Legislative Affairs Specialist

Summary
This position is located in Portland, Oregon. Area information: travelportland.com.
This position serves as a Legislative Affairs Specialist in the Office of Communications, which reports to the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Oregon/Washington State Director. The Office of Communications is the Bureau's Oregon/Washington primary point of contact for Congress for providing information and briefings to Members of Congress and their staffs on the spectrum of BLM natural resource issues.
This job is open to

• Career transition (CTAP, ICTAP, RPL)
  Federal employees who meet the definition of a "surplus" or "displaced" employee.
• Internal to an agency
  Current federal employees of this agency.

Duties

• Conduct analysis of draft legislative proposals to determine impact on BLM policies, programs, and procedures, and formulate proposed administration positions on draft legislative proposals.
• Review and analyze comments of technical and program experts on proposed legislation, and on Department and other referrals.
• Develop congressional testimony and related briefing materials for Departmental and BLM witnesses and prepare them for legislative, oversight, and budget hearings.
• Attend congressional hearings as needed, track legislative activities, and keep management informed of congressional and legislative issues impacting the BLM.
• Serve as a point of contact in BLM OR/WA with Congressional Committees, Members of Congress, and their staffs, and utilize knowledge of BLM programs and policies in responding to requests.
• Coordinate and/or conduct briefings for Members of Congress and their staff on BLM issues.
• Act as BLM OR/WA liaison to Congress on complex and sensitive natural resource issues and ensure Congress is informed timely on developing issues and pertinent facts are conveyed in a logical and legally defensible manner.

Requirements
Conditions of Employment

• U.S. Citizenship required.
• May be required to complete background investigation.
• Meet Selective Service Registration Act requirement for males.
• Must provide resume and supporting documents (See required documents) prior to the closing date of this announcement.
• You cannot hold an active real estate license, nor can you have an interest or hold stocks in firms with interest in Federal Lands.
• If you are a new employee or supervisor in the Federal government, you will be required to complete a one-year probationary period.
• Selectee will be required to participate in the Direct Deposit Electronics Funds Transfer Program.
• Status applicants must meet time-in-grade requirements.
• You may be required to occasionally travel overnight away from home. You must be eligible to obtain a government charge card for travel purposes.
• BLM may use certain incentives, currently offered by the Federal government, to attract high quality applicants.
• Please follow all instructions carefully; errors or omissions may affect your rating.

Qualifications
In order to qualify, you must meet the experience described below. Your resume must clearly describe your relevant experience.
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS: To be considered minimally qualified for this position, you must demonstrate that you have the required specialized experience for the respective grade level in which you are applying.
Specialized Experience: Applicants must have one full year of specialized experience comparable in scope and responsibility to the GS-12 grade level in the Federal service (obtained either in the private or public sectors) performing the following: (1) interpreting land management laws, regulations, policies, and guidelines to administer public lands which include addressing technical issues and discussing the consequences; (2) analyzing legislative or other policy proposals to prepare written analysis describing potential impacts to the agency; (3) producing professional written products, such as congressional testimony, for high level audiences; and (4) preparing briefings or informational meetings on matters of interest to leadership for high-level witnesses in preparation for hearings.
Status merit promotion applicants must meet applicable time-in-grade requirements to be considered eligible. One year at the GS-12 is required to meet the time-in-grade requirements for the GS-13 level. (Must submit your SF-50 that shows Time-in-Grade eligibility and reflects your title, series, and grade. No award SF-50 will be accepted).
Applicants must meet all qualifications and eligibility requirements by the closing date of the announcement.
IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE MAY NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. If your resume does not support your questionnaire answers, we will not allow credit for your response(s).
Volunteer Experience: 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). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.
You must include months, years and hours per week worked to receive credit for your work and/or volunteer experience. One year of specialized experience is equivalent to 12 months at 40 hours per week. Part-time hours are prorated. You will not receive any credit for experience that does not indicate exact hours per week or is listed as "varies".
A review of your resume and supporting documentation will be made and compared against your responses to the Occupational Questionnaire to determine if you are qualified for this job. If your resume is incomplete or does not support the responses provided in the Occupational Questionnaire, or if you fail to submit all required documentation, you will be rated 'ineligible', 'not qualified', or your score may be adjusted accordingly. If a determination is made that you have inflated your qualifications or experience, you may lose consideration for this position.
You will be evaluated based on how well you meet the qualifications listed in this vacancy announcement. 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 assessments required for this position.
Education
There is no substitution of education for experience at the grade level of this announcement.
Additional information

• Any individual who is currently holding, or 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 (must have served 52 weeks at the next lower grade or equivalent in the Federal service). Time-in-grade requirements must be met by the closing date of this announcement.
• You may be required to travel overnight away from home up to 5 nights per month. You must be eligible to obtain a government charge card for travel purposes.

Physical Demands: The work is primarily sedentary with periods of occasional stress related to intense concentration, conflict resolution, and meeting tight deadlines.
Working Conditions: The work is usually performed in an office setting.
Telework: The Bureau of Land Management has determined that the duties of this position are suitable for telework and the selectee may be allowed to telework with supervisor approval.
Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP) or Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP): For information on how to apply as an ICTAP or CTAP eligible see http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/workforce-restructuring/employee-guide-to-career-transition/ctap_guideline.pdf. To be well-qualified and exercise selection priority for this vacancy, displaced Federal employees must be rated at 90 or above on the rating criteria for this position.
If you are unable to apply online or need to fax a document you do not have in electronic form, please contact Tauna Clausen at 503-808-6397 or via email at tclausen@blm.gov.

• Benefits
  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.

How You Will Be Evaluated
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
application questionnaire, this position requires successful completion of additional assessments, including a subject matter resume review and/or a panel interview. These assessments measure the critical competencies listed below that are required to successfully perform the job.
You will be evaluated on the following competencies:

• Oral Communication
• Problem Solving
• Reasoning
• Written Communication

Candidates who apply under Competitive Merit Promotion procedures will undergo a quality review to determine if they are highly qualified based on the content of their resume and their responses to the questionnaire. Best qualified candidates will be referred if all required supporting documentation has been provided.
Candidates who apply under Non-Competitive Merit Promotion procedures will undergo a quality review to determine if they are minimally qualified based on the content of their resume and their responses to the questionnaire. Qualified candidates will be referred if all required supporting documentation has been provided.
In the evaluation process, due weight will be given to job related experience, education, training, incentive awards and performance appraisals. Applicants must submit a performance appraisal with a performance rating of at least the equivalent of fully successful to be eligible for promotion or placement. Applicants may provide a copy of a performance appraisal of record dated within the last 18 months. If the applicant is unable to provide a performance appraisal of record dated within the last 18 months, the applicant may provide a written explanation as to why.

• Benefits
  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.
• Required Documents
  As a new or existing federal employee, you and your family may have access to a range of benefits. Your benefits depend on the type of position you have - whether you're a permanent, part-time, temporary or an intermittent employee. You may be eligible for the following benefits, however, check with your agency to make sure you're eligible under their policies.
  You must complete the occupational questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section below. To receive consideration, the complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on 12/15/2023. WE DO NOT ACCEPT HARD-COPY OR E-MAIL APPLICATION PACKAGES.
  
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