Regional Director Job in Philadelphia, PA

Vacancy No. SES-12638039-24-NER Department Merit Systems Protection Board
Salary $147,649.00 to $221,900.00 Grade 00 to 00
Perm/Temp Permanent FT/PT Full-time
Open Date 12/17/2024 Close Date 1/7/2025
Job Link Apply Online Who may apply Public
Locations:
Philadelphia, PA


Summary

As the Regional Director you are responsible for managing a regional office of the U.S. Merit Systems Protection Board and rendering administrative appeals decisions and orders on individual cases coming before the Board. Decisions may have major political, social, and economic impact on the functions of such other agencies as the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the Office of Personnel Management, the Federal Labor Relations Authority, and the Office of Special Counsel.

This job is open to

Clarification from the agency

Applications will be accepted from all qualified candidates.

Duties

  • The duties may include, but are not limited to:
  • Determines program goals and develops plans for the office to meet those goals.
  • Determines resources needs, allocates resources, and accounts for their effective use.
  • Coordinates activities with those of headquarters and the other regional offices.
  • Recommends to higher management changes in program emphasis and operating guidelines.
  • Deals with general personnel management policy matters affecting the regional office and with personnel actions affecting key employees, or those involving serious repercussion.
  • Delegates authority to subordinate supervisors and holds them responsible for the performance of their staff functions.
  • Assigns appeals cases to administrative judges capable of issuing quality decisions that are consistent with controlling law, rules and regulations.
  • Trains and develops administrative judges to reach the full performance level.
  • Is responsible for the timely processing of all appeals received by the regional office in accordance with time standards established by the Board.
  • Is responsible for carrying out an affirmative action/equal employment opportunity program within the regional office, assuring that the fundamental purposes and objectives of the Board's action plan are met to the fullest extent possible.
  • Supervises a GS-12 supervisory paralegal and supervises the activities of GS-13 through GS-15 administrative judges, who conduct formal administrative hearings.
  • The selectee will manage the Philadelphia office.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

  • US Citizenship is required.
  • Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959
  • Complete, if selected, an Executive Personnel Financial Disclosure (SF-278).
  • A one-year SES probationary period may be required.
  • Veterans Preference is not applicable in the Senior Executive Service.
  • Initial appointments are required to serve a 1-year probationary period.
  • Narrative Statements for the ECQs must not exceed 10 pages.
  • Background Investigation required.
  • You MUST be duly licensed and authorized to practice as an attorney under the laws of a state, Territory, or the District of Columbia.
  • Must be an active member of the bar in good standing.

Qualifications

YOU MUST UPLOAD YOUR RESPONSES TO THE EXECUTIVE CORE QUALIFICATIONS (ECQs) AND TECHNICAL QUALIFICATIONS (TQs).
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 management capability and directly related to the skills and
abilities outlined under Executive Core Qualifications and Technical Qualifications listed below. Typically, experience of this nature
will have been gained at or above the GS-14/15 grade level in the federal service or its equivalent in the private sector. As such, your
resume should demonstrate that you have the knowledge, skills, and abilities to successfully fulfill responsibilities inherent in most SES positions such as:

- Directing 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; and
- Supervising the work of employees; and exercising important policy-making, policy determining, or other executive functions.

Failure to meet the basic qualification requirement and address all Mandatory Technical and Executive Core Qualification
factors will result in your application being disqualified.

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. All applicants must submit a written narrative to address the ECQs. Your narrative must address each ECQ separately and should contain at least two examples per ECQ describing your experiences and accomplishments/results. The narrative should be clear, concise, and emphasize your level of responsibilities, scope and complexity of programs managed, program accomplishments, policy Initiatives undertaken and the results of your actions.

Applicants should not enter "Refer to Resume" to explain your answer.

The narrative must not exceed 10 pages. NOTE: Current career SES members, former career SES members with reinstatement
eligibility, and SES Candidate Development Program graduates who have been certified by OPM do NOT need to address the ECQs.

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, resilience,
strategic thinking, vision)

2. Leading People: This core qualification involves the ability to lead people toward meeting the organizations 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, team building)

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, technical
credibility)

4. Business Acumen: This core qualification involves the ability to manage human, financial, and information resources
strategically. (Competencies: financial management, human capital management, technology management)

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, influencing/negotiating)

Fundamental Competencies: These competencies are the foundation for success in each of the Executive Core Qualifications: Interpersonal Skills, Oral Communication, Continual Learning, Written Communication, Integrity/Honesty, Public Service Motivation. The Fundamental Competencies are crosscutting; and should be addressed over the course of each ECQ narratives. It is not necessary for you to address the Fundamental Competencies directly as long as the narrative, in its totality, shows mastery of these competencies on the whole.

Applicants are encouraged to follow the Challenge, Context, Action and Result (C-C-A-R) model outlined in the guide.

Challenge - Describe a specific problem or goal.

Context - Describe the individuals and groups you worked with, and/or the environment in which you worked, to address a
particular challenge (e.g., clients, co-workers, members of Congress, shrinking budget, low morale).

Action - Discuss the specific actions you took to address a challenge.

Result - Give specific examples of measures/outcomes that had some impact on the organization. These accomplishments
demonstrate the quality and effectiveness of your leadership skills.

Additional information about the SES and Executive Core Qualifications can be found on the (OPM) SES Website. You are strongly encouraged to review OPMs Guide to SES Qualifications for specific examples and guidance on writing effective ECQ narrative statements.

MANDATORY TECHNICAL QUALIFICATIONS (TQs): All applicants must submit a written narrative response to the following TQs.
You must address each TQ separately. Each TQ narratives must not exceed two (2) pages. Please give examples and explain the
complexity of the knowledge possessed and the sensitivity of the issued you handled.

NOTE: You must address each TQ separately. You are required to respond to all TQs. If you fail to do so, you will be rated as 'ineligible'.
  1. Extensive knowledge of and experience in Federal employment law applicable to Federal employees and agencies.
  2. Experience in litigation or adjudication in quasi-judicial or administrative forums, and a demonstrated skill and proficiency in legal analysis and writing.

Education

Applicants must have an LL.B or J.D. degree from an accredited law school; must be admitted to practice before the highest court of a State, U. S. territory, the District of Columbia, or the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico; and must maintain active status as a member of the bar of one of these jurisdictions.

Law School Transcripts or List of Coursework are REQUIRED: An unofficial copy is sufficient with the application; however, if selected, an official law school transcript will be required prior to entering on duty. All education must have been successfully completed and obtained from an accredited school, college, or university.

Additional information

This is a career reserved position and therefore must be filled by a career appointee. Successful applicants are not required to have previous Senior Executive Service (SES) career service before applying for this position. The selected candidate's executive and managerial qualifications must be certified by the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) prior to an initial SES career appointment.

Consideration for competitive selection for this position is open to all persons within the area of consideration who meet the basic
qualifications. Race, color, age, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, political beliefs, religion, marital or family status,
disability, and other non-merit factors will not be considered.

1. This position is covered under the post-employment restriction of the Ethics in Government Act of 1978 (P.L. 95-521). This law
also requires the selectee to file an Executive Personnel Financial Disclosure Report (Standard Form 278), within 30 days of
appointment.

2. Applications sent in U.S. Government postage-paid envelope and submitted through Federal Agency courier services will not be
considered.

3. The 1993 Hatch Act Reform Amendments prohibit oral and written political recommendations for Federal jobs.

4. Male applicants born after December 31, 1959, must be registered with the Selective Service System before they can be employed
by an executive agency of the Federal government. This requirement does not apply to Agency employees appointed before
November 8, 1985.

5. All application forms are subject to the provisions of the Privacy Act and become the property of USDA. The U.S. Department of
Agriculture (USDA) is an Equal Opportunity Employer. USDA prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis of
race, color, national origin, gender, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, and marital or family status. (Not all
prohibited bases apply to all programs.) Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication or program
information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact USDA's TARGET Center at 202-720-2600 (voice and TDD).

Effective January 1, 2010, OPM must authorize any employment offers we make to current or former (within the last 5 years)
political Schedule A, Schedule C, or Non-career SES employees in the executive branch. If you are currently, or have been within the
last 5 years, a political Schedule A, Schedule C, or Non-career SES employee in the executive branch, you must disclose that to the
Human Resources Office.

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.

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.

Applicants who meet the mandatory requirements in the ECQs and MTQs above will be considered qualified for this position. Rating and ranking to determine the "best qualified" will be conducted by a panel of experts and will be based upon consideration of the degree to which applicants meet the mandatory knowledge, skills, and abilities described in the qualification sections on ECQs and MTQs. Interviews and qualifications inquiries may be required. The ECQs of the selectee are subject to prior approval by the OPM Qualifications Review Board (QRB). When reviewing ECQs statements, the QRB is looking for specific challenges, actions, and results.

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

  • You will be evaluated on the quality and extent of your total accomplishments, experience, and education (if applicable).
  • Your application will be rated and ranked by the agency's Executive Resources Board (ERB), using only the information submitted within the application package.
  • Applicants who do not demonstrate in their application sufficient possession of the ECQs and MTQs will be determined ineligible for further consideration.
  • Unless you have already been certified by a QRB in the past, your ECQs must be certified by a QRB after selection and before appointment can occur.
A complete on-line application will require the submission of the following:
  • Resume: Resume that includes the following information: 1) personal information; 2) education; 3) work experience including the work schedule and hours worked per week as well as dates of employment; and title, series and grade if applicable; 4) supervisor's phone number and e-mail address for each work period listed and whether or not we may contact them for reference checks; and, 5) other qualifications.
  • Responses to the ECQs
  • Responses to the MTQs
To view the application form, visit: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12638039

Required Documents

All applicants are required to submit the following information. The initial competition and identification of candidates to be interviewed will be made solely on the basis of this material. Candidates who do not submit complete a complete application as indicated below will not be considered.

If you are a Senior Executive Service Candidate Development Program CDP) graduate, submit proof of the Office of Personnel Management's certification and a narrative statement addressing only the technical qualifications (TQs).

If you are a current or former SES member, submit documentation of SES status and a narrative statement addressing only the technical qualifications (TQs).

1. Respond to EACH of the ECQs individually. Please include your name and the vacancy announcement number on each page of the supplemental applicant statement. The purpose of this statement is to provide you, as an applicant, the opportunity to elaborate on your experience, training, and specifically, significant achievements which relates to the ECQs being used to identify the best qualified candidates for this vacancy. DO NOT simply repeat entries from other parts of your application package. Please provide complete responses to the executive core qualifications. Detailed information on the ECQs and Key Characteristics may be found at: http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/senior-executive-service/executive-core-qualifications/ for additional guidance on writing your Supplemental Applicant Statement. When addressing the five ECQs the total length of your statement must not exceed 10 pages. Please use the C-C-A-R Model (Challenge/Context/Action/Results), the preferred method of writing your ECQs provided at http://www.opm.gov/ses/references/guidetoSESquals_2010.pdf An ECQ statement may include one or more examples of relevant experience. The number of examples is not as important as assuring that your experience matches the ECQ criteria. Please provide your examples using the four C-C-A-R elements below:

  • Challenge - Describe a specific problem or goal.
  • 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.)
  • Action - Discuss the specific actions you took to address a challenge.
  • Results - Give specific examples of the results of your actions.
These accomplishments demonstrate the quality and effectiveness of your leadership skills.

2. Respond to EACH of the Mandatory Technical Qualifications individually. Your narrative responses must not exceed two (2) pages per Technical Qualification.

3. Submit the most recent performance appraisal (dated within 18 months) showing the official rating of record, signed by a supervisor, or statement why the performance appraisal is unavailable (e.g., length of time in current position). A performance plan is not an acceptable substitute.

4. Current or former federal employee, you must submit a copy of your last Notification of Personnel Action (SF-50) showing your position, title, series, grade and eligibility using the auto generated fax cover sheet printed via the on-line automated system.

*Please do not submit an (SF-50) from an Award personnel action.

Current career SES Members and former SES Members who have reinstatement eligibility to the career SES should submit a SF-50 showing career SES status; OPM-Certified SES Candidate Development Program graduates should submit a copy of their Qualifications Review Board (QRB) certificate.

5. RESUME: Your resume should contain information sufficient to make a valid determination that you fully meet the specialized experience requirements as stated in this vacancy announcement. It is recommended that you include the following information:
  • Full name, mailing address, and day and evening telephone numbers
  • Educational information, including the name, city and state of colleges or universities you attended, as well as the type and year of any degrees received
  • Information about your paid and nonpaid work experience related to this position including, including the work schedule and hours worked per week.
  • Job title (include series and grade if Federal job)
  • Duties and accomplishments
  • Employers name and address
  • Supervisors name and phone number
  • Starting and ending dates of employment (month and year)
  • Salary
  • Indicate if we may contact your current supervisor
  • Information about honors, awards, and special accomplishments
6. College Transcripts: A copy of your transcript(s) or a separate course listing showing the course title, department, hours earned (quarter or semester), and grade.

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.

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

The following instructions outline our application process.
YOU MUST UPLOAD YOUR RESPONSES TO THE EXECUTIVE CORE QUALIFICATIONS (ECQs) AND TECHNICAL QUALIFICATIONS
(TQs).

Please read the entire announcement and all instructions before you begin. You must complete this application process and submit all required documents electronically by 11:59p.m. Eastern Time (ET) on the closing date of this announcement.

Applying online is highly encouraged. We are available to assist you during business hours (normally 8:00a.m. - 4:00p.m., Monday - Friday). If applying online poses a hardship, contact the Agency Contact listed below well before the closing date for an alternate method. All hardship application packages must be complete and submitted no later than noon ET on the closing date of the announcement in order to be entered into the system prior to its closing.

This agency provides reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities on a case-by-case basis; contact the Agency Contact to request this.

Step 1: Create a USAJOBS account (if you do not already have one) at www.usajobs.gov. It is recommended that as part of your profile you set up automatic email notification to be informed when the status of your application changes. If you choose not to set up this automatic notification, then you will have to log into your USAJOBS account to check on the status of your application.

Step 2: Create a Resume with USAJOBS or upload a Resume into your USAJOBS account. You may want to customize your resume to ensure it documents duties and accomplishments you have gained that are directly related to this position in order to verify that qualifications are met. In addition, your resume must support your responses to the online questionnaire (you may preview the online questionnaire by clicking on the link at the end of the How You Will Be Evaluated section of the job announcement).

Step 3: Click "Apply Online" and follow the prompts to complete the Occupational Questionnaire and attach any additional documents that may be required. You can update your application or documents anytime while the announcement is open. Simply log into your USAJOBS account and click on "Application Status." Click on the position title, and then select "Update Application" to continue.

NOTE: Please verify that documents you are uploading from USAJOBs transfer into the Agency's staffing system as there is a limitation to the number of documents that can be transferred. However, once in the Agency's staffing system, you will have the opportunity to upload additional documents. Uploaded documents must be less than 5MB and in one of the following document formats: GIF, JPG, JPEG, PNG, RTF, PDF, TXT or Word (DOC or DOCX). Do not upload Adobe Portfolio documents because they are not viewable.

Agency contact information

Thomas Schoessler
Address
MSPB Human Resources
250 Marquette Avenue, Suite 410
Minneapolis, MN 55401
US
Learn more about this agency

Next steps

If you set up your USAJOBS account to send automatic email notifications, you will receive an email acknowledging: 1) the submission of your online Occupational Questionnaire and resume was successful, 2) if you were referred to the selecting official for consideration, and 3) if you were selected or not selected. If you choose not to set up automatic email notifications, you must check your USAJOBS account for the latest status of your application. Your application may be reviewed to verify that you meet the qualifications and eligibility requirements for the position prior to issuing lists to a selecting official. If further evaluation or interviews are required, you will be contacted.

Applicants who meet the mandatory requirements in items A (Executive Core Qualifications), and B (Mandatory Technical
Qualifications) above will be considered qualified for this position. Rating and ranking to determine the best qualified will be
conducted by a panel of senior executives and will be based upon consideration of the degree to which applicants meet the
mandatory requirements as described in the announcement.

The Executive Core Qualifications (ECQs) of the selectee are subject to prior approval by the Office of Personnel Management
Qualifications Review Board (OPM QRB). Unless you have already been certified by an OPM QRB in the past, your ECQs must be
certified by an OPM QRB before your appointment can occur. When reviewing the ECQ Statements, the QRB is looking for
experience as well as specific challenges, actions, and results.

Under the Fair Chance Act, agencies are not allowed to request information about an applicant's criminal history until a conditional offer of employment has been made, except as allowed for access to classified information; assignment to national security duties or positions; acceptance or retention in the armed forces; or recruitment of a Federal law enforcement officer. An applicant may submit a complaint or any other information related to an organization's alleged noncompliance with the Fair Chance Act. The complaint must be submitted within 30 calendar days of the date of the alleged noncompliance. To make a Fair Chance Act inquiry or complaint, send an email with the appropriate information to pervis.lee@mspb.gov, subject line: Fair Chance Act.


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


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