Vacancy Announcement Number

8022

Position

Division Specialist (Arts Education), GS-0301-11/12
Arts Education Division
Office of the Deputy Chairman for Grants and Awards

Salary Range

GS-11: $58,206 - $75,669 per annum
GS-12: $69,764 - $90,698 per annum

Salaries include locality.

Duty Location

WASHINGTON, DC
RELOCATION COSTS WILL NOT BE PAID

Opening Date

May 5, 2008

Closing Date

May 19, 2008

Who May Apply

Government-wide: Federal employees on Career or Career-Conditional Appointment, Reinstatement Eligibles, and Veterans eligible under the Veterans Employment Opportunity Act (VEOA).

Status candidates who wish to be considered under both Delegated Examining and Merit Promotion procedures must submit two separate applications. If you wish to be considered under Delegated Examining procedures, you must also apply under Vacancy Announcement 2810.

Agency Summary

The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), an independent Federal agency and the official arts organization of the United States government, supports excellence in the arts, both new and established; brings the arts to all Americans; and provides leadership in arts education. We are motivated by the vision of a nation in which artistic excellence is celebrated, supported, and available to all Americans. If you share our vision, and are excited by the possibility of making a difference in the cultural life of the Nation, please consider joining us. You will feel good about what you're doing, and you'll have access to excellent benefits and policies that allow you to balance the demands of work and personal life.

Visit our website at www.arts.gov for more information about the NEA.

Duties

The position is located in the Arts Education Division, Office of the Deputy Chairman for Grants and Awards. Incumbent reports to the Arts Education Director and serves as Division Specialist in the Arts Education field, primarily assisting with the review and processing of applications and grants from receipt to closeout. Duties of the position include:

Responsible for assisting the Arts Education Director and the Division Management Team in their efforts to provide national leadership and direction for the Division and assigned disciplines, particularly the Arts Education field.

Works with a team of Division Specialists within and between Divisions to organize, coordinate and implement pre-screening and panel application review.

Coordinates assigned leadership initiatives working with the Arts Education Director and other Arts Education staff.

Works as both a team point person and as a team member in the Division, directing assigned activities and functions.

Provides expertise in the Arts Education field and serves as liaison to other Divisions concerning applications/grants and related issues affecting that field.

Receives, reviews, and processes applications from the Arts Education field including organizing those applications for grant reviews.

Reviews budgetary and descriptive information on all applications from the Arts Education field.

Assists the Arts Education Director in recommending appropriate experts in the Arts Education field to serve as application reviewers and in all processing related to these determinations.

Monitors grantee performance through review of progress, interim and final reports, amendment requests, and conversation with the grantee.

Serves as a liaison with applications from the Arts Education field.

Prepares a variety of statistical and narrative reports concerning areas of responsibility for use by Arts Education Director, Deputy Chairman for Grants and Awards, Senior staff, and the Chairman.

Makes recommendations for guideline revisions and modifications.

Team participation is vital to effectively/efficiently accomplish assignments.

Selective Factor

Applicant must meet the mandatory requirements described below in order to be considered for this position:

Experience which demonstrates knowledge of the K-12 arts education field on a national level, including assessment practices and/or curriculum design.

Basic Qualifications

At least one year of specialized experience must have been performed in or directly related to the line of work of the position to be filled. Specialized experience is experience which is in or directly related to the line of work of the position to be filled and has equipped the applicant with the knowledge, skills and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position.

For GS-12 candidates, the various experiences would include activities such as designing arts education curriculum, evaluating educational programs in the arts field through assessment, reviewing grant applications and implementing Federal regulations, and processing assignments using an automated system. Activities are independent of review or monitoring by a higher level official within the organization.

For GS-11 candidates, experience is similar to the GS-12; however, projects and assignments are monitored by a higher level official.

Time-in grade requirements must be met by the close of the announcement.

Knowledge, Skill and Ability (KSA)

As part of your application, you must specifically address the following Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSA’s) and provide your response on a separate sheet(s) of paper to demonstrate your experience.

GS-12

1. Knowledge of Arts Education nationally in order to review and evaluate each applicant organization.
2. Knowledge of arts education curriculum design and evaluation/assessment practices.
3. Knowledge of the Federal Grants process
4. Skill in oral and written communication to present the agency’s position on issues, particularly those of a sensitive nature.

GS-11

1. Knowledge of Arts Education in order to review and evaluate each applicant organization.
2. Knowledge of curriculum design in arts education.
3. Knowledge of the Federal Grants process.
4. Skill in oral and written communication to assists in presenting the agency’s position on issues.

PLEASE NOTE: It is important that you provide a narrative statement explaining how your background meets the above listed KSAs. Failure to provide the information requested will result in disqualification of your application.

How to Apply

Your application package should include:

• Optional Application for Federal Employment (OF-612), or a resume, or any other written application format of your choice.
• A narrative statement addressing the KSAs explaining your knowledge, skills and abilities to perform the duties of the position.
  
• MOST RECENT PERFORMANCE APPRAISAL AND SF-50.

Personal information

• Full Name, mailing address and day and evening phone numbers
• Social Security Number

Education

• High School - name, city and state, zip code and date diploma or GED received.
• College(s) – for each college you have attended, give the following information: name of school, location (city, state, and zip code), credit hours earned (semester or quarter), and type and year of degree(s), if any. Please include a transcript of your college education with your application.

Job information

• Please indicate announcement number, title and grade(s) of the job you are applying for.

Work experience

Provide the following information about your paid and non-paid work experience related to the job you are applying for:

• Job title (include series and grade, if Federal job)
• Duties and accomplishments
• Employer's name and address
• Supervisor's name and phone number
• Starting and ending dates (month and year)
• Hours work per week
• Salary
• Indicate if we may contact your current supervisor

Please provide the following additional information:

• Job-related training courses (title and year).
• Job-related skills; for example - other languages, computer software/hardware, tools, machinery, typing speed, etc.
• Job-related certificates and licenses
• Job-related honors, awards, and special accomplishments: for example - publications, memberships in professional or honor societies, leadership activities, public speaking and performance awards (give dates but do not send documents).

FAILURE TO PROVIDE THE INFORMATION REQUESTED ABOVE MAY RESULT IN DISQUALIFICATION OF YOUR APPLICATION.

Where to send your application

Submit application citing vacancy announcement #8022 via one of the following means:

Mail, Commercial Delivery, or Hand Delivery to:
National Endowment for the Arts
Office of Human Resources
Attn: Phyllis Littles
1100 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Room 627
Washington, DC 20506.

E-Mail to:
8022@arts.endow.gov
All electronic applications must be submitted using Microsoft Word, Word Perfect, or PDF format.

FAX to:
(202) 682-5708

The National Endowment for the Arts has experienced disruption of normal mail delivery through the US Postal Service since October of 2001. Therefore, to ensure timely receipt of your application, we recommend you use e-mail, fax, a commercial delivery service, or hand delivery.

All applications must be received by close of business (5:30pm) on Monday, May 19, 2008 Applications will not be returned.

You may also obtain a copy of this vacancy announcement by accessing the Agency's website at www.arts.gov. If you have specific questions regarding this announcement, please call 202-682-5405.

Verification of Citizenship

Verification of Citizenship If you are selected for this position, the documentation you present for purposes of completing the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Form I-9 prior to your beginning employment will be verified through the DHS "E-Verify" system. Federal law requires the NEA to use the E-Verify system to verify the employment eligibility of all new hires, and obligates the new hire to take affirmative steps to resolve any discrepancies identified by the system as a condition of continued employment.

PROOF OF CITIZENSHIP: Persons selected for employment with the National Endowment for the Arts who are not current NEA employees will be required to provide proof of citizenship, in the form of a passport, birth certificate or other approved documentation, prior to entry on duty.

Veterans Preference
Opportunity Act (VEOA)

Preference Eligibles or veterans who have been separated from the armed forces under honorable conditions after 3 years or more of continuous active service may also apply and be considered under merit promotion procedures.

Information for Current or former Federal employees

If you are a displaced Federal employee, you may be entitled to receive special priority under the Interagency Career Transition Assistant Plan (ICTAP). To receive priority consideration, please submit a copy of the appropriate documentation indicating your priority status (i.e., Reduction-in-Force notice, a letter from OPM or your agency) with your application. Displaced employee means:

1. A current or former career or career-conditional competitive service employee, in Tenure group I or II who has:

• Received a specific RIF separation notice;
• Been separated because of a compensable injury, whose compensation has been terminated and whose former agency is unable to place the individual;
• Retired with a disability and whose disability annuity has been or is being terminated;
• Received a RIF separation notice and retired on the effective date of the reduction-in-force or under the discontinued service retirement option; and/or
• Separated because he/she has declined a transfer of function or directed reassignment to another commuting area.

OR

2. A former Military Reserve Technician or National Guard Technician who is receiving a special retirement annuity from OPM under Section 8337(h) or 8456 of Title 5, United States Code.

If you meet one of the above criteria, you are a displaced employee and may be eligible for special selection priority.

3. An individual must also meet all of the following conditions:
• Have a current performance rating of record of at least fully successful or equivalent; apply for vacancy at or below the grade level from which the employee has been or is being separated that does not have a greater promotion potential than the position from which the employee has been or is being separated;
• Occupy or was displaced from a position in the same local commuting area of the vacancy;
• File an application for a specific vacancy by the closing date established by the agency;

AND

Be determined by the agency to be well qualified for the specific position (a well qualified applicant is one who satisfies all quality ranking factors at a fully successful level, meets all selective factors, and meets the qualification standards and eligibility requirements for the position).

Reasonable Accommodation

This agency provides reasonable accommodation for applicants with disabilities. If you need reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process, please contact the Office of Human Resources, National Endowment for the Arts, on 202- 682-5564 (TDD). The decision on granting reasonable accommodation will be on a case-by case basis.