Regional Director, Midcontinent

Summary

Department of the Interior structures its SES positions into categories to determine the minimum pay for each position. This is a Category-2 position. The minimum pay for this position is $177, 272. Pay is set based on consideration of the selectee's current salary and other factors.

Routine and situational telework may be approved at the discretion of the supervisor.

Veterans preference does not apply to the Senior Executive Service (SES).

Learn more about this agency This job is open to

• Federal employees - Competitive service

Current or former competitive service federal employees.

• Federal employees - Excepted service

Current excepted service federal employees.

• Senior executives

Those Who Meet The Five Executive Core Qualifications (ECQs).

Clarification from the agency

Open to all groups of individuals within the civil service currently occupying a position within the Executive (including competitive and excepted service), Judicial, and Legislative branches, EXCEPT for positions in the uniformed services. Current SES, SES reinstatement eligibles internal or external to the civil service, and SES Candidate Development Program (CDP) graduates with noncompetitive eligibility may apply for noncompetitive consideration for this position.

DutiesSPECIAL NOTE: The duty station for this position is negotiable after selection and will be located within a regional Science Center in the following areas:

Region 3: Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, and Wisconsin

Region 5: Kansas, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota; and a portion of Montana.

As a basic requirement for entry into the SES, each applicant must provide evidence of progressively responsible executive leadership and supervisory experience that is indicative of executive-level management capabilities that are directly related to the skills and abilities outlined under Executive Core Qualifications and Mandatory Technical Qualifications listed below. The ideal candidate will have experience managing employees through subordinate supervisors and have experience hiring, developing, and evaluating employees. Typically, experience of this nature will have been gained at or above the GS-14/15 grade level in the federal service or equivalent in the private sector or non-governmental organizations. Failure to meet these basic qualification requirements in addition to all executive and technical qualification factors will automatically disqualify an applicant.

The Regional Director, Midcontinent leads the Midcontinent Region at the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in the Department of the Interior (DOI). The position reports to the Deputy Director for Operations. The incumbent is responsible for providing executive leadership and coordination of science and science-support activities of the region through immediate staff and the senior management-level Science Center Directors. The Region encompasses DOI Regions 3 and 5, which includes Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas and Montana.

Specific Duties

The incumbent carries out the following specific responsibilities:

• Managing the technical and administrative implementation of program activities carried out professional and technical personnel including experts in geography, biology, geology, hydrology, and related scientific fields; involve multi-million-dollar annual expenditures; and are performed in cooperation with State, local, and Federal agencies, academia, Tribes, and the private sector.
• Providing strategic leadership and actively participates in strategic planning and science program planning of integrated science activities within the Region, as well as across regional boundaries to advance USGS science priorities as established in Mission Area science requirements.
• Serving as a member of the USGS Executive Leadership Team and is directly involved in the planning, development, management, and implementation of the Bureau's natural science and information programs to ensure that regional and science center perspectives are considered.
• Implementing and supporting emerging programs that further the bureau's mission, new advances in methods and technologies, and plans for future regional and local work.
• Representing the USGS on Departmental, interagency, international, Tribal, and bureau committees, as requested, and coordinates interagency activities of the USGS in the Region.
• Directing the work of an organizational unit;
• Ensuring the success of one or more specific major programs or projects;
• Monitoring progress toward strategic organizational goals, evaluating organizational performance and taking action to improve performance; and
• Supervising the work of employees; and exercising important policy-making, policy determining, or other executive functions.

RequirementsConditions of Employment

• U.S. Citizenship
• You will be subject to a background/suitability investigation/determination.
• Newly appointed SES members must serve a 1-year probationary period
• Public Financial Disclosure (OGE-278 filing within 30 days is required)
• This position requires pre and post-employment drug screening.

Additional Information:

• A background investigation is required for this position. It is not a prerequisite to apply, however, the selectee must possess the ability to obtain and maintain a background investigation with a Top-Secret clearance as a condition of placement in this position.
• Subject to approval by the Department of the Interior's Executive Resources Board.
• Initial appointments to the career Senior Executive Service must have ECQs certified by an OPM's Qualifications Review Board prior to appointment and you will be required to serve a one year probationary period.
• Employees of the USGS are subject to the provisions of the Title 43, U.S. Code, Section 31(a) and may not according to this legislation and related regulations: (a) have any personal or private interest, direct or indirect, in lands, or mineral wealth of such lands, whose title is in the United States; (b) execute surveys or examinations for private parties or corporations; or (c) have any substantial personal or private interest, direct or indirect, in any private mining or mineral enterprise doing business in the United States, except where specifically authorized by the Director of the U.S. Geological Survey.
• Within 30 days after selection, incumbent of this position will be required to file a Financial Disclosure Report (SF-278) and supplemental form, Confidential Statement of Employment and Financial Interest (DI-278).
• OPM must authorize any employment offers we make to current or former (within the last 5 years) political Schedule A, Schedule C, or Non-career SES employees in the executive branch. If you are currently, or have been within the last 5 years, a political Schedule A, Schedule C, or Non-career SES employee in the executive branch, you must disclose that to the Human Resources Office.

Qualifications

Executive Core Qualifications (ECQ's)- *Required Documentation*

The Office of Personnel Management has identified five executive core qualifications (ECQs). The ECQs define the competencies needed to build a federal corporate culture that drives for results, serves customers, and builds successful teams and coalitions within and outside the organization. The ECQs are required for entry to the Senior Executive Service and are used by many departments and agencies in selection, performance management, and leadership development for management and executive positions. The ECQs were designed to assess executive experience and potential-not technical expertise. The submission of your entire ECQ package (i.e., all five ECQ's narrative statements) must not exceed 10 pages. If you exceed the page limit as prescribed or failed to provide the narrative statements, then you will be ineligible.

ECQ 1 - LEADING CHANGE: You must have demonstrated an ability to bring about strategic change, both within and outside the organization, to meet organizational goals. Inherent to this ECQ is the ability to establish an organizational vision and to implement it in a continuously changing environment.

• Leadership Competencies: Creativity & Innovation, External Awareness, Flexibility, Resilience, Strategic Thinking, Vision

ECQ 2 - LEADING PEOPLE: You must demonstrate the ability to lead people toward meeting the organization's vision, mission, and goals. Inherent to this ECQ is the ability to provide an inclusive workplace that fosters the development of others, facilitates cooperation and teamwork, and supports constructive resolution of conflicts.

• Leadership Competencies: Conflict Management, Leveraging Diversity, Developing Others, Team Building

ECQ 3 - RESULTS DRIVEN: This core qualification involves the ability to meet organizational goals and customer expectations. Inherent to this ECQ is the ability to make decisions that produce high-quality results by applying technical knowledge, analyzing problems, and calculating risks.

• Leadership Competencies: Accountability, Customer Service, Decisiveness, Entrepreneurship, Problem Solving, Technical Credibility

ECQ 4 - BUSINESS ACUMEN: This ECQ involves the ability to manage human, financial, and information resources strategically.

• Leadership Competencies: Financial Management, Human Capital Management, Technology Management

ECQ 5 - BUILDING COALITIONS: This ECQ involves the ability to build coalitions internally and with other Federal agencies, State and local governments, nonprofit and private sector organizations, foreign governments, or international organizations to achieve common goals.

• Leadership Competencies: Partnering, Political Savvy, Influencing/Negotiating

FUNDAMENTAL COMPETENCIES: The following competencies are the foundation for success in each of the Executive Core Qualifications: Interpersonal Skills, Oral Communication, Integrity/Honesty, Written Communication, Continual Learning, Public Service Motivation

Mandatory Technical Qualifications (MTQs)- *Required Documentation*

MTQs are designed to assess an applicants experience relevant to the specific position requirements. Each MTQ narrative response must 1.) not exceed two pages per narrative statement; 2.) include specific examples of your experience, education, and/or accomplishments; and 3.) address specific challenges, contexts, actions, and results.

• Leadership of a large organization of professional and technical personnel, including research experts in fields such as geography, biology, geology, hydrology, geophysics, and related science, IT, and engineering fields, and the administrative and technical support necessary for the implementation of project and program activities involving multi-million-dollar annual budgets.
• Demonstrated ability to foster integrated, multi-disciplinary science that enhances the understanding of complex systems at location-based or regionally relevant scales to support decision-making in the public and/or private sectors.

Challenge-Context-Action-Result(s) (CCAR) Model.

CCAR Model is outline below. When addressing the ECQs and MTQs, you are strongly recommended to utilize the CCAR Model. Each ECQ or MTQ statement should include more than one example of relevant experience.

• Challenge: Describe a specific problem or goal.
• Context: Talk about the individuals and groups you worked with, and/or the environment in which you worked, to tackle a particular challenge (e.g., clients, co-workers, members of Congress, shrinking budget, low morale).
• Action: Discuss the specific actions you took to address a challenge.
• Result: Give specific examples of the results of your actions. These accomplishments demonstrate the quality and effectiveness of your leadership skills.

Your responses to the ECQs and MTQs will be evaluated based on how clearly and concisely you emphasize your level of responsibilities, the scope and complexity of the programs, activities, or services managed; program accomplishments; policy initiatives undertaken; level of contacts; the sensitivity and criticality of the issues addressed; and the results of actions taken.

You are required to submit separate narrative statements for each ECQ and MTQ to receive consideration for this position. Please see the REQUIRED DOCUMENTS section for complete details regarding the page limitation and formatting requirement.

Education

You must meet the basic education requirements for at least one of occupation series (0401, 1301, 1315, or 1350) identified below. You are required to submit PROOF as noted in the "Required Documents" section for education.

To qualify under the Natural Resources Management and Biological Sciences Series 0401, you must possess:

Basic Requirements

• Degree: biological sciences, agriculture, natural resource management, chemistry, or related disciplines appropriate to the position.

OR

• Combination of education and experience: Courses equivalent to a major, as shown in A above, plus appropriate experience or additional education

To qualify under the Physical Science Series 1301, you must possess:

Basic Requirements

• Degree: physical science, engineering, or mathematics that included 24 semester hours in physical science and/or related engineering science such as mechanics, dynamics, properties of materials, and electronics.

OR

• Combination of education and experience: education equivalent to one of the majors shown in A above that included at least 24 semester hours in physical science and/or related engineering science, plus appropriate experience or additional education.

To qualify under the Hydrology Series 1315, you must possess:

Basic Requirements

• Degree: physical or natural science, or engineering that included at least 30 semester hours in any combination of courses in hydrology, the physical sciences, geophysics, chemistry, engineering science, soils, mathematics, aquatic biology, atmospheric science, meteorology, geology, oceanography, or the management or conservation of water resources. The course work must have included at least 6 semester hours in calculus (including both differential and integral calculus), and at least 6 semester hours in physics. Calculus and physics, as described above, are requirements for all grade levels.

OR

• Combination of education and experience -- course work as shown in A above, plus appropriate experience or additional education.

NOTE: Acceptable experience must have included performance of scientific functions related to the study of water resources, based on and requiring a professional knowledge of related sciences and the consistent application of basic scientific principles to the solution of theoretical and practical hydrologic problems. The following is illustrative of acceptable experience: field or laboratory work that would require application of hydrologic theory and related sciences such as geology, geo-chemistry, geophysics, or civil engineering to making observations, taking samples, operating instruments, assembling data from source materials, analyzing and interpreting data, and reporting findings orally and in writing. In some cases, professional scientific experience that is not clearly water resource experience may be acceptable if such experience was preceded by appropriate education in hydrology or by professional hydrology experience. Applicants with related experience in hydrology gained through earlier Federal Government employment might have gained that experience in one or more occupational series. Such series include Soil Conservation, GS-457; Forestry, GS-460; Soil Science, GS-470; Civil Engineering, GS-810; Chemistry, GS-1320; Meteorology, GS-1340; and Geology, GS-1350. Comparable non-Federal experience may be given similar credit.

To qualify under the Geology Series 1350, you must possess:

Basic Requirements

• Degree: geology, including 20 additional semester hours in any combination of mathematics, physics, chemistry, biological science, structural, chemical, civil, mining or petroleum engineering, computer science, planetary geology, comparative planetology, geophysics, meteorology, hydrology, oceanography, physical geography, marine geology, and cartography.

OR

• Combination of education and experience: education equivalent to course work as shown in A above, plus appropriate experience or additional education.

Evaluation of Experience: Acceptable experience may have been gained through geological field or laboratory work that provided a means of obtaining professional knowledge of the theory and application of the principles of geology and closely related sciences, e.g., geophysics, geochemistry, or hydrology.

If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:

Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

Additional information

CURRENT FEDERAL APPLICANTS: If you are a federal employee (non-SES or SES), then you must include your most recent performance appraisal within the last 12 months of your submission to this application. Additionally, you must include your most recent Notification of Personnel Action (SF-50) that reflects an appointment (i.e., initial, transfer, reinstatement, and etc.) or pay adjustment.

NON-FEDERAL APPLICANTS: You must include your most recent performance appraisal within the last 12 months of your submission to this application OR a justification stating the reason why this information cannot be provided.

Special Note To All Applicants

Your resume, performance appraisal, SF-50, Executive Core Qualification's (ECQs), and Mandatory Technical Qualification's (MTQs) for this announcement must be received online via the USAJOBS/Application Manager application system by 11:59 PM Eastern Time on closing date of the announcement. ECQs and MTQs must be submitted in the CCAR model format as previously outlined within this vacancy announcement. Email submissions from an applicant will not be accepted. Failure to submit a complete application will eliminate an applicant from further consideration. Applicants must contact the Human Resources Specialist point-of-contact prior to the closing date if assistance is needed to submit an application online.

The applicant selected for this position will be required to file a Financial Disclosure Report, SF-278, and the supplemental form, Confidential Statement of Employment and Financial Interest, DI-278. All forms must be filed within 30 days after the selection for this position.

The sensitivity level of the position requires a successful background investigation of the selectee. Additionally, an enhanced clearance level will be pursued as determined by the agency after the initial review. The incumbent must have the ability to maintain suitability for this position. Prior to appointment, applicants tentatively selected for this position may be required to submit to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use.

Effective January 1, 2010, OPM must authorize any employment offers we make to current or former (within the last 5 years) political Schedule A, Schedule C, or Non-career SES employees in the executive branch. If you are currently, or have been within the last 5 years, a political Schedule A, Schedule C, or Non-career SES employee in the executive branch, you must disclose that to the Human Resources Office.

If applicable, travel and relocation expenses will be paid consistent with the Federal Travel Regulations and Departmental policy.

Click here for general eligibility for a permanent change of station (PCS) move.

Click here for Federal Travel Regulations PCS information.

To view FAQ regarding PCS click here.

Senior Executive Service Probationary Period: If you are selected for this position, you will be required to serve a one-year SES probationary period, if one has not previously been completed.

THIS IS A DRUG TESTING DESIGNATED POSITION. In accordance with Executive Order 12564, and under the Department's Drug Free Workplace Program: Applicant(s) tentatively selected for this position will be required to submit a urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use and to pass the test prior to appointment. This position is subject to random testing for illegal drug use.

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