Summary

This position is located in the Department of Health and Human Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), Office of the Assistant Secretary (OAS), located in Rockville, Maryland.

Duties

Help

The purpose of this position is for the incumbent to serve as a Senior Advisor on substance abuse with responsibility for providing authoritative advice and guidance on policy development for substance abuse and behavioral health issues as they impact HHS.

As a Senior Advisor you will:

• Advise the Chief Medical Officer (OCMO) Director and staff on policy and programming to support SAMHSA initiatives.
• Coordinate policy review processes and the quality improvement priority setting through consideration of leadership direction, input from internal and external partners, past precedent, early identification, and internal triaging of policy issues.
• Provide leadership, guidance, and training of constituents in addressing a broad range of critical policy and program issues working closely with the OCMO Director on the formulation of broad policies and programs related to substance abuse issues involving high priority matters affecting overall program goals.
• Draft and/or review documents on policy and program proposals on substance abuse treatment and behavioral health issues.
• Provide comments on proposed legislation and regulations on substance abuse and behavioral health and policy which have an impact on SAMHSA program functions.
• Serve as an expert in policy program/management issues with responsibility for developing, recommending, coordinating, and implementing program improvements and new procedures, which are designed to improve/enhance program performance.
• Research, review, analyze, and evaluate substance abuse issues and developments related to behavioral health and SAMHSA's mission and provide advice and guidance to OCMO Director on programming and resource allocation with respect to financing strategies for behavioral health care providers.
• Provide professional guidance to staff throughout SAMHSA in addressing a broad range of critical policy and program issues.
• Represent the OCMO at public and private meetings oriented to leverage community support with respect to substance abuse and behavioral recovery policy.

Requirements

Help

Conditions of employment

• U.S. Citizenship required
• Selective Service: Males born after December 31, 1959, must be registered or exempt from Selective Service - http://www.sss.gov.
• If not previously completed, a background security investigation will be required for all appointees. Appointment will be subject to the applicant's successful completion of a background security investigation and favorable adjudication.
• Must meet time in grade requirements.
• One-year probationary period may be required.
• All Federal employees are required to have Federal salary payments made by direct deposit to a financial institution of their choice.
• Financial disclosure statement may be required.
• Bargaining Unit Position: No
• Drug Screening Required: No
• Research Position: No
• Complete the initial online assessment and USA Hire Assessment, if required.

Qualifications

ALL QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS MUST BE MET BY THE CLOSING DATE OF THIS ANNOUNCEMENT - 10/04/2026

Your resume (limited to no more than 2 pages) must include detailed information as it relates to the responsibilities and specialized experience for this position. Evidence of copying and pasting directly from the vacancy announcement without clearly documenting supplemental information to describe your experience will result in an ineligible rating. This will prevent you from being considered further.

Applicants must demonstrate that they meet the Specialized Experience requirements as noted below.

In order to qualify for this GS-15 position: You must possess at least one year of specialized experience equivalent in difficulty and responsibility to the GS-14 level in the Federal service (obtained in either the public or private sectors) to include:

1. Providing administrative oversight and support for the delivery of behavioral health services.
2. Conducting scholarly activities, including publishing papers in major professional journals or presenting at national conferences or other national platforms.
3. Analyzing new policy, legislative, or regulatory developments and developing comprehensive assessments of their implications for direct service access and delivery.

Documenting Experience:

IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. Qualifications are based on breadth/level of experience. In addition to describing duties performed, applicants must provide the exact dates of each period of employment (from MM/YY to MM/YY) and the number of hours worked per week if part time. As qualification determinations cannot be made when resumes do not include the required information, failure to provide this information may result in disqualification. Applicants are encouraged to use the USAJOBS Resume Builder to develop their federal resume.

For resume writing guidance, please visit the USAJobs Resource Center or view their video tutorial.

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.

In accordance with Office of Personnel Management policy, federal employees are assumed to have gained experience by performing duties and responsibilities appropriate for their official series and grade level as described in their position description. Experience that would not normally be part of the employee's position is creditable, however, when documented by satisfactory evidence, such as a signed memorandum from the employee's supervisor or an SF-50 or SF-52 documenting an official detail or other official assignment. The documentation must indicate whether the duties were performed full time or, if part time, the "percentage of times" the other duties were performed. It is expected that this documentation is included in the employee's official personnel record. In order to receive credit for experience in your resume that is not within the official series and grade level of your official position, you must provide a copy of the appropriate documentation of such experience as indicated above.

NOTE: 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; community; student; social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to gain employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. If such experience is on a part-time basis, you must provide the average number of hours worked per week as well as the beginning and ending dates of the experience so it can be fully credited.

Time-in-Grade Requirement: Under competitive merit promotion procedures, any individual who is currently holding, or who has held within the previous 52 weeks, a General Schedule position under non-temporary appointment in the competitive or excepted service, must meet "time-in-grade" requirements (have served 52 weeks at the next lower grade of the grade for which you are applying). You must include an SF-50 (you may need to submit more than one) that supports meeting this requirement with your application package.OPM Qualification General Policies Websitewww.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-policies/#url=app

All qualification requirements must be met by the closing date of the announcement.

Education

This position does not have an education substitution or requirement.

Additional information

INCENTIVES

Incentives may be authorized; however, this is contingent upon multiple factors, including funds availability. If authorized, certain incentives may require you to sign a service agreement to remain in the Federal government for a period of up to 3 years. Note: This statement does not imply nor guarantee an incentive will be offered and paid. Incentives may include the following: moving expenses, recruitment or relocation incentive; student loan repayment, superior qualifications appointment, creditable service for annual leave for prior non-federal work experience or prior uniformed military service, etc.

Veterans Employment Opportunities Act (VEOA): To be eligible for a VEOA appointment under Merit Promotion consideration, the veteran must be: 1) a preference eligible; or 2) a veteran separated after 3 or more years of continuous active service performed under honorable conditions (you must submit a DD214-member copy 4).

Special Hiring Authorities for Veterans: https://www.fedshirevets.gov/job-seekers/veterans/veterans-preference/#content

Special Hiring Authorities for Military Spouses and Family Members: https://www.fedshirevets.gov/job-seekers/spouses-of-active-duty-military-members/#content

People With Disabilities (Schedule A): https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/working-in-government/unique-hiring-paths/individuals-with-disabilities/

Career Transition Assistance Program/Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP/ICTAP):For information on how to apply as an CTAP/ICTAP eligible see http://opm.gov/rif/employee_guides/career_transition.asp#ictap. To be well-qualified and exercise selection priority for this vacancy, displaced Federal employees must be rated at 85.0 or above on the rating criteria for this position.

Reemployment Priority List (RPL): To receive selection priority for this position, individuals on the RPL must meet the qualification requirements, complete all required assessments, and be rated as qualified. RPL candidates are ranked using Category Rating procedures.

Political Appointment: Beginning January 1, 2010, agencies must seek prior approval from OPM before they can appoint a current or recent political appointee to a competitive or non-political excepted service position at any level under the provisions of title 5, United States Code. If you are currently or have been within the last 5 years, a political Schedule A, Schedule C, or Non-career SES employee in the executive branch, you MUST disclose that to the Human Resources Office.

For additional information about USAJOBS visit the Help Center: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/

Expand Hide additional information

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

Help

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.

Review our 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.