Visitor Assistant

Summary

This position is located in the U.S. Capitol Visitor Center (CVC), the gateway to the U.S. Capitol and Congress. Our staff welcome visitors from around the world for tours of the historic rooms of the Capitol, educational programs and congressional events. Our goal is to inform, involve and inspire every visitor. This goal is supported by 200 employees across five divisions: Visitor Services, Exhibits and Education, Retail, Communications and Marketing, and Planning, Operations and Evaluation.

Learn more about this agency

Duties

Help

The operational needs of the Capitol Visitor Center require that as a Visitor Assistant, you will need to work on Saturdays and holidays, and may be expected to work Sundays and/or evenings in support of special events. As a Visitor Assistant you will be required to walk, talk and stand for hours, up to an entire shift, as well as walk up and down steps. In addition, you will be required to lift items which may weigh up to 20 pounds, such as stanchions and boxes. While your work would be primarily indoors, you will need to work outdoors, in a variety of weather conditions, to facilitate visitors entering the buildings or to provide support for special events.

Duties include:

Tour Support Services

• Provides visitor assistance services in support of tour operations throughout the Capitol Visitor Center and U.S. Capitol.
• Assists with virtual tours, tour introductions, and visitor programming.
• Coordinates visitor groups by providing instructions regarding tour procedures, safety requirements, and visitor conduct expectations.
• Assists with managing large visitor groups and maintaining orderly visitor flow in high-volume public environments.
• Collaborates with Visitor Assistants, Guides, and other staff to ensure tours and programs operate efficiently and on schedule.
• Utilizes hand-held radios and other communication equipment to coordinate staffing needs and operational updates.
• Greets visitors at tour staging areas and provides information regarding tour schedules, reservations, and program content.
• Verifies, modifies, and creates tour reservations using automated reservation systems and issues visitor tickets.
• Assists visitors with reservation changes, late arrivals, and scheduling adjustments.
• Distributes listening devices, assists with theater loading and unloading, and supports audio-visual operations during programs.
• Coordinates accessibility accommodations and services for visitors with disabilities.
• Provides information regarding Capitol history, Congressional history, exhibits, and artifacts throughout the Capitol Visitor Center.
• Delivers brief interpretive presentations and educational talks regarding Exhibition Hall exhibits and Capitol history.
• Assists U.S. Capitol Police and supervisors during emergencies, security incidents, or safety-related situations.
• Reports security concerns, prohibited items, medical emergencies, and operational issues to appropriate personnel.

Visitor Orientation Assistance

• Greets visitors, special guests, and organized groups and provides orientation to the Capitol Visitor Center.
• Explains facility operations, visitor services, security procedures, and building layout.
• Answers visitor questions regarding Capitol operations, Congressional offices, meeting locations, exhibits, and visitor services.
• Provides directions and information regarding transportation, amenities, accessibility services, and special events.
• Assists visitors with special needs, including individuals with disabilities, international visitors, distinguished guests, Members of Congress, Congressional staff, and photographers.
• Supports visitor arrivals, entrance operations, coat check services, brochure distribution, and telephone inquiries.
• Leads orientation walk-throughs of the Capitol Visitor Center.
• Maintains current knowledge of CVC policies, procedures, exhibits, and operational requirements.
• Assists with visitor flow activities, including moving stanchions, transporting unoccupied wheelchairs, restocking informational materials, and maintaining public areas.
• May operate a motorized vehicle to transport visitors requiring accessibility accommodations.
• Be expected to work Saturdays and holidays, and may be expected to work Sundays and/or evenings in support of special events, due to the operational needs of the Visitor Center.

Requirements

Help

Conditions of employment

• You must be able to pass a drug test and background check.
• Your resume and question responses must demonstrate the job-related KSAs.
• You must meet the definition of specialized experience.

To be employed by the Architect of the Capitol in a paid position, an individual must meet one of the categories below:

• A citizen of the United States;
• A person who is lawfully admitted for permanent residence and is seeking citizenship as outlined in 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3)(B);
• A person who is admitted as a refugee under 8 U.S.C. 1157 or is granted asylum under 8 U.S.C. 1158 and has filed a declaration of intention to become a lawful permanent resident and then a citizen when eligible;
• A person who owes allegiance to the United States (nationals of American Samoa, Swains Island, and the Northern Mariana Islands, and nationals who meet other requirements described in 8 U.S.C. 1408); or
• A person who is currently an officer or employee of the Government of the United States.

Qualifications

Minimum Qualification Requirements: To qualify for this position, you must meet the following minimum qualifications:

You must meet the United States Office of Personnel Management's (OPM) qualification requirements (including specialized experience and/or educational requirements) for the advertised position. You must meet all eligibility and qualifications requirements by the closing date of the job announcement. Additional information on the qualification requirements is outlined in the OPM Qualifications Standards Handbook of General Schedule Positions. It is available for your review on the OPM web site at

Specialized experience is experience that has equipped you with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the position to be filled. To be creditable, specialized experience must have been equivalent to at least the next lower grade level.

Candidates for the GS-06 grade level must have at least 1 year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-05 grade level obtained either in the public or private sectors. Specialized experience for this position is defined as having experience:

• Providing assistance to customers in a retail, hospitality, or museum environment;
• Answering basic questions that arise from customers' inquiries; and
• Ensuring the safety of customers, when necessary.

Education

COMBINATION OF EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE: Equivalent combinations of successfully completed education and experience may be used to meet the experience requirements. Education must be from an accredited college or university and demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to perform the duties of the position. Examples of qualifying fields of study include history, public history, museum studies, political science, government, American studies, education, communications, architecture, historic preservation, or other closely related fields.

For more information on qualifying education or on combining education and experience see OPM Qualification Standards linked below:

Individual Occupational Requirements for Park Guide Series, 0090

Group Coverage Qualification Standard for Technical and Medical Support Positions

Additional information

Welcome Veterans. The Veterans Employment Opportunities Act of 1998 (VEOA) gives veterans' preference rights in the legislative branch to certain veterans as applied by the Congressional Accountability Act. Veterans' preference is applied on this vacancy announcement. If you are a veteran and have been separated under honorable conditions, you must submit a copy of your DD-214 or other proof of eligibility; SF-15, if applicable; and Department of Veterans Affairs documentation of disability, if applicable. For more information, please visit

If you are a male applicant born after December 31, 1959, you must certify that you have registered with the Selective Service System . If you are exempt from registration under Selective Service Law, you must provide appropriate proof of exemption. Please visit the Selective Service System website for more information.

DRUG TESTING : The Architect of the Capitol (AOC) is a Drug Free Workplace. As part of the AOC's suitability assessment, a candidate tentatively selected for a position who is not currently an AOC employee is required to submit to screening for illegal drug use. Satisfactory completion of a drug test is a condition of employment with the Agency. A candidate must test negative prior to being eligible for appointment into a position. We will schedule, provide and cover the cost for the drug test.

The selectee(s) under the vacancy announcement for this position is subject to a criminal record check by the U.S. Capitol Police and satisfactory adjudication to be eligible for employment at the Architect of the Capitol.

The Architect of the Capitol is an E-VERIFY Participant. E-VERIFY is an Internet-based system that compares information from an employee's Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification, to data from U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Social Security Administration records to confirm employment authorization in the United States. If you are selected for this position, the documentation that you present for purposes of completing the DHS Form I-9 will be verified through the DHS "E-VERIFY" electronic system. For more information on E-Verify, please visit

The Architect of the Capitol is an Equal Opportunity Employer and prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, age, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information and/or disability.

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 notify the agency. The decision on granting reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis.

Moving expenses are not authorized.

Relocation expenses are not authorized.

Probationary Period - A newly appointed selectee is subject to the completion of a one-year trial/probationary period, regardless of whether or not a trial/probationary period has been completed previously with the Architect of the Capitol or another Federal agency.

This vacancy announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies in any of the jurisdictions of the Architect of the Capitol.

All application materials become the property of the Architect of the Capitol.

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.

Help

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.

A variety of health insurance plans; retirement system with investment options; paid holidays; paid sick and annual (vacation) leave; life insurance; incentive systems; subsidized transportation; training and development opportunities, etc.

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.