Summary

This position is located in Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS), Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP), Monitoring and State Improvement Division (MSIP) in Wash., DC. This position serves as the MSIP Division Director and supervises professional staff, including supervisor and nonsupervisory positions. The MSIP Division is responsible for the administration of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) Part B, Part C, and 619 formula grant programs.

Duties

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APPLICATION LIMIT: This vacancy announcement is limited to the first 200 applications received and will close at 11:59PM Eastern Time on the day that we receive the 200th application, or at 11:59PM Eastern Time on the listed closing date, whichever occurs first.

We encourage you to read this entire vacancy announcement prior to submitting your application.

As a Supervisory Education Program Specialist, GS-1720-15, you will be responsible for:
• Leading implementation of activities related to the administration of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) Part B, Part C, and 619 formula grant programs, including State Performance Plan/Annual Performance Report review and approval, grant

application review and approval, monitoring of IDEA formula grant programs, and maintenance of national compliance information.
• Providing professional leadership by establishing, reviewing, and recommending guidance and procedures for administering Federal special education programs.
• Identifying goals and priorities for the Division, formulating strategies to enhance the effectiveness of Division activities, and supervising professional staff to ensure that they are held accountable for high-quality results.
• Negotiating and resolving conflicts and issues with other ED programs, other agencies, and organizations. Developing solutions that are consistent with legal requirements and policies.
• Representing OSEP in all issues regarding monitoring and enforcement of the IDEA, including presentations to professional organizations regarding OSEP monitoring and enforcement obligations.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

• You may be subject to serve a one-year supervisory probationary period.
• You may be subject to serve a one-year probationary period.
• Must be a US Citizen
• Males 18 and over must be registered with the Selective Service.
• Relocation will not be paid.
• Must complete a Background Investigation and Fingerprint check.

Condition of Employment:

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you may be required to serve a probationary period or trial 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 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 OR trial period your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

You must meet all qualification requirements within 30 days of the closing date of this vacancy announcement.

If you are a current federal employee, you must meet all time-in-grade and time-after competitive appointment qualifications within 30 days of the closing date of this vacancy announcement. To verify that you meet these requirements, we will review your responses to the core eligibility questions on the occupational questionnaire, as well as your submitted resume and required documents. To make an accurate determination, you will need to include on your resume your federal position title, pay plan, occupational series, grade level, agency, dates for which you held the grade level (stated as MM/YYYY to MM/YYYY, OR MM/YYYY to PRESENT), and total hours worked per week. 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; spiritual; community, student, social).

Qualifications

Minimum Qualification Requirements

You may meet the minimum qualifications for the GS-15, if you possess the specialized experience and required education.

Specialized Experience for the GS-15

One year of experience in either federal or non-federal service that is equivalent to at least a GS-14 performing two (2) out of three (3) of the following duties or work assignments:

1. Experience in the implementation of programs funded under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act to recommend changes or improvements to support grant monitoring.

2. Experience establishing priorities and implementing procedures for grant programs that impact early intervention and special education at the national, state, or local levels.

3. Experience managing an education program, providing guidance to Federal, State, or local education officials in planning, developing, and carrying out an education program or serving as a consultant to top-level Federal, State or local officials on education issues and programs.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs)

The quality of your experience will be measured by the extent to which you possess the following knowledge, skills and abilities (KSAs). You do not need to provide separate narrative responses to these KSAs, as they will be measured by your responses to the occupational questionnaire (you may preview the occupational questionnaire by clicking the link at the end of the Evaluations section of this vacancy announcement).

1. Knowledge of the statutory and regulatory provisions of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and its current implementation.

2. Knowledge of early intervention and special education services sufficient to provide expert consultation to improve outcomes for children with disabilities and their families.

3. Ability to plan and manage a complex and technical workload through subordinate personnel and to create a culture of continuous improvement that supports efficiency, effectiveness, and staff engagement.

4. Skills in collaborating with others to implement grant programs and support systems that serve children with disabilities and their families.

5. Ability to effectively communicate specialized information tailored to a variety of audiences.

Education

This position has a positive education requirement.

Basic Requirements:

A. Degree: that included or was supplemented by at least 24 semester hours in a field related to the work of the position to be filled, of which at least 9 semester hours must have been in education courses.

or

B. Combination of education and experience at least 24 semester hours in a field related to the work of the position to be filled, of which at least 9 semester hours must have been in education courses, plus appropriate experience or additional education. The experience must reflect the level and kind described in C below.

or

C. Four years of experience that demonstrated a thorough understanding of the principles and practices underlying the work of this series. This experience must have been of such character and diversity to demonstrate that the applicant possesses an understanding of the field comparable to that normally acquired through successful completion of a full 4-year course of study in an accredited college or university.

or

D. At least 1 full academic year of professional teaching experience. This experience is defined as full and primary responsibility, under general supervision, for instruction of assigned students in an accredited school or institution. This includes responsibility for preparing and presenting lessons and for evaluating students' progress, including a determination of the students' success or failure according to established criteria. Serving in an assistant capacity to a professor without the authority to determine the students' success or failure to meet course requirements does not meet this criterion.

Additional information

Veterans' Career Counseling: If you are a veteran interested in receiving tips on preparing a Federal resume and/or how to prepare for an interview, you may email [redacted] to schedule a session with a career counselor ("Veterans Counseling Session" should be placed in the subject line of the email).

Student Loan Default: If selected for this position, we will verify that you have not defaulted on any loan funded or guaranteed by the U.S. Department of Education. If you are found to be in default, we will contact you to make arrangements for repayment prior to making an official offer of employment.

Suitability and Investigation: If selected for this position, you will be required to complete the Declaration for Federal Employment (OF-306) to determine your suitability for federal employment and successfully complete a pre-appointment investigation/background check.

Essential/Non-Essential: This position is considered non-essential for purposes of reporting to work during federal government closures.

Financial Disclosure: This position requires financial disclosure.

Bargaining Unit: This position is not included in the bargaining unit.

Selections: Agencies have broad authority under law to hire from any appropriate source of eligibles and may fill a vacancy in the competitive service by any method authorized. We may make additional selections from this vacancy announcement within 90 days from the date the selection certificates are issued, should vacancies occur. We may also share selection certificates amongst program offices across the agency.

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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.

As an ED employee, you will also benefit from our family-friendly work environment. As part of our commitment to maintain a work life balance, we offer excused leave for Parent/Teacher Conferences (3 hours); excused leave for annual health screenings (4 hours); and matching leave for community volunteer service. Other flexibilities that may be available to you include alternative work schedules. You may be eligible to receive a recruitment incentive for this position. To receive this incentive payment, you will be required to sign a service agreement obligating you to remain with the U.S. Department of Education for a specified period as agreed upon. You may be eligible to receive a relocation incentive for this position. To receive this incentive payment, you will be required to sign a service agreement obligating you to remain with the U.S. Department of Education for a specified period as agreed upon. You may be eligible to participate in the Student Loan Repayment Program as a recruitment incentive for this position. To receive student loan repayments, you will be required to sign a service agreement obligating you to remain with the U.S. Department of Education for a specified period as agreed upon.

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.