Program Specialist (Special Assistant)

About the role

The Library of Congress shares its vast collections of books, manuscripts, photographs, maps, audiovisual materials, and priceless artifacts to cultivate curiosity and spark imagination. We engage, inspire, and inform Congress and the American people with a universal and enduring source of knowledge and creativity.

We seek highly talented professionals to join a vibrant and collaborative community. Your work here will have lasting impact on the Library and its users well into the future.

What you will do

• This position is located in the Researcher and Collections Services, Kluge Center.
• The Program Specialist (Special Assistant) provides program, administrative, and technical support to the Director of Scholarly Programs, who is responsible for developing and coordinating scholarly programs for the Library of Congress.
• The Program Specialist (Special Assistant) assists in implementing these programs in collaboration with other Library Services areas responsible for the collections and reference services.
• Responsibilities include implementing programs to attract scholars to the Library to use the collections; developing or sponsoring symposia, conferences, meetings, and lectures; and preparing fundraising proposals for scholarly programs.
• As the Program Specialist (Special Assistant) you will: • Assure that responses to correspondence are consistent with The Library of Congress' policies and The Library of Congress' position on difficult or complex matters. • Provide assistance to staff to ensure that the tailored responses to complex inquiries from high level sources or significant interest groups are timely, complete, appropriate, and in compliance with executive preferences and policies. • Assure that analytical, background and supporting information is provided in the correspondence package. • Analyze communication to ensure conformance with executive policy. • Write correspondence, reports, grant proposals (budget), or other documents related to work assignments or developmental activities. • Gather, interpret, and analyze information to develop appropriate responses.
• Records information necessary for reports.
• Actively participates in discussions and meetings. • Plan and carry out the approved assignments and resolve most of the conflicts which arise. • Coordinate the work with others as necessary and interpret policy in terms of established objectives. • Plan and propose the approach to be taken or the methodology to be used for some work assignments. • Research and identify complex program issues or problems impacting program initiatives in major organizational components, such as programs covering a multi-state area. • Make recommendations for and coordinates resolutions and improvements. • Perform a wide variety of administrative and analytical duties connected with the formulation, justification, presentation, execution, and review of a substantial segment of the financial and academic programs. • Review, analyze, and interpret legislation, appropriation language, directives, and Treasury Department and IRS guidelines pertaining to domestic and foreign matters such as fellowships, government travel and contracting, visas and taxes for non-resident aliens. • Assist in the tracking, updating, and monitoring of the implementation of the Library's Strategic Plan. • Work collaboratively with Library managers and staff on management plans, programs, and budgets. • Assist in advising Library planners and managers on the economies and efficiencies that new developments can offer to Library management and operations. • Prepare a final paper or project related to self-directed work assignments.
• Makes strategic recommendations to challenges facing the Library or identifies identify long-range operational, administrative, or managerial functions of the Library where planning efforts must be placed. • Provide authoritative guidance and leadership to programs impacting one or several major agency organizations. • Plan, organize, and carry through to completion analytical studies involving issues related to key agency programs. • Provide expert advice and guidance on broad projects and programs with national impact. • Consult with all levels of management and other federal agencies, and with academic and commercial organizations world-wide.
• Establishes and maintains liaison with program directors and works closely with their representatives to ensure that concerns such as proper requirements definitions and adequate funding are met. • Provide program, administrative, and technical assistance to the Director of Scholarly Programs, and as needed to the Director of Area Studies, Associate Librarian for Library Services, and the Librarian of Congress. • Review, advise on, and conduct complex analyses, evaluations, or investigations in support of organizational programs, systems, and processes, including areas where definitions, methods, and/or data are incomplete, controversial, or uncertain, or where boundaries of the studies are extremely broad and difficult to determine in advance.
• The position description number for this position is 013258.
• The salary range indicated reflects the locality pay adjustments for the Washington, D.C., Metropolitan area.
• The incumbent of this position will work a flextime work schedule.
• This is a non-supervisory, bargaining unit position.
• Relocation expenses will not be authorized for the person(s) selected under this vacancy announcement.

Requirements

• Conditions of Employment Library of Congress employees are prohibited from using illegal drugs, including marijuana.
• The Library is part of the Federal Government and abides by federal law, so regardless of individual state or District of Columbia laws, marijuana use is illegal, considered criminal activity, and can affect your employment at the Library.
• In addition, past or current drug use and activities (e.g., selling or distributing) may deem you ineligible for employment.

How you will be evaluated

The Library of Congress evaluates applicants through an applicant questionnaire and a structured interview. Applicants may also be screened for some jobs through licensing, certification, and/or education requirements, a narrative/application review, and/or a preliminary telephone interview.

The knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) that are marked with a double asterisk (**) in the vacancy announcement and the applicant questionnaire are considered the most critical for a position.

To be considered for final selection, applicants must demonstrate fully acceptable experience in these designated KSAs in the narrative/application review, preliminary telephone and/or full structured interview.

The various assessment tools listed above are designed to verify or explore applicants' experience, knowledge, and training directly related to the job in order to identify the best qualified applicants for selection. You may preview questions for this vacancy.

Documents you must provide

• Current or former federal employees must submit their most recent Notification of Personnel Action (SF-50 or equivalent).
• Applicants with disabilities may be considered under special hiring procedures and must submit an appropriate certificate of eligibility when applying for this position.
• The proof or disability/certification may be issued by the State Vocational Rehabilitation Office, Disability Services or Career Services office of the applicant's college or university, or the Department of Veterans Affairs.
• The letter must verify that the applicant has a severe disability and must be dated within three years of the date of the application.
• The program does not accept certification from health care providers.
• For more information contact the Library's Office of Equal Employment Opportunity at *** or email ***.
• FAILURE TO SUBMIT YOUR CERTIFICATION WILL CAUSE YOUR APPLICATION TO NOT BE CONSIDERED UNDER THE SELECTIVE PLACEMENT PROGRAM.

What to expect next

Please review our evaluation process under Evaluation. You may check the status of your application for this position at any time by logging onto the USAJOBS "My USAJOBS" tab and clicking on "My Applications." You will receive final notification via e-mail when the vacancy has been filled.

Additional information

Although it is the Library's policy to afford the maximum pay benefit to employees when setting rates of pay, a new appointee who has had no previous Federal service will generally be paid at step one of the grade. The Library of Congress is an equal opportunity employer.

Applicants must submit a complete application package that is received by the closing date of this announcement.

Appointment/retention is subject to a favorable evaluation of an appropriate personnel security/suitability investigation. For more information, please see: Vetting Process This agency provides reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process, please email ***.

The decision on granting reasonable accommodation will be determined on a case-by-case basis. Applicants with disabilities may be considered under special hiring procedures and must submit an appropriate certificate of eligibility when applying for this position.

The proof or disability/certification may be issued by the State Vocational Rehabilitation Office, Disability Services or Career Services office of the applicant's college or university, or the Department of Veterans Affairs. The letter must verify that the applicant has a severe disability and must be dated within three years of the date of the application.

Certification from health care providers are not accepted. For more information contact the Library's Office of Equal Employment Opportunity at *** or email ***.

FAILURE TO SUBMIT YOUR CERTIFICATION WILL CAUSE YOUR APPLICATION TO NOT BE CONSIDERED UNDER THE SELECTIVE PLACEMENT PROGRAM.

The Library of Congress is the national library of the United States and is part of the Legislative Branch of the Federal government. As such, all positions are in the excepted service. The Library reserves the right to fill a lesser or greater number of vacancies indicated during the life of this vacancy announcement.

Initial permanent appointments to the Library of Congress require completion of a one-year probationary period. Probationary periods served at other Federal agencies do not count toward this requirement. The Library of Congress may offer repayment for all or part of federally insured student loans.

However, not all service units within the Library of Congress participates in the repayment of federally insured student loans. Therefore, determination to repay a federally insured student loan is subject to approval by the appropriate service unit. A “Not to Exceed" (NTE) status is used to identify an appointment with a specific ending date.

However, the Library has the right to separate a NTE employee at any time due to either performance issues or budget constraints. Are you a veteran? Please indicate the type of veterans' preference you are claiming in your application materials and/or applicant profile and provide the appropriate supporting documentation to validate your claim.

Those applying for 5-point preference must submit Member Copy 4 of your DD 214. Those applying for 10-point preference must fill out an SF-15 (click here for the form) and provide the required documentation listed on the back of the form. If required supporting documentation is not attached, Veterans' Preference will not be considered in the application process.