Supervisory Legislative Affairs Specialist

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE); Washington (District of Columbia); On-site; USD 150,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

ICE in Washington, DC, seeks a senior policy professional to manage budgetary and legislative strategies, coordinate with congressional staff, and oversee external relations with appropriations committees and the OMB.

The role requires careful written testimonies, briefing materials, and the ability to apply problem-solving methods to financial operations. This is a full-time permanent position within DHS.

Qualifications

• Experience analyzing appropriation hearings, committee actions, and budget issues.
• Ability to develop legislative language and briefing materials.
• Experience preparing responses to congressional inquiries and requests.

Responsibilities

• Overseeing legislation strategies involving budgetary and legislative proposals.
• Coordinating with congressional staff on actions and analysis of legislation.
• Managing external relations with Congressional Appropriations Committees and OMB.
• Preparing congressional testimonies, briefings, and other informational material.
• Advising on methods and procedures to identify viable solutions.

Skills

Budget analysis

Legislation analysis

Congressional liaison

Written communication

Job description

Summary

View Common Definitions of terms found in this announcement.

Organizational Location

This position is located in the Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Chief Financial Officer, Office of Financial Management in Washington, District of Columbia.

This is a non-bargaining unit position.

Duties

• Overseeing critical legislation strategies involving budgetary and legislative proposals
• Coordinating with congressional staff on various actions and analysis of legislation
• Overseeing and executing external relations with Congressional Appropriations Committees and the Office of Management and Budget (OMB)
• Preparing written documents such as congressional testimonies, oral briefings, statistical and narrative information, statements, letters, and other informational material
• Participating with budget office and congressional affairs officer in applying problem solving methods and techniques to give advice on work methods, practices, and procedures to assist in identifying the parameters of a viable solution.

Requirements

• You must be a U.S. citizen to apply for this position.
• You must successfully pass a background investigation.
• You must successfully pass a drug screen.
• Males born after 12/31/59 must certify registration with Selective Service.
• Requirements by Closing Date: Unless otherwise noted, you must meet all requirements by the closing date of the announcement.
• Probationary Period: This is a full-time permanent position (Career/Career-Conditional appointment). Upon appointment to this position, you may be required to serve a one-year probationary period.

Qualifications

Please limit your resume to 2 pages. If more than 2 pages are submitted, only the first 2 pages will be reviewed to determine your eligibility/qualifications.

IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE.

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.

You qualify for the GS-15 grade level if you possess one of the following:

Experience: One (1) year of specialized experience at the GS‑14 grade level or equivalent performing duties such as:

• Analyzing or preparing reports, issue papers, guidance, and other materials related to appropriation hearings, committee mark‑ups, conference committee actions, legislative issues and laws that may impact organizational programs.
• Developing written legislative language and related material for legislative strategies, hearings, testimonies, program documentation, and briefing packages
• Analyzing major legislation for budgetary aspects of a substantive nature related to mission‑oriented programs and generating and applying new hypotheses and concepts to improve effectiveness and efficiency of financial operations.
• Preparing responses to Appropriations committee questions, issues and requests for information.

Qualification requirements must be met by the closing date of this announcement. Qualification claims will be subject to verification.

National Service Experience

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.

Current or Former Political Appointees

The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) must authorize employment offers made to current or former political appointees. If you are currently, or have been within the last 5 years, a political Schedule A, Schedule C, Non‑career SES or Presidential Appointee employee in the Executive Branch, you must disclose this information to the Human Resources Office.

Veterans and Persons with Disabilities

The Department of Homeland Security encourages persons with disabilities to apply, to include persons with intellectual, severe physical or psychiatric disabilities, as defined by 5 CFR 213.3102(u), and/or Disabled Veterans with a compensable service‑connected disability of 30 percent or more as defined by 5 CFR 315.707. Veterans , Peace Corps , VISTA volunteers , and persons with disabilities possess a wealth of unique talents, experiences, and competencies that can be invaluable to the DHS mission. If you are a member of one of these groups, you may not have to compete with the public for federal jobs. To determine your eligibility for non‑competitive appointment and to understand the required documentation, click on the links above or contact the Servicing Human Resources Office listed at the bottom of this announcement.

Education

For GS-15 Education: There is no education substitution for this grade level.

Additional Information

This position is at the full performance level.

E-Verify

DHS uses E-Verify, an Internet‑based system, to confirm the eligibility of all newly hired employees to work in the United States. Learn more about E-Verify , including your rights and responsibilities.

Suitability

If you receive a conditional offer of employment for this position, you will be required to complete an Optional Form 306, Declaration for Federal Employment , and to sign and certify the accuracy of all information in your application, prior to entry on duty. False statements on any part of the application may result in withdrawal of offer of employment, dismissal after beginning work, fine, or imprisonment.

Background Investigation

To ensure the accomplishment of our mission, DHS requires every employee to be reliable and trustworthy. To meet these standards, all selected applicants must undergo and successfully obtain and maintain a background investigation as a condition of placement into this position. This may include a credit check, a review of financial issues such as delinquency in the payment of debts, child support and/or tax obligations, as well as certain criminal offenses and illegal use or possession of drugs.

Supervisory Probationary Period

This is a supervisory position. Under provisions of the Civil Service Reform Act, first time supervisors and/or managers will be required to serve a 1‑year probationary period. You may also be required to complete an appropriate supervisory training course within one year of assignment to this position.

Reasonable Accommodation (RA) Requests

If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a RA in your online application. Requests for RA for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for RA must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for RA are made on a case‑by‑case basis. If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, based on your adjudication decision. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments if you received the link after the close of the announcement. To determine if you need a RA, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments .

Student Loan Repayment Incentive

A student loan repayment incentive may be available, in which case a service agreement will be required.

Candidates

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

Benefits

A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding.

DHS offers competitive salaries and an attractive benefits package, including: health, dental, vision, life, and long‑term care insurance; retirement plan; Thrift Savings Plan [similar to a 401(k)]; Flexible Spending Account; Employee Assistance Program; personal leave days; and paid federal holidays. Other benefits may include: flexible work schedules; tuition reimbursement; transportation subsidies; uniform allowance; health and wellness programs; and fitness centers. DHS is committed to employee development and offers a variety of employee training and developmental opportunities. For more information, go to the DHS Careers website and select "Benefits." Disabled veteran leave will be available to any Federal employee hired on or after November 5, 2016, who is a veteran with a service‑connected disability rating of 30 percent or more.

Benefit Overview

Review our benefits

Eligibility for Benefits

Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full‑time, part‑time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.

How You Will Be Evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

You will be evaluated based on how well you meet the qualifications listed in this vacancy announcement. Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g., resume, supporting documents), your responses on the application questionnaire, and your responses to all assessments required for this position.

You will be assessed on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics):

• Accountability
• Customer Service
• Decisiveness
• Flexibility
• Interpersonal Skills
• Problem Solving
• Resilience

In order to be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. In addition to the application and application questionnaire, this position requires an online assessment. The online assessment measures critical general competencies required to perform the job.

The USA Hire Assessments includes a cut score based on the minimum level of required proficiency in these critical general competencies. You must meet or exceed the cut score to be considered. You will not be considered for the position if you score below the cut score or fail to complete the assessment.

Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or application questionnaire may result in your removal from consideration. Cheating on an assessment may also result in your removal from consideration.

We will review your resume and supporting documentation to ensure you meet the minimum qualification requirements.

Direct Hire Authority

These positions will be filled through the Office of Personnel Management's Direct Hire Authority. The "Rule of Three", Category Rating and Veterans Preference will not apply to this vacancy. For more information on Direct Hire Authority, please see: OPM Direct Hire Fact Sheet .

Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP) Eligibles

If you have never worked for the federal government, you are not ICTAP eligible. View information about ICTAP eligibility on OPM's Career Transition Resources website. To be considered eligible under ICTAP, you must be placed in the well qualified category for this position. In addition, you must submit the supporting documents listed under the required documents section of this job announcement.

Drug-Free Workplace

Pursuant to Executive Order 12564, and the DHS Drug-Free Workplace Plan, ICE is committed to maintaining a drug‑free workplace and, therefore, personnel in safety- or security-sensitive positions (testing designated positions) are subject to random drug testing. Moreover, other drug testing of employees (e.g., reasonable suspicion drug test) may be conducted in order to ensure a safe and healthy work environment. All applicants tentatively selected for employment at ICE are subject to pre‑employment drug testing and a final offer of employment is contingent upon a negative drug test result.