Veterans' preference: Is not applicable to positions in the Senior Executive Service.
Current or Former Political Appointees: The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) must authorize employment offers made to current or former political appointees. If you are currently or have been within the last five (5) years, a political Schedule A, Schedule C, Noncareer SES or Presidential Appointee employee in the Executive Branch, you must disclose this information on your resume and to the Human Resources Office.
As a basic requirement for entry into the SES, applicants must provide evidence of progressively responsible executive leadership and supervisory experience that is indicative of senior executive level managerial capability. This experience should be sufficiently broad in scope and at a major management level in a large or complex organization. The ideal candidate will have experience supervising many employees through subordinate supervisors and have experience hiring, developing, and evaluating employees. Typically, experience of this nature is at the GS-15 or equivalent level in the federal service or its equivalent in the private sector.
Your application should demonstrate that you possess the knowledge, skills, and abilities to successfully fulfill responsibilities inherent in SES positions such as:
- Leading the work of an organizational unit
- Ensuring the success of one or more specific major programs or projects
- Monitoring progress toward strategic organizational goals, evaluating organizational performance and taking action to improve performance
- Supervising the work of employees, developing policy and other executive functions
If your experience does not include these basic qualifications, you will not be determined qualified for this position.
If selected for this position you will be required to address each ECQ during a structured interview; written narratives for the ECQs are not required. Current and former career SES employees, and OPM Candidate Development Program (CDP) graduates are exempt to address the ECQs.
In addition to the qualifying experience, applicants must possess the following technical qualifications that represent the knowledge, skills, and abilities essential to perform the duties and responsibilities of the position.
MANDATORY TECHNICAL QUALIFICATIONS (MTQs): All applicants must submit a two-page resume that reflects demonstrated experience for each MTQ.
MTQ 1: Extensive knowledge of a wide range of State and Local government matters including budget and fiscal practices.
MTQ 2: Extensive knowledge and direct experience in municipal bond markets.
MTQ 3: Proven ability and deep experience in government policy development.
MTQ 4: Strong capabilities communicating complex topics to a range of audiences including policymakers, senior managers and executives, industry associations, and the public.
MTQ 5: Demonstrated skill in managing a business unit or office, directing a diverse staff, and developing and implementing budgets, project and business plans, and employee development plans.
EXECUTIVE CORE QUALIFICATIONS (ECQs): If selected for this position you will be required to address each ECQ during a structured interview; written narratives for the ECQs are not required. Current and former career SES employees, and OPM Candidate Development Program (CDP) graduates are exempt to address the ECQs.
Introduction: The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) has identified five Executive Core Qualifications (ECQs). The ECQs were designed to assess executive experience and potential - not technical expertise. They measure whether an individual has the broad executive skills needed to succeed in a variety of SES positions - not whether they are the most superior candidates for a particular position. Successful competence in the SES requires competence in each ECQ. Candidates must demonstrate executive experience in all five (5) ECQs. Your application should reflect an overall record of the knowledge, skills and abilities necessary to succeed in the SES.
Examples of good qualifications statements and the use of the C-C-A-R model (Challenge/Context/Action/Results) is provided in OPM's Guide to SES Qualifications. Written narratives for the ECQs are not required; however, applicants must be prepared to address the ECQs in a structured interview.
Format. Use the four C-C-A-R elements in a structured interview for each of the five ECQs:
1. Challenge - Describe a specific problem or goal.
2. Context - Talk about the individuals and groups you worked with, and/or the environment in which you worked to tackle a particular challenge (e.g., clients, co-workers, members of Congress, shrinking budget, low morale).
3. Action - Discuss the specific actions you took to address a challenge.
4. Results - Give specific examples of the results of your actions. These accomplishments demonstrate the quality and effectiveness of your leadership skills.
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. (Competencies: creativity and innovation, external awareness, flexibility, strategic thinking and vision).
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. (Competencies: conflict management, leveraging diversity, developing others and team building).
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. (Competencies: accountability, customer service, decisiveness, entrepreneurship, problem solving and technical credibility).
ECQ 4 - BUSINESS ACUMEN - This core qualification involves the ability to manage human, financial, and information resources strategically. (Competencies: financial management, human capital management and technology management).
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. (Competencies: partnering, political savvy and influencing/negotiating).
Detailed information on the Executive Core Qualifications is available here.