Sales Associate

About the role

This position is located in the U.S. Capitol Visitor Center (CVC), the gateway to the U.S. Capitol and Congress. Our staff welcome visitors from around the world for tours of the historic rooms of the Capitol, educational programs and congressional events. Our goal is to inform, involve and inspire every visitor.

This goal is supported by 200 employees across five divisions: Visitor Services, Exhibits and Education, Retail, Communications and Marketing, and Planning, Operations and Evaluation.

What you will do

• Greet and assist visitors by escorting them to displays, informing visitors about products, and suggesting product purchases.
• Always maintain a high level of professionalism and customer service with a wide and diverse public.
• Always maintain courteous and helpful attitude.
• Maintain situational awareness of customer needs and re-prioritize appropriately to meet customer needs.
• Act with a sense of pride in fulfilling the mission, vision and objectives of the CVC.
• Demonstrate selling skills that inform, involve and inspire the visitor to achieve product purchases.
• Respond to visitors' questions, complaints and concerns in a manner that provides positive resolution or offers appropriate guidance.
• Maintain deep knowledge about the CVC, the Capitol, and the surrounding D.C. area.
• Understand and communicate how CVC Gift Shop merchandise supports the CVC mission and relates to the various artifacts and exhibits in the CVC.
• Embrace quality control in daily activities, including in shop receiving, stocking, and recovery.
• Identify and communicate product requests and needs to Gift Shops management.
• Perform an extensive range of retail operational activities including cash handling, re-stocking, and visual presentations or recovery within the shops.
• Fully comply with all standard operating procedures.
• Keep funds secured at all times.
• Maintain appropriate levels of cash/change stocked in the individual drawer to expedite sales transactions.
• Coordinate with the management as necessary to manage cash levels.
• Be required to work Saturdays and holidays due to the business needs of the Capitol Visitor Center. *** Please Note: This position is temporary in nature and will not exceed 13 months.
• This is strictly a temporary appointment where there is no permanent need or permanent funding available for the work involved and that the temporary appointment is limited in duration.
• The duration of this temporary appointment may be shorter or longer, depending on the duration of the work or project.
• The temporary position may also be terminated at any time due to lack of work and/or lack of funds without any advance notice.
• As a non-permanent employee, you may also be separated for failure to meet management's expectations, with no advance notice.

Requirements

• A citizen of the United States; A person who is lawfully admitted for permanent residence and is seeking citizenship as outlined in 8 U.S.C.
• 1324b(a)(3)(B); A person who is admitted as a refugee under 8 U.S.C.
• 1157 or is granted asylum under 8 U.S.C.
• 1158 and has filed a declaration of intention to become a lawful permanent resident and then a citizen when eligible; A person who owes allegiance to the United States (nationals of American Samoa, Swains Island, and the Northern Mariana Islands, and nationals who meet other requirements described in 8 U.S.C.
• 1408); or A person who is currently an officer or employee of the Government of the United States.

Education

Combination of Education and Experience: Equivalent combinations of successfully completed education and experience may be used to meet the experience requirements. Education must be from an accredited college or university and demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to perform the duties of the position.

Examples of qualifying fields of study include history, public history, museum studies, political science, government, American studies, education, communications, architecture, historic preservation, or other closely related fields.

Successful completion of four years of education above the high school level leading to a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university may be used to meet the qualification requirements.

For more information on qualifying education or on combining education and experience see OPM Qualification Standards linked below: Individual Occupational Requirements for Park Guide Series, 0090 Group Coverage Qualification Standard for Technical and Medical Support Positions

How you will be evaluated

Review your resume and responses carefully. Your eligibility for consideration and qualifications for the position will be determined based upon a review of your detailed resume and your responses to job specific self-assessment questions.

Your resume will be evaluated based on evidence of your ability to demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) for this position, possession of any specialized experience, and how well your background and experience relates to the self-assessment questions in the job announcement.

The self-assessment questions relate to the following knowledge, skills, abilities, and competencies: Oral Communication Interpersonal Skills Customer Service Teamwork Sales and Marketing Your responses to the self-assessment questions serve as the basis for your initial rating. You will receive a numerical score based on your responses to these questions.

Next, your responses will be evaluated by a Human Resources Specialist and/or a subject matter expert against the information provided in your resume and optional cover letter. Your resume must support your answers to the self-assessment questions. Falsifying your background, education and/or experience is cause for non-selection or disqualification from further consideration.

Please note that a complete application is required for consideration.

(Please review the “Required Documents” section of this job announcement to see what must be included in a complete application). You may preview questions for this vacancy.

Documents you must provide

• The Architect of the Capitol's (AOC) job application process is designed to ensure you only provide information necessary to evaluate your qualifications and eligibility for the position vacancy.
• To apply for this position, you only need to submit a) your resume and b) answers to the online vacancy assessment questionnaire.
• The online questionnaire contains eligibility and screening questions and other relevant information.
• No additional documentation or attachments are required at the time of application.
• Your resume should list your education, training and work experience including job titles, employment dates, duties and accomplishments.
• Nothing further is required until it is requested by AOC's Human Capital Management Division.
• If additional documentation is required for the position, you will be asked to provide it during the interview or selection process.
• At that time, you may be asked to submit documentation to support statements made in your resume.
• For example, you may be asked to provide a copy of your diploma, college transcripts, or proof of Federal employment status.
• If the position requires licensure or certification, you will be asked to provide proof at the time of selection.
• If Veterans' preference is claimed, you will be asked to submit proof (DD-214, and, if claiming a 10-point preference, a SF-15 and the proof required by that form).
• Failure to provide the required documents will end further consideration and/or result in the withdrawal of any tentative job offers.

Benefits

A variety of health insurance plans; retirement system with investment options; paid holidays; paid sick and annual (vacation) leave; life insurance; incentive systems; subsidized transportation; training and development opportunities, etc.

What to expect next

You will receive a notice generated by the USAJOBS System when you have successfully submitted your application. We will review your application and transcript(s) (if you are qualifying based on education) to ensure you meet the basic qualification requirements. You can check the status of your application by logging into ***

You may also sign up to receive automatic emails anytime the status of your application has changed by logging into your USAJOBS Account, editing your profile and changing the ‘Notification Settings' to indicate that you want to be notified by email when the status changes.

Information regarding the status of your application should be updated in the system within two (2) weeks after the closing date of this job announcement.

Additional information

Welcome Veterans. The Veterans Employment Opportunities Act of 1998 (VEOA) gives veterans' preference rights in the legislative branch to certain veterans as applied by the Congressional Accountability Act. Veterans' preference is applied on this vacancy announcement.

If you are a veteran and have been separated under honorable conditions, you must submit a copy of your DD-214 or other proof of eligibility; SF-15, if applicable; and Department of Veterans Affairs documentation of disability, if applicable.

For more information, please visit OPM vet guide If you are a male applicant born after December 31, 1959, you must certify that you have registered with the Selective Service System. If you are exempt from registration under Selective Service Law, you must provide appropriate proof of exemption. Please visit the Selective Service System website for more information.

DRUG TESTING: The Architect of the Capitol (AOC) is a Drug Free Workplace. As part of the AOC's suitability assessment, a candidate tentatively selected for a position who is not currently an AOC employee is required to submit to screening for illegal drug use. Satisfactory completion of a drug test is a condition of employment with the Agency.

A candidate must test negative prior to being eligible for appointment into a position. We will schedule, provide and cover the cost for the drug test. The selectee(s) under the vacancy announcement for this position is subject to a criminal record check by the U.S. Capitol Police and satisfactory adjudication to be eligible for employment at the Architect of the Capitol.

The Architect of the Capitol is an E-VERIFY Participant. E-VERIFY is an Internet-based system that compares information from an employee's Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification, to data from U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Social Security Administration records to confirm employment authorization in the United States.

If you are selected for this position, the documentation that you present for purposes of completing the DHS Form I-9 will be verified through the DHS "E-VERIFY" electronic system.

For more information on E-Verify, please visit *** The Architect of the Capitol is an Equal Opportunity Employer and prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, age, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information and/or disability.

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 notify the agency. The decision on granting reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis.

Moving expenses are not authorized. Relocation expenses are not authorized. Probationary Period - A newly appointed selectee is subject to the completion of a one-year trial/probationary period, regardless of whether or not a trial/probationary period has been completed previously with the Architect of the Capitol or another Federal agency.

This vacancy announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies in any of the jurisdictions of the Architect of the Capitol. All application materials become the property of the Architect of the Capitol.