Summary
The Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD) is the principal staff element of the Secretary of Defense in the exercise of policy development, planning, resource management, and program evaluation responsibilities. OSD includes the Offices of the Secretary and Deputy Secretary of Defense, Under Secretaries of Defense, Assistant Secretaries of Defense, General Counsel, and the Director of Administration and Management.
Clarification from the agency
This job is opened to all qualified U.S. Citizens, Current Federal Employees, and Former Federal Employees.
Duties
The incumbent must exercise professional and technical judgment to resolve problems of exceptional complexity and which require innovative thinking, novel solutions and outstanding resourcefulness of ingenuity. The incumbent must represent the Under Secretary of Defense for Policy (USD(P)) and/or Deputy USD(P) in sensitive presentations and negotiations, where tact, good judgment and professional expertise are required. Major duties and responsibilities include, but are not limited to:
- Make recommendations on highly complex and abstract issues of DoD strategy and policy, taking into account their impact on the foreign affairs and political environment, and on related matters, including particularly those of immediate concern to the USD(P), and the Secretary of Defense.
- Use independent judgment and experience to prepare seniors officials for testimony before the Congress, and drafts testimony or other presentations to the Congress for use by the USD(P).
- Monitors congressional action on the DoD budget and formulates official responses to periodic Congressional inquiries and/or legislated reporting requirements.
- Coordinate and oversee the public and press contacts of the USD(P) and component staff, developing strategies and materials for public and press presentations, and participates in or conducts long-range studies of special interest to the USD(P).
- Draft issue and background papers on highly complex and important defense issues and makes oral and written presentations to the USD(P), other senior defense officials and counterparts from other USG agencies recommending a particular resolution of these matters.
- Maintain professional expertise by remaining knowledgeable of current developments in the broad area of foreign affairs and foreign policy, using judgment to identify items which require action by the USD(P), advising the USD(P) of the emergence of matters requiring attention by him/her or the Secretary of Defense, and defining and initiating follow-up actions where necessary.
Conditions of Employment
- You must be a U.S. citizen to qualify for this position.
- All newly appointed Career SES leaders must sign the Reassignment Rights Obligations Agreement as a condition of appointment into the SES.
- You must submit to a drug test and receive a negative drug test before you can be appointed into this position. Designated and/or Random Drug Testing required.
- In order to qualify for this position, you must be able to obtain a Top-Secret security clearance and access to Sensitive Compartmented Information (TS/SCI).
- Submit resume and all other required documents online by 11:59 PM Eastern Standard Time on 05/08/2024
- The individual selected will be required to file an 'Executive Branch Personnel Financial Disclosure Report (OGE-278) in accordance with the Ethics in Government Act of 1978.
- You will serve a one-year probationary period unless you have previously completed the probationary period in the SES.
- Males born after 12-31-59 must be registered or exempt from Selective Service (see https://www.sss.gov/Home/Registration).
Qualifications
To meet the minimum qualification requirements for this position, you must show that you possess the five Executive Core Qualifications (ECQs), the Mandatory Technical Qualifications, and other qualifications, if applicable, listed below.
EXECUTIVE CORE QUALIFICATIONS: All applicants must submit written statements (narrative format) describing accomplishments that would satisfy the ECQs. You must address each ECQ separately, not to exceed 10 pages. You are required to respond to all ECQs. If you fail to do so will result in a rating of 'ineligible.' When responding to the Executive Core Qualifications (ECQs), you must clearly show that you possess the experience, knowledge, skills and ability to perform the duties of this position by submitting narrative responses in which you detail your experience in each of the ECQs. Your examples should be clear and emphasize your level of responsibilities, scope and complexity of programs managed, program accomplishments with results of your actions, policy initiatives and level of contacts. You should limit your narrative to two pages per ECQ and address each ECQ separately. OPM's Guide to Senior Executive Service Qualifications can assist you in writing an effective SES application. In particular, please note the Challenge-Context-Action-Result Model that is recommended and very helpful when drafting ECQ narrative responses. The Guide is available on OPM's Website at: http://www.opm.gov/ses/references/guidetoSESQuals_2012.pdf
Applicants must utilize the Challenge-Context-Action-Result (CCAR) Model when writing Executive Core Qualifications (ECQ). Use two examples of relevant experience for each ECQ being sure your experience matches the ECQ criteria.
Challenge - Describe a specific problem or goal.
Context - Describe the individuals and groups you worked with, and/or the environment in which you worked, to address a particular challenge (e.g., clients, co-workers, members of Congress, shrinking budget, low morale).
Action - Discuss the specific actions you took to address a challenge.
Result - Give specific examples of measures/outcomes that had some impact on the organization. These accomplishments demonstrate the quality and effectiveness of your leadership skills.
Each accomplishment should be clear, concise, and emphasize your level of responsibilities; the scope and complexity of the programs, activities, or services you managed; program accomplishments; policy initiatives undertaken; level of contacts; the sensitivity and criticality of the issues you addressed; and the results of your actions. You should use action-oriented leadership words to describe your experience and accomplishments (e.g., Led the development and implementation of....) and quantify your experience wherever possible to demonstrate your accomplishments (e.g., number of employees supervised; size of budget managed; amount of money saved, etc.).
ECQ 1 - Leading Change: This core qualification involves the ability to bring about strategic change, both within and outside the organization, to meet organizational goals. Inherent to this ECQ is the ability to establish an organizational vision and to implement it in a continuously changing environment.
ECQ 2 - Leading People: This core qualification involves the ability to lead people toward meeting the organization's vision, mission, and goals. Inherent to this ECQ is the ability to provide an inclusive workplace that fosters the development of others, facilitates cooperation and teamwork, and supports constructive resolution of conflicts.
ECQ 3 - Results Driven: This core qualification involves the ability to meet organizational goals and customer expectations. Inherent to this ECQ is the ability to make decisions that produce high-quality results by applying technical knowledge, analyzing problems, and calculating risks.
ECQ 4 - Business Acumen: This core qualification involves the ability to manage human, financial, and information resources strategically.
ECQ 5 - Building Coalitions: This core qualification involves the ability to build coalitions internally and with other Federal agencies, State and local governments, nonprofit and private sector organizations, foreign governments, or international organizations to achieve common goals.
Applicants that are either Career SES members, or graduates of the Office of Personnel Management Certified Development Program are not required to address the ECQs.
MANDATORY TECHNICAL QUALIFICATIONS: All applicants must submit written statements (narrative format) of accomplishments that would satisfy the technical qualifications. You must address each technical qualification separately. You are required to respond to all of the technical qualifications. If you fail to do so, you will be rated as ineligible. Please limit your written statements to no more than two pages per technical qualification.
- Demonstrated ability to provide guidance and support to senior officials (such as internal decision-making, interagency deliberations, dealings with international counterparts, and/or testifying before Congress) in the areas of current defense policy development, planning, force posture, resourcing, foreign affairs, and/or national security.
- Demonstrated ability to lead/manage teams. Provide two examples of leading a team through all stages of an issue from policy creation through implementation, including an evaluation of the impact.
- Demonstrated ability to represent the U.S. Government in public settings, and to lead/manage negotiations with counterparts within the same agency, the interagency, Congress, and/or the international arena.
DoD Joint Enterprise-Wide Experience Statement: In addition, DoD requires an Enterprise Perspective. This individual must have the ability to apply a broad point of view and an awareness and understanding of individual or organizational responsibilities in relation to DoD or government-wide strategic priorities is required. Executives must demonstrate ability to work with internal and external partners to support national security objectives. This perspective is typically gained through a variety of diverse work experiences.
A separate narrative statement is not required. This information should be embedded within the application package (Resume, Technical Qualifications and Executive Core Qualifications).
Education
Basic Requirements
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Degree: major or equivalent, or a combination of courses totaling at least 24 semester hours, in international law and international relations, political science, economics, history, sociology, geography, social or cultural anthropology, law, statistics, or in the humanities; or 12 semester hours in one of the above disciplines and 12 semester hours in statistics/quantitative methods.
OR
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Combination of education and experience: courses equivalent to a major, or a combination of related courses totaling at least 24 semester hours, as shown in A above, plus appropriate experience or additional education.
OR
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Experience: four years of appropriate experience in one or more of the fields listed above in work associated with international organizations, problems, or other aspects of foreign affairs.
Benefits
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.
Review our 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.
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
You will be evaluated on the quality and extent of your total accomplishments, experience, and education. Your application will be evaluated by a rating and ranking panel. Highly qualified candidates may undergo an interview and a reference check. The Office of the Secretary of Defense Executive Resources Board will review results and make recommendations on final selections to the appointing authority. Unless you have already been certified by the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Qualifications Review Board (QRB), your ECQs must be certified by the OPM QRB before your appointment can occur.
1. Resume - In addition to your written statements addressing the Executive Core Qualifications, the Mandatory Technical Qualification(s), and other qualifications as applicable, submit a resume or any other written format you choose to describe your qualifications, not to exceed five pages. Applicants typically provide the following information:
- Vacancy Announcement number SES-12377056-24-AS
- Full name, email and mailing address, and day and evening telephone numbers
- Educational information including the name, city, and state of colleges or universities you attended, as well as the type of any degree received. Report only attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. For more information, you may refer to the following U.S. Department of Education website: http://http://www.edu.gov/admins/finaid/accred/index.html
- Information about your paid and nonpaid work experience related to this position including: job title, duties and accomplishments, employer's name and address, duration of employment, and salary
- Information about honors, awards, and special accomplishments
- Submit resume and all other required documents online by 11:59 PM Eastern Standard Time on 05/08/2024~
2. Mandatory Technical Qualifications (MTQs): A narrative statement specifically addressing each mandatory technical qualification. Statement should not exceed two pages per MTQ.
3. Mandatory ECQ Statement: A narrative statement specifically addressing each individual ECQ. In lieu of the narrative statement, current career SES members, reinstatement eligibles, and SES Candidate Development Program graduates must provide the documentation in item #5.
4. College Transcripts - Must provide a copy of transcripts or degrees in your application package. Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Applicants can verify accreditation at the following website: http://www.ed.gov/admins/finaid/accred/index.html. All education claimed by applicants will be verified by the appointing agency. If selected, an official/sealed transcript will be required prior to appointment.
5. Copy of the Notification of Personnel Action (SF-50): Must submit most recent SF-50. Current and former career SES members must provide an SF-50 showing their status or reinstatement eligibility. Candidates who have successfully completed an Office of Personnel Management approved SES Candidate Development Program must submit a copy of their ECQ certification. DO
NOT SUBMIT ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: Extraneous materials such as award certificates will not be considered.
TO SUBMIT AN APPLICATION THROUGH USAJOBS: In order to expedite the review of your application, you must submit a complete online application package to include the Resume, the Mandatory Technical Qualifications, and the Executive Core Qualifications. To apply online, please select the 'Apply Online' button at the bottom of this announcement. Please note: your online resume may not be a complete application. Be sure to carefully read this announcement to see if additional information is required and how it should be submitted.
If you are unable to apply online or need to fax a document you do not have in electronic form, view the following link for information regarding an Alternate Application: https://help.usastaffing.gov/Apply/index.php? title=Alternate_Application_Information
Next steps
After all application packages have been received, we will review your application to ensure you meet the basic qualification requirements. The Executive Evaluation Panel will evaluate each applicant who meets the basic qualifications based on the information provided and will generate a certificate of best qualified candidates for the selecting official. The selecting official may interview the best qualified candidates before making a selection. You should expect to hear back on the outcome of your application within 90 days of the closing date of the announcement.
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