This position is located in the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), Administration for Children and Families (ACF), Immediate Office of the Assistant Secretary (IOAS), Unaccompanied Children (UC) Office of the Ombuds, located in Washington, District of Columbia. **This announcement will be open for 10 business days OR until the first 75 applications have been received, whichever happens first.**

Duties

The purpose of this position is for the incumbent to serve as the Supervisory Ombuds for Unaccompanied Children (UC) in the UC Office of the Ombuds. This position serves as the leader of the office, which has independent oversight and authority to ensure adherence to child welfare policies and principles in the ACF UC Bureau in the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR). This position reports to the Assistant Secretary of the Administration for Children and Families. Duties Include: Provides a confidential forum for interested parties to raise inquiries or complaints related to the matters concerning the care of UC who are or were previously in the care of the ORR. Conducts impartial review of inquiries and complaints and bases recommendations on widely accepted child welfare practices. Develops and/or determines investigation approaches, investigations guidelines and staff assignments to ensure that specific assignments are consistent with planning objectives and with Agency priorities. Responds to inquiries from the Office of Inspector General (OIG), Office of Special Counsel (OSC), and other investigatory and/or oversight authorities. Directs and participates in site visits, interviews, and investigations at care provider facilities or other relevant locations as necessary to aid in the preparation of reports and recommendations. Advises and makes non-binding recommendations to ORR within the context of child welfare guidance, laws, and principles, utilizes a range of techniques to include informal dispute resolution methods, and develops implementation plans necessary to assure the immediate and long-term safety of children. Exercises authority and responsibility for directing the work assigned including, but not limited to, defining the nature of the assignments, and developing project tasks according to established objectives and timeframes.

Requirements

• U.S. Citizenship required
• Registered or exempt from Selective Service (www.sss.gov)
• If not previously completed, a background security investigation will be required for all appointees. Appointment will be subject to the applicant's successful completion of a background security investigation and favorable adjudication.
• One year probationary period may be required
• If you are selected for this position, the documentation that you present for purposes of completing the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Form I-9 will be verified through the DHS "E-Verify" System.
• All Federal employees are required to have Federal salary payments made by direct deposit to a financial institution of their choice.
• Financial disclosure statement may be required.
• Bargaining Unit Position: No
• Drug Screening Required: No
• Research position: No
• Moving Expenses Authorized: No
• Recruitment Incentive Authorized: No
• Relocation Incentive Authorized: No
• Credit for Annual leave for non-federal service authorized: No
• Advanced Pay for new hires (ATM) : No

Qualifications

Applicants must demonstrate that they meet the Selective Placement Factor, Basic, and Specialized Experience requirements as noted below. Selective Placement Factor: Applicant must possess a membership in good standing of nationally recognized organization association of ombudsmen, or State bar association. The requirement will be required throughout the course of employment as the Ombuds. (Please note: The requirement to have the membership will be required prior to appointment). Basic Requirement: You must meet one of the items listed below (A, B, or C): A. Possess a degree in behavioral or social science; or related disciplines appropriate to the position. (Must provide transcripts) B. Possess a combination of education and experience -- that provided you with the knowledge of one or more of the behavioral or social sciences equivalent to a major in the field. (Must provide transcript) C. Possess four years of appropriate experience that demonstrates acquired knowledge of one or more of the behavioral or social sciences equivalent to a major in the field. Specialized Experience:GS-15: You must possess at least one year of specialized experience equivalent in difficulty and responsibility to the GS-14 level in the Federal service (obtained in either the public or private sectors) performing 3 of the 4 duties listed below: 1.Providing strategic, senior leadership to immigration programs serving unaccompanied children; 2. Developing and implementing child welfare investigation approaches, investigation guidelines, policies, and programs; 3. Conducting investigations regarding the implementation of laws, regulations and/or policies relating to the safety and care of child refugees at intake sites; 4. Analyzing issues, concerns, trends, and other information to advise leadership on policies and/or procedures as they relate to the care and placement of unaccompanied children. Documenting Experience: IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. Qualifications are based on breadth/level of experience. In addition to describing duties performed, applicants must provide the exact dates of each period of employment (from MM/YY to MM/YY) and the number of hours worked per week if part time. As qualification determinations cannot be made when resumes do not include the required information, failure to provide this information may result in disqualification. Applicants are encouraged to use the USAJOBS Resume Builder to develop their federal resume. Do not copy and paste the duties, specialized experience, or occupational assessment questionnaire from this announcement into your resume as that will not be considered a demonstration of your qualifications for this position. In accordance with Office of Personnel Management policy, federal employees are assumed to have gained experience by performing duties and responsibilities appropriate for their official series and grade level as described in their position description. Experience that would not normally be part of the employee's position is creditable, however, when documented by satisfactory evidence, such as a signed memorandum from the employee's supervisor or an SF-50 or SF-52 documenting an official detail or other official assignment. The documentation must indicate whether the duties were performed full time or, if part time, the "percentage of times" the other duties were performed. It is expected that this documentation is included in the employee's official personnel record. In order to receive credit for experience in your resume that is not within the official series and grade level of your official position, you must provide a copy of the appropriate documentation of such experience as indicated above. 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; community; student; social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to gain employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. If such experience is on a part-time basis, you must provide the average number of hours worked per week as well as the beginning and ending dates of the experience so it can be fully credited. OPM Qualification General Policies Website www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-policies/#url=app All qualification requirements must be met by the closing date of the announcement.

Education

If you are claiming education as any part of your qualifications for this position, you must submit an official transcript, unofficial transcript, or a list including courses, grades earned, completion dates, and quarter and semester hours earned.

This position requires specific coursework and/or a degree to meet the basic education requirement. You must submit an official transcript, unofficial transcript, or a list including courses, grades earned, completion dates, and quarter and semester hours earned. Your transcript(s) must clearly demonstrate the course(s) listed in the qualification requirement section. If the transcript(s) does not clearly demonstrate this you must submit a copy of the course description and/or other documentation demonstrating that the courses are equivalent.


Special Instructions for Foreign Education: If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show that the education credentials have been evaluated by a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign education programs and such education has been deemed equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program; or full credit has been given for the courses at a U.S. accredited college or university. Failure to provide such documentation with your application will result in lost consideration. For further information, visit: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/.

Contacts

• Address Administration for Children and Families 330 C St SW Washington, DC 20201 US
• Name: Mid-Atlantic Services Branch
• Email: [email protected]