Chief of Staff

Clarification from the agency

Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement - This is a Merit Promotion announcement for current career and career conditional Bureau employees and Career Transition eligibles (CTAP). Refer to Required Documents section for more information.

Some of the major duties you will perform include but are not limited to the following:

Strategic Coordination

• Serves as the Director's principal advisor and Chief of Staff, exercising broad authority on behalf of the Director and Deputy Director to integrate Bureau priorities and coordinate executive decision-making.
• Ensures timely execution of mission-critical initiatives affecting OSM programs through strategic alignment of headquarters, regional, and field office efforts.
• Leads cross-functional coordination to align Bureau objectives with Departmental and Administration priorities.
• Coordinates congressional inquiries, media requests, external affairs activities, and Departmental taskings to ensure timely, accurate, and consistent responses.

Executive Management

• Manages the day-to-day flow of executive operations by evaluating incoming requests, issues, and correspondence requiring Director or Deputy Director attention.
• Determines priorities, assigns actions, monitors progress, and ensures timely completion or appropriate escalation of sensitive and complex matters.
• Serves as the Deputy Director's principal point of contact with Field and operational offices to identify emerging issues and ensure executive awareness of significant developments.
• Coordinates congressional inquiries, media requests, external affairs activities, and Departmental taskings to ensure timely, accurate, and consistent responses.
• Develops and prepares executive briefing materials, decision memoranda, talking points, and background information supporting congressional engagements, Departmental briefings, and senior-level meetings.

Project and Program Oversight

• Plans, directs, and coordinates special projects, studies, and executive initiatives involving all phases of OSM operations.
• Leads cross-functional teams addressing issues of Bureau, Departmental, or national importance, frequently involving integration of diverse technical, scientific, regulatory, and operational considerations.
• Ensures follow-through and successful execution of major initiatives assigned by the Director, including scheduling, coordination, integration, and performance tracking across organizational components.

Policy Analysis, Recommendations, and Decision Support

• Develops recommendations for senior leadership by reviewing, evaluating, and interpreting complex policies, directives, regulations, manuals, and multidisciplinary program information.
• Advises senior leadership on sensitive or controversial issues by coordinating with Bureau executives, Department officials, program managers, and external stakeholders.
• Evaluates reports and correspondence generated throughout OSM to assess their effectiveness as executive management tools, identifying concerns, recommending corrective actions, and preparing executive-level summaries.
• Provides executive briefings and prepares, coordinates, or develops briefing materials, decision memoranda, talking points, and background information supporting meetings, congressional engagements, Departmental briefings, and executive decision-making

Conditions of employment

• Must be a U.S. Citizen or National.
• Appointment subject to background investigation and favorable adjudication.
• Males born after 12-31-59 must be registered for Selective Service.
• Direct Deposit participation required.
• Successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check. To learn more, visit https://www.e-verify.gov/.

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you may be required to serve a 1 year probationary period to evaluate your fitness and whether your continuation of employment advances the public interest.

This probationary period is an extension of the appointment process and therefore requires the agency to determine if continued employment would advance the public interest, meet the organization goals and mission of the agency, and/or otherwise promote the efficiency of the service. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, the agency will consider: your performance and conduct; the needs and interests of the agency; whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service.

Under applicable law, the employment of an individual serving a probationary or trial period automatically terminates when that period ends unless the agency affirmatively certifies, in writing, that the individual's employment should continue and that their appointment should be finalized. In the absence of agency action to affirmatively certify continued employment beyond the probationary or trial period, such appointments are terminated. Upon completion of your probationary period your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

This is a supervisory position that may require completion of a supervisory probationary period.

Qualifications

Qualifications

Specialized Experience: To qualify for this position at the GS-15 grade level:
To qualify, you must possess at least one full year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-15 level in the Federal service (obtained in either the public or private sectors). Specialized experience is defined as demonstrated experience:

1. Triaging incoming reports, proposals, requests, and transmittals to assess urgency, determine priority, verify adequacy of information, and assign items to the appropriate staff level.
2. Exercising strong organizational skills to plan, coordinate, and execute special projects involving diverse contributors including the Office of the Solicitor, program managers, and executive leadership.
3. Monitoring the progress of high-level, ongoing projects and staff assignments to ensure timely completion and alignment with leadership's direction are met.
4. Compiling and drafting briefing materials for use by leadership that accurately convey present essential information, key issues, and decision-making options.

You must include hours per week worked.

All qualifications must be met by the closing date of this announcement - 10/30/2026-unless otherwise stated in this vacancy announcement. Competitive candidates must also meet Time-in-Grade requirements as defined in 5 CFR 300, Subpart F.

For current Federal employees, if hours worked per week are not included on your resume, you must submit a non-award SF-50 as part of your application to be used to validate your work schedule and determine the amount of specialized experience that you will be granted. An award SF-50 will not be acceptable documentation for which to consider your amount of qualifying experience. For periods of time that reflect military service, the DD-214 or Statement of Service is sufficient to meet the work schedule requirement as the service dates will be reflected. For all other applicants who are not current federal employees, your resume must state either "full-time" (or "40 hours a week") or "part-time" with the number of hours worked per week to ensure proper crediting of specialized experience.

Volunteer Experience: 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.

How you will be evaluated

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

Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g. resume, supporting documents), the responses you provide on the application questionnaire, and the result of the additional assessment(s) required for this position. To be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process.

Your resume must not exceed 2 pages. Only the document submitted as the "Resume" under the Documents section will be used to determine your qualifications/eligibility and for rating purposes. In the event you submit more than one resume, only the latest submission will be reviewed.

You will be assessed in the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics):

• Decision Making
• Integrity/Honesty
• Legal, Government and Jurisprudence
• Manages and Organizes Information
• Written Communication

To be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. In addition to the application and application questionnaire, this position requires successful completion of additional assessment(s), including a structured interview. These assessments measure the critical competencies listed above that are required to successfully perform the job.

The assessment includes a cut score based on the minimum level of required proficiency in these critical general competencies. You must meet or exceed the cut score to be considered. You will not be considered for the position if you score below the cut score or fail to complete the assessment.

All qualified non-competitive applicants and the best-qualified Merit Promotion applicants will be referred to the hiring manager for consideration.

Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or application questionnaire may result in your removal from consideration or your score may be lowered. Cheating on an assessment may also result in your removal from consideration. Applicants who include vulgar, offensive, or inappropriate language or information in their application package will be ineligible for further consideration for this position.

Current or former displaced Federal employees who are surplus, displaced, or involuntarily separated have special priority selection rights under the Agency Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP) or the Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP). To be considered under CTAP/ICTAP, you must be well-qualified, score at least 85 (i.e., meet the minimum qualification requirements, including any selective placement factors; education, and experience requirements), and be able to perform the duties of the position upon entry.

The following documents are required and must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) -10/30/2026-unless otherwise stated in this vacancy announcement:

1. Resume which includes a list of all significant jobs held and duties performed, with dates in month-year format (include month/day/year format if needed for 52 weeks of experience), and indicate hours worked per week (or full-time). Your resume must clearly show how long you have held each grade/rank. Resumes must not exceed two single-sided pages and resumes longer than two pages will not be accepted. The minimum font size is 10-point for all body text. All resumes must maintain a minimum 0.5-inch margins on all sides to ensure readability and prevent excessive content compression. Including supplemental pages or attachments disguised as resume extensions are prohibited and will not be reviewed to determine your eligibility/qualifications. Your 2-page resume must contain information sufficient to make a valid determination that you fully meet the specialized experience requirements. If you have federal experience, you should include series, and grade for each position held, and if experience is part of a career ladder position, you must clearly distinguish the job duties and length of time working for each grade level. More information on how to write a Federal Resume: https://help.usajobs.gov/faq/application/documents/resume/what-to-include
2. Complete All Required Assessment(s).
3. Performance Appraisals and Awards: You must submit your most recent performance appraisal showing the official rating of record and signed by a supervisor dated within the past 18 months. If unavailable, a written explanation is required (including if any prior performance appraisals/evaluations were at an acceptable level). Performance awards dated within the past 5 years may also be submitted for due weight consideration.
4. All College Transcript(s), if qualifying based on education.
5. Eligibility Documentation:
   • Current and former Federal employees must submit latest SF-50 (i.e. Promotion, Separation, Within Grade Increase (WGI)) showing tenure 1 or 2 in block 24, grade, and if applicable, an additional SF-50 showing the highest grade or promotion potential held. Time in grade will be determined by reviewing your resume and required SF-50s. If your SF-50 showing highest permanent grade held has an effective date within the past year, your resume must clearly show that you held that grade for one year. Do not submit award SF-50s.
   • Veterans Preference Documentation: Veterans eligible under VRA (GS-11 & below only), VEOA, 30% or more Disabled, or Disabled Veterans Enrolled in a VA Training Program must submit the most recent Documentation of Service and Separation under Honorable Conditions (e.g. DD-214) as listed on the SF15. If you are a Parent or Spouse of a Disabled or Deceased Veteran, you must submit all documentation as listed on the SF15. You may request a copy of the VA letter from https://www.va.gov/records. If you are a veteran within 120 days of discharge, you must submit signed documentation from the Armed Forces certifying: 1) your expected release/retirement from active duty, 2) under honorable conditions, 3) your pay grade/rank/rate at time of discharge, 4) dates of active-duty service, 5) any campaign or expeditionary medals received, & 6) dated within 120 days of your separation.
   • Special Appointing Authorities: If you are applying under a special appointing authority (i.e. Schedule A, Peace Corps, Military Spouses, etc.), you must submit appropriate documentation to verify your eligibility. If you fail to submit proof, you will not receive consideration. If you're eligible for an authority not listed, you are responsible for submitting appropriate documentation for that specific authority.
   • Interagency Career Transition (ICTAP) and Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP): You MUST submit proof of eligibility including 1) copy of the agency notice, e.g., RIF Separation Notice, Notice of Proposed Removal, etc.; 2) SF-50s (Notifications of Personnel Action) showing career/conditional tenure competitive status, promotion potential and duty location; and 3) your most recent performance appraisal. To exercise selection priority, displaced or surplus Federal employees must be well qualified. For more information visit: USAJOBS Help Center - Career Transition Programs (CTAP, ICTAP, RPL).

Failure to submit any of the above-mentioned required documents will result in loss of consideration due to an incomplete application package. It is your responsibility to ensure all required documents have been submitted.

Do not submit photographs with your application package. Do not upload Adobe portfolio documents.

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