Job opening: Lead Head Start Policy Specialist
Salary: $139 395 - 181 216 per year
Published at: Sep 03 2024
Employment Type: Full-time
This position is located in the Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Office of Head Start, located in Washington, District of Columbia.
Duties
If selected for this position, you will join a well-respected team that is responsible for supporting a full range of Policy and Planning duties within the Department of Health and Human Services/Administration for Children and Families/Office of Head Start.
Typical work duties include:
-Developing and implementing policy and practice recommendations for Head Start policy.
-Managing, tracking, and maintaining of short- and long-term plans and objectives that include new initiatives and ongoing work.
-Coordinating and carrying out special projects, partnerships, and initiatives focused on policy changes to better support the Head Start workforce.
-Applying Federal laws, regulations, policies, and procedures as it relates to Head Start and Tribal nations.
-Acting as a Team Leader within the Policy and Planning Division, providing direction to team members on policy, procedures, work plans, and initiatives
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.
- Must meet time in grade requirements.
- 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
Qualifications
Applicants must demonstrate that they meet the Basic AND Specialized Experience requirements as noted below.
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-14: You must possess at least one year of specialized experience equivalent in difficulty and responsibility to the GS-13 level in the Federal service (obtained in either the public or private sectors) performing all duties listed below:
- Providing guidance in policy development and implementation, ensuring alignment with Federal laws and regulations for early education or child care programs; and
- Developing and implementing policy and practice recommendations, including operational objectives, standards, guidelines, and materials to support early education or child care initiatives; and
- Leading a team responsible for supporting and/or evaluating early education or child care programs.
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.
Time-in-Grade Requirement: Under competitive merit promotion procedures, any individual who is currently holding, or who has held within the previous 52 weeks, a General Schedule position under non-temporary appointment in the competitive or excepted service, must meet "time-in-grade" requirements (have served 52 weeks at the next lower grade of the grade for which you are applying). You must include an SF-50 (you may need to submit more than one) that supports meeting this requirement with your application package.
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.
Career Transition Program: This program applies to Federal service employees whose positions have been deemed surplus or no longer needed, or employees who have been involuntarily separated from a Federal service position within the competitive service. To receive selection priority for this position, you must: 1) meet eligibility criteria for CTAP or ICTAP; 2) be rated well-qualified for the position; and 3) submit the appropriate documentation to support your CTAP or ICTAP eligibility. Well-Qualified includes those applicants whose knowledge, skills, and abilities clearly exceed the minimum qualification requirements for the position. For information on eligibility criteria and required documentation, go to: http://www.opm.gov/rif/employee_guides/career_transition.asp
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]
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