Education Specialist Job in Washington DC, DC

Vacancy No. CVC-2025-074 Department Architect of the Capitol
Salary $68,405.00 to $88,926.00 Grade 09 to 09
Perm/Temp Permanent FT/PT Full-time
Open Date 11/21/2024 Close Date 12/5/2024
Job Link Apply Online Who may apply Public
Locations:
Washington DC, DC


Summary

This position is located in the Architect of the Capitol (AOC), Office of the Chief Executive Officer for Visitor Services, Exhibits and Education Division, (EED) of the U.S. Capitol Visitor Center (CVC).

Duties

The Education Specialist assists the Exhibits and Education staff in educational programs that fulfill the CVC’s mission. This includes developing new educational programs for the visiting public (adults, families, students, groups and international visitors), teaching or delivering educational programs, assisting with the evaluation of educational programs, identifying necessary supplies, organizing the storage of educational supplies and working with special events staff to arrange spaces for educational activities. Work on weekends, evenings and holidays is required, as needed.

The individual selected for this position will:

Educational Program Development and Work

  • Present existing educational programs and develop and facilitate new educational programs that fulfill the mission of the CVC.
  • Work with other Education Specialists; Educational Program Manager; Adult, Family, and Youth Program Coordinator; Exhibits and Education Division; Volunteer Coordinator and other Visitor Services staff to implement educational programs and projects in line with AOC policies and CVC procedures and practices.
  • Develop and offer formal and informal educational programs and hands-on activities for various audiences; Exhibition Hall and Democracy Lab; and other venues including assisting with volunteer training, creating content for interpretive signs and coordinating materials preparation and classroom, cart or venue set-up. Ensures that programs are compliant with accessibility objectives and follows safe work practices.
  • Communicate the significance of Congress to everyday life, the role of citizens in a democratic process, and the evolving understanding of “We the People” to visitors (adults, families, students, groups and international visitors) through programs, carts, presentations, tours, hands-on activities, workshops and family days or events. Develops programs and teach using inquiry-and object-based learning techniques.
  • Facilitate discussion with and among visitors in order to engage them with Exhibition Hall and Democracy Lab themes and content through programs and activities.
  • Assist with project review and program analysis including assembling documentation such as written materials, digital files, photographs and participant evaluations. Develop content for website, brochures, handouts, activity sheets and curriculum for review by the Exhibits and Education team. Attend meetings and conferences with colleagues and collaborating agencies and organizations.

Educational Program Administration and Collaboration 

  • Develop goals, objectives and planning for educational programs, as well as hands-on activities for family days, event days and other large programs.
  • Ensure that developed programs adhere to the impact statement and interpretation plan for Exhibition Hall and Democracy Lab.
  • Recommend edits to policies and procedures related to incumbent’s duties and responsibilities.
  • Coordinate set up and take down of educational program exhibits. 
  • Resolves problems by quickly identifying issues and developing action plans to improve program design and execution.
  • Support the work of the EED by acting as backup for delivery of programs organized by others in the division, especially by the other Education Specialists.

Educational Supply Maintenance and Management

  • Work with other Education Specialists; Educational Program Manager; Adult, Family, and Youth Program Coordinator and Exhibits and Education Division staff to identify needed educational supplies.
  • Organizes CVC educational supplies, storage areas and carts.
  • Achieves well-organized storage and cataloging of educational supplies and develops a regular schedule for inventorying supplies.
  • Ensures that items are stored safely and securely within appropriate storage areas.
  • In collaboration with other EED and Special Events staff, ensures proper set-up and take-down of educational exhibits, as requested, including working with Special Events staff to request proper amount and configuration of tables and chairs, providing needed educational supplies and equipment and setting up appropriate signs alerting people to programs.
  • Ensures that education location material setups are compliant with established accessibility and safety practices.
  • Actively communicates educational offerings to visitors within the CVC and the AOC, in accordance with policy and procedure.

Publicizes Education Programs 

  • Assists in communicating educational offerings to external customers.
  • Actively communicates educational offerings to visitors within the CVC and the AOC, in accordance with policy and procedure.
  • Works with EED, Visitor Services, Marketing and Communications and Restaurants and Special Events staff to enhance public understanding and awareness of the educational activities of the CVC.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

  • You must be a U.S. Citizen.
  • You must be able to pass a drug test.
  • Your resume and question responses must demonstrate the job-related KSAs.
  • You must meet the definition of specialized experience.

  • A citizen of the United States;
  • A person who is lawfully admitted for permanent residence and is seeking citizenship as outlined in 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3)(B);
  • A person who is admitted as a refugee under 8 U.S.C. 1157 or is granted asylum under 8 U.S.C. 1158 and has filed a declaration of intention to become a lawful permanent resident and then a citizen when eligible;
  • A person who owes allegiance to the United States (nationals of American Samoa, Swains Island, and the Northern Mariana Islands, and nationals who meet other requirements described in 8 U.S.C. 1408); or
  • You must be able to pass a drug test and background check.
  • Your resume and question responses must demonstrate the job-related KSAs.
  • You must meet the definition of specialized experience. 

Qualifications

You must meet the United States Office of Personnel Management's (OPM) qualification requirements (including specialized experience and/or educational requirements) for the advertised position. You must meet all eligibility and qualifications requirements by the closing date of the job announcement. Additional information on the qualification requirements is outlined in the OPM Qualifications Standards Handbook of General Schedule Positions. It is available for your review on the OPM web site at OPM qualification standards
 
Specialized experience is experience that has equipped you with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the position to be filled. To be creditable, specialized experience must have been equivalent to at least the next lower grade level.

Candidates for the GS-09 grade level must have at least 52 weeks of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-07 grade level in the Federal service.

Specialized experience for this position includes:

  • Experience researching and developing on-site and virtual programs about American history, political history, civics or art history to a variety of audiences;
  • Experience delivering educational programs, tours and workshops in a museum or heritage site setting;
  • Experience evaluating and modifying programs based on evaluation data; and
  • Experience coaching staff and volunteers to deliver educational programs or activities.

--OR--

Qualifying on Education:

You may substitute education for experience for this position. Your education must consist of two years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a master’s degree or equivalent graduate degree. Must be related to the duties of the position.

Education

All applicants must have the following:

A. Successful completion of a full four-year course of study in an accredited college or university leading to a bachelor's or higher degree that included or was supplemented by major field of study in education or in a subject-matter field appropriate to the position.

--OR--

B. Combination of education and experience----courses equivalent to a major in education, or in a subject-matter field appropriate to the position, plus appropriate experience or additional course work that provided knowledge comparable to that normally acquired through the successful completion of the four-year course study described above.

Special Instructions for Foreign Education: 

Education completed outside of the United States must be deemed equivalent to that gained in conventional/accredited U.S. education programs to be acceptable for Federal employment.

Qualifying education from colleges and universities in foreign countries must be evaluated in terms of equivalency to that acquired in U.S. colleges and universities. Applicants educated in whole or in part of foreign countries must submit sufficient evidence, including transcripts, to an accredited private organization for an equivalency evaluation of course work and degree.

You must provide a copy of the letter containing the results of the equivalency evaluation with a course-by-course listing if selected.

Additional information

Welcome Veterans. The Veterans Employment Opportunities Act of 1998 (VEOA) gives veterans' preference rights in the legislative branch to certain veterans as applied by the Congressional Accountability Act. Veterans' preference is applied on this vacancy announcement. If you are a veteran and have been separated under honorable conditions, you must submit a copy of your DD-214 or other proof of eligibility; SF-15, if applicable; and Department of Veterans Affairs documentation of disability, if applicable. For more information, please visit OPM vet guide

If you are a male applicant born after December 31, 1959, you must certify that you have registered with the Selective Service System. If you are exempt from registration under Selective Service Law, you must provide appropriate proof of exemption. Please visit the Selective Service System website for more information.

DRUG TESTING: The Architect of the Capitol (AOC) is a Drug Free Workplace. As part of the AOC’s suitability assessment, a candidate tentatively selected for a position who is not currently an AOC employee is required to submit to screening for illegal drug use. Satisfactory completion of a drug test is a condition of employment with the Agency. A candidate must test negative prior to being eligible for appointment into a position. We will schedule, provide and cover the cost for the drug test.
 
The selectee(s) under the vacancy announcement for this position is subject to a criminal record check by the U.S. Capitol Police and satisfactory adjudication to be eligible for employment at the Architect of the Capitol.
 
The Architect of the Capitol is an E-VERIFY Participant. E-VERIFY is an Internet-based system that compares information from an employee's Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification, to data from U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Social Security Administration records to confirm employment authorization in the United States. If you are selected for this position, the documentation that you present for purposes of completing the DHS Form I-9 will be verified through the DHS "E-VERIFY" electronic system. For more information on E-Verify, please visit http://www.dhs.gov/files/programs/gc_1185221678150.shtm

The Architect of the Capitol is an Equal Opportunity Employer and prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, age, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information and/or disability.

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 notify the agency. The decision on granting reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis.
 
Moving expenses are not authorized.
 
Relocation expenses are not authorized.
 
Probationary Period - A newly appointed selectee is subject to the completion of a one-year trial/probationary period, regardless of whether or not a trial/probationary period has been completed previously with the Architect of the Capitol or another Federal agency.

This vacancy announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies in any of the jurisdictions of the Architect of the Capitol.

All application materials become the property of the Architect of the Capitol.

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.

A variety of health insurance plans; retirement system with investment options; paid holidays; paid sick and annual (vacation) leave; life insurance; incentive systems; subsidized transportation; training and development opportunities, etc.

The Architect of the Capitol offers eligible employees opportunity to participate in the Student Loan Repayment Program.

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.

Review your resume and responses carefully. Your eligibility for consideration and qualifications for the position will be determined based upon a review of your detailed resume and your responses to job specific self-assessment questions. 

Your resume will be evaluated based on evidence of your ability to demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) for this position, possession of any specialized experience, and how well your background and experience relates to the self-assessment questions in the job announcement. The self-assessment questions relate to the following knowledge, skills, abilities, and competencies:

Education and Training

History and Archeology

Communications and Media

Manages and Organizes Information

Interpersonal Skills

Writing

Oral Communication

Your responses to the self-assessment questions serve as the basis for your initial rating. You will receive a numerical score based on your responses to these questions.  Next, your responses will be evaluated by a Human Resources Specialist and/or a subject matter expert against the information provided in your resume and optional cover letter. Your resume must support your answers to the self-assessment questions. Falsifying your background, education and/or experience is cause for non-selection or disqualification from further consideration.

Please note that a complete application is required for consideration. (Please review the “Required Documents” section of this job announcement to see what must be included in a complete application).


You may preview questions for this vacancy.

Required Documents

The Architect of the Capitol's (AOC) job application process is designed to ensure you only provide information necessary to evaluate your qualifications and eligibility for the position vacancy.

To apply for this position, you only need to submit: a) your resume and b) answers to the online vacancy assessment questionnaire. The online questionnaire contains eligibility and screening questions and other relevant information. No additional documentation or attachments are required at the time of application.

Your resume should list your education, training and work experience including job titles, employment dates, duties and accomplishments.

Nothing further is required until it is requested by AOC’s Human Capital Management Division. If additional documentation is required for the position, you will be asked to provide it during the interview or selection process. At that time, you may be asked to submit documentation to support statements made in your resume.

For example, you may be asked to provide a copy of your diploma, college transcripts, or proof of Federal employment status. If the position requires licensure or certification, you will be asked to provide proof at the time of selection.

If Veterans’ preference is claimed, you will be asked to submit proof (DD-214, and, if claiming a 10-point preference, a SF-15 and the proof required by that form).

Failure to provide the required documents will end further consideration and/or result in the withdrawal of any tentative job offers.

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

You MUST apply online. FORMS RECEIVED BY FAX, EMAIL OR U.S. POSTAL SERVICE DELIVERY WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED.

If you are a new user to the USAJOBS Site and have never registered for an account; you will first need to create an account profile with your basic contact information and a resume to begin applying. You must be a registered USAJOBS user AND you must be signed-in to your account in order to apply for this position. For help with setting up an account or for general assistance in using USAJOBS, go to USAJOBS Help Page.

NEED HELP?
If you experience any difficulties with the application site, help is available! If you have problems completing your on-line application, contact the Monster Hiring Management Help Desk at 1-866-656-6831 or by e-mail at MGSHELP@monster.com. The help desk is available Monday - Friday 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Eastern Time. You may call and leave a voice mail message at all other times.

All required supporting documents will be collected electronically via the USAJOBS “Saved Documents” feature.

If you are unable to apply on-line, you may visit our Employment Center for technical assistance in entering your application. The Employment Center is located at 441 Second & D Streets S.W., Washington, D.C., Room H2-178, and is open Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. You may call (202) 226-7000 for directions.

Agency contact information

LaDerica Bowden
Phone
202-226-7000
Fax
202-226-9755
Email
laderica.bowden@aoc.gov
Address
Architect of the Capitol
2nd and D Street, S.W.
Washington, District of Columbia 20515
United States
Learn more about this agency

Next steps

You will receive a notice generated by the USAJOBS System when you have successfully submitted your application. We will review your application and transcript(s) (if you are qualifying based on education) to ensure you meet the basic qualification requirements.

You can check the status of your application by logging into http://www.usajobs.gov. You may also sign up to receive automatic emails anytime the status of your application has changed by logging into your USAJOBS Account, editing your profile and changing the ‘Notification Settings’ to indicate that you want to be notified by email when the status changes. Information regarding the status of your application should be updated in the system within two (2) weeks after the closing date of this job announcement.


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


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