Associate Ombudsman

Summary

About the Position: This position is with DoW Education Activity HQ. Office of the Chief of Staff Ombuds and Resolution Services Branch in Alexandria, VA.

Duties

• Coordinate and oversee the consultation sessions/discussions structured to resolve and minimize complex conflicts.
• Represent the Ombudsman in high level meetings and projects with appropriate organizations.
• Assist in developing, evaluating, and improving enterprise conflict management, organizational effectiveness, and stakeholder engagement initiatives.
• Conduct research and analysis of stakeholder issues; identify appropriate offices, officials, and resources; develop responses and recommendations.
• Develop and deliver briefings, workshops, training, and outreach programs related to conflict prevention, communication, collaboration and dispute resolution.
• Serve as a communications conduit between conflicting individuals with the aim of expediting informal dispute resolution.

Qualifications

Who May Apply: Only applicants who meet one of the employment authority categories below are eligible to apply for this job. You will be asked to identify which category or categories you meet, and to provide documents which prove you meet the category or categories you selected. See Proof of Eligibility for an extensive list of document requirements for all employment authorities. Current Competitive Service Department of War Education Activity (DoWEA) Civilian Employee Current Department of War (DoW) Civilian Employee Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan Land Management Workforce Flexibility Act Non-Department of War (DoW) Transfer Priority Placement Program, DoD Retained Grade Preference Eligible Priority Placement Program, DoW Military Reserve (MR) and National Guard (NG) Technician Eligible Priority Placement Program, DoW Military Spouse Preference (MSP) Eligible Priority Placement Program, DoW MR and NG Preference Eligible Tech Receiving Disability Retirement Veterans Employment Opportunity Act (VEOA) of 1998 In order to qualify, you must meet the experience requirements described below. 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). You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. Your resume must clearly describe your relevant experience; if qualifying based on education, your transcripts will be required as part of your application. Specialized Experience: One year of specialized experience which includes: providing Ombuds, Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR), conflict management, or organizational effectiveness services in a complex organization; conducting conflict coaching, facilitation, mediation, and informal problem-solving interventions; analyzing organizational data, trends, stakeholder concerns, and systemic issues to develop recommendations for leadership; managing or supporting conflict management, stakeholder engagement, customer experience, organizational effectiveness, or related programs; collaborating with senior leaders, employees, unions, and other stakeholders to resolve sensitive and complex issues; and developing and delivering training, briefings, or outreach initiatives related to communication, collaboration, conflict management, and dispute resolution. This definition of specialized experience is typical of work performed at the next lower grade/level position in the federal service (GS-13). Time in Grade Requirement: Applicants who have held a General Schedule (GS) position within the last 52 weeks must have 52 weeks of Federal service at the next lower grade or equivalent (GS-13).

Education

Some federal jobs allow you to substitute your education for the required experience in order to qualify. For this job, you must meet the qualification requirement using experience alone--no substitution of education for experience is permitted. How You Will Be Evaluated

You will be evaluated based on how well you meet the qualifications listed in this vacancy announcement. Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g., resume, supporting documents), the responses you provide on the application questionnaire, and the result of the online assessments required for this position. You will be assessed on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics): Attention to Detail Customer Service Decision Making Flexibility Influencing/Negotiating Integrity/Honesty Interpersonal Skills Learning Reasoning Self-Management Stress Tolerance Teamwork The USA Hire Assessments includes a cut score based on the minimum level of required proficiency in these critical general competencies. You must meet or exceed the cut score to be considered. You will not be considered for the position if you score below the cut score or fail to complete the assessment. Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or application questionnaire may result in your removal from consideration. Cheating on the online assessment may also result in your removal from consideration. Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP). If you are a Federal employee in the competitive service and your agency has notified you in writing that you are a displaced employee eligible for ICTAP consideration, you may receive selection priority for this position. To receive selection priority, you must: (1) meet ICTAP eligibility criteria (2) be rated well-qualified for the position and; (3) submit the appropriate documentation to support your ICTAP eligibility. To be considered well-qualified and receive selection priority applicants must satisfy all qualification requirements for the position and receive a score of 90 or above. Additional information about the program is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website. Additional information about the program is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website. Other Information

Selection is subject to restrictions resulting from Department of Defense referral system for displaced employees. Salary includes applicable locality pay or Local Market Supplement. Be advised that effective Jan. 1 2018, under the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, most civilian employee relocation allowances became taxable. The Relocation Income Tax Allowance (RITA) reimburses eligible employees for the additional Federal, State, and local income taxes incurred as a result of receiving taxable travel income. RITA does not apply to new government employees or employees returning from an overseas assignment for the purpose of separation from Government service. For more information, visit https://www.dfas.mil/civilianemployees/civrelo/Civilian-Moving-Expenses-Tax-Deduction.html. This position requires a 1-year probationary period during which the agency evaluates your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In making this determination, the agency may consider your performance and conduct; agency needs and interests; whether your continued employment supports organizational or Government goals; and whether it promotes the efficiency of the Federal service. Continued employment requires written certification that it advances the public interest Reasonable Accommodation (RA) Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a RA in your online application. Requests for RA for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for RA must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for RA are made on a case-by-case basis. If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, based on your adjudication decision. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments if you received the link after the close of the announcement. To determine if you need a RA, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments here: https://help.usastaffing.gov/Apply/index.php?title=Reasonable_Accommodations_for_USA_Hire