This position is part of the Defense Security Cooperation Agency. The incumbent will be responsible for leading and coordinating all Department of Defense (DoD) actions as subject matter expert (SME) for major arms sale Congressional Notification packages from inception to completion in accordance with federal regulations and DoD policies.
Summary
This position is part of the Defense Security Cooperation Agency. The incumbent will be responsible for leading and coordinating all Department of Defense (DoD) actions as subject matter expert (SME) for major arms sale Congressional Notification packages from inception to completion in accordance with federal regulations and DoD policies.
This announcement is open to current permanent competitive service Department of Defense (DoD) employees. Veterans eligibilities include 30% or more Disabled Vet, Veterans Employment Opportunities Act (VEOA). Persons with Disabilities may also apply. Military Spouse Preference (MSP), Retained Grade Preference (RGP), and Military Reserve and National Guard Technician eligibles may also apply.
As a Congressional Affairs Specialist at the GS-0301-11/12/13 some of your typical work assignments may include:
Leads and coordinates all Department of Defense (DoD) actions as subject matter expert (SME) for Congressional Notification (CN) Packages for the sale or transfer of defense articles and services to foreign governments and organizations.
Provides timely notification to members of Congress, congressional staffs, and congressional committees pertaining to major defense sales in compliance with the Arms Export Control Act (AECA) and other authorization and appropriation legislation.
Develops standard operating procedures (SOP) for Congressional Notification development and processing for DSCA, the Military Departments (MILDEPs) and other organizations.
Tracks progression of Letters of Offer and Acceptance (LOAs), amendments, and modifications through the lifecycle to ensure compliance with Congressionally notified levels.
Prepares Congressional Notification informational briefings and papers as needed to report and/or assess Congressional Notification activity for DSCA leadership.
Participates in pre-counter signature meetings to ensure draft LOAs are in accordance with the CN.
Males born after 12-31-59 must be registered for Selective Service
Resume and supporting documents (See How To Apply)
Suitable for Federal employment, determined by a background investigation
May be required to successfully complete a probationary period
Work Schedule: Full Time
Overtime: Occasionally
Tour of Duty: Flexible
Recruitment Incentives: MAY be authorized
Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA): Non-Exempt at GS-11, Exempt at GS-12 and GS-13
Financial Disclosure: Not Required
Incumbent must attain DoD Security Cooperation Workforce (SCW) Certification and complete related continuous learning requirements
Security Clearance: Non-Critical Sensitive with Secret Access
Qualifications
To Qualify for a Congressional Affairs Specialist, your resume and supporting documentation must support:
A. Specialized Experience: One year of specialized experience that equipped you with the particular competencies to successfully perform the duties of the position and is directly in or related to this position. To qualify at the GS-11 level, applicants must possess one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-09 level or equivalent under other pay systems in the Federal service, military or private sector. To qualify at the GS-12 level, applicants must possess one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-11 level or equivalent under other pay systems in the Federal service, military or private sector. To qualify at the GS-13 level, applicants must possess one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-12 level or equivalent under other pay systems in the Federal service, military or private sector.
GS-11:
Developing timely, comprehensive, factual and coordinating responses to sensitive Congressional inquiries in coordination with DoD components, to facilitate understanding of complex issues and programs within Congress.
GS-12:
Identifying, evaluating and making recommendations concerning Congressional Notification processes in order for the Agency to determine the impact of Congressional issues on successful completion of Congressional Notifications associated with FMS.
GS-13
Experience with Foreign Military Sales (FMS); coordinating with Department of State (DoS) and the Military Departments and other Department of Defense (DoD) components, leading and coordinating all DoD actions as subject matter expert (SME) for major arms sale transfers of Congressional Notification packages from inception to completion in accordance with federal regulations and policies; and developing, processing, and reviewing congressional notifications for the sale or transfer of defense articles and services.
OR
GS-11 ONLY
B. Education Substitution: Such education must demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the
work. Education must be from a college or university accredited by an organization approved by the U.S.
Department of Education. See http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/Search.aspx. If using education to meet basic
qualifications, YOU MUST SUBMIT A TRANSCRIPT as supplemental documentation. To qualify based on education in
lieu of specialized experience, you must possess: Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree or 3 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree.
OR
C. You have some specialized experience as described in A, but less than one year; and you have more than one year but less than two years of education as described in B. You have computed the percentage of the requirements that you meet, and the total is at least 100%. (To compute the percentage, divide your total months of qualifying experience by 12. Then divide your semester hours of graduate education beyond the first year by 18. Add the two percentages. The total percentage must equal at least 100 percent to qualify.)
Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community, student, social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.
Education
ARE YOU USING YOUR EDUCATION TO QUALIFY? You MUST provide transcripts or other documentation to support your educational claims.
All materials must be submitted by the closing date of the announcement.
GRADUATE EDUCATION: One academic year of graduate education is considered to be the number of credits hours that your graduate school has determined to represent one academic year of full-time study. Such study may have been performed on a full-time or part-time basis. If you cannot obtain your graduate school's definition of one year of graduate study, 18 semester hours (or 27 quarter hours) should be considered as satisfying the requirement for one year of full-time graduate study.
Foreign education may be qualifying if a private organization specializing in interpreting foreign education programs has deemed the foreign education equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program or a U.S. accredited college or university has given full credit for the foreign courses.
Unofficial transcripts from U.S. Department of Education accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions listing your name, the name of the school, the date and degree awarded, and the list of classes and credits earned are acceptable for the application process. If selected, official transcripts are required before a firm job offer is made. A photocopy of your degree/diploma is not acceptable.
When relying on foreign education, submit transcripts and a copy of the equivalency evaluation results letter with a course-by-course listing. Documents must be in English or include an English translation. The hiring employer for this position does not evaluate degrees from foreign colleges or universities. For further information, visit: Foreign Education
Additional information
Veterans Employment Opportunity Act (VEOA): To be eligible for a VEOA appointment under Merit Promotion procedures, the veteran must be a preference eligible or a veteran separated after 3 years or more of continuous active service performed under honorable conditions.
Interagency Career Transition Assistance Programs: This program applies to employees who have been involuntarily separated from a Federal service position within the competitive service or Federal service employees whose positions have been deemed surplus or no longer needed. To receive selection priority for this position, you must: 1) meet ICTAP eligibility criteria; 2) be rated well-qualified for the position; Well qualified is defined as possessing the type and quality of experience that exceeds the positions minimum qualifications. and 3) submit the appropriate documentation to support your ICTAP eligibility. For more information: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/workforce-restructuring/employee-guide-to-career-transition/.
The selecting official may choose to conduct interviews, and once the selection is made, you will receive a notification of the decision.
NOTE: Declining to be interviewed or failure to report for a scheduled interview will be considered as a declination for further consideration for employment against this vacancy.
Selective Service Requirement: Please visit http://www.sss.gov for more information.
Status candidates must meet time-in-grade requirements (52 weeks at the next lower grade level).
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.
Once the application process is complete, your resume and supporting documentation will be used to determine whether you meet the job qualifications listed on this announcement. If you are minimally qualified for this job, your resume and supporting documentation will be compared to your responses on the Occupational Questionnaire. If you rate yourself higher than is supported by your application materials, your responses may be adjusted and/or you may be excluded from consideration for this job. If you are found to be among the top candidates, you will be referred to the selecting official for employment consideration. Your qualifications will be evaluated on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities and other characteristics):
Competencies:
Attention to Detail
Customer Service
Decision Making
Flexibility
Integrity/Honesty
Interpersonal Skills
Learning
Reading Comprehension
Reasoning
Self-Management
Stress Tolerance
Teamwork
If you meet the minimum qualifications of this position, you may be presented with instructions on how to access the USA Hire Assessment. This additional online assessment is required and must be completed within 48 hours following the close of this announcement unless you have requested Reasonable Accommodation for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Your results will be kept on record for one year when applying for future jobs that require the same USA Hire Competency Based Assessments.
A list of qualified applicants will be created and sent to the selecting official. All applicants reviewed and/or referred will receive a notification letter.
Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP):This program applies to employees who have been involuntarily separated from a Federal service position within the competitive service or Federal service employees whose positions have been deemed surplus or no longer needed. To receive selection priority for this position, you must: 1) meet ICTAP eligibility criteria AND 2) be rated well-qualified for the position AND 3) submit the appropriate documentation to support your ICTAP eligibility. Well-qualified means you possess the type and quality of experience that exceeds the position's minimum qualifications.
Priority Placement Program (PPP) DoD Retained Grade Preference (RGP): To receive this preference, you must choose to apply using the (RGP) eligibility. If you are claiming RGP and are determined to be Well Qualified for the position, you will be referred to the hiring manager as a priority applicant.
Priority Placement Program, DoD Military Reserve (MR) and National Guard (NG) Technician Eligible (PPP DoD MRNG):In order to receive this preference, you must choose the (PPP DoD MRNG) eligibility, and fill out and submit the Military Reserve and National Guard Technician PPP Self-Certification Checklist and copies of the appropriate documentation.
Priority Placement Program, DoD Military Spouse Preference (MSP) (PPP MSP): In order to receive this preference, you must choose to apply using the(MSP) (PPP MSP) eligibility. If you are claiming MSP (PPP MSP) and are determined to be Well Qualified (score of 85 or above) for the position, you will be referred to the hiring manager as a priority applicant.
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.
The documents you are required to submit vary based on the authority you are using to apply (i.e., applying as a veteran, applying as a current permanent Federal employee, applying as a reinstatement, etc.). Your complete application includes your COMPLETE resume, your responses to the online questionnaire, and documents which prove your eligibility to apply. If you fail to provide these documents, you will be marked as having an incomplete application package and you will not be considered any further.
The following documents are REQUIRED
1. Your resume: IMPORTANT UPDATE: Your resume must not exceed two (2) pages. If your resume exceeds the two-page limit, you will be removed from consideration for this announcement. The resume and required supporting documentation should provide the minimum qualifications and relevant experience for the announced position. Additional guidance on writing a federal resume can be found at: USAJOBS Help Center - How do I write a resume for a federal job? Page margins should be 0.5 inches, font styles must be legible, and consider using 14-point size font for titles and 10-point for the main text. The resume must not be more than 5MB and should be saved and uploaded as a PDF to maintain formatting and number of pages.
2. Transcripts:
College transcript (s), required if qualifying based on education. We accept unofficial transcripts, as long as they contain your name, the name of the school, the date and degree that was awarded, and the list of classes and credits earned.
3. SF50
All current and former civilian Federal employees must submit a copy of your MOST RECENT SF50 (Notification of Personnel Action) showing your tenure, grade and step, salary, and type of position occupied (i.e., Excepted or Competitive); or similar Notification of Personnel Action documentation, i.e., Transcript of Service, Form 1150, etc. This is also a requirement to verify your Time in Grade (TIG).
4. Veteran's Documents:
If applying using veteran's preference or under a Veteran's hiring authority you must submit the following documents: DD214 showing character of service, SF-15 Form and VA letter showing final percentage, or certification of expected discharge or release from active duty.
If you are claiming Military Spouse Preference, you must submit supporting documents with your application package. These documents must provide acceptable information to verify: you reside within the commuting area of your sponsor's permanent duty station (PDS); proof of marriage to the active duty sponsor, proof of military member's active duty status, and other documentation required by the vacancy announcement to which you are applying; and must meet all pre-employment criteria and be eligible for immediate noncompetitive appointment to a position in the competitive service. Documentation required: Marriage Certificate or License, Signed Self-Certification Checklist, Veterans' Preference documentation (e.g., DD-214, VA Letter, Statement of Service, if applicable), Transcripts (if applicable). Additional documentation required if previously held a federal position: SF-50s (e.g., LWOP, highest grade held, overseas appointments, etc.), SF-75 Information, and documentation of performance rating of record (dated within the last 12 months)
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.
The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on the closing date to receive consideration.
To begin, click Apply Online to access an online application. Follow the prompts to select your USAJOBS resume and/or other supporting documents. You will need to be logged into your USAJOBS account or you may need to create a new account.
You will be taken to an online application. Complete the online application, verify the required documentation, and submit the application.
You will receive an email notification when your application has been received for the announcement.
To verify the status of your application, log into your USAJOBS account, https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login, select the Application Status link and then select the More Information link for this position. The Application Status page will display the status of your application, the documentation received and processed, and your responses submitted to the online application. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process.
Defense Security Cooperation Agency
1851 S. Bell
Room 501
Arlington, VA 22240
US
Next steps
Once you successfully complete the application process, you will receive a notification of receipt. Your application package will be reviewed to ensure you meet the basic eligibility and qualifications requirements, and you will receive a notification. A review will be made of your the documentation you submitted to support your resume. A list of qualified applicants will be created and sent to the selecting official. All applicants reviewed and/or referred will receive a notification letter.
The selecting official may choose to conduct interviews, and once the selection is made, you will receive a notification of the decision.
The documents you are required to submit vary based on the authority you are using to apply (i.e., applying as a veteran, applying as a current permanent Federal employee, applying as a reinstatement, etc.). Your complete application includes your COMPLETE resume, your responses to the online questionnaire, and documents which prove your eligibility to apply. If you fail to provide these documents, you will be marked as having an incomplete application package and you will not be considered any further.
The following documents are REQUIRED
1. Your resume: IMPORTANT UPDATE: Your resume must not exceed two (2) pages. If your resume exceeds the two-page limit, you will be removed from consideration for this announcement. The resume and required supporting documentation should provide the minimum qualifications and relevant experience for the announced position. Additional guidance on writing a federal resume can be found at: USAJOBS Help Center - How do I write a resume for a federal job? Page margins should be 0.5 inches, font styles must be legible, and consider using 14-point size font for titles and 10-point for the main text. The resume must not be more than 5MB and should be saved and uploaded as a PDF to maintain formatting and number of pages.
2. Transcripts:
College transcript (s), required if qualifying based on education. We accept unofficial transcripts, as long as they contain your name, the name of the school, the date and degree that was awarded, and the list of classes and credits earned.
3. SF50
All current and former civilian Federal employees must submit a copy of your MOST RECENT SF50 (Notification of Personnel Action) showing your tenure, grade and step, salary, and type of position occupied (i.e., Excepted or Competitive); or similar Notification of Personnel Action documentation, i.e., Transcript of Service, Form 1150, etc. This is also a requirement to verify your Time in Grade (TIG).
4. Veteran's Documents:
If applying using veteran's preference or under a Veteran's hiring authority you must submit the following documents: DD214 showing character of service, SF-15 Form and VA letter showing final percentage, or certification of expected discharge or release from active duty.
If you are claiming Military Spouse Preference, you must submit supporting documents with your application package. These documents must provide acceptable information to verify: you reside within the commuting area of your sponsor's permanent duty station (PDS); proof of marriage to the active duty sponsor, proof of military member's active duty status, and other documentation required by the vacancy announcement to which you are applying; and must meet all pre-employment criteria and be eligible for immediate noncompetitive appointment to a position in the competitive service. Documentation required: Marriage Certificate or License, Signed Self-Certification Checklist, Veterans' Preference documentation (e.g., DD-214, VA Letter, Statement of Service, if applicable), Transcripts (if applicable). Additional documentation required if previously held a federal position: SF-50s (e.g., LWOP, highest grade held, overseas appointments, etc.), SF-75 Information, and documentation of performance rating of record (dated within the last 12 months)
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.
The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on the closing date to receive consideration.
To begin, click Apply Online to access an online application. Follow the prompts to select your USAJOBS resume and/or other supporting documents. You will need to be logged into your USAJOBS account or you may need to create a new account.
You will be taken to an online application. Complete the online application, verify the required documentation, and submit the application.
You will receive an email notification when your application has been received for the announcement.
To verify the status of your application, log into your USAJOBS account, https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login, select the Application Status link and then select the More Information link for this position. The Application Status page will display the status of your application, the documentation received and processed, and your responses submitted to the online application. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process.
Defense Security Cooperation Agency
1851 S. Bell
Room 501
Arlington, VA 22240
US
Next steps
Once you successfully complete the application process, you will receive a notification of receipt. Your application package will be reviewed to ensure you meet the basic eligibility and qualifications requirements, and you will receive a notification. A review will be made of your the documentation you submitted to support your resume. A list of qualified applicants will be created and sent to the selecting official. All applicants reviewed and/or referred will receive a notification letter.
The selecting official may choose to conduct interviews, and once the selection is made, you will receive a notification of the decision.
