Program Mgr (Tribal and Native American Relations) Job in Washington, DC

Vacancy No. NRE-25-DE-12753027 Department Government Accountability Office
Salary $142,745.00 to $195,200.00 Grade 4 to 4
Perm/Temp Temporary FT/PT Full-time
Open Date 6/26/2025 Close Date 7/10/2025
Job Link Apply Online Who may apply Public
Locations:
Washington, DC


Summary

This position is in the Natural Resource and Environmental (NRE) team of the Government Accountability Office (GAO), Washington, DC. The NRE team is responsible for conducting and coordinating GAO's evaluations of the federal government's efforts to manage and oversee programs serving federally recognized Tribes and their members. GAO's tribal work includes issues such as energy development, environmental protection, broadband access, education, and health care.

This job is open to

Clarification from the agency

You must be a U.S. citizen. This position is not to exceed (4) years. This appointment may be converted to permanent employment in GAO at any time prior to the expiration of the appointment.

Duties

Serves as a key representative for the Director of the Natural Resources Environment's (NRE), Tribal and Native American Issue Area and acts on behalf of NRE and GAO by providing cultural awareness, strategic focus, and technical input for GAO's Tribal and Native American work.

Advises GAO leadership on sensitive and emerging issues related to Tribal and Native Americans, tribal leaders' concerns, and potential strategies to improve GAO's internal capacity for analyzing programs and policies that serve Tribes, their members, and Indigenous communities.

Acts as a NRE stakeholder for GAO engagement teams to ensure the methodological adequacy of planned outreach to Tribes and Indigenous communities, including appropriate and diverse case selection, and educate staff on appropriate communications strategies and cultural context in advance of tribal outreach.

Directs efforts across GAO mission teams to streamline tribal outreach and optimize matrixing opportunities for jobs with tribal components or case studies.

Advise NRE management on strategies to enhance tribal outreach and implementation of protocols across GAO mission teams that conduct Tribal and Native American work. Leads efforts to strengthen NRE's internal capacity to maintain and improve the success of the Tribal and Native American Issue area by sharing knowledge within GAO.

Delivers agency-wide briefings, preparing written internal communications, delivering oral presentations, and providing written analyses on the Tribal and Native American Issue Area for internal senior executive audiences such as the GAO's Executive Committee and mission teams' management and staff.

Coordinates within GAO to develop and implement a variety of internal learning activities relevant to GAO's tribal work. This includes developing guidance and protocols for GAO's work with Tribal Nations and contributing to training courses and materials relevant to understanding tribal issues including federal/tribal/state relations.

Works with NRE and other mission teams on the preparation of the tribal components of GAO's strategic plan and related implementation efforts.

Builds external networks and relationships with Tribes, leaders of tribal and Indigenous organizations, and other public and private sector organizations that help facilitate accountability, outreach, and collaboration. This includes attending and participating in tribal conferences, meetings, and events, and responding to inquiries from tribal leaders related to GAO's work.

Assists with the planning and work of GAO's Tribal and Indigenous Advisory Council. This includes coordinating with internal and external stakeholders, scheduling meetings, preparing agendas, and providing other logistical and substantive support.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

  • You must be a United States citizen.
  • You must be able to meet and maintain the suitability and security requirements for the position.
  • You must submit a financial disclosure report.
  • You must be registered with the Selective Service, as applicable.
  • Completion of a probationary period may be required.
  • If selected, you must complete a background investigation.

Qualifications

Applicants must have at least one year (52 Weeks) of specialized experience equivalent to the NEXT LOWER BAND, MS-1, PT-III, PE-IIB, or GS-14 grade level in the Federal service, which has equipped the applicant with the skills and knowledge to successfully perform the duties of the position. Specialized experience is defined as experience within the last 3 years (1) interacting directly with Tribal leaders on programs and policies that recognize Tribes and their members; (2) advising management on the context of Tribes within the United States, including legal status and governance structures; and (3) demonstrating a comprehensive knowledge of Tribal and Native American issues including tribal consultations and treaty rights to assist with program evaluations.

Please do not cut and paste the position description, specialized experience, or occupational assessment questionnaire from this announcement into your resume, as this will not be considered a demonstration of your qualifications for this position.

Education

There is no positive education requirement for this position.

Additional information

Form I-9, Employment Verification and the Electronic Eligibility Verification Program - GAO participates in the Electronic Employment Eligibility Verification Program (E-Verify). E-Verify helps employers determine employment eligibility of new hires and the validity of their Social Security numbers. If selected, the Form I-9 will be required at the time of in-processing. Click here for more information about E-Verify and to obtain a copy of the Form I-9.

This is a not bargaining unit position.

Based on the staffing needs, additional selections may be made through this vacancy announcement.

Travel and relocation expenses will not be paid for by the GAO.

Males born after 12/31/59 and at least 18 years of age must be registered with the Selective Service System. Visit https://www.sss.gov/RegVer/wfRegistration.aspx.

Selectees will be required to complete questions contained on the Declaration for Federal Employment (OF-306) at the time a tentative job offer is made. If selected, at the time of appointment, selectees will be required to update the OF-306.

REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION: GAO provides reasonable accommodations to applicants and employees with disabilities. To request accommodation, please email ReasonableAccommodations@gao.gov.

The U.S. Government Accountability Office's policy is to provide equal employment opportunity for all regardless of race, religion, color, sex (including pregnancy), national origin, age, disability, genetic information, sexual orientation, or gender identity.

The U.S. Government Accountability Office's policy is to provide equal employment opportunity for all regardless of race, religion, color, sex (including pregnancy), national origin, age, disability, genetic information, sexual orientation, or gender identity.

The U.S. GAO is part of the Legislative Branch of the Federal government. As such, all positions are in the excepted service. Initial appointments, permanent or indefinite, to the GAO require completion of a one or two-year probationary period.

When an applicant limit is set, USAJOBS will close the vacancy at as follows:
(A) the day the limit is reached -OR-
(B) the pre-defined closing date of 07/10/2025.
If the limit is reached before 07/10/2025, all applications in excess of the limit will continue to be accepted until 11:59 pm EST.

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.

If you meet the qualification requirements stated above, you will be further rated based on your responses to the assessment questions. Please make sure that your responses to the assessment questions are supported in your resume. Please follow all instructions carefully. If you provide incomplete answers, fail to provide a narrative response to any vacancy question(s) that requires further explanation, or if your response to a vacancy question is "see resume", your rating may be affected, or you may be determined ineligible.
Your qualifications will be evaluated on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities and other characteristics):

  • Administration and Management
  • Strategic Thinking
  • Verbal and Written Communication
To preview the assessment questionnaire, click

Required Documents

Required documents must be submitted by 11:59 pm Eastern Time on the closing date of the announcement to receive consideration. All applicants must submit:

  • Resume: For qualification determinations your resume must contain hours worked per week (if part-time) and dates of employment (i.e., month/year to month/year or month/year to present). If your resume does not contain this information, your application may be marked as insufficient and you will not receive consideration for this position. If you are a current Federal employee or previous Federal employee, provide your pay plan, series and grade, i.e. GS-0301-09. Do NOT include photographs (or links to social media such as LinkedIn), inappropriate material, inappropriate content, nor personal information such as age, gender, religion, social security number, etc., on your resume.
  • Online questionnaire

How to Apply

A complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 pm Eastern Time on the closing date of the announcement to receive consideration. To apply for this position, you must complete the online application and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section of the announcement.

  • To begin, click Apply to access the online application. You will need to be logged into your USAJOBS account to apply. If you do not have a USAJOBS account, you will need to create one before beginning the application.
  • Follow the prompts to select your résumé and/or other supporting documents to be included with your application package. You will have the opportunity to upload additional documents to include in your application before it is submitted. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process.
  • After acknowledging you have reviewed your application package, complete the Include Personal Information section as you deem appropriate and click to continue with the application process.
  • You will be taken to the online application which you must complete in order to apply for the position. Complete the online application, verify the required documentation is included with your application package, and submit the application.
To verify the status of your application, log into your USAJOBS account (https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login), all of your applications will appear on the Welcome screen. The Application Status will appear along with the date your application was last updated. For information on what each Application Status means, visit: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/how-to/application/status/.
  • If you are unable to apply online, you must request an alternative application which is available from the Human Capital Office. Please contact Joycelyn Williams at williamsjr1@gao.gov by 4 p.m. on the closing date of the announcement. For technical issue with USAJOBS: Please refer to the USAJOBS help page.

Agency contact information

Joycelyn Williams
Address
Government Accountability Office
Human Capital Office
441 G Street NW
Washington, DC 20548
US

Next steps

After the closing date of this announcement, GAO's Human Capital Office will conduct an evaluation of your qualifications by reviewing your assessment questionnaire and resume to complete an analysis. Please be as complete and thorough as possible. If your application is rated "best-qualified," your name will be referred to the selecting official for consideration. At this point you may be contacted for an interview.

If you do not meet the key requirements, and/or basic qualifications or you fail to submit all required application materials, your application will not be considered.


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


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