Summary

The Deputy Associate Administrator for Highway Policy and External Affairs (DAA) serves as the lead policy advisor to the Associate Administrator for Highway Policy and External Affairs (AA) and ensures that all work conducted in the Office of Highway Policy and External Affairs (HPL) is consistent with departmental and FHWA policy and priorities.

Duties

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The DAA advises the AA in furnishing policy, administrative, financial, and operational opportunities and services concerning all aspects of the programs, functions, or activities assigned to HPL. Acts in an advisory capacity to the AA on matters involving unusual or sensitive office and policy issues, resolves differences of opinion between HPL staff and other offices. Provides leadership in assessing, proposing, and executing on emerging issues of critical importance to office culture and process, and garners best practices in operational procedures and implementation strategies that increase efficiency and work production. Under the direction of the AA, the DAA represents HPL as a principal point of contact to provide advice and guidance and works collaboratively and communicates effectively with HPL Office Directors and with leadership, both internally and externally.

Furthermore, the DAA:

• Reviews and pre-clears items of work requiring referral or briefings to the AA and Office of the Administrator.
• Is responsible for advising the AA in directing the planning and performance of activities including time-and-attendance controls, workforce planning, career development, employee recognition, and performance evaluation processes.
• Identifies opportunities and strategies to promote, partner and incorporate into departmental priorities, HPL products, research, and data information.
• Advises on office personnel capacity and Full-Time Equivalent pool monitoring in coordination with Office Directors. This includes the development of a variety of charts, graphs, briefings, and other reports on operational functions, human resources tasks from the Office of Administration, and administrative objectives as assigned by the FHWA Administrator through the AA.
• Manages internal and external office/modal general programmatic and administrative responsibilities including matters pertaining to employee engagement.
• Reviews and makes recommendations to AA regarding correspondence for routine items requiring HPL concurrence in the Agency's document management system.
• Coordinates with Office Directors and makes recommendations to AA on Agency and government-wide HPL rotational assignments, student programs and other special assignments including internship and rotational programs.
• Consults with Office Directors and reports to the AA on all technical, programmatic, administrative, contractual, and IT resources. This includes financial responsibilities within office programs, internal controls, research allocation and prioritization, spending plans and special tasks received by either the Office of Administration or Office of Budget and Finance.
• Reviews, and recommends approvals of, major reports on projects, programs, and other work activities for internal and external distribution.
• Maintains contacts with other Federal Highway Administration program offices, Departmental Operating Administrations, various technical and professional organizations, and other associations as it pertains to matters under the purview of HPL.
• Under the direction of the AA, the DAA prioritizes HPL workstreams and ensures appropriate resource allocations to meet critical HPL objectives related to legislative and congressional issues, stakeholder engagement, strategic planning, international matters, and policy studies to include data and other information for collection and distribution.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

• You must be a U.S. Citizen or National.
• Submit application and resume online by 11:59 PM EST on the closing date.
• Provide all required documents by closing date.

CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT:

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider:

• your performance and conduct;
• the needs and interests of the agency;
• whether your continued employment would advance the organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and
• whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service.

Upon completion of your probationary period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

• PROBATIONARY PERIOD: Complete a one-year SES probationary period (unless already completed).
• Complete a Declaration for Federal Employment to determine your suitability for Federal employment, at the time requested by the agency
• If you are a male applicant born after December 31, 1959, certify that you have registered with the Selective Service System or are exempt from having to do so. (see https://www.sss.gov/RegVer/wfRegistration.aspx)
• WRITING SAMPLE: A writing sample may be required.

There are three key documents that contain important information about your rights and obligations. Please read and retain these documents:

• Noncriminal Justice Applicant's Privacy Rights, for those who undergo an FBI fingerprint-based criminal history record check for personnel vetting, which includes Rap Back,
• FD-258 Privacy Act Statement - FBI (this is the same statement used when your fingerprints are submitted as part of your background investigation), and
• SEAD-3-Reporting-U.pdf (dni.gov), (applicable to those who hold a sensitive position or have eligibility for access to classified information)"

Qualifications

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. Candidates will not be hired based on their race, sex, color, religion, or national origin.

To meet the minimum qualification requirements for this position, you must show that you possess the Executive Core Qualifications (ECQ) and Technical Qualifications (TQ) related to this position within your resume - NOT TO EXCEED 2 PAGES. Resumes over the 2-page limit, will not be reviewed beyond page 2 or may be disqualified. Your resume should include examples of experience, education, and accomplishments applicable to the qualification(s). If your resume does not reflect demonstrated evidence of these qualifications, you may not receive consideration for the position.

TECHNICAL QUALIFICATIONS (TQs): Your resume should demonstrate accomplishments that would satisfy the technical qualifications.

TQ 1: Demonstrated experience in management capacity directing issues on policy and administrative, and financial items of work.

TQ 2: Demonstrated experience in coordinating, leading and/or partnering with other organizational program offices, technical and professional organizations, and other associations.

EXECUTIVE CORE QUALIFICATIONS (ECQs): In addition to the Technical Qualification Requirements listed above, all new entrants into the Senior Executive Service (SES) under a career appointment will be assessed for executive competency against the following five mandatory ECQs. If your 2-page resume does not reflect demonstrated evidence of the ECQs and TQs, you may not receive further consideration for the position.

There are five ECQs:

• ECQ 1: Commitment to the Rule of Law and the Principles of the American Founding - This core qualification requires a demonstrated knowledge of the American system of government, commitment to uphold the Constitution and the rule of law, and commitment to serve the American people.
• ECQ 2: Driving Efficiency -This core qualification involves the demonstrated ability to strategically and efficiently manage resources, budget effectively, cut wasteful spending, and pursue efficiency through process and technological upgrades.
• ECQ 3: Merit and Competence - This core qualification involves the demonstrated knowledge, ability and technical competence to effectively and reliably produce work that is of exceptional quality.
• ECQ 4: Leading People - This core qualification involves the demonstrated ability to lead and inspire a group toward meeting the organization's vision, mission, and goals, and to drive a high-performance, high-accountability culture. This includes, when necessary, the ability to lead people through change and to hold individuals accountable.
• ECQ 5: Achieving Results - This core qualification involves the demonstrated ability to achieve both individual and organizational results, and to align results to stated goals from superiors.

Note: If you are a member of the SES or have been certified through successful participation in an OPM approved SES Candidate Development Program (SESCDP), or have SES reinstatement eligibility, you do not need to respond to the ECQs. Instead, you should attach proof (e.g., SF-50, Certification by OPM's SES Qualifications Review Board (QRB)) of your eligibility for noncompetitive appointment to the SES.

Education

This job does not have an education qualification requirement.

Additional information

Veterans Preference: Veterans' preference is not applicable to the SES.

Mobility: Organizational and geographical mobility is essential in developing and managing SES leaders. Individuals selected for SES positions may be subject to reassignment across geographical, organizational, and functional lines, and may be required to sign a Reassignment Rights and Obligation Agreement.

(Only use if applicable) Tiering: The Department/Agency structures its SES positions into categories (i.e. tiers) to determine the pay range for each position. The categories are based on the position scope, breadth, functions, and placement within the structure of organizational levels across the Department/Agency.

Retirement/Pension Plan - You will be covered by a defined benefit, contributory Federal retirement system that provides benefits for both normal retirement (with as few as 5 years of civilian service) and for circumstances that might occur earlier, such involuntary retirement because of disability.

Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) - You may participate in a retirement savings investment plan that offers before-tax savings and tax-deferred investment earnings. For more details, please visit the TSP website

Employee Assistance - Employees and their immediate families can take advantage of free confidential counseling with health professionals as part of the Federal Employees Assistance Program.

Transit Benefits - We subsidize up to $315 of mass transit commuting costs each month.

Information related to performance, suitability, and security will be verified. If you make a false statement in any part of your application, you may not be hired; you may be fired after you begin work; or you may be subject to fine imprisonment, or other disciplinary action.

To learn more, please visit our page at: The Fair Chance to Compete Act | US Department of Transportation

If you are unable to apply online or need to fax a document you do not have in electronic form, please contact us [redacted].dot.gov.

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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

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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. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.

Our benefits package offers:

Annual Leave (paid vacation), Sick Leave, and Holidays - You will earn 26 days of annual leave and 13 days of sick leave per year. In addition, the Federal Government observes 11 regular paid holidays each year.

Health Benefits - Employees and family members are eligible for health benefits at reasonable rates with no required medical examinations or restrictions because of age or physical condition. Flexible Spending Accoun