Constituent Services Representative Job in District of Columbia, DC

Vacancy No. 25-HRS-12564848-DE Department Office of Personnel Management
Salary $82,764.00 to $128,956.00 Grade 11 to 12
Perm/Temp Permanent FT/PT Full-time
Open Date 10/10/2024 Close Date 10/24/2024
Job Link Apply Online Who may apply Public
Locations:
District of Columbia, DC


Summary

As a Constituent Services Representative at the GS-0301-11/12, you will be part of the Office of Congressional, Legislative, and Intergovernmental Affairs. If selected, you will be responsible for responding to casework related inquiries from Members of Congress, their staffs and constituents, and active and retired Federal employees; and assisting senior staff in developing and implementing outreach/educational programs for the U.S. Senate, House of Representatives, and Federal agencies.

Duties

  • Interpret and clarify instructions and explain OPM processing procedures in answer to requests concerning constituent casework matters
  • Answer casework correspondence, in writing and verbally, and represent the agency in meetings with congressional staff, their constituents, and Federal employees.
  • Write clear, concise and accurate responses to congressional and constituent inquiries.
  • Provide technical advice and lend assistance and guidance to House and Senate Members, Committees, their staffs, and active and retired Federal employees in response to inquiries concerning OPM programs.
  • Establish and continually maintain a good rapport with Members of Congress, their staffs, and OPM and other agency officials to cultivate close working relationships.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

  • Must be a U.S. Citizen or National
  • Males born after 12-31-59 must be registered or exempt from Selective Service (see https://www.sss.gov/Home/Registration)
  • Suitable for Federal employment, determined by a background investigation
  • May be required to successfully complete a probationary period
  • Complete the initial online assessment and USAHire Assessment, if required
  • This position is eligible for inclusion in the bargaining unit. The union that represents employees in this position is the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) Local 32.

Qualifications

For the GS-11:

A. You must have one year of specialized experience at the GS-09 grade level (or equivalent) which includes the following experience: 1) Managing customer casework, such as analyzing cases, processing cases, or routing cases to appropriate offices for action; 2) Preparing written correspondence to customer inquiries, including drafting, editing, and logging correspondence; 3) Providing information or guidance on employment benefits programs, such as retirement or health benefit programs. Note: Your resume must fully support this experience.

OR

B. Have a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree or completed at least three full academic years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. or LL.M. if related. Such education must demonstrate the competencies necessary to do the work of this position. One year of full-time graduate education is considered to be the number of credit hours that the school attended has determined to represent 1 year of full-time study. If that information cannot be determined from the school, 18 semester hours should be considered as equivalent to 1 year of full-time study. (NOTE: You must include copies of your transcript(s) with your application to verify eligibility.)

OR

C. Have a combination of the education described in "A" above and specialized experience described in "B" above such that the percentage of required experience plus the percentage of required education equals 100%. (To calculate, first determine your total number of graduate semester hours, and divide that number by 18. Next, divide the total number of months of qualifying experience by 12. Then, add your percentage of education and experience. The two percentages must total at least 100% for you to qualify based on your combination of education and experience.) Only graduate education in excess of two years (i.e., 36 semester hours or above the Master's level) may be combined with experience. (NOTE: You must include copies of your transcript(s) with your application to verify eligibility.)

For the GS-12: You must have one year of specialized experience at the GS-11 grade level (or equivalent) which includes the following experience: 1) Managing customer casework, including analyzing cases, processing cases, routing cases to appropriate offices for action, and preparing correspondence to customers; 2) Serving as a liaison to external customers regarding an organization's programs and policies; and 3) Providing technical advice on employment benefits programs, such as retirement or health benefit programs. Note: Your resume must fully support this experience.

You must meet all qualification and eligibility requirements by the closing date of this announcement.

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.

Additional information

Incentive payments may be considered.

This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional similar vacancies across OPM.

If you are unable to apply online and would like to request information about the Alternate Application process, please use the contact information at the bottom of this announcement.

Career Transition Assistance Programs: These programs apply 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 CTAP or ICTAP eligibility criteria; 2) be rated well-qualified for the position and 3) submit the appropriate documentation to support your CTAP or ICTAP eligibility. For more information visit: http://www.opm.gov/rif/employee_guides/career_transition.asp.

Reasonable Accommodation Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended and Americans with Disabilities Act 1990 as amended, that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a reasonable accommodation in your online application. Requests for Reasonable Accommodations for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for Reasonable Accommodation must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for Reasonable Accommodations are made on a case-by-case basis. If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, based on your adjudication decision. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, if you received the link after the close of the announcement. To determine if you need a Reasonable Accommodation, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments here: https://help.usastaffing.gov/Apply/index.php?title=Reasonable_Accommodations_for_USA_Hire

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.

How You Will Be Evaluated

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

For Category Rating: Once the application process is complete, a review of your resume will be made and compared against your responses to the assessment questionnaire to determine if you are qualified for this job. If, after reviewing your resume, a determination is made that you have inflated your qualifications and/or experience, you may lose consideration for this position. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your eligibility. Qualified candidates will be assigned to one of the three quality categories: Qualified, Well Qualified, or Best Qualified. Qualified Category = Does not exceed the basic qualifications requirements described in the "Qualifications" section of this announcement. Well Qualified Category = Meets the basic qualifications requirements described in the "Qualifications" section of this announcement and demonstrates proficiency in the Critical Competencies defined below. (This category must be met to be considered under ICTAP procedures) Best Qualified Category = Meets the basic qualifications requirements described in the "Qualifications" section of this announcement and excels in the Critical Competencies defined below. The category assignment is a measure of the degree in which your background matches the competencies required for this position.

Your qualifications will be evaluated on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities and other characteristics):

  • Attention to Detail
  • Customer Service
  • Decision Making
  • Flexibility
  • Integrity/Honesty
  • Interpersonal Skills
  • Learning
  • Memory
  • Oral Communication
  • Problem Solving
  • Reading Comprehension
  • Reasoning
  • Self-Management
  • Stress Tolerance
  • Teamwork
  • Technical Competence


Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or application questionnaire may result in your removal from consideration. Cheating on an assessment may also result in your removal from consideration.

The Category Rating Process does not add veterans' preference points or apply the "rule of three," but protects the rights of veterans by placing them ahead of non-preference eligibles within each category. Preference eligibles who meet the minimum qualification requirements and have a compensable service-connected disability of at least 10 percent or higher will be listed in the highest quality category (except in the case of scientific or professional positions at the GS-09 level or higher).

Required Documents

To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package which includes:

  1. Your Resume showing the applicant's name, email address, work schedule, hours worked per week, dates of employment, and duties performed to include pay plan, series, and grade level for relevant federal experience. Your resume must show complete information for each job entry to support minimum qualifications.
  • Do not include the following types of information in your resume:
    • Classified or government sensitive information
    • Social Security Number (SSN)
    • Photos of yourself
    • Personal information, such as age, gender, religious affiliation, etc.
    • Encrypted and digitally signed documents
  1. Other supporting documents:
    • Cover Letter, optional
    • College Transcript(s), if qualifying based on education
    • If you are requesting a reasonable accommodation to the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, submit documentation to support your request including the Reasonable Accommodation Request Form found here.
    • Veterans' Preference documentation, if applicable (e.g. DD-214 Member Copy 4 showing type of discharge/character of service; Current Active Duty members must submit a certification of expected discharge or release from active duty under honorable conditions dated within 120 days; SF-15 Form and related documentation; VA letter.) If you are a veteran and you are claiming 5-point veterans' preference, you must submit a copy of your DD-214 or other proof of eligibility.
      If you are a veteran and you are claiming 10-point veterans' preference, you must also submit an SF-15, "Application for 10-Point Veterans' Preference" plus the proof required by that form. For more information on veterans' preference click here.
    • Career Transition Assistance Program/Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program documentation, if applicable (e.g. Certification of Expected Separation, Reduction-In-Force Separation Notice, or Notice of Proposed Removal; SF-50 that documents the RIF separation action; and most recent performance appraisal.)
    • Worker's Compensation Separation: Agency certification of inability to place employee AND Notification of Separation OR Separation SF-50.
    • Disability Annuity Termination: Notification from OPM of disability annuity termination AND Separation SF-50 of the last position held.
    • Military Reserve or National Guard Technician Special Disability Retirement Annuity under 5 U.S.C. 8337(h) or 8456: Certification of special disability retirement annuity from a military department or National Guard Bureau AND Separation SF-50 of the last position held.
Failure to submit any of the above mentioned required documents may result in loss of consideration due to an incomplete application package. It is your responsibility to ensure all required documents have been submitted.

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 read the entire announcement and all the instructions before you begin an application. To apply and be considered for this position, you must complete all required questionnaires, assessments, and the required documentation as specified in the How to Apply and Required Documents section. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST)on 10/24/2024 to receive consideration.

The application process is as follows:

  1. Click the Apply Online button.
  2. Answer the questions presented in the application and attach all necessary supporting documentation.
  3. Click the "Submit Application" button prior to 11:59pm (ET) on the announcement closing date.
  4. If you are required to complete any USA Hire Assessments, you will be notified after submitting your application. The notification will be provided in your application submission screen and via email. The notification will include your unique assessment access link to the USA Hire system and the completion deadline. Additionally, in USAJOBS you can click "Track this application" to return to your assessment completion notice.
  5. Access USA Hire using your unique assessment link. Access is granted through your USAJOBS login credentials.
  6. Review all instructions prior to beginning your assessments. You will have the opportunity to request a testing accommodation before beginning the assessments should you have a disability covered under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended.
  7. Set aside at least 3 hours to take the USA Hire assessments; however most applicants complete the assessment in less time. If you need to stop the assessments and continue later, you can re-use your unique assessment link.
  8. Your responses to the USA Hire assessments will be reused for one year (in most cases) from the date you complete an assessment. If future applications you submit require completion of the same assessments, your responses will be automatically used.
For more general information, system requirements, reasonable accommodation information, and to request assistance regarding the use of USA Hire assessments, review the following resources:

https://help.usastaffing.gov/Apply/index.php?title=USA_Hire_Assessments

To update your application, including supporting documentation: During the announcement open period, return to your USAJOBS account, find your application and click Edit My Application. This option will no longer be available once the announcement has closed.

To view the announcement status or application status: Click on this: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/how-to/application/status/ . Your application status page is where you can view your application status, USA Hire assessment completion status, and review your notifications sent by the hiring agency regarding your application.

You may preview the assessment questionnaire by clicking here: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12564848

Agency contact information

OPM Human Resources
Address
OPM Human Resources
1900 E St., NW
Washington, DC 20415
US
Learn more about this agency

Next steps

Once referred, you may be asked to complete a structured interview, written demonstration, and/or fit interview. Deliberate attempts to falsify information may be grounds for not selecting you or for dismissing you from the position/agency during the probationary period.

Once your online application is submitted you will receive a confirmation notification by email. Your application will be evaluated. You will receive another notification about the status of your application.

We expect to make a job offer within 40 days after the closing date of the announcement. After making a tentative job offer, we will conduct a suitability/security background investigation.

An agency may not request, orally, in writing, or electronically through the USA Jobs website or other electronic means, that an applicant for appointment for a position in the civil service disclose criminal history record information before the appointing agency extends a conditional offer of employment. If you believe you were asked about your criminal history improperly, contact the agency or visit https://www.opm.gov/about-us/careers-at-opm/opportunities/


Note: We cannot accept applications on behalf of Federal Agencies. Application instructions are listed within the Job Description.


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