAO.
Job locations are based on agency needs. Generally, you will remain in your current official duty station if selected. If you have an approved Flexible Work Agreement and are selected for promotion, you must complete and submit a new flexible work application for approval. Your new flexible work arrangement will be reviewed and decided based on Agency policy governing these arrangements. You may have a 90-day waiting period to submit a new arrangement.
The Center for Library Science (CLS) is seeking an experienced professional to serve as Assistant Director responsible for overseeing the completion of engagements designed to evaluate the effectiveness and efficiency of government programs and operations; and supporting mission teams in finding, managing and facilitating access to quality information, using information to advance decision making, and conducting research in accordance with GAO and professional standards. Duties include, but are not limited to:
- Advises and/or assists teams in selecting and implementing appropriate research strategies and techniques, for engagements in accordance with GAO standards, e.g., EAGLE, GAGAS, and professional social science standards.
- Supports ARM Directors and Managing Director by serving as a quality assurance point for final products when appropriate. As required, serves in an oversight role on ARM-led engagements and projects.
- Provides consultation and support on engagement design, information/data collection, and analysis for engagements based on requests from congressional committees and mandates written into legislation, resolutions, and committee reports.
- Designs and leads portions of complex engagements and carries out sophisticated literature, information, or data-base searching, utilizing library science methodologies.
- Represents the team and agency as a subject matter expert on library and information science related methodologies, include the identification and use of external studies and appropriate use of information on complex engagements.
- Anticipates information needs of engagement team members and Congressional clients and facilitates making information readily available. Leads or supports efforts to procure critical
information resources and products, including data needed for engagements and business solutions. - May serve as a Designated Performance Manager (DPM) responsible for supervising, evaluating and documenting work performance of assigned staff. Identifies training and developmental needs and makes provisions for training as required by performance expectations. Coaches staff in skills development, oversees individual development activities, and provides opportunities to develop increased capabilities through a variety of projects and assignments. Hears and resolves employee complaints, recommends disciplinary measures such as warnings and reprimands, and recommends other action in more serious cases. Refers unresolved grievances or more serious complaints to higher-level management.
- Applies knowledge of emerging trends and issues in discovery, metadata, and user behavior to inform methodologies and enhance data collection and presentation for engagement teams.
- Applies expert knowledge of library principles of organization, categorization, preservation and representation in a digital environment in order to improve discoverability and access to literature, information, and data.
- Develops and translates requests for various types of information or data into specific requirements and work statements. Supports the management of the acquisitions workflow consistent with timelines and guidance as outlined by GAO Acquisition Management. Maintains accurate acquisitions records, completes invoice payments, processes claims and replacements for missing items, and works with General Counsel to review and negotiate license agreements.
- Engages in knowledge transfer including formal instruction and training and informal contributions to individual and team learning as needed.
- Establishes and develops productive relationships with internal and external parties, proactively and effectively fostering teamwork, collaboration, coordination, and matrixing; proactively and effectively represents GAO as a technical or subject matter expert to clients, agencies, or other audiences.
You must meet all qualification requirements before the announcement closes.
Qualifications
You must have 1 year (52 weeks) of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower band or level equivalent to the GS-14 in the Federal Service, or comparable private/public sector experience which has equipped you with the skills and knowledge to successfully perform the duties of the position. Specialized experience for this position is defined as:
- Expert knowledge of the theories and techniques of library and information science to advise on the selection and implementation of research strategies and techniques, and resolve complex research problems;
- Demonstrated experience leading or overseeing the design of complex engagements involving sophisticated literature, information, or data-base searching utilizing library science methodologies;
- Experience applying a wide range of qualitative and quantitative methods for assessment and improvement of complex management processes and systems;
- Demonstrated ability to manage all aspects of an engagement consistent with GAO standards (e.g., Electronic Assistance Guide for Leading Engagements (EAGLE), Generally Accepted Government Auditing Standards (GAGAS) and professional social science standards.
Education
There is no education requirement for this position.
Additional information
This is not a bargaining unit position.
OPTION FOR ADDITIONAL SELECTIONS: Based on the staffing needs, additional selections may be made through this vacancy announcement.
Travel and relocation expenses will not be paid for by the GAO.
REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION: GAO provides reasonable accommodations to applicants and employees with disabilities. To request accommodation, please email ReasonableAccommodations@gao.gov.
The U.S. Government Accountability Office's policy is to provide equal employment opportunity for all regardless of race, religion, color, sex (including pregnancy), national origin, age, disability, genetic information, sexual orientation, or gender identity.
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.
If you meet the qualification requirements stated, you will be further rated based on your responses to the vacancy questions. Please make sure that your responses to the vacancy questions are supported in your resume. Please follow all instructions carefully. If you provide incomplete answers, fail to provide a narrative response to any vacancy question(s) that requires further explanation, or if your response to a vacancy question is "see resume", your rating may be affected or you may be determined ineligible.
Your qualifications will be evaluated on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities and other characteristics):
Administration and Management, Managing Human Resources, Partnering, Research, Technical Credibility, and Technology Awareness
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.
To apply for this position, you must submit a complete Application Package which includes:
- RESUME:You are encouraged to use the USAJOBS resume builder to create your resume. In describing your experience, please be clear and specific. In addition to describing duties performed, you must provide the exact dates of each period of employment (from MM/YY to MM/YY) and the number of hours worked per week. We will not make assumptions regarding your experience. Failure to provide this information may result in disqualification.
Update your resume so it meets new resume requirements:
Starting on September 27, 2025, federal agencies will only accept resumes up to two pages in length to comply with the Merit Hiring Plan. USAJOBS will not allow you to upload or build resumes longer than two pages, and you will need to update the resumes in your profile before applying to a job.
What is required in the resume?
Resumes submitted for federal jobs are required to have:
Contact Information-your name and the best way to contact you.
Relevant work experience-Job experience should include employer name, job title, start and end dates (month/year), the number of hours worked per week and descriptions that explain how your previous work experience relates to and helps you meet the required qualifications in the GAO job announcement to which you are applying.
Education, certifications or licensures - If the job announcement requires any education, certifications or licensures, make sure you include the required information on the resume.
- SF-50: You must submit a copy of your most recent Notification of Personnel Action (SF-50) that indicates your position information (i.e. title, series, grade). Do not submit awards.
If you fail to submit any of the documentation listed above your application will be considered incomplete, and will result in loss of consideration.
If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:
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.
To apply for this position, you must complete the online application and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section below.
A complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on the closing date of the announcement to receive consideration.
- To begin, click Apply to access the online application. You will need to be logged into your USAJOBS account to apply. If you do not have a USAJOBS account, you will need to create one before beginning the application.
- Follow the prompts to select your résumé and/or other supporting documents to be included with your application package. You will have the opportunity to upload additional documents to include in your application before it is submitted. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process.
- After acknowledging you have reviewed your application package, complete the Include Personal Information section as you deem appropriate and click to continue with the application process.- You will be taken to the online application which you must complete in order to apply for the position. Complete the online application, verify the required documentation is included with your application package, and submit the application.
To verify the status of your application, log into your USAJOBS account (https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login), all of your applications will appear on the Welcome screen. The Application Status will appear along with the date your application was last updated. For information on what each Application Status means, visit: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/how-to/application/status/.
For technical issue with USAJOBS: Please refer to the USAJOBS help page.
Government Accountability Office
Human Capital Office
441 G Street NW
Washington, DC 20548
US
Next steps
After the closing date of this announcement, GAO's Human Capital Office will conduct an evaluation of your qualifications by reviewing your assessment questionnaire and resume to complete an analysis. Please be as complete and thorough as possible. If your application is rated "best-qualified," your name will be referred to the selecting official for consideration. At this point you may be contacted for an interview. This process may take up to 30 days.
If you do not meet the key requirements and/or basic qualifications or you fail to submit all required application materials, your application will not be considered.
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
To apply for this position, you must submit a complete Application Package which includes:
- RESUME:You are encouraged to use the USAJOBS resume builder to create your resume. In describing your experience, please be clear and specific. In addition to describing duties performed, you must provide the exact dates of each period of employment (from MM/YY to MM/YY) and the number of hours worked per week. We will not make assumptions regarding your experience. Failure to provide this information may result in disqualification.
Update your resume so it meets new resume requirements:
Starting on September 27, 2025, federal agencies will only accept resumes up to two pages in length to comply with the Merit Hiring Plan. USAJOBS will not allow you to upload or build resumes longer than two pages, and you will need to update the resumes in your profile before applying to a job.
What is required in the resume?
Resumes submitted for federal jobs are required to have:
Contact Information-your name and the best way to contact you.
Relevant work experience-Job experience should include employer name, job title, start and end dates (month/year), the number of hours worked per week and descriptions that explain how your previous work experience relates to and helps you meet the required qualifications in the GAO job announcement to which you are applying.
Education, certifications or licensures - If the job announcement requires any education, certifications or licensures, make sure you include the required information on the resume.
- SF-50: You must submit a copy of your most recent Notification of Personnel Action (SF-50) that indicates your position information (i.e. title, series, grade). Do not submit awards.
If you fail to submit any of the documentation listed above your application will be considered incomplete, and will result in loss of consideration.
If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:
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.
To apply for this position, you must complete the online application and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section below.
A complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on the closing date of the announcement to receive consideration.
- To begin, click Apply to access the online application. You will need to be logged into your USAJOBS account to apply. If you do not have a USAJOBS account, you will need to create one before beginning the application.
- Follow the prompts to select your résumé and/or other supporting documents to be included with your application package. You will have the opportunity to upload additional documents to include in your application before it is submitted. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process.
- After acknowledging you have reviewed your application package, complete the Include Personal Information section as you deem appropriate and click to continue with the application process.- You will be taken to the online application which you must complete in order to apply for the position. Complete the online application, verify the required documentation is included with your application package, and submit the application.
To verify the status of your application, log into your USAJOBS account (https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login), all of your applications will appear on the Welcome screen. The Application Status will appear along with the date your application was last updated. For information on what each Application Status means, visit: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/how-to/application/status/.
For technical issue with USAJOBS: Please refer to the USAJOBS help page.
Government Accountability Office
Human Capital Office
441 G Street NW
Washington, DC 20548
US
Next steps
After the closing date of this announcement, GAO's Human Capital Office will conduct an evaluation of your qualifications by reviewing your assessment questionnaire and resume to complete an analysis. Please be as complete and thorough as possible. If your application is rated "best-qualified," your name will be referred to the selecting official for consideration. At this point you may be contacted for an interview. This process may take up to 30 days.
If you do not meet the key requirements and/or basic qualifications or you fail to submit all required application materials, your application will not be considered.
Fair and transparent
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
