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Job Opportunity: Legislative Specialist, National Science Foundation

Posted by on Monday, January 27, 2014 in Job Opportunities .

Job Title: Legislative Specialist, GS-0301-11/12 DE
Agency: National Science Foundation
Job Announcement Number: LPA-2014-0002
SALARY RANGE: $63,091.00 to $98,305.00 / Per Year
OPEN PERIOD: Thursday, January 23, 2014 to Wednesday, January 29, 2014
SERIES & GRADE: GS-0301-11/12
POSITION INFORMATION: Full-time. – Permanent.
PROMOTION POTENTIAL:13
DUTY LOCATIONS: FEW vacancies – Arlington, VA View Map
WHO MAY APPLY: Any US Citizen. This opportunity is also open to status candidates and veterans eligible under VEOA under announcement LPA-2014-0003.
SECURITY CLEARANCE: Q – Nonsensitive
SUPERVISORY STATUS: No

JOB SUMMARY:

About the Agency

NSF has the advantages of a small agency environment that fosters collaboration, creativity and opportunities to contribute to major agency-wide projects. Consistently ranked by its employees as one of the top federal agencies in managing its workforce, NSF maintains a creative, flexible, and collegial atmosphere and is respected in both the public and private sectors for its management best practices and stewardship of federal funds. Join our team at one of the best places to work in the federal government and use your knowledge and imagination to keep NSF at the frontier of discovery! More about NSF.
 
This position is located in the Office of Legislative and Public Affairs (OLPA), Legislative Division, Congressional Affairs Section.  OLPA communicates information about the activities, programs, research results and policies of the National Science Foundation. OLPA employs a wide variety of tools and techniques to engage the general public and selected audiences including Congress, the news media, state and local governments, other Federal agencies,and the research and education communities.

KEY REQUIREMENTS

  • US citizenship.
  • Background investigation.
  • Preview questions at bottom of Qualifications & Evaluations–see tab above.
  • Selective Service registration required for male applicants, unless exempt.

DUTIES:

The incumbent works with senior OLPA and NSF staff on congressional, state and local interactions under the direction of the Supervisor for Legislative Affairs, Congressional Affairs Section. Specific duties include:

  • Works closely with senior legislative staff members to maintain close and continuing contacts with individual Members of Congress and Congressional Staff with interest in and/or responsibility for NSF oversight.
  • Assists in the planning and development of NSF Congressional hearing testimony and associated background materials.
  • Assists in the development and implementation of a legislative strategy for the Foundation based on insight developed through contact with congressional and other sources.
  • Assists in the planning and execution of ongoing strategic congressional relations activities that provide NSF program information in both proactive and reactive modes, to Members of Congress and their staff.
  • Works with NSF program staff, integrates state-related information available within OLPA and NSF, and coordinates state-related activities when appropriate.
  • Attends and prepares reports of Congressional hearings, mark-ups, and floor debates pertaining to issues important to NSF and the science and engineering research and education community. Communicates congressional interest to other affected NSF staff and assists in developing information and/or recommendations for NSF policy and follow-up actions.
  • Assists in the development and management of the distribution of information materials to the Congress, state and local officials, and general public.
  • Supports the maintenance of the congressional grant notification system and the congressional report tracking system
  • Supports the legislative clearance process and interacts with OMB on behalf of the agency as appropriate.
  • Develops, maintains, and updates files, databases, and other materials of state or regional research and education information that can be used to inform Congress and provide background information to the Congressional Affairs team, Director, the Deputy Director and the Assistant Directors.
  • Identifies opportunities to develop working partnerships between states, institutions of higher education, and NSF.

QUALIFICATIONS REQUIRED:

For GS-11 level, you must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-09 level in federal service. Examples of experience include: applying a variety of analytical techniques to gather, analyze, and evaluate complex policy and legislation; establishing and maintaining contact with Members of Congress and their staffs; assisting in the preparation of relevant background materials for Congressional testimony; assisting in the development and implementation of legislative strategies; and supporting the legislative clearance process.
OR, have a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree;
OR, have 3 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree;
OR, have an LL.M., if related;
OR, have a combination of post high school education and experience that together meet the qualification requirements for this position.

For the GS-12 level, you must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-11 level in federal service. Examples of experience include: applying a variety of analytical techniques to gather, analyze and evaluate complex policy and legislative issues to make recommendations; establishing, developing, and maintaining relationships with Members of Congress and Congressional Staff; assisting in the planning and development of Congressional hearing testimony, and associated background materials; assisting in the development and implementation of legislative strategies; and supporting the legislative clearance process.

Additionally, in order to meet minimum qualifications, applicants must also identify in their resume experience which demonstrates that the candidate meets the following selective factor.  Candidates who do not show such experience on their resume will no longer receive consideration for the position. 

Selective Factor: Experience on Capitol Hill with the Federal legislative process in the areas of science and technology.

Education may be substituted for experience as described in “Qualifications.”
You must meet eligibility and qualification requirements within 30 days of the closing date.
You must answer all job-related questions in the NSF eRecruit questionnaire.

All online applicants must provide a valid email address.  If your email address is inaccurate or your mailbox is full or blocked, you may not receive important communication that could affect your consideration for this position.

This position is in the bargaining unit.

HOW TO APPLY:

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Your application should be submitted online and must be completed and all required documents successfully faxed (or uploaded) before 11:59 PM Eastern time on the closing date. You must answer all of the job-related questions to ensure full consideration for this position. For more detailed information, please review our NSF eRecruit Applicant Guide.

If you do not have internet access or if you have questions, please contact the Human Resources Representative listed in the vacancy announcement.

WARNING!  Applications submitted online must have a valid email address.  If your email address is inaccurate or your mailbox is full or blocked, you may not receive important communication that could affect your consideration for this position.

REQUIRED DOCUMENTS:

NOTE: THE AUTOMATED APPLICATION TOOL IDENTIFIES A NUMBER OF DOCUMENTS THAT MUST BE SUBMITTED FOR THIS POSITION BUT ARE NOT ACTUALLY REQUIRED.  THE DOCUMENTS DESCRIBED BELOW ARE THE ONLY ONES REQUIRED FOR THIS JOB. ALL OTHER DOCUMENTS LISTED ARE OPTIONAL.

If you are eligible under a special appointing authority (e.g., veterans appointment
authorities
persons with an intellectual disability, severe physical disability or psychiatric disabilities); or ICTAP/CTAP, you will be required to submit supporting documentation. This will typically require the submission of one or more of the following documents:
1. Veteran’s Preference Documentation (DD-214 and SF-15): If you are eligible and claiming 5-point veteran’s preference, you MUST submit a copy of your DD-214 or other proof of eligibility. If you are claiming 10-point veteran’s preference, you MUST submit a copy of your DD-214, SF-15, “Application for 10-Point Veterans’ Preference” and the documentation required by the SF-15. (Please note:  An SF-50, Notification of Personnel Action, showing veterans’ preference will not be accepted as proof of entitlement.)

2. Documentation of Schedule A Certification – from applicants requesting consideration under the Schedule A appointing authority for disabled applicants.

3. CTAP/ICTAP Documentation: If you are applying under CTAP or ICTAP, you MUST submit proof of eligibility under 5 CFR 330.602(a) for CTAP and 5 CFR 330.704 for ICTAP. This includes a copy of the agency notice, a copy of your most recent performance rating, and a copy of your most recent SF-50 (Notification of Personnel Action) showing your position, grade level, and duty location. Please annotate your application to reflect that you are applying as a CTAP or ICTAP eligible.

You must submit proof of meeting the basic education requirement described in the QUALIFICATIONS paragraph.  Therefore, you should submit TRANSCRIPTS (unofficial copies are acceptable) or a DIPLOMA that verifies that the requirement is met. 
All faxing/uploading must be completed before 11:59 PM Eastern time on the vacancy closing date.  If you are faxing your information, please use extreme care in dialing the fax number to assure we receive your information.  You will receive an email confirmation of receipt of your faxed/uploaded document(s).

AGENCY CONTACT INFO:

Bonnie Beavers
Phone: 703-292-8319
Fax: 703-292-2466
TDD: 703-292-8044
Email: bbeavers@nsf.gov
Agency Information:
NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION
4201 Wilson Blvd
Room 315
Arlington, VA
22230
US
Fax: 703-292-2466
 

WHAT TO EXPECT NEXT:

You may check the status of your application at any time on the USAJOBS website.
 
For full job description and how to apply, visit the job site.

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