Senior Advisor

Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs

Alexandria, VAFull-time$169–197K/yrPosted 1w ago

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At a glance

Compensation
$169–197K/yr
Location
Alexandria, VA
Schedule
Full-time
Work Authorization
US work authorization required

Olive lists jobs from US employers, including remote roles you can work from the United States.

Job overview

The Senior Advisor supports the management, formulation, and execution of HUD policies and programs, advising senior leadership and developing recommendations on policy, funding, budgets, and operations. The role represents the office in meetings, assesses factors affecting long-range program performance, and facilitates communication between the supervisor and senior management. The position is in Alexandria, Virginia, and requires specialized experience equivalent to the GS-14 level.

Skills & qualifications

RequiredNice to have

Skills

Policy AdvisingProgram ManagementData EvaluationOperational AnalysisPerformance Work StatementsBudget PlanningBudget ExecutionAttention to DetailCustomer ServiceDecision MakingFlexibilityInfluencing and NegotiatingIntegrity and HonestyInterpersonal SkillsLearningReasoningSelf-ManagementStress ToleranceTeamwork

Qualifications

One Year Specialized ExperienceGS-14 Level for 52 WeeksThree Months Competitive AppointmentU.S. Citizen or NationalBackground InvestigationSelective Service Registration or ExemptionTwo Forms of Identification

Full job description

Summary

This position is located in the Department of Housing and Urban Development, Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs. On 10/27/2026, this announcement was updated to reflect a new closing date of 11/6/2026. Applicants do not need to reapply to be considered.

Duties

HUD's Mission The mission of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development is to foster strong communities by supporting access to quality, affordable housing, expanding the housing supply, and unlocking homeownership opportunities for the American people. The Department is committed to furthering the promise of self-sufficiency in every American while promoting economic development to revitalize rural, tribal, and urban communities across the country. HUD is seeking highly qualified individuals who are willing to meet the challenges of public service and support our mission. We offer salaries comparable to the private sector service and a generous benefits package. We also offer a broad array of program activities to develop your career. As a Senior Advisor, you will: Serve as a senior advisor and supports the overall management, formulation, and execution of policies and programs, including programmatic advice, guidance, and direction to senior leadership. Develop recommendations for needed policy amendments, shifts in program emphasis, funding or resource allocations, budgets, and field office operations (if applicable). Represent and may speak for the office in meetings and deliberations to provide the supervisor's position or desires on issues, to speak on behalf of leadership, and to influence HUD senior officials to agree with and support the desired outcome. Consider uncertainties about data or other variables which affect long-range program performance and recommends methods to improve program effectiveness. Facilitate communication between the supervisor and senior management; ensures that the supervisor has sufficient updates and information, and that senior management receives feedback and decisions as necessary to complete work. Requirements

The official duty station for this position will be in Alexandria, Virginia. Failure to report to duty at this location may be grounds for a disciplinary action, including removal. Key Requirements: Must be U.S. Citizen or U.S. National. A probationary or trial period may be required. Continued employment is contingent upon supervisory certification that continued employment will benefit the Federal Service; the certification will occur no less than 30 days before the end of the probationary/trial period. Must successfully complete a background investigation. Public Trust - Background Investigation will be required. Complete a Declaration for Federal Employment to determine your suitability for Federal employment, at the time requested by the agency. Have your salary sent to a financial institution of your choice by Direct Deposit/Electronic Funds Transfer. If you are a male applicant born after December 31, 1959, certify that you have registered with the Selective Service System or are exempt from having to do so. Go through a Personal Identity Verification (PIV) process that requires two forms of identification from the Form i-9. Federal law requires verification of the identity and employment eligibility of all new hires in the U.S. Obtain and use a Government-issued charge card for business-related travel. Please refer to "Additional Information" Section for additional Conditions of Employment Qualifications

You must meet the following requirements within 30 days of the closing date of this announcement. Specialized Experience: For the GS-15, you must have one year (52 full weeks) of specialized experience at a level of difficulty and responsibility equivalent to the GS-14 grade level in the Federal service. Specialized Experience for this position includes: Collaborating with and advising senior leadership on sensitive or confidential matters to drive policy positions and serve as a program advocate across an organization; AND Evaluating data, metrics and operational practices to identify inefficiencies and improve long-term program performance; AND Drafting and reviewing performance work statements to ensure contractors provide relevant and effective products and services related to program priorities; AND Providing strategic advice during the budget planning and execution process to ensure the securing of adequate funding and execution of efficient spend plans that meet a program office's strategic goals. Time-in-Grade: In addition to the above requirements, you must meet the following time-in-grade requirement, if applicable: For the GS-15 you must have been at the GS-14 level for 52 weeks. Time After Competitive Appointment: Candidates who are current Federal employees serving on a non-temporary competitive appointment must have served at least three months in that appointment.

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) and the result of the online assessments required for this position. Please be sure that your resume includes detailed information to support your qualifications for this position; failure to provide sufficient evidence in your resume may result in a "not qualified" determination. In order to be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. The online assessment measures critical general competencies required to perform the job. Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials may result in your removal from consideration. Cheating on the online assessment may also result in your removal from consideration. Rating: 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 Referral: If you are among the top qualified candidates, your application may be referred to a selecting official for consideration. You may be required to participate in a selection interview. If you are a displaced or surplus Federal employee (eligible for the Career Transition Assistance Plan(CTAP)/Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP)) you must be rated as "well qualified" to receive special selection priority. Well-Qualified includes those applicants whose knowledge, skills, and abilities clearly exceed the minimum qualification requirements for the position. Benefits

A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Other Information

OTHER INFORMATION: We may select from this announcement or any other source to fill one or more vacancies. Relocation expenses will not be paid. Relocation incentive will not be paid. Recruitment incentive will not be paid. This is a non-bargaining unit position. This position is Exempt from the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). HUD offers alternative and flexible work schedules. This announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies for similar positions across HUD. During the online application process, you will be asked to specify if you would like your application information shared with other hiring managers in the Program Office listed in this announcement or in other HUD Program Offices. Opting to share your application information will not impact your application for this announcement, nor will it guarantee further consideration for additional positions. CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT (CONTINUED): HUD employees are subject to a number of government-wide and HUD specific ethics laws and regulations, including restrictions on working in a real estate related business, and having Section 8 tenants, along with other prohibited interests and activities. REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION REQUESTS: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended and Americans with Disabilities Act 1990 as amended, that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a reasonable accommodation in your online application. Requests for Reasonable Accommodations for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for Reasonable Accommodation must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for Reasonable Accommodations 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. 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 Reasonable Accommodation, 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

How this job compares

Set against the 10,793 open Program Management jobs on Olive Jobs, counted October 31, 2026.

Pay
  • This posting$169–197K/yr
  • Virginia median$138–200K/yr447 salary ranges
  • US median$126–200K/yr7,781 salary ranges

This range's midpoint, $183K, is 6% above the Virginia median midpoint ($173K) — in the middle half of Program Management salary ranges in Virginia.

Openings
Olive Jobs lists 691 open Program Management jobs in Virginia and 10,793 across the US. 5% of them nationwide are listed as remote or flexible.
Hiring the most in Virginia
Experience
This posting asks for at least 1 year of experience — less than three in four Program Management postings that state a minimum ask for (median 7 years, across 9,232 postings).
Education
4,235 of the 10,793 open Program Management jobs (39%) ask for a bachelor's degree or higher.

Counted across the open, public US postings on Olive Jobs on October 31, 2026. Pay medians are the middle values of the low ends and of the high ends of postings that list both ends of a range in the same cadence (a yearly salary or an hourly rate); a range's midpoint is halfway between its ends. Pay and experience figures resting on fewer than 20 postings are left out.

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