Summary
You will serve as the Assistant Secretary for Water and Science Liaison with the Bureau of Reclamation. This position acts as the Liaison between the Commissioner's Office and the Assistant Secretary for Water and Science, facilitating communication and coordination among staff and activities in the Washington, D.C. office. The position connects the Commissioner, Directors, Senior Leaders, and Senior Management to ensure alignment across leadership.
Duties
At the full performance level (GS-14) the major duties of this position include, but are not limited to the following: Serves as the Assistant Secretary for Water and Science (ASWS) Liaison reporting to the Chief of Staff, providing strategic guidance, independent analysis, and authoritative recommendations to senior leadership on complex technical, administrative, and policy issues affecting Office programs and long-term objectives. Leads high-level coordination and liaison activities with the Department of the Interior, Bureau of Reclamation Washington Office, and other senior officials to align policy positions, resolve issues, and ensure consistent communication across organizational levels. Conducts advanced program, legislative, and policy analysis, evaluating emerging and high-visibility issues; assessing risks, impacts, and tradeoffs; and developing well-supported options for Washington-level decision-making. Reviews and synthesize proposed legislation, executive orders, regulatory actions, and policy initiatives, collaborating with Management and technical staff to formulate Office positions and prepare authoritative responses, analyses, and briefing materials. Represents the Office in engagements with congressional offices, Tribal governments, Federal and non-Federal partners, and public interest groups, clearly communicating program activities, policy positions, and technical matters. Oversees the development and clearance of controlled correspondence and official communications, ensuring accuracy, policy compliance, and timely response to inquiries from Congress, the Administration, and external stakeholders. Provides leadership and expert guidance on cross-functional initiatives and special projects, exercise independent judgment to address high-priority issues, evaluate risks and opportunities, and advise Management on strategic considerations. Participates in Reclamation-wide and interagency committees and working groups, ensuring the Office's priorities and perspectives are appropriately represented and integrated into broader departmental and interagency efforts.
Requirements
Must provide proof of U.S. citizenship. Appointment subject to background investigation and favorable adjudication. Males born after 12-31-59 must be registered for Selective Service. You are required to complete training, obtain and maintain a government credit card with travel and purchase authority. ** Vacancy Announcement extended by 1-week **
Education
This position does not allow substituting education for experience.
How you will be evaluated
Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g. resume, supporting documents), the responses you provide on the application questionnaire, and the result of the additional assessment(s) required for this position. To be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. Your resume must not exceed 2 pages. Only the document submitted as the "Resume" under the Documents section will be used to determine your qualifications/eligibility and for rating purposes. In the event you submit more than one resume, only the latest submission will be reviewed. In addition to the application and application questionnaire, this position requires successful completion of a structured resume review. This assessment measures the critical competencies listed below that are required to successfully perform the job. Strategic Thinking - Formulates effective strategies consistent with the business and competitive strategy of the organization in a global economy. Examines policy issues and strategic planning with a long-term perspective. Determines objectives and sets priorities; anticipates potential threats or opportunities. Decision Making - Makes sound, well informed, and objective decisions; perceives the impact and implications of decisions; commits to action, even in uncertain situations, to accomplish organizational goals; causes change. Leadership - Influences, motivates, and challenges others; adapts leadership styles to a variety of situations. Communication - Expresses information (for example, ideas or facts) to individuals or groups effectively, considering the audience and nature of the information (for example, technical, sensitive, controversial). Stakeholder Management - Knowledge of the concepts, practices, and techniques used to identify, engage, influence, and monitor relationships with individuals and groups connected to a work effort; including those actively involved, those who exert influence over the process and its results, and those who have a vested interest in the outcome (positive or negative). All qualified non-competitive applicants and the best-qualified Merit Promotion applicants will be referred to the hiring manager for consideration. Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or application questionnaire may result in your removal from consideration or your score may be lowered. Cheating on an assessment may also result in your removal from consideration. Applicants who include vulgar, offensive, or inappropriate language or information in their application package will be ineligible for further consideration for this position. Current or former displaced Federal employees who are surplus, displaced, or involuntarily separated have special priority selection rights under the Agency Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP) or the Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP). To be considered under CTAP/ICTAP, you must be well-qualified (i.e., meet the minimum qualification requirements, including any selective placement factors; education, and experience requirements), and be able to perform the duties of the position upon entry.