The Field Operations Manager position supervises, manages, coaches, and supports a team of mediators assigned to their direct supervision. The incumbent maintains a high level of responsibility for FMCS service delivery and plays an integral role in supporting successful outcomes in the geographic areas of responsibility under their supervision. The incumbent is a key member of the Field Operations team and supports collaboration across regions and departments, Headquarters Staff and mediators.

Duties

1. Supervises the day-to-day operations of a team of mediators. Manages the recruitment of diverse qualified applicants and selection in accordance with FMCS and federal hiring protocols as well as incumbent training, professional development, performance planning, and appraisals. Administers time and attendance reporting, including leave approval and associated coverage of cases. 2. Actively models and promotes a respectful and collaborative professional work environment with a focus on effective communication and team-building. Fosters a climate of mutual respect, high morale, and integrity. Identifies and builds effective mediator teams for a wide variety of cases, projects, and assignments, including significant, large, complex, or high-profile disputes. 3. Directly provides and/or arranges for mediator professional development to ensure they have the skills and resources necessary to deliver the highest quality public service. Broadly oversees the day-to-day service provision of mediators to ensure quality, integrity, and responsiveness in client engagements. Uses observation, client feedback, and regular outreach to ensure a high degree of satisfaction with all FMCS activities, products, and lines of service. 4. Models effective coordination and teaming across the entirety of Field Operations including each of its sub-offices and administrative personnel to improve agency operations and service provision. Communicates effectively with FMCS employees and routinely encourages teaming at all levels to staff and support client-facing work assignments. 5. Competently assesses the skill, professional judgement, decision-making, and adherence to values of mediators under their supervision to identify, develop, and provide constructive feedback, including coaching, on all aspects of their performance. Provides resources, counseling and advice, professional development, and general support to mediators for all critical elements of their position, including high-quality service delivery across all FMCS activities. 6. Monitors and regularly balances the workload of mediators to ensure quality service delivery. Incorporates client expectations and needs, mediator expertise, experience, and developmental needs to assist with case assignments and other staffing decisions. 7. Reviews requests for FMCS services from mediators, clients, and the Office of Client Services to make effective and efficient case assignments. Monitors an administrative system for tracking cases and reporting activities. Adjusts assignments to provide equitable workload distribution to mediators. Regularly reviews work in progress and reports significant developments to the Associate DDFO Regional, as well as the DDFO. 8. Offers feedback to other managers or the Field Administration Manager, for performance appraisals. Works closely with the Field Administration Manager and Administrative Specialist to ensure that all operations are carried out consistently. 9. Evaluates mediator performance, issues performance awards, and pursues improvement or disciplinary action, as appropriate. Works with mediators to establish goals, conduct performance reviews, assess training needs, and develop individual development plans for continuing education, skills and training improvement, and remedial support. Takes appropriate and timely action to correct conduct and/or performance issues. 10. Makes recommendations to the Associate DDFO Regional regarding changes or adjustments to policies with the goal of improving operations and/or service provision. 11. Collaborates with the Associate DDFO Regional to develop and execute a responsible and efficient budget. Maintains responsibility for ensuring that decisions, practices, and operating procedures do not raise concerns regarding fraud, waste, or abuse of government resources. Implements sound financial and resources management and controls. 12. Regularly reports to the Associate DDFO Regional regarding plans and goals, current activities, challenges, and results achieved. Overviews any anticipated operational, performance, or other issues and provides suggestions for addressing such issues. 13. Identifies emerging trends in local and regional labor-management relations and workplaces, ongoing negotiations, government, and/or public policy, and briefs FMCS senior leadership with recommendations. Remains apprised of upcoming cases and potentially significant negotiations with at least one full year of lead time. Provides direct FMCS service, including the mediation of complex, significant, or high-profile labor-management disputes, as necessary. Works to meet the needs of clients in the assigned administrative region, and beyond, when directed. 14. Serves as the local management representative of FMCS to employees, clients, and the regional labor-management community. Represents the DDFO and/or Director at conferences, meetings, or ceremonial occasions in the absence of their participation.

Requirements

• Selectee may be required to successfully complete a one-year supervisory probationary period.
• Working a non-standard work schedule.
• Accepting duty station assignments as determined by FMCS and accepting subsequent reassignments made for the good of FMCS.
• The Ethics in Government Act of 1978 requires the applicant selected for this position to submit a Confidential Financial Disclosure Report (Alt-450) within 30 days of appointment and annually thereafter.
• Must have and retain an unencumbered driver's license and the ability to operate a motor vehicle.
• This position is ineligible for inclusion in a bargaining unit.
• Selected candidates will be expected to live within 35 miles of locations for which they are applying to ensure geographical coverage for in-person services requested by customers. Maximum telework will be available.

Qualifications

In order to qualify for this position, your resume must provide sufficient information to indicate at least one year of specialized experience at or equivalent to the GS-14 grade level or pay band in the Federal government. Specialized Experience includes: Effectively foster the establishment and maintenance of constructive joint processes to improve labor-management relationships and prevent or minimize work stoppages through the use of mediation, relationship, development training to help government entities reduce litigation costs, including mediation of discrimination and other claims, workplace conflict management training, facilitation, systems design and negotiated rulemaking. GS-15 Time-In-Grade Requirement: 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. For a GS-15 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-14 or above. 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. IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. Please note that if, after reviewing your resume and or supporting documentation, a determination is made that you have inflated your qualifications and or experience, you may lose consideration for this position. Part-time or unpaid experience: Credit will be given for appropriate unpaid work on the same basis as for paid experience. Part-time experience will be credited by time actually spent in appropriate activities. To receive credit for such experience, you must indicate clearly the nature of the duties and responsibilities in each position held and the number of hours per week spent in such employment. You must meet all qualification and eligibility requirements by 11:59 pm EST on 11/15/2023, closing date of this announcement.

Education

There is no educational requirement for this position.

Contacts

• Address FMCS Office of Field Operations FMCS 250 E Street, SW Washington, DC 20427 US
• Name: FMCS Office of Human Resources
• Phone: (202) 606-5469
• Email: [email protected]