This position is located in the Forest Service's Washington Office (WO) headquarters in Washington, DC. Legislative Affairs Specialists are responsible for all aspects of the agency's Legislative Affairs program, including Congressional relations, hearing management, and issue analysis. For additional information about the duties of this position, please contact Jim Bacon at 707-373-0061 or [email protected].

Duties

Provides expert analysis and advice on all legislative matters affecting the natural resources within the Forest Service. Develops agency and departmental legislative proposals on forest and resource management issues. Integrates information that assists Congress in understanding Forest Service policies, actions, operations and requirements. Coordinates with all organizations, special staff, interagency and senior staff to place legislative issues in priority. Prepares memoranda to Directors, Deputies, and Chief of Staff for approval of legislative proposals and legislative appeals. Researches, coordinates, writes, updates, and publishes the Forest Service’s natural resource legislative law proposals guidance. Advises the Chief and FS senior staff members on all legislative law aspects of policies, plans and programs. Develops testimony and briefing materials utilizing statutory authorities, agency policy, programs, budgets, and operations for agency and department witnesses at congressional hearings. Maintains liaison with the Executive office, Congressional staff, other federal and state agencies and local organizations to keep abreast of legislative law and policy initiatives and Congressional activity relating to the Forest Service.

Requirements

• Must be a U.S. Citizen or National.
• Males born after 12/31/1959 must be Selective Service registered or exempt.
• Subject to satisfactory adjudication of background investigation and/or fingerprint check.
• Successful completion of one year probationary period, unless previously served.
• Direct Deposit: Per Public Law 104-134 all Federal employees are required to have federal payments made by direct deposit to their financial institution.
• Successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, visit e-verify.gov
• The employee is responsible for ensuring their telework worksite provides an adequate work environment with regards to connectivity and technology, and for providing internet service and other general utility costs at their own expense.
• Adequate connectivity includes having reliable telephone and internet service, including meeting any agency internet provider requirements.
• Subject to one year supervisory/managerial probationary period unless prior service is creditable. New USDA supervisors must successfully complete all components of the required training program before the end of their probationary period.

Qualifications

In order to qualify, you must meet the eligibility and qualifications requirements as defined below by the closing date of the announcement. For more information on the qualifications for this position, visit the Office of Personnel Management's General Schedule Qualification Standards. Your application and resume must clearly show that you possess the experience requirements. 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. Specialized Experience Requirement: Applicants must have one year specialized experience equivalent to the GS-13 in the Federal service. Specialized experience is defined as four or more of the following: Having natural resources/land management experience obtained while working for a federal agency, congressional office, or a natural resources industry organization; and/or Managing controversial issues or legislative topics pertaining to at least one of the following: forest management, wildlife, wilderness, wildland fire suppression and fuels management, recreation, land management planning, watersheds, invasive and endangered species, forest health, range management, land special uses, cooperative forestry, forestry research, or conservation; and/or Analyzing and interpreting legislation and providing professional advice to senior officials, Congressional staff, other Federal and State agencies and local organizations about the impact of that legislation; and/or Writing and presenting materials such as congressional correspondence, briefing materials or draft testimony; and/or Developing communication messaging and products for distribution, including talking points, questions and answers; and/or Identifying and analyzing the key issues in proposed regulations, standards, or guidelines. TIME IN GRADE REQUIREMENT: If you are a current federal employee in the General Schedule (GS) pay plan and applying for a promotion opportunity, you must meet time-in-grade (TIG) requirements of 52 weeks of service at the next lower grade level in the normal line of progression for the position being filled. This requirement must be met by the closing date of this announcement. To receive consideration for this position, you must meet all qualification requirements by the closing date of the announcement.

Education

This job does not have an education qualification requirement.

Contacts

• Address USDA Forest Service HRM Contact Center DO NOT MAIL IN APPLICATIONS, SEE INSTRUCTIONS IN THE ANNOUNCEMENT. Albuquerque, NM 87109 US
• Name: HRM Contact Center
• Phone: 1-877-372-7248 X2
• Email: [email protected]