Clarification from the agency

Current DHS Headquarters (HQ) employees serving under a career or career-conditional appointment in the competitive service. You must submit an SF-50 that shows you currently work for DHS HQ.

The primary purpose of this position is to advise and support senior officials by coordinating counterterrorism special projects. The incumbent will maintain expertise on the security environment and how DHS Office and Components support the counterterrorism, counter-cartels, and screening and vetting missions.

As a Senior Policy Analyst, GS-0301-15, your typical work assignments may include:

• Advise CTHT leadership on current policy workstreams, identifying challenges to and providing recommendations for actions and advancement of critical departmental priorities.
• Build and maintain collaborative relationships with a range of stakeholders. Represent DHS at the National Security Council, interagency partners, and other stakeholders to inform the development and implementation of CTHT-related policies, plans, and strategies.
• Clearly and concisely communicates recommendations in writing and orally on CTHT policies, plans, and strategies to senior leaders. Editing written products to ensure they are clear and concise.
• Plans, organizes and directs team study or work by articulating complex problems and developing creative solutions. Persuades or negotiates effectively with numerous audiences to accept and implement these solutions. and other recommendations, where the proposals involve substantial agency resources; require extensive changes in established procedures; or may be in conflict with the desires of the activities under study.
• Review, edit, revise, and provide constructive feedback on relevant policies and products on CTHT, and synthesize that information to inform senior leadership.

All DHS-HQ announcements have a 5 business day open period due to the number of applications received. This announcement will be open for 5 business days OR until the first 100 applications have been received, whichever happens first.

View common definitions of terms found in this announcement: Common Definitions.

Conditions of employment

• You must be a U.S. citizen to apply for this position.
• Males born after 12/31/1959 must be registered for Selective Service.
• You must successfully pass a background investigation.
• You must submit to a pre-employment drug test.
• You must meet time-in-grade requirements.
• You may be required to serve a one-year probationary period.
• Applying to this announcement certifies that you give permission for DHS to share your application with others in DHS for similar positions.

Qualifications

Specialized Experience:

To qualify for the GS-15, you must possess one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-14 level in the Federal service, or comparable experience not gained through federal service. For this position, specialized experience is defined as:

(A) Advise and support senior officials by coordinating counterterrorism special projects, to include coordinating, assigning, or arranging memoranda and other materials, conducting research, presenting results to leadership, and managing high priority actions; AND

(B) Serving as a counterterrorism action officer responsible for managing last-minute counterterrorism /CTHT "pop-up" issues for a senior-level official, apprising them of all changes, troubleshooting counterterrorism emerging issues, updating policy and information materials with new information, arranging last minute engagements/briefings for the principal; AND

(C) Conducting national security policy coordination and development work, to include providing policy analysis and advice on counterterrorism to a senior-level official.

Substitution of education in lieu of specialized experience may not be used for this grade level.

All qualifications and eligibility requirements must be met by the closing date of the announcement.

Time-in-grade: Current General Schedule (GS) federal employees, and those that have served in GS positions within the last 52 weeks, must have served 52 weeks at the next lower grade, or a combination of the next lower grade level and an equivalent band in the federal service by the closing of this announcement.

Note: Current or former Federal employees MUST submit a copy of their SF-50 Form which shows competitive service appointment ("position occupied" block 34 on the SF-50 should show a "1"), tenure group (block 24 should show a 1 or 2), grade, and salary. If you are applying for a higher grade, please provide the SF-50 Form which shows the length of time you have been in your current/highest grade (examples of appropriate SF-50s include promotions, With-in Grade/Range Increases, and SF-50s dated a year apart within the same grade/job). If you have promotion potential in your current position, please provide proof. IF YOU DO NOT SUBMIT ALL OF THE REQUIRED DOCUMENTATION, YOU WILL NOT RECEIVE CONSIDERATION AS A STATUS CANDIDATE.

National Service Experience: Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional, philanthropic, religious, spiritual, community, student, social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

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 5 years, a political Schedule A, Schedule C, Non-career SES or Presidential Appointee employee in the Executive Branch, you must disclose this information to the Human Resources Office.

How you will be evaluated

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

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

Structured Resume Review. Subject matter experts (SMEs) will review your resume to determine your technical qualifications for this position based on the required specialized experience. SMEs will not review additional information beyond your resume (e.g., cover letter, links embedded in your resume). Applicants passing the structured resume review will move on to the next phase of the assessment process. https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12910679

We will review your resume and supporting documentation to ensure you meet the basic qualification requirements. If you meet the minimum qualifications, your experience, education and training will be rated using a job questionnaire that is based on the following competencies or knowledge, skills and abilities needed to perform this job. Competencies: External awareness, problem solving, technical credibility, and writing.

If, after reviewing your resume and/or supporting documentation, a determination is made that you have overstated your qualifications and/or experience, you may be removed from consideration or your score may be lowered.

Due weight will be given to performance appraisals and incentive awards in merit promotion selection decisions in accordance with 5 CFR 335.103(b)(3).

Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP) Eligibles: If you have never worked for the Department of Homeland Security, you are not CTAP eligible. View information about CTAP eligibility on OPM's Career Transition Resources website. To be considered well qualified under CTAP, you must be rated at a minimum score of 85 for this position. In addition, you must submit the supporting documents listed under the required documents section of this announcement.

Interviews are required for this position. Failure to complete the interview may result in removal from further consideration.

1. Your resume NOTE: Limit your resume to no more than two pages. The USAJOBS database will not allow an applicant to submit an application that includes a resume over two pages. For what to include in the resume, click on the link: USAJOBS Help Center
2. Your responses to the job questionnaire https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12910679
3. Your competed and signed Optional Form 306, Declaration of Federal Employment.
4. Are you current DHS Headquarters employee? Submit a copy of your most recent SF-50 showing your current grade and tenure; An SF-50 showing highest (permanent) grade ever held, if different from your current grade. Please note: Performance award, Details, and Realignments are not acceptable SF-50s. If you are applying for a higher grade, please provide an SF-50 or SF-50s which show the length of time in the current/highest grade (examples of appropriate SF50s include promotions, With-in Grade/Range Increases, and SF-50s dated one year apart within the same grade/job) to support meeting time-in-grade requirements.
5. Are you claiming special priority selection rights under the DHS Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP)? Submit the following:
   • A copy of your agency notice,
   • A copy of your most recent performance rating, and
   • A copy of your most recent SF-50, Notification of Personnel Action, noting your current position, grade level, and duty location.
6. Are you a current or former political Schedule A, Schedule C, Non-career SES or Presidential Appointee employee? Submit a copy of your applicable SF-50, along with a statement that provides the following information regarding your most recent political appointment:
   • Position title,
   • Type of appointment (Schedule A, Schedule C, Non-career SES, or Presidential Appointee),
   • Agency,
   • Beginning and ending dates of appointment.
7. You may be asked to provide a copy of your recent performance appraisal and/or incentive awards.

Next steps