This position is located in the Applied Research and Methods, Center for Library Science (CLS). CLS 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. To learn more visit: ARM
Summary
This position is located in the Applied Research and Methods, Center for Library Science (CLS). CLS 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. To learn more visit: ARM
Current, permanent employees of GAO.
This position may be filled in any of the locations listed. Pay will be set consistent with the salary range for the location the position is filled in.
The Center for Library Science (CLS) unit is seeking an experienced professional to serve as a research librarian to perform the following:
Provides information and reference and research services requiring expertise in one or more key issue areas required by the GAO teams. Performs research on specialized assignments.
Prepares and develops written guidelines, training guides, or Web-based resources relating to key information sources and provides consultative services relating to information sources in one or more areas of agency interest including law, legislative activity and procedures, accounting and finance, economics, health service, national defense, and natural resources.
Provides authoritative responses to a wide range of reference or research questions dealing with one or more areas of specialization. These questions come from mission teams, attorneys, and sources often outside GAO such as academic institutions.
Designs and executes searches of advanced complexity using a wide variety of electronic information retrieval systems and other resources.
Develops search techniques for handling specific types of requests of varying complexity for use by other staff and outside requesters.
Identifies and evaluates publications and electronic resources dealing with one or more areas of specialization and recommends additions to the library collections.
Conducts training sessions, prepares and revises user manuals or information sheets, and distributes information on new system capabilities and search strategies. Is certified to present training as an adjunct faculty member in the Learning Center.
Exercises a variety of responsibilities related to collection development and resource evaluation and testing, website development and information architecture, and resource sharing. As required, mentors lower banded librarians in the GAO research processes.
You must meet all education and 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-11 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:
- Providing expert research and advisory services in one or more of the following areas: law, legislative activity and procedures, accounting and finance, economics, health service, national defense, or natural resources; - Independently using a variety of electronic information retrieval systems and requirements to perform complex searches;
- Evaluating reference resources and analyzing research needs of users; and
- Delivering library-related training.
Education
In addition to the specialized experience, Applicants must also meet the education and/or experience requirements for the librarian series 1410, as follows:
1. One full academic year of graduate study in library science in an accredited college or university, in addition to completion of all work required for a bachelor's degree.
OR
2. A total of at least 5 years of a combination of college-level education, training, and experience. To qualify on this basis, the applicant must establish conclusively that the education, training, and experience provided a knowledge and understanding of the theories, principles, and techniques of professional librarianship; knowledge of literature resources; and the knowledge and abilities essential for providing effective library and information services.
Transcripts to verify your educationshould alsobe submitted with your application in order to be considered.
Additional information
This is a bargaining unit position.
OPTION FOR ADDITIONAL SELECTIONS: Based on the staffing needs, additional selections may be made through this vacancy announcement.
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.
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 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" or like answer, 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):
Oral Communication, Product Evaluation, Technical Competence, and Writing
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.
- TRANSCRIPTS: If you are using your education to qualify (even partially), you must submit a copy of your transcripts. Transcripts do not need to be official, but if you are selected for this position and you used your education to qualify, you will be required to provide official transcripts. Foreign Education: If you are submitting a transcript from a non-US educational institution, applicants must submit all necessary documents to a private U.S. organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign educational credentials, commonly called a credential evaluation service.
If you fail to submit any of the documentation listed above your application will be considered incomplete and you will lose 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.
- TRANSCRIPTS: If you are using your education to qualify (even partially), you must submit a copy of your transcripts. Transcripts do not need to be official, but if you are selected for this position and you used your education to qualify, you will be required to provide official transcripts. Foreign Education: If you are submitting a transcript from a non-US educational institution, applicants must submit all necessary documents to a private U.S. organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign educational credentials, commonly called a credential evaluation service.
If you fail to submit any of the documentation listed above your application will be considered incomplete and you will lose 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.
