Description

Job Summary:

The NIH Office of the Director (OD) is seeking exceptional candidates for the position of Associate Director for Legislative Policy and Analysis.  This is a career Federal position in the Senior Executive Service (SES).  See “Duties” section for a list of the major responsibilities.

As part of the SES, you will be among a group of highly skilled executives, contributing to one of the most important missions in the Federal government:  to enhance health, lengthen life, and reduce illness and disability.

APPLICATIONS MUST BE RECEIVED ELECTRONICALLY BY THE CLOSING DATE (11:59 p.m. E.T).

Duties and Responsibilities:   

• The Associate Director for Legislative Policy and Analysis (ADLPA) is responsible for directing and providing executive leadership and management in the comprehensive and continuing analysis of Congressional activities affecting NIH, the development of new legislation to enable the agency to better perform its mission, and Congressional liaison matters.
• The incumbent also serves as the Director, Office of Legislative Policy and Analysis (OLPA).
• Advises the NIH Director, NIH Principal Deputy Director, OD leadership, and the NIH IC Directors and their legislative staff on all critical activities pertaining to the Congress and legislative management and operations of the NIH.
• Analyzes the overall legislative needs of NIH and provides executive leadership and direction in the drafting or development of legislative strategies, policies, and proposals.
• The ADLPA and its staff work directly with the Department, Congress, congressional committees, and federal and non-Federal national and international organizations to provide coordination on legislative matters; including oversight activities concerned with biomedical research.
• Negotiates, and/or directs negotiations, on behalf of the NIH Director with the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Legislation, Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation, other HHS Assistant Secretaries, other offices within the Department, as appropriate, with other Federal Departments and agencies, and with the appropriate Members and committees of the White House and Congress.
• Provides briefings for members of the national scientific community and other interested groups on policy issues or legislation affecting national biomedical and health research and NIH programs.
• Collaborating with other offices within the OD and ICs on matters involving program authorization, appropriations, and budget.
• The OLPA has a staff of 30 and an annual budget of over $5 million.

Requirements

QUALIFICATIONS:

BASIC QUALIFICATIONS:

The OD seeks candidates who have a commitment to managerial excellence and the energy, enthusiasm, and innovative thinking necessary to help build and lead within a dynamic and diverse organization. All competitive candidates for SES positions with the Federal Government must demonstrate leadership experience indicative of senior executive- level management capability. Applicants must meet the requirements for the GS-0340 series as defined by the U.S. Office of Personnel Management Qualifications Standards Manual for General Schedule Positions which is available at: OPM Qualifications Standards GS-0340 Website and demonstrate in your five (5) page resume that    you possess the Professional/Technical Qualifications (PTQs) listed below. It is recommended that your resume emphasize levels of responsibility, scope and complexity of programs managed, and program accomplishments and results.

Candidates must possess experience at the senior level (GS-14/15 level or equivalent) in the following job-specific Professional/Technical Qualifications (PTQs). The PTQs measure the technical expertise required by this position and must be addressed individually in narrative form in your submission.

PROFESSIONAL/TECHNICAL QUALIFICATIONS (PTQs) (Mandatory):

1. Comprehensive and substantial knowledge of Federal legislative, congressional, and regulatory policies, and processes, including oversight activities, program authorization, and appropriations.
2. Ability to provide executive leadership and supervision for a legislative policy organization, including establishing plans and policies (including legislative implementation action plans), evaluating programs (including reporting requirements), developing, and presenting budgets.
3. Demonstrated senior-level experience in managing and engaging in high-profile interactions involving senior Administration officials, members of Congress (including Committee Chairs and leadership), their staffs, and support organizations.
4. Ability to negotiate on behalf of a multi-tiered organization on legislative policy issues and legislation that may affect the organization, the national biomedical research community, and their respective activities.
5. Senior-level experience, which demonstrates a commitment to building and managing strong working relationships across NIH, HHS, the federal government, Congress, and external organizations and advancing civility, diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility.

Political, Schedule C, Non-career SES Appointee*: In the last five years, based on the closing date of this announcement, have you served or are you currently serving as an Executive Branch political, Schedule C, or Non-career SES appointee? You can find out if you have held one of these appointment types by looking at your

Standard Form 50s in your Electronic Official Personnel Folder (eOPF), in Section 5, where the legal authorities are listed. (If you have this experience, please state this within your 5-page resume)

• A political appointee is an appointment made by the President without confirmation by the Senate (5 CFR 213.3102(c)) OR an assistant position to a top-level federal official if filled by a person designated by the President as a White House Fellow (5 CFR 213. 3102(z)).
• A Schedule C appointee occupies a position excepted from the competitive service by the President, or by the Director of OPM, because of the confidential or policy-determining nature of the position duties (5 CFR 213.3301 and 5 CFR213.3302).
• A Non-career SES appointee is approved by the White House and serves at the pleasure of the appointing official without time limitations (5 CFR 317 Subpart F).

(Please confirm whether or not you have this experience within your 5-page resume)

EXECUTIVE CORE QUALIFICATIONS (ECQs) (Mandatory for Selectee):

If selected, you MUST submit a narrative statement in response to each of the Executive Core Qualifications (ECQs) described in this link: Senior Executive Service - Executive Core Qualifications

It is STRONGLY recommended that you visit the following Office of Personnel Management (OPM) webpage for more information regarding the Fundamental Competencies and how to write your ECQs.

Evaluation:

We use a multi-step process to evaluate and refer applicants:

1. Minimum requirements:  Your application must show that you meet all requirements, including the education and/or experience required for this position.  You may be found ‘not qualified’ if you do not possess the minimum competencies required for the position.  If your application is incomplete, we may rate you as ineligible.

1. Rating:  A panel of Senior Executives will review your application and evaluate your qualification for this position based on the information in your application.  Your application will be rated, based on the extent and quality of your experience, education, and training relevant to the duties of this position.  Interviews will be at the discretion of the panel and/or selection official. 

1. Referral: If you are among the top qualified candidates, your application will be referred to a selection official for consideration and possible interview.

Benefits:

We offer a workplace that is respectful, fair, and values diversity.  Our comprehensive benefits are very generous - helping you to reach your personal goals by supporting your professional growth, health, well-being, and your family needs.  Our benefits package includes:

• Challenging work, opportunities for advancement, competitive salaries, bonuses and incentive awards;  
• Eleven paid holidays, 13 days of sick leave, and 13 to 26 days of vacation time each year;
• Access to comprehensive health, vision, dental, life, and long-term care insurance programs that may be continued after you retire;
• A wide choice of health insurance plans coverage for pre-existing conditions, and no waiting periods.  We pay a substantial amount (up to 75%) of the health insurance premiums;
• A three-part retirement program which includes a life-time annuity, a 401(k) type plan with employer-matching contributions, and a Social Security benefit;
• Flexible spending accounts for health care and for dependent care, employee assistance programs, flexible work schedules, telework, public transportation subsidies, and tuition assistance.

The following links will navigate you to the Federal government’s generous benefit packages such as annual, sick and holiday leave, health insurance, and a Thrift Savings Plan with matching contributions. For more

information, check out NIH’s employee benefits link at: NIH Employee Benefits and OPM’s website for Employee Benefits.

ADDITIONAL Information:

The NIH is located in Bethesda, MD.

Travel and Transportation expenses may be authorized in accordance with applicable Federal Travel Regulations governing the relocation of current Federal employees and new appointees.

A one-year probationary period must be served by the individual selected if not currently or previously in the career Senior Executive Service.

Additional selections may be made for similar positions across the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) within the local commuting area(s) of the location identified in this announcement. By applying, you agree to have your application shared with interested selecting official(s) at HHS. However, applicants are strongly encouraged to apply directly to the vacancy of interest and not rely on this possibility as a means of securing employment. 

Standards of Conduct/Financial Disclosure:  The National Institutes of Health inspires public confidence in our science by maintaining high ethical principles.  NIH employees are subject to Federal government-wide regulations and statutes as well as agency-specific regulations described at the NIH Ethics website.  We encourage you to review this information.  This position requires the incumbent to complete a public financial disclosure report prior to the effective date of the appointment.

Equal Opportunity Employment:  Equality is held as one of the most important values at NIH.  Selection for this, and any other position, will be based solely on merit.  NIH does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, politics, marital status, sexual orientation, physical or mental disability, age or membership or non-membership in an employee organization.

If you are a hearing-impaired individual seeking assistance with the application process, you may contact the Human Resources Specialist listed in this announcement by phoning a relay operator at 711. For additional information see Maryland Relay.

Reasonable Accommodation Policy Statement:  Federal agencies must provide reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities where appropriate.  Applicants requiring reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process should contact the hiring agency directly, by emailing: edi.ra@mail.nih.gov. Determinations on requests for reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis. 

How to Apply:

Applicants must submit application materials ELECTRONICALLY by the Closing Date (11:59 PM E.T.) of the announcement to the following email address:  seniorre@od.nih.gov

Your application, regardless of the format, must describe your job-related qualifications pertinent to this position. The announcement number must be entered on the first page of your application. Please submit:

REQUIRED:

Five (5) page resume that contains your full name and contact information. Your resume should not exceed the five (5) page limit.  When submitting your resume, please ensure that your address has been redacted and that you provide a reachable phone number and email address.  Please label your resume and supporting documentation with your Last Name/First Name. Document type (resume/narrative).

In addition to your five (5) page resume, please include a one (1) page narrative statement indicating how you have promoted equity, diversity, inclusion, and accessibility and describe your mentoring and outreach activities, especially those involving women, persons with disabilities, and persons from racial/ethnic or other underrepresented groups.

Separate PTQ narratives will not be accepted or considered. It is recommended that the corresponding PTQs are annotated in parenthesis within your five (5) page resume.

Do not include your date of birth or Social Security Number on application materials.

Current civil service employees must submit a copy of their most recent Notification of Personnel Action (SF-50) showing your position, title, series, grade, current salary, and eligibility.

If you are a current or former SES employee with reinstatement eligibility, you must submit a copy of your        last Notification of Personnel Action (SF-50) showing your position, title, series, grade, and eligibility.

If you are a current or former SES, you must submit a copy of your SF-50 showing your completion of the SES probationary period.

If you are an SES Candidate Development Program Candidate and your ECQs have been approved by OPM,    please provide certificate/documentation indicating OPM approval.

NOTES: Please do not submit unsolicited material such as publications, personal endorsements, performance appraisals, award certificates, proof of Veterans' Preference, etc., as these items will not be included in the rating process and will be discarded. (Veterans’ Preference does not apply to positions in the Senior Executive Service.) All application materials are subject to the provisions of the DHHS Privacy Act and become the property of the Department of Health and Human Services. Any additional information needed will be requested prior to appointment.

FAXED APPLICATIONS WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED.

This announcement is located on the NIH Home Page under “Executive Careers.” Additional information about OLPA may be found at the NIH website.

NOTE: Failure to comply with the required application procedures may result in non-consideration of your application.

Contact Information:

Name:   Emily Ellis

Phone:  301-451-0086

TDD:    301-594-8942
Email:   seniorre@od.nih.gov

What to Expect Next:

You will receive an email informing you of the receipt of your application.  Applicants who are determined to be highly qualified by the Search Committee will be referred to the selecting official for further consideration and possible interview, at which time you will be contacted.  All applicants will be notified of the outcome of their applications once a final selection is made.

HHS has a critical preparedness and response mission: HHS protects the American people from health threats, researches emerging diseases, and mobilizes public health programs with domestic and international partners. In support of this mission, HHS offers its employees the opportunity to volunteer to become Federal Civilian Detailees and contribute their unique skills through voluntary temporary assignments to humanitarian emergencies or Departmental priorities countering new and emerging health, safety, and security threats.