Duties
The incumbent is an integral part of a small team responsible for Continuity of Operations (COOP) Plan development and maintenance, emergency preparedness staff training, exercises, plan review and development, incident response and recovery, rotational on-call duty, and emergency preparedness contract management. Attends meetings and conferences as necessary. Incumbent must have experience with writing and maintaining Continuity of Operations (COOP) Plans.
DUTIES
Formulates and drafts to the Library of Congress (LOC) COOP Plan and ensures the format and content are up-to-date and accessible. Develops, evaluates, and ensures implementation of training and technical concepts, policies, and procedures for Continuity of Operations (COOP) support to ensure the continued functioning of the Library under all conditions. Leads the COOP Plan Working Group and works closely with Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO) counterparts to ensure the maintenance of the COOP Plan. Works with key stakeholders at Library facilities to implement COOP exercises to test effectiveness of LOC COOP Plan. Regularly assess LOC COOP Plan and make recommendations for improvement.
Provides advice and guidance to other federal, state, and local governments on appropriate training programs to satisfy various emergency management requirements. Recommends sources to satisfy the training requirements. Collaborates in the development of specific training sessions/materials to satisfy training requirements. Provides technical assistance to training staff on the development and revision of exercise evaluation training materials. Serves as an instructor for training programs of Library of Congress staff members.
Designs and develops multi-state or national exercise scenarios and serves as an evaluator. In coordination with superior, directs the conduct and completion of full scale, partial-scale, and remedial exercises to determine the ability of the Library of Congress to implement respective emergency plans in response to an incident.
Serves as a primary contact within the Library of Congress for other federal agencies and for significant organizational segments of an agency for guidance and interpretation of standards and procedures. External contacts may include, but not be limited to, the Senate, House, U.S. Capitol Police, Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Homeland Security, D.C. Emergency Management Center, and others. Internal contacts include, but are not limited to, the Library's service and support units.
Reviews and evaluates planning programs for effectiveness and integration with federal plans for a significant organizational segment of an agency, such the Library's service and support units. Coordinates in developing the Library's Emergency Preparedness Program, which includes, but is not limited to, staff training, exercises, plan review and development, and incident response and recovery. Develops guidance to be used for implementing criteria and evaluating preparedness based on exercises, plans, and training. Coordinates the development of guidance with other federal officials and staff. Collaborates in planning special events related to consequence management and continuity of operations.
Formulates and drafts legislative proposals and revisions to existing laws and regulations. Initiates, writes, interprets, and implements policy, regulations, reports, and position papers. Recommends modifications or changes to Library of Congress emergency preparedness policies and procedures based on reports, exercise evaluations, and changing needs.
Performs various other duties as assigned.
Requirements
Conditions of employment
A Top Secret clearance is required due to the sensitive nature of the information being acquired, appraised, processed, and handled at this level to perform the work of the position. The selected candidate must be able to obtain and maintain a Top Secret security clearance.
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.
Ability to develop, evaluate, and implement training and technical concepts, policies, and procedures for Continuity of Operations (COOP).**
Ability to plan, organize, and manage a complex emergency preparedness program.**
Ability to interact collaboratively with others.
Ability to communicate in writing.
Ability to communicate effectively other than in writing.
Education
There are no education requirements for this position.
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 are 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.
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