Senior Policy Advisor

Summary

This position is located in the Department of Homeland Security, Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction, Washington, District of Columbia.

This job is open to

Clarification from the agency

Status Candidates (this includes current or former Federal employees with career or career-conditional tenure in the competitive service; Former Overseas Employees, CTAP, ICTAP, VEOA, 30% or More Disabled Veterans, Schedule A, Military Spouses, Americorps, Peace Corps, Vista, Land Management, and Interchange Agreement Eligibles)

Duties

This position is located in the Department of Homeland Security, Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction, Washington, District of Columbia. This position is located in the Policy Division, Strategy Policy and Plans Directorate. The primary purpose of this position is to conduct research, analysis, evaluation of policies and programs related to chemical, biological, radiological, and/or nuclear threats and to make recommendations in the form of written and oral presentations to DHS senior leaders about policies related to CBRN and weapons of mass destruction. Duties performed:

Conducting self-directed research, analysis, and evaluation of policies and programs related to chemical, biological, radiological, and/or nuclear threats, weapons of mass destruction, or similar topics;

Collaborating with Department of Homeland Security and interagency stakeholders to provide recommendations and present reports or written or oral briefings on regulations, policies, and programs on chemical, biological, radiological, and/or nuclear threats, weapons of mass destruction, or similar topics;

Represent the Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction and Department of Homeland Security in White House National Security Council and Office of Science and Technology Policy on chemical, biological, radiological, and/or nuclear threats, and/or weapons of mass destruction, or similar topics;

Writing proposals and recommendations for the CWMD Assistant Secretary and other senior DHS officials on policy and/or programs related to chemical biological, radiological, nuclear threats, weapons of mass destruction, or similar topics and briefing them to senior federal executives.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

You must be a U.S. citizen to apply for this position.

You must successfully pass a background investigation. This may include a credit check, a review of financial issues, as well as certain criminal offenses and illegal use or possession of drugs.

Males born after 12/31/59 must be registered or exempt from Selective Service (see

One-year probationary period may be required.

Must meet Time-In-Grade requirements.

A pre-employment drug test is required -The incumbent is required to and must pass urinalysis testing, as required, prior to appointment, reassignment, or transfer; and employee will be subject to random testing while employed.

If you receive a conditional offer of employment for this position, you will be required to complete an Optional Form 306, Declaration for Federal Employment, and to sign and certify the accuracy of all information in your application.

DHS uses e-Verify, an Internet-based system, to confirm the eligibility of all newly hired employees to work in the United States.

All Federal employees are required to have Federal salary payments made by direct deposit to a financial institution of their choosing.

License required: No

Pre-employment physical required: No

This is a non-bargaining unit position.

Permanent Change of Duty Station (PCS) Expenses will not be paid.

This position is at the full performance level.

Qualifications

Specialized Experience:

GS-14: Applicant must demonstrate at least one full year of specialized experience comparable in scope and responsibility to the GS-13 level in the Federal service (obtained in either the public or private sectors) performing the following duties:

Analyzing policies and programs related to threats (i.e., chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, etc.), and/or weapons of mass destruction;

Collaborating with stakeholders to provide information on issues surrounding threats (i.e., chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, etc.), and/or weapons of mass destruction;

Writing policy and/or program material related to threats (i.e., chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, etc.), and/or weapons of mass destruction; and

Making oral and written presentations on research and analysis to senior federal executives.

NOTE: Your resume must explicitly indicate how you meet this requirement, otherwise you will be found ineligible. Only the first five pages of your resume will be used to make an eligibility/qualifications determination.

Time-in-Grade Requirements: Under competitive merit promotion procedures, any individual who is currently holding, or who has held within the previous 52 weeks, a General Schedule position under a non-temporary appointment in the competitive or excepted service, must meet "time-in-grade" requirements (have served 52 weeks at the next lower grade of the grade for which you are applying). Time-In-Grade requirements also apply to current employees applying for a Veterans Employment Opportunities Act of 1998 (VEOA) appointment. NOTE: All current or former Federal employees must provide a copy of their SF-50 (you may need to submit more than one), "Notice of Personnel Action" that indicates proof of status and time-in-grade eligibility. The SF-50 must include your position, title, series, grade, step, tenure (1 or 2), and type of service (Competitive or Excepted).

All qualification requirements must be met by the closing date of this announcement. Qualification claims will be subject to verification.

NOTE: 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.

Education

Additional information

Note: DHS continues to take necessary steps to keep our workforce safe amid the COVID-19 pandemic. If you receive a final job offer to onboard, please complete the onboarding forms and submit them electronically in an expeditious manner. Your start date may be delayed if the action above is not completed.

Background Investigation: To ensure the accomplishment of its mission, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) requires each and every employee to be reliable and trustworthy. To meet those standards, all selected applicants must undergo and successfully complete a background investigation for a Top Secret clearance as a condition of placement in this Special/ Sensitive position. This review includes financial issues such as delinquency in the payment of debts, child support and/or tax obligations, as well as certain criminal offenses and illegal use or possession of drugs.

Pursuant to Executive Order 12654 and DHS policy, DHS is committed to maintaining a drug-free workplace and, therefore, conducts random and other drug testing of its employees in order to ensure a safe and healthy work environment. Headquarters personnel in safety- or security-sensitive positions are subject to random drug testing and all applicants tentatively selected for employment at DHS Headquarters are subject to drug testing resulting in a negative test result.

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.

Interagency/Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP/CTAP): This program applies to Federal service employees whose positions have been deemed surplus or no longer needed, or employees who have been involuntarily separated from a Federal service position within the competitive service. To receive selection priority for this position, you must: 1) meet eligibility criteria for CTAP or ICTAP; 2) be rated well-qualified for the position; and 3) submit the appropriate documentation to support your CTAP or ICTAP eligibility. Well-Qualified includes those applicants whose knowledge, skills, and abilities clearly exceed the minimum qualification requirements for the position. For information on eligibility criteria and required documentation, go to:

Selective Service: Males born after 12/31/59 must be registered or exempt from Selective Service (see ).

If you are unable to apply online contact .

How You Will Be Evaluated

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

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 an Assessment Questionnaire. The questions are related to the following fundamental competencies (or Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities) needed to perform the duties of this job:

Partnering

Planning and Evaluating

Policy Management

Writing

Based on your responses, you will receive a score from the Assessment Questionnaire. Those applicants who score the highest will be referred to the hiring manager and may be called for an interview. Failure to complete the interview may result in removal from further consideration.

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

Consideration will be given to performance appraisals and incentive awards as an indicator of quality of prior experience; no points will be assigned.

For Competitive Merit Promotion and Veterans Employment Opportunities Act (VEOA) Applicants: The highest rated candidates will be referred to the hiring agency.

For Noncompetitive Appointment Eligibles: All qualified candidates will be referred to the hiring agency.

Veterans Employment Opportunities Act (VEOA): To be eligible for a VEOA appointment, the veteran must 1) be a preference eligible; or 2) be a veteran separated after 3 or more years of continuous active service performed under honorable conditions (you must submit a DD214-member copy 4).

, /, and possess a wealth of unique talents, experiences, and competencies that can be invaluable to the DHS mission. If you are a member of one of these groups, you may not have to compete with the public for federal jobs. To determine your eligibility for non-competitive appointment and to understand the required documentation, click on the links above.

To preview the assessment questionnaire, click the following link:

Required Documents

To apply for this position, you must submit a complete Application Package which includes:

1. Your resume showing a detailed description of your job-related qualifications that includes beginning and ending dates with the month and year and hours worked per week (if less than 40) for each paid and non-paid work experience job title listed. Please limit your résumé to 5 pages. If more than 5 pages are submitted, only the first 5 pages will be reviewed to determine your eligibility/qualifications.

2. Other supporting documents (only submit if applicable to you):

Are you a current federal employee? Submit a copy of your SF-50, Notification of Personnel Action that demonstrates your eligibility for consideration, e.g., length of time you have been in your current/highest grade (examples of appropriate SF-50s include promotions, with-in grade/range increases); your current promotion potential; proof of permanent appointment if applying based on an interchange agreement; etc.

Are you a former federal employee? Submit a copy of your last SF-50, Notification of Personnel Action that demonstrates your eligibility for consideration and a copy of your last Federal Performance appraisal.

Are you a veteran? Submit Member Copy 4 of your DD-214 or other (Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty) or notice form. Those applying for 10-Point preference must fill out the and provide an official document dated 1991 or later, from the Department of Veterans Affairs or from a branch of the Armed Forces, and/or any other associated documentation based on your preference. If applying based on eligibility under the Veterans Opportunity to Work (VOW) Act, you must submit certification from the Armed Forces that you will be discharged or released from active duty within 120 days from the date you submit your application. This must indicate your dates of service, your rank, and confirm that you will be separated under honorable conditions.

For more information on veterans' preference see .

Are you claiming special priority selection rights under the Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP/CTAP)? If so, submit:

A copy of your RIF separation notice, notice of proposed removal for failure to relocate, notice of disability annuity termination, or certification from the National Guard Bureau or Military Department that you are eligible for disability retirement;

A copy of your SF-50 "Notification of Personnel Action'', documenting your RIF separation, noting your positions, grade level, and duty location, and/or Agency certification of inability to place you through RPL, etc.;

A copy of your latest performance appraisal including your rating; and

Any documentation from your agency that shows your current promotion potential.

Are you eligible for a special noncompetitive hiring authority (e.g., Schedule A Disability, Peace Corps, Former Overseas Employees, etc.)? Submit documentation of proof that supports your eligibility under a special hiring authority.

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; and

Beginning and ending dates of appointment.

Are you applying under special hiring authorities as a military spouse? Provide a copy of your:

Marriage certificate, and

A completed SF-15 with supporting documentation.

You may be asked to provide a copy of your recent performance appraisal and/or incentive awards.