Supervisory Administrative Specialist (Branch Chief)

Summary

The position is located in the Authentications Branch, Record Creation and Retention Division, Office of Records Management, Passport Services Directorate (PPT/S/RM/RCR). The Authentications Branch serves as the Department's central authority on authentication matters and coordinates with the Office of the Assistant Legal Adviser for Consular Affairs (L/CA) on issues concerning international law and agreements pertaining to the authentication of documents issued by government agencies.

Duties

• Plans and oversees the delivery of a broad range of authentication services that ensure documents submitted to the Department for authentication are thoroughly reviewed and decisions made comply with applicable laws, regulations, and policies.
• Monitors the overall quality and quantity of the work performed by Branch employees to identify areas of improvement or development as well as to evaluate and update processes and procedures to improve the effectiveness.
• As a first-level supervisor, the incumbent plans work to be accomplished by subordinate staff, sets and adjusts priorities, and prepares/approves schedules for completion of work; assigns work to subordinate staff based on Branch priorities.
• Provides advice, guidance, or instruction to subordinate staff on both technical and administrative matters ; interviews candidates for vacant positions and recommends appointment, promotion, or reassignment to such positions.
• Provides authoritative advice and assistance to internal and external stakeholders, including but not limited to congressional staff and attorneys or other representatives of authentication requesters , on a broad range of authentication issues.

Qualifications

Applicants must meet all the required qualification requirements described below by the closing date of this announcement. NOTE: Applicants must meet time-in-grade and time after competitive appointment requirements, by the closing date of this announcement. Time-In-Grade Requirements: Federal applicants must have served 52 weeks at the next lower grade to satisfy time-in-grade restrictions, per 5CFR 300, Subpart F. Applicants must have 1 year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-12 level in the Federal service which provided the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities to perform the duties of the position. Qualifying specialized experience must demonstrate the following: Experience planning and assigning work to be accomplished by subordinate staff, setting and adjusting priorities, and preparing/approving schedules for completion of work. Experience addressing developmental and training needs of subordinate staff to improve productivity and ensure the timely, accurate and consistent delivery of courteous and responsive customer service. Experience optimizing operational efficiency, to include eliminating backlogs of work. Experience providing clear and timely feedback to management on a wide range of policy and process matters. There is no substitute of education for specialized experience for the GS-13 position.

How You Will Be Evaluated

The evaluation process consists of the ApplyGov Competency Based Assessments and a crediting plan for which applicants will be assigned a score between 70 and 100. A resume review will be conducted for minimum qualification requirements, as described in the “Qualifications” section of this announcement, of the top qualified candidates based on combined total score. Resumes longer than two pages will be deemed ineligible and will not be considered further. Responses to questions that are not fully supported by your resume may result in a rating adjustment. You will be assessed on the following job-related competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics): Supervisory: Oral Communication, Interpersonal Skills, Problem Solving, Decision Making, Customer Service, Leadership, Planning & Evaluating, Influencing/Negotiating, Strategic Thinking, Human Capital Management. Set aside at least 2 hours to take the external assessments; however, most applicants complete the assessments in less time. There are timed sections that must be completed within the allotted timeframe. Your score from the external assessment Supervisory will remain on file for 180 days, allowing you to apply for multiple DOS-announced positions without needing to retake the assessments. Top applicants may be referred to the hiring manager for further consideration. The assessment is used to measure the degree in which your background matches the competencies and KSAs required for this position. Your qualifications will be evaluated on the following competencies: Ability to manage and complete long-term projects Ability to deliver quality work products while meeting deadlines Ability to interpret laws, regulations, and procedures Ability to supervise Ability to make decisions based on information from a wide variety of sources Ability to plan, organize, and manage teams Ability to communicate orally Ability to work through others to accomplish a specific goal Knowledge of process improvement methodologies Ability to provide advice, guidance, and consultation based on results of analyses Applicants found to be among the top qualified candidates will be referred to the hiring official for further consideration and possible interview. Qualified non-competitive candidates must be deemed best qualified based on the applicant assessment in order to be referred to the hiring official for further consideration and possible interview. In describing your experience, please be clear and specific. We do not make assumptions regarding your experience. Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application may result in your removal from consideration. You may preview questions for this vacancy. Other Information

For reasonable accommodation at the U.S. Department of State, please contact the Office of Accessibility and Accommodations at [email protected]. If eligible, situational telework agreements may be permitted with supervisory approval. To request a reasonable accommodation for additional time on the timed sections of the assessment, please submit your request using the “Request a Reasonable Accommodation” button within the Assessment Application. For all other reasonable accommodations at the U.S. Department of State, please contact the Office of Accessibility and Accommodations (OAA) at [email protected]. OAA is responsible for reviewing and adjudicating reasonable accommodation (RA) requests for the Assessment Battery being used for this announcement. The following applies to all RA requests: RA requests cover additional time on timed sections only. Applicants submitting a RA request MUST attach supporting medical documentation signed by a licensed, treating medical provider. The documentation should describe the nature, severity, and expected duration of the condition, identify the relevant medical condition or diagnosis, and explain the basis for the requested extension. RA requests that do not contain supporting medical documentation attachments at the time of initial request may be subject to further review. Note: the following documents do not, on their own, qualify for automatic approval of the RA request: Schedule A letters, VA benefits letters, or SSA letters. Applicants MUST submit their application before the vacancy closes, even if pending an accommodation decision. Applicants are encouraged to carefully follow instructions related to medical documentation provided in the vacancy announcement prior to beginning the RA process. Applicants will have 48 hours after their RA request is adjudicated to complete the assessment battery. Scores generated after the allotted timeframe will not be admissible and the applicant will not be considered further for the vacancy. If a different type of RA is needed, please contact OAA directly at [email protected]. If eligible, situational telework agreements may be permitted with supervisory approval. Multiple positions may be filled from this announcement. If eligible, applicants to this announcement may be referred to other similar positions in other Bureaus/Offices in the Department for up to 240 days and may require a higher or lower security clearance. Telework eligibility and security clearance requirements may vary for such similar positions. Agency & Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP & ICTAP): View OPM's CTAP & ICTAP eligibility website for more information. You must be rated in the Well-Qualified category and submit supporting documents under the required documents section of this announcement to receive selection priority consideration. To be considered Well-Qualified applicants must: score an 85 or above, meet Minimum Qualifications, and demonstrate proficiency in some, but not all major aspects of the position.