Principal Advisor for Operations

Clarification from the agency

Applications will be accepted from current Federal employees on permanent or competitive term appointments and applicants eligible for non-competitive authorities.

The successful candidate will serve as a senior advisor providing authoritative expertise, strategic direction, and executive-level guidance on agency-wide strategic planning, performance management, organizational effectiveness, and communications initiatives. The incumbent provides leadership on complex, high-impact matters; advises senior agency officials on policy and governance issues; and leads efforts to advance organizational priorities, modernization initiatives, and performance improvement strategies.

Such duties include but are not limited to:

• Provide authoritative advice and recommendations to senior agency leadership on strategic planning, performance management, governance, organizational effectiveness, and policy matters affecting agency operations and mission objectives.

• Lead the development, implementation, and continuous enhancement of agency-wide strategic planning and performance measurement processes. Establish and oversee integrated planning approaches, stakeholder engagement strategies, and performance management practices that support agency priorities and Federal requirements.

• Evaluate proposed policies, regulations, directives, and organizational initiatives to assess strategic, operational, and governance implications. Develop and present executive-level recommendations and implementation strategies to address complex agency challenges.

• Lead multidisciplinary teams and high-level initiatives involving organizational transformation, regulatory modernization, benchmarking, and advanced technology integration. Conduct complex analyses, synthesize findings, and provide actionable recommendations to support senior leadership decision-making.

• Represent the agency in senior-level engagements with Federal agencies, professional organizations, industry stakeholders, and other external partners. Establish collaborative relationships, communicate complex strategic and policy matters, and facilitate alignment among diverse stakeholders.

Conditions of employment

You must meet the qualifications for this position by no later than 30 calendar days after the closing date of this announcement and before placement in the position.

All information in your resume must be true and accurate.

Conditions of Employment:

• U.S. Citizenship Required
• This is a Drug Testing position
• Must be able to meet and maintain security & suitability requirements
• As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1 or 2-year trial period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may 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.

Upon completion of your trial period your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

Qualifications

In order to qualify for this position, you must have at least ten years of specialized experience in the Federal service or equivalent experience in the private or public sector.

Specialized Experience: To qualify for this position, you must demonstrate extensive experience leading or advising on complex, agency-wide strategic initiatives involving strategic planning, organizational performance, governance, policy development, or organizational transformation. Specialized experience includes providing authoritative advice to senior executives on matters of significant organizational impact; leading cross-functional or multidisciplinary initiatives; developing and implementing strategic plans and performance management frameworks; evaluating complex policy or organizational issues; and representing an organization in high-level interactions with internal and external stakeholders.

The ideal candidate will be able to demonstrate the following:

• Demonstrated expertise in developing, implementing, and evaluating strategic plans, organizational performance management frameworks, and governance initiatives for a large, complex organization.

• Extensive experience providing authoritative advice and recommendations to senior executives on strategic planning, organizational effectiveness, policy development, governance, and performance improvement.

• Demonstrated ability to lead multidisciplinary teams and enterprise-wide initiatives involving organizational transformation, modernization, strategic analysis, and implementation of complex organizational priorities.

• Exceptional oral and written communication skills, including experience presenting complex strategic, technical, programmatic, and policy issues to senior executives, governing bodies, and external stakeholders.

• Demonstrated ability to build collaborative relationships, influence executive decision-making, and achieve consensus among senior leaders, Federal agencies, industry representatives, and other stakeholders on issues of significant organizational importance.

A description of how you possess the specialized experience, as well as how you meet the qualifications desired in an ideal candidate, must be addressed in your resume. Applicants may also use the supplemental vacancy questions to provide additional information pertaining to the specialized experience and ideal candidate criteria.

PLEASE BE CLEAR AND CONCISE. WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE.

How you will be evaluated

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

When the application process is complete, your application will be reviewed to determine if you meet the job requirements. Your application will be evaluated based on the information provided in your resume to determine your level of knowledge, skills, and abilities related to the job requirements. You must respond to all required application questions.

If you are among the top candidates for this position, your application will be referred to the hiring manager for possible interview and selection based upon the number of available vacancies to be filled in each office.

Your resume is the key means we have for evaluating your skills, knowledge, and abilities as they relate to this position. Therefore, we encourage you to submit a resume that directly relates to this position.

The following documents are required for your application package to be complete. If you fail to provide any required documents, you will be marked as having an incomplete application package and you will not be considered any further.

• Resume that includes: 1) personal information such as name, address, contact information; 2) education; 3) detailed work experience including work schedule, hours worked per week, dates of employment, title, series, grade (if applicable); and 4) other qualifications. Please limit your resume to 2 pages. See below for Additional Resume Information.

In addition to the above, you must submit the documents below if you claim the following eligibilities:

• Current Federal Employees/Reinstatement Eligibles: You must submit a copy of your most recent non-award SF-50 (Notification of Personnel Action) to verify competitive/excepted status or reinstatement eligibility. Applicants who only submit an award SF-50 will not receive further consideration.
• Veteran Preference Eligibles: You must submit DD-214 showing type of discharge/character of service (e.g. DD-214 Member 4 Copy); SF-15 Form; and related documentation such as a VA letter showing disability percentage. If currently on active duty, you must submit a certification of expected discharge or release from active-duty service under honorable conditions not later than 120 days after the date the certification is submitted. Veteran's preference must be verified prior to appointment. You can find additional information about Veterans' Preference at http://www.fedshirevets.gov/.
• Individuals with Disabilities: If you are applying under the Schedule A Hiring Authority, you must submit supporting documentation (i.e., Schedule A Letter). You may refer to the following link for additional information. USAJOBS Help Center - Individuals with disabilities.
• Military Spouse: All military spouses must submit documentation verifying marriage to the service member (e.g., marriage certificate); AND
  • Current military orders (e.g., statement of service) to support active-duty service for more than 180 consecutive days; OR
  • If you are a spouse of a 100% disabled service member, documentation must include service member's DD-214 and 100% service disability (e.g., VA Letter); OR
  • If you are an un-remarried widow or widower of a service member killed while on active duty, documentation must include verification of service member's death while on active duty (e.g., DD-1300).
• Peace Corps: You must submit a copy of your description of service or other proof of non-competitive eligibility.

All application materials, including transcripts, must be in English.

Additional Resume Information:
Your resume is crucial in our evaluation of your qualifications. Resumes should clearly demonstrate your skills, knowledge, and abilities. Please limit your résumé to 2 pages. To ensure your resume contains all required information, we encourage you to use the USAJOBS Resume Builder. If you choose to use your own resume, please ensure it contains all the required information, and you organize it so we can associate the following information with each experience/position:

• Job title
• Name of employer
• Beginning and ending dates of employment (month/year) format
• Hours worked per week. We will assume full-time unless otherwise stated. We will pro-rate part-time employment in crediting experience.
• Concise, results-focused language for job duties, accomplishments, related skills, and responsibilities to include any supervisory/managerial responsibilities and number of staff supervised (if applicable).
• Series and grade or equivalent (if a federal position).

Do not include a photograph or video of yourself, or any sensitive information (age, date of birth, marital status, protected health information, religious affiliation, social security number, etc.) or other inappropriate material on your resume or cover letter. If your resume contains prohibited information as listed above, your application may be determined ineligible, and you will not receive consideration for this position. We will not access web pages linked on your resume or cover letter, links to social media such as LinkedIn, to determine your qualifications. Cover letters are optional.

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