Compliance Officer

Summary

Join the team! This position is located in the Headquarters Office of the Consumer Product Safety Commission, Office of Compliance (EXC), Regulatory Enforcement Division (CRE). Every CPSC employee is proud to be a part of a team that works together to ensure that the products you use every day are safe.

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Duties

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This position is located in the Office of Compliance (EXC), Division of Regulatory Enforcement (CRE). The Division is responsible for assessing consumer products' compliance to mandatory standards and conducting compliance and enforcement actions to ensure products that fail to meet those standards are not permitted to enter U.S. commerce and/or are removed from commerce. We work with manufacturers, importers, consumer advocates, and other government agencies, in pursuing our mission of ensuring consumer products meet minimum safety requirements. We also provide advice and guidance on the requirements of various federal product standards. As a Compliance Officer in CRE, you will be responsible for examining and assessing product compliance with various standards, taking enforcement action when products do not meet those standards.

Candidates must be focused and self-motivated individuals with demonstrated experience successfully completing assignments requiring critical thinking and analysis under tight deadlines. Candidates must possess strong writing skills, be comfortable and experienced with applying data-driven approaches and be able to communicate effectively. Demonstrated work experience in negotiations, and/or with assembling critical facts to reach a recommendation or a conclusion is desired. Candidates with backgrounds in interpreting and applying U.S. import requirements are also encouraged to apply.

As a Compliance Officer, you will:

• Determine whether products violate federal standards, communicating violations and technical information to affected parties, and negotiating product recalls and other corrective action.
• Maintain, manage, and interpret data from multiple sources to provide case and program efficiency recommendations to management.
• Manage caseloads in accordance with agency and office priorities, and provide subject matter expertise to other offices, field investigators, industry, and the public.
• Conduct investigations and assess technical materials (i.e. lab reports, analyses, etc.) to determine whether products meet or violate federal standards.
• Develop and recommend strategies to promptly identify emerging trends and hazards.
• Brief management on case facts and recommend action, in addition to preparing formal communication with global businesses, trade organizations, and other government agencies.
• Negotiate, evaluate, and participate in monitoring recalls and other corrective action plans by companies, including the coordination of drafting press releases and safety notices.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

• U.S. Citizenship Required.
• A background investigation is required.

Must be a U.S. Citizen.

This is a Public Trust Position. Employment in this position requires a background investigation. If you are selected and cannot meet the criteria requirement for the pre-employment waiver and/or a favorable suitability determination within a reasonable period of time due to disclosed or undisclosed background issues, the employment offer may be withdrawn.

If you are a male born after December 31, 1959 you must certify that you have registered with the Selective Service System, or are exempt from having to do so under the Selective Service Law. Please see for more information.

Selectees will be required to complete a "Declaration of Federal Employment", (OF-306), prior to appointment and the appropriate background investigation forms to determine suitability for Federal employment. False statements or responses on these forms can jeopardize your employment opportunity and subject you to disciplinary action, including removal from Federal service.

The selectee will be required to complete a Personal Identity Verification (PIV) process that requires two forms of identification from the I-9 Form. We will compare information provided on the I-9 Form to records available from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. The system confirms employee's identity and eligibility to work in the United States. Learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities.

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary period (depending on your status) during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider:

• your performance and conduct;
• the needs and interests of the CPSC;
• whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the CPSC or the Government; and
• whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service.

Upon completion of your probationary period your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

Qualifications

All applicants must have 52 weeks of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level in the Federal Service. Specialized experience is experience that has equipped the candidate with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position.

Qualifying specialized experience must demonstrate the following:

GS-12: Experience 1) conducting analyses and developing recommendations or conclusions based on that analysis; AND 2) using, developing, and interpreting data for use in negotiation or policy-oriented deliberation.

GS-13: Experience 1) conducting analyses and developing recommendations or conclusions based on that analysis; 2) using, developing, and interpreting data for use in negotiation or policy-oriented deliberation; AND 3) communicating recommendations or policy implications orally and in writing to senior executives, corporate executives, or other top leaders in a field.

Evidence of the above specialized experience must be supported by detailed documentation of duties performed in positions held. Your resume is the key means we have for evaluating your skills, knowledge, and abilities as they relate to this position. Therefore, we encourage you to be clear and specific when describing your experience. We will not make assumptions regarding your experience or based on job titles alone. If your resume does not support your questionnaire answers, we will not allow credit for your response(s).

Applicants who are current Federal employees and have held a GS grade any time in the past 52 weeks must also meet time-in-grade requirements by the closing date of this announcement. An SF-50 that shows your time-in-grade eligibility must be submitted with your application materials. If the most recent SF-50 has an effective date within the past year, it may not clearly demonstrate you possess one-year time-in-grade, as required by the announcement. In this instance, you must provide an additional SF-50 that clearly demonstrates one-year time-in-grade.

Note: Time-In-Grade requirements also apply to former Federal employees applying for reinstatement as well as current employees applying for Veterans Employment Opportunities Act of 1998 (VEOA) appointment.

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). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

Applicants must meet the qualifications for this position by the closing date of this announcement.

Education

This position does not have a mandatory education requirement.

There is no substitution for specialized experience at this grade level.

Additional information

CPSC provides reasonable accommodations to applicants with disabilities on a case-by-case basis. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application or hiring process, please contact the Human Resources Specialist listed in this vacancy announcement.

Payment of relocation expenses is not authorized.

All the information you provide will be verified by a review of the work experience and/or education as shown on your application, by checking references and through other means, such as the interview process. Any exaggeration of your experience, false statements, or attempts to conceal information may be grounds for not hiring you or for firing you after you begin work.

Additional selections may be made through this vacancy announcement.

As a condition of employment, the selectee must reside in the local commuting area of the duty station listed in this announcement. Proof of residence may be required.

Must meet the criteria requirement for the pre-employment waiver and/or a favorable suitability determination within a reasonable period of time, otherwise the employment offer may be withdrawn.

CPSC headquarters employees (Bethesda, MD) will be relocating to 441 G Street NW, Washington, DC. This position will transition to the new location upon completion of the move. The transition is expected to be completed by the end of 2026. Applicants should be aware that acceptance of this position includes the requirement to report to the new location once the relocation is finalized.

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

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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. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.

CPSC offers a comprehensive benefits package that includes: paid vacation, sick leave, 11 paid holidays per year, life and health insurance, Long Term Care insurance, dental and vision insurance, flexible spending account program, and retirement savings and investment plan similar to 401(k) (Thrift Savings Plan).

CPSC also offers a broad array of work-life flexibilities and services to employees such as, flexible work schedules, transit subsidies, fitness center, and employee assistance and wellness programs.

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Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.