Administrative Specialist Job in Washington, DC

Vacancy No. VAR003263 Department Library of Congress
Salary $85,447.00 to $111,087.00 Grade 11 to 11
Perm/Temp Permanent FT/PT Full-time
Open Date 3/25/2026 Close Date 4/8/2026
Job Link Apply Online Who may apply Status Candidates
Locations:
Washington, DC


Summary

This position is located in the Office of Public Information and Education, Copyright Office.

The position description number for this position is 360164.

The salary range indicated reflects the locality pay adjustments for the Washington, D.C., Metropolitan area.

The incumbent of this position will work a compflex; or flexitime; or maxiflex work schedule.

This is a non-supervisory, non-bargaining unit position.

This job is open to

Internal to an agency

Current federal employees of the hiring agency that posted the job announcement.

Clarification from the agency

INTERNAL EMPLOYEES - CONSIDERATION UNDER THIS VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENT IS LIMITED TO THE PERMANENT AND INDEFINITE STAFF OF (COPYRIGHT OFFICE), DUE TO BUDGETARY CONSTRAINTS. TEMPORARY NOT-TO-EXCEED (NTE) AND INDEFINITE NOT-TO-EXCEED (NTE) EMPLOYEES ARE INELIGIBLE TO APPLY. (EMPLOYEES MUST MAINTAIN ELIGIBILITY AT THE TIME OF SELECTION.)

Duties

The Register of Copyrights is the Director of the U.S. Copyright Office. The Register is responsible for both of the major activities of the Office: functional operations which focus on the processes and procedures surrounding the registration and examination of claims to copyright; and the legal and policy matters connected with current and proposed domestic and international laws and treaties as well as the implications of judicial activities to matters relating to copyright. 

The position, Administrative Specialist, may report to the Register, Assistant, Associate Registers of the Copyright Office or one of their Deputies, provides administrative assistance to the senior advisers and other management in the Copyright Office. May serve as the Register, Assistant or Associate Register's, or Deputy’s representative and assists with ensuring the smooth operation of various special short and long-term projects. The incumbent establishes and works with a variety of executives and staff within and outside the Copyright Office and the Library of Congress Service Units in performing the duties of the position.

This is a confidential position with routine and non-routine duties related to sensitive personnel or labor relations matters. Incumbents of this position are not members of a bargaining unit.

While performing daily duties, the incumbent is responsible for ensuring proper handling and security of Library and Copyright Office materials. 

Independently performs administrative management functions that serve or fulfill a number of organizational requirements, including coordination and execution of travel forecasts, authorizations, vouchers, supplies, equipment, and shipping materials. Develops and applies existing and new administrative and operational procedures. Provides administrative advice and guidance to management and staff on administrative procedures, regulations, and requirements. Maintains databases that reflect the fulfillment or status of administrative requirements or systems. Maintains knowledge of the status of the organization's personnel actions in assigned areas.

Reviews and updates office procedures and workflows and, on their own initiative, recommends changes in administrative and office procedures. Serves, in a professional manner, as the alternate receptionist for the Office of the Register of Copyrights. Greets and screens visitors, ascertains their needs and purpose for visiting before either personally assisting them or, using a thorough knowledge of Library policies and Office procedures, personnel and organization of the Copyright Office, refers them to the most appropriate staff member for assistance. Answers general telephone inquiries to the Office of the Register, and either personally assists the caller or refers them to the most appropriate staff member for assistance.

As assigned, and in a timely fashion using discretion and confidentiality, prepares and processes various personnel-related documents, including personnel evaluations, performance plans, awards, Vacancy Announcement Requests and Personnel Action Requests. Serves as the Assistant and Associate Registers’ or Deputy’s primary timekeeper and alternate timekeeper for Time and Attendance matters for the Office of the Register.

Independently performs human resources liaison duties and workforce performance management.  Addresses personnel issues that are not always susceptible to direct observation and resolution, such as developing informational materials based on knowledge of internal operations, the agency’s human resources policies, budgetary constraints, and work priorities. Provides advice and assistance to managers and staff concerning Federal and agency human resources processes and procedures.

Gathers, interprets, and analyzes information to develop and consolidate necessary reports.  Prepares and delivers oral presentations to a variety of audiences concerning program activities including coordination with other directorates. Performs necessary research and analyses and prepares edits to draft documents and reports consistent with Library and Copyright Office processes. Interacts with Library staff at all levels. Writes correspondence and reports related to clearly structured work assignments.

Provides support for the Register’s special projects, conducting research and analysis as necessary and as required by the assignment. Maintains and updates lists of software license users and tracks project milestones. Independently prepares documents, training slides, schedules, and handouts for projects and initiatives. Works in close cooperation with the Administrative Services Division Training Officer to ensure that training requests and attendance at mandatory training programs are properly recorded in Copyright Office and Library of Congress official records.

Performs various other duties as assigned.

Relocation expenses will not be authorized for the person(s) selected under this vacancy announcement.

Requirements

Conditions of employment

Conditions of Employment

Library of Congress employees are prohibited from using illegal drugs, including marijuana. The Library is part of the Federal Government and abides by federal law, so regardless of individual state or District of Columbia laws, marijuana use is illegal, considered criminal activity, and can affect your employment at the Library. In addition, past or current drug use and activities (e.g., selling or distributing) may deem you ineligible for employment.

Qualifications

Applicants must have had progressively responsible experience and training sufficient in scope and quality to furnish them with an acceptable level of the following knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform the duties of the position without more than normal supervision.

Knowledge of human resources management principles and methods.**

Ability to perform administrative management functions.**

Ability to interact collaboratively with others exercising judgment and discretion in order to provide consultation and liaison services. **

Ability to plan and execute work.

Ability to communicate in writing.

Ability to communicate effectively other than in writing.

Additional information

Although it is the Library's policy to afford the maximum pay benefit to employees when setting rates of pay, a new appointee who has had no previous Federal service will generally be paid at step one of the grade.

The Library of Congress is an equal opportunity employer. 

Applicants must submit a complete application package that is received by the closing date of this announcement.

Appointment/retention is subject to a favorable evaluation of an appropriate personnel security/suitability investigation. For more information, please see:Vetting Process

This agency provides reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process, please email ADA@loc.gov. The decision on granting reasonable accommodation will be determined on a case-by-case basis.

Applicants with disabilities may be considered under special hiring procedures and must submit an appropriate certificate of eligibility when applying for this position. The proof or disability/certification may be issued by the State Vocational Rehabilitation Office, Disability Services or Career Services office of the applicant’s college or university, or the Department of Veterans Affairs. The letter must verify that the applicant has a severe disability and must be dated within three years of the date of the application.  Certification from health care providers is not accepted. For more information contact the Library's Office of Equal Employment Opportunity at 202-707-6024 or email spp@loc.gov. FAILURE TO SUBMIT YOUR CERTIFICATION WILL CAUSE YOUR APPLICATION TO NOT BE CONSIDERED UNDER THE SELECTIVE PLACEMENT PROGRAM.
 
The Library of Congress is the national library of the United States and is part of the Legislative Branch of the Federal government. As such, all positions are in the excepted service.

The Library reserves the right to fill a lesser or greater number of vacancies indicated during the life of this vacancy announcement.

Initial permanent appointments to the Library of Congress require completion of a one-year probationary period. Probationary periods served at other Federal agencies do not count toward this requirement.

The Library of Congress may offer repayment for all or part of federally insured student loans. However, not all service units within the Library of Congress participates in the repayment of federally insured student loans. Therefore, determination to repay a federally insured student loan is subject to approval by the appropriate service unit.

A “Not to Exceed" (NTE) status is used to identify an appointment with a specific ending date. However, the Library has the right to separate a NTE employee at any time due to either performance issues or budget constraints.

Are you a veteran?  Please indicate the type of veterans' preference you are claiming in your application materials and/or applicant profile and provide the appropriate supporting documentation to validate your claim.  Those applying for 5-point preference must submit Member Copy 4 of your DD 214.  Those applying for 10-point preference must fill out an SF-15 (click here for the form) and provide the required documentation listed on the back of the form.  If required supporting documentation is not attached, Veterans' Preference will not be considered in the application process.
 

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.

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.

How you will be evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

The Library of Congress evaluates applicants through an applicant questionnaire and a structured interview. Applicants may also be screened for some jobs through licensing, certification, and/or education requirements, a narrative/application review, and/or a preliminary telephone interview. The knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) that are marked with a double asterisk (**) in the vacancy announcement and the applicant questionnaire are considered the most critical for a position. To be considered for final selection, applicants must demonstrate fully acceptable experience in these designated KSAs in the narrative/application review, preliminary telephone and/or full structured interview. The various assessment tools listed above are designed to verify or explore applicants' experience, knowledge, and training directly related to the job in order to identify the best qualified applicants for selection.


You may preview questions for this vacancy.

Required Documents

  • Your resume should include relevant work experience, applicable education and your contact information. For current or previous federal employees, include the pay plan, series and grade.

Current or former federal employees must submit their most recent Notification of Personnel Action (SF-50 or equivalent).

Applicants with disabilities may be considered under special hiring procedures and must submit an appropriate certificate of eligibility when applying for this position. The proof or disability/certification may be issued by the State Vocational Rehabilitation Office, Disability Services or Career Services office of the applicant’s college or university, or the Department of Veterans Affairs. The letter must verify that the applicant has a severe disability and must be dated within three years of the date of the application.  The program does not accept certification from health care providers. For more information contact the Library's Office of Equal Employment Opportunity at 202-707-6024 or email spp@loc.gov. FAILURE TO SUBMIT YOUR CERTIFICATION WILL CAUSE YOUR APPLICATION TO NOT BE CONSIDERED UNDER THE SELECTIVE PLACEMENT PROGRAM.

If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:

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.

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.

How to Apply

Please carefully follow all instructions under the How to Apply tab to ensure you are considered for the position.

Please note, there is no page restriction to your resume, and you are allowed to upload a resume longer than two pages in the resume section within the application process. When the application system prompts, please proceed to the agency site to complete your application.

You are required to apply online for this announcement. We are unable to accept mailed or emailed documents. You must complete the entire application process, including submission of all documents BEFORE this announcement closes. To do so, complete the following steps.

Step 1: If you do not already have one, create a resume and upload it to your profile in the "Resume" section. Although you must enter your Social Security Number for USAJOBS, this information will not be provided to the Library of Congress.

Step 2: Review the Job Announcement. We recommend you go to the end of the Qualification and Evaluation section of the job announcement to preview the online questions that you will answer in Step 4. You may wish to customize your resume to ensure that it supports your responses to these questions.

Step 3: Click on the "APPLY ONLINE" button to the right of this announcement. Follow USAJOBS' instructions to access your account. You will be redirected to the Hiring Management website to complete the application process. If this is your first time in Hiring Management, you will be asked to answer questions related to your eligibility for Federal employment. You will be able to update this information and save it to our account for future announcements.

Step 4: Once you have completed the eligibility questions, you will be taken directly to the vacancy application questions. Answer all questions honestly and thoroughly.

Step 5: Hiring Management offers one option that will electronically attach your documentation to your online application once you finish answering the questions in the job announcement.
You may electronically upload a document directly from your computer to your application. Be certain to review your complete application for confirmation of the document uploaded and click on "Finished" to be returned to USAJOBS.

IMPORTANT NOTE: If you have multiple documents of the same kind, e.g. 2 undergraduate transcripts from different schools or 2 SF-50s, etc., be sure that they are all in the same file on your computer. If you try uploading them individually, only the last one sent will be visible in our system. If you have any questions about this information, please contact the person on this announcement BEFORE the closing date.

Step 6: Click on "Finish" after you have completed your application. Once you have submitted your application, you can check your status online through your Hiring Management or MY USAJOBS account. Your complete online application and any required supplemental documentation (e.g., SF-50, etc.) must be received by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Standard Time (EST) on the closing date of the announcement. It is your responsibility to ensure that all documents are received on time and that the materials are readable. Failure to do so will result in your application being excluded from consideration for this announcement.

If you are experiencing any technical difficulty with the online process, you MUST CONTACT THE POINT OF CONTACT FOR THIS ANNOUNCEMENT BEFORE THE CLOSING DATE. For all technical issues please contact jobhelp@loc.gov , no later than 4:00pm EST of the Closing Date. REQUESTS FOR EXTENSIONS WILL NOT BE GRANTED.

Agency contact information

Customer Service Center
Phone
202-707-5620
Fax
000-000-0000
Email
JobHelp@loc.gov
Address
LIBRARY OF CONGRESS
101 Independence Ave. SE
LM-107
Washington, District of Columbia 20540
United States

Next steps

Please review our evaluation process under Evaluation. You may check the status of your application for this position at any time by logging onto the USAJOBS "My USAJOBS" tab and clicking on "My Applications." You will receive final notification via e-mail when the vacancy has been filled.