Product Manager

Summary The Library of Congress shares its vast collections of books, manuscripts, photographs, maps, audiovisual materials, and priceless artifacts to cultivate curiosity and spark imagination. We engage, inspire, and inform Congress and the American people with a universal and enduring source of knowledge and creativity. We seek highly talented professionals to join a vibrant and collaborative community. Your work here will have lasting impact on the Library and its users well into the future. Responsibilities The incumbent works in the Product Management and Acceptance Section within the Program Delivery Division of the National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled (NLS). The incumbent functions as a Product Manager and a Product Owner for development, deployment, operation and maintenance of new products and services for delivery of the NLS braille and talking book program. As the Product Manager, you will: Carry out duties and responsibilities for the acquisition, development, and life cycle management of products for delivery of the NLS braille and talking book programs. Plan, obtain and manage the full product life cycle (design, development, production, operations, maintenance, disposal and replacement); and coordinate with other NLS divisions, Library of Congress (LoC) program offices and external stakeholders. Have responsibility for the management of data and processes used in design, production, deployment and support of NLS braille and talking book program delivery products. Create product development and product deployment project plans and schedules; estimate resource requirements; define milestones and deliverables; monitor project activities; and evaluate project progress. Create plans for the development of products for delivery of the NLS braille and talking book programs. Establish product development project strategies that integrate the efforts of engineers, business analysts, technical SMEs, contractors, LoC patrons, and other stakeholders from other organizations, agencies, and external contracted facilities into an effective project team. Coordinate the work efforts of subject matter experts and technical specialists charged with the development of products for delivery of the NLS braille and talking book programs in accordance with established timelines. Function as a Product Owner and lead, facilitate, and chair meetings including requirements analysis, specification development, preliminary and critical design reviews and system integration tests. Create plans for the deployment of products for delivery of the NLS braille and talking book programs. Coordinate the work efforts of subject matter experts and technical specialists charged with the deployment and sustainment of products for delivery of the NLS braille and talking book programs in accordance with established timelines. Have responsibility for the creation and review of formal product deployment documentation, including but not limited to Deployment Plans, Communications Plans, Training Plans, Implementation Plans, and Project Schedules. Plan, direct, and coordinate pilot projects and field tests of new program delivery products in anticipation of release to the greater patron population. Plan and direct the data collection for pilot/field test results and prepares reports to document findings/outcomes. Lead division-wide strategic management planning, initiatives and organizational development efforts for the Program Delivery Division to accomplish strategic objectives in support of delivery of the NLS braille and talking book programs. Lead efforts to develop strategies for achievement of business goals, process improvement, and knowledge management initiatives within the Program Delivery Division and/or across other NLS/BPD business units. Develop and manage processes for management of Program Delivery strategic initiatives and efforts. Initiate contact and provide expert technical advice and direction to contractor professionals on product development issues and requirements. Review and provide oversight of the requirements for contractual support for product development, operations and maintenance. Review and develop statements of work, acquisition packages, market research reports, contract solicitations and coordinates with contracting officers to ensure all Program Delivery Division contracts are issued in a timely manner. The position description number for this position is 415410. The salary range indicated reflects the locality pay adjustments for the Washington, D.C., Metropolitan area. The incumbent of this position will work a Flexitime work schedule. This is a non-supervisory, bargaining unit position. Relocation expenses will not be authorized for the person(s) selected under this vacancy announcement. Requirements Conditions of Employment Conditions of Employment Library of Congress employees are prohibited from using illegal drugs, including marijuana. The Library is part of the Federal Government and abides by federal law, so regardless of individual state or District of Columbia laws, marijuana use is illegal, considered criminal activity, and can affect your employment at the Library. In addition, past or current drug use and activities (e.g., selling or distributing) may deem you ineligible for employment. Qualifications Applicants must have had progressively responsible experience and training sufficient in scope and quality to furnish them with an acceptable level of the following knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform the duties of the position without more than normal supervision. Knowledge of product life cycle management.** Ability to create product development strategy plans for the development of products.** Ability to create plans for the deployment of products for delivery of a major program and/or service to end users.** Ability to provide management and contractor oversight for product development projects.** Ability to lead strategic planning, program analysis, and problem solving. Knowledge of braille, talking books and related products and services. Ability to interact collaboratively with others. Ability to communicate in writing. Ability to communicate effectively other than in writing. Education Additional Information Although it is the Library's policy to afford the maximum pay benefit to employees when setting rates of pay, a new appointee who has had no previous Federal service will generally be paid at step one of the grade. The Library of Congress is an equal opportunity employer. Applicants must submit a complete application package that is received by the closing date of this announcement. Appointment/retention is subject to a favorable evaluation of an appropriate personnel security/suitability investigation. For more information, please see: Vetting Process This agency provides reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process, please email View email address on click.appcast.io. The decision on granting reasonable accommodation will be determined on a case-by-case basis. Applicants with disabilities may be considered under special hiring procedures and must submit an appropriate certificate of eligibility when applying for this position. The proof or disability/certification may be issued by the State Vocational Rehabilitation Office, Disability Services or Career Services office of the applicant's college or university, or the Department of Veterans Affairs. The letter must verify that the applicant has a severe disability and must be dated within three years of the date of the application. Certification from health care providers are not accepted. For more information contact the Library's Office of Equal Employment Opportunity at View phone number on click.appcast.io or email View email address on click.appcast.io. FAILURE TO SUBMIT YOUR CERTIFICATION WILL CAUSE YOUR APPLICATION TO NOT BE CONSIDERED UNDER THE SELECTIVE PLACEMENT PROGRAM. The Library of Congress is the national library of the United States and is part of the Legislative Branch of the Federal government. As such, all positions are in the excepted service. The Library reserves the right to fill a lesser or greater number of vacancies indicated during the life of this vacancy announcement. Initial permanent appointments to the Library of Congress require completion of a one-year probationary period. Probationary periods served at other Federal agencies do not count toward this requirement. The Library of Congress may offer repayment for all or part of federally insured student loans. However, not all service units within the Library of Congress participates in the repayment of federally insured student loans. Therefore, determination to repay a federally insured student loan is subject to approval by the appropriate service unit. A “Not to Exceed" (NTE) status is used to identify an appointment with a specific ending date. However, the Library has the right to separate a NTE employee at any time due to either performance issues or budget constraints. Are you a veteran? Please indicate the type of veterans' preference you are claiming in your application materials and/or applicant profile and provide the appropriate supporting documentation to validate your claim. Those applying for 5-point preference must submit Member Copy 4 of your DD 214. Those applying for 10-point preference must fill out an SF-15 (click here for the form) and provide the required documentation listed on the back of the form. If required supporting documentation is not attached, Veterans' Preference will not be considered in the application process.