Chief of Staff

Summary The position is located in the immediate Office of the Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs Office of the Secretary (S/SPEHA). The incumbent serves as the Chief of Staff, a principal advisor, and program synchronizer for SPEHA on a wide range of critical and sensitive issues related to mission support, internal management, and administration. Responsibilities Assists the Special Envoy by disseminating guidance and direction to staff elements. Reviews proposals, actions, reports, and other source information prepared by the SPEHA staff and oversees the day-to-day administration of the offices' programs and initiatives. Recommends policy, organization, and operational procedures regarding management of the office and reviews matters of office-wide significance to ensure procedures are in accordance with the policies and plans of the office Deputy Envoy. Develops performance standards and plans for subordinates, provides formal and informal performance feedback as required and formally evaluates the performance of direct reports under established performance management procedures. Meets with top officials within the Department, other high-level representatives from other agency and foreign government offices , and Congressional staff to present and discuss a range of subjects pertaining to mission accomplishments. Requirements Conditions of Employment Qualifications Applicants must meet all the required qualification requirements described below by the closing date of this announcement. NOTE: Applicants must meet time-in-grade and time after competitive appointment requirements, by the closing date of this announcement. Time-In-Grade Requirements: Federal applicants must have served 52 weeks at the next lower grade to satisfy time-in-grade restrictions, per 5CFR 300, Subpart F. Applicants must have 1 year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-14 level in the Federal service which provided the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities to perform the duties of the position. Qualifying specialized experience must demonstrate the following: Experience coordinating activities of a large organization and translating broad program guidance to provide specific direction. Experience leading integrated planning teams or functional working groups to analyze projects, issues, or programs, providing authoritative guidance in the resolution of complex problems. Experience negotiating with senior level officials to accept and/or implement recommendations. There is no substitute of education for specialized experience for the GS-15 position. In addition, applicant's experience must also demonstrate that the candidate possesses the following qualities: Ability to assign, review, and supervise the work of others; Objectivity and fairness in judging people on their ability, and situations on the facts and circumstances; Ability to adjust to change, work pressures, or difficult situations without undue stress; Willingness to consider new ideas or divergent points of view; and Capacity to "see the job through." Education Education requirements do not apply to this vacancy announcement. Additional Information To request a reasonable accommodation for additional time on the timed sections of the assessment, please submit your request using the “Request a Reasonable Accommodation” button within the Assessment Application. For all other reasonable accommodations at the U.S. Department of State, please contact the Office of Accessibility and Accommodations (OAA) at View email address on click.appcast.io. OAA is responsible for reviewing and adjudicating reasonable accommodation (RA) requests for the Assessment Battery being used for this announcement. The following applies to all RA requests: RA requests cover additional time on timed sections only. Applicants submitting a RA request MUST attach supporting medical documentation signed by a licensed, treating medical provider. The documentation should describe the nature, severity, and expected duration of the condition, identify the relevant medical condition or diagnosis, and explain the basis for the requested extension. RA requests that do not contain supporting medical documentation attachments at the time of initial request may be subject to further review. Note: the following documents do not, on their own, qualify for automatic approval of the RA request: Schedule A letters, VA benefits letters, or SSA letters. Applicants MUST submit their application before the vacancy closes, even if pending an accommodation decision. Applicants are encouraged to carefully follow instructions related to medical documentation provided in the vacancy announcement prior to beginning the RA process. Applicants will have 48 hours after their RA request is adjudicated to complete the assessment battery. Scores generated after the allotted timeframe will not be admissible and the applicant will not be considered further for the vacancy. If a different type of RA is needed, please contact OAA directly at View email address on click.appcast.io. If eligible, situational telework agreements may be permitted with supervisory approval. Multiple positions may be filled from this announcement. If eligible, applicants to this announcement may be referred to other similar positions in this Bureau for up to 240 days and may require a higher or lower security clearance. Telework eligibility and security clearance requirements may vary for such similar positions. Agency & Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP & ICTAP): View OPM's CTAP & ICTAP eligibility website for more information. You must be rated in the Well-Qualified category and submit supporting documents under the required documents section of this announcement to receive selection priority consideration. To be considered Well-Qualified applicants must: score an 85 or above, meet Minimum Qualifications, and demonstrate proficiency in some, but not all major aspects of the position.