Summary

Corrections professionals who foster a humane and secure environment and ensure public safety by preparing individuals for successful reentry into our communities.

Duties

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Serves as the Senior Policy Advisor in the Directors Office assisting the following NIC divisions: Academy, Jails, Prisons, or Community with a primary purpose of supporting the mission of the NIC in assisting Federal, state, and local correctional agencies through the provision of correctional training, policy guidance, and technical assistance expertise.

Designs and directs efforts involving data collection, analysis, use, and associated challenges across agencies as well as interplay between state and local systems and agencies therein.

Assists state and local correctional systems in identifying opportunities to improve correctional system outcomes, implement most cost-effective solutions and invest in strategies that reduce recidivism and hold individuals accountable.

Evaluates and recommends action to NIC Executive Staff on concept papers, abstracts, requests for technical assistance, avenues for training development, relevance of agency to issues and priorities, and possible contribution to the adoption of evidence-based practices in correctional systems.

Serves as a NIC representative in corrections, reentry and justice reform on agency or inter-agency task forces whose members include high-level DOJ officials and other executive branch representatives.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

• U.S. Citizenship is Required.
• See Special Conditions of Employment Section.
• Selective Service Requirement: http://www.sss.gov

Career Transition Programs (CTAP or ICTAP): These programs apply to Federal and/or DOJ employees who meet the definition of surplus or displaced from a position in the competitive service. To receive selection priority for this position, you must:

• 1. Meet CTAP or ICTAP eligibility criteria;
• 2. Be rated well-qualified for the position, scoring at least half of the total possible points for the vacancy KSAs or competencies; and
• 3. Submit the appropriate documentation to support your CTAP or ICTAP eligibility:
  
  • A copy of the agency notice (i.e., separation notice or agency RIF letter),
  • Most recent performance appraisal, and
  • Most recent SF-50 showing current/former position, grade, promotion potential, and duty location.
  • See USAJOBS' Career Transition Programs for more information.

NOTE: Applicants claiming CTAP or ICTAP eligibility must complete all assessment questions to be rated under the established ranking criteria.

Qualifications

To be considered for the position, you must meet the following qualification requirements.

Education:

There is no substitution of education for specialized experience for this grade level.

Experience:

You must have at least one year of specialized experience equivalent in difficulty and complexity to the next lower grade level. To be creditable, this experience must have equipped the applicant with the particular qualifications to perform successfully the duties of the position, and must typically be in or related to the position to be filled.

Some examples of this qualifying experience are:

• Experience applying management and program analysis concepts, methods, and practices to conduct comprehensive analysis of programs and resources.
• Experience developing policy and operational objectives on criminal justice planning, to include jail, prison or pretrial, probation, or parole operations.
• Experience defending recommendations, reconciling conflicting viewpoints, resolving problems, and representing the organization in a wide variety of forums.

AND

Selective Placement Factor:

Applicants applying for this position MUST also possess the following Selective Factor. In the event that you do not possess the Selective Factor, you will be found ineligible for the position.

• Applicant must have a minimum of four (4) years of demonstrated experience providing expert technical assistance, guidance and training at the national level to local, state, and federal corrections agencies to include, prisons, or jails, or pretrial, probation, and parole agencies related to operations, system-wide policy development and the implementation of evidence-informed research-based innovations or practices.

• Applicant must have a minimum of four (4) years of demonstrated experience in corrections system assessments, assisting state and local correctional systems to include prisons, or jails, or pretrial, probation and parole systems to improve correctional system outcomes, implement cost-effective solutions and invest in research-informed strategies that reduced recidivism.

• Applicant must have a minimum of four (4) years of demonstrated experience developing innovative and comprehensive initiatives, implementation planning strategies and program plans to accomplish agency-wide goals and objectives in the implementation of correctional initiatives in jails, or prisons, or community supervision agencies.

NOTE: All applicants MUST clearly address the Selective Factor in their resume at the time you apply.

If applicable, credit will be given for paid and unpaid experience. To receive proper credit, you must show the actual time (such as the number of hours worked per week) spent in activities.

**Your eligibility for consideration will be based on your responses to the questions in the application

Education

See Qualifications Section for education requirements, if applicable.

ONLY if education is a requirement/substitution for specialized experience, applicant MUST upload legible transcripts as verification of educational requirement. Transcripts MUST be uploaded and electronically linked from USAJOBS at the time you apply and MUST include identifying information to include School Name, Student Name, Degree and Date Awarded (if applicable). All academic degrees and coursework must be completed at a college or university that has obtained accreditation or pre-accreditation status from an accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. For a list of schools that meet this criteria, Click Here.

Foreign Education: For information regarding foreign education requirements, please see Foreign Diploma and Credit Recognition at the U.S. Department of Education website: Recognition of Foreign Qualifications.

If you are selected for this position and qualified based on education (i.e. basic education requirement and/or substitution of education), you will be required to provide an OFFICIAL transcript prior to your first day on duty.

Additional information

The incumbent is subject to geographic relocation to meet the needs of the agency.

Appointment is subject to satisfactory completion of a pre-employment and panel interview, urinalysis, physical, and background investigation.

All applicants are subject to, and must satisfactorily pass all screening requirements in relation to National Crime Information Center (NCIC) and credit check.

Additional selections may be made if vacancies occur within the life of the certificate.

Current Federal Law Enforcement Employees:

This is a National Institute of Corrections (NIC) position. Individuals selected for these positions will lose law enforcement coverage and will need to return to a position with "primary" law enforcement coverage to regain coverage.

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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.

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.