CRS seeks a senior manager to serve as Deputy Assistant Director and Specialist in the Government and Finance Division. The Deputy Assistant Director supports the Assistant Director in managing the division, which provides expert research to meet congressional policy making and oversight needs on issues related to Congress, federal government public administration, emergency management, economic development, financial regulation, the U.S. economy, appropriations, public finance and taxation.
The competencies below are required for this position. Those marked with a double asterisk (**) are considered the most critical competencies for this position. A candidate's resume must show a proven record of accomplishment that clearly demonstrates he or she has: Knowledge of the Congress, executive branch, judicial branch, intergovernmental relations, and/or economics.** Knowledge of the theories, relevant laws and regulations, concepts, processes, techniques, principles, and/or practices of the Congress, executive branch, judicial branch, intergovernmental relations, and/or economics. This includes knowledge of the history, trends, interrelationships, and current status of these fields and interrelationships with other disciplines. Ability to manage public policy research and analysis.** The ability to manage, organize, and evaluate the analysis of public policy issues by applying broad knowledge of the Congress, executive branch, judicial branch, intergovernmental relations, and/or economics. This includes ensuring public policy problems are appropriately conceptualized and defined; appropriate research approaches and frameworks, analytical methodologies and techniques are utilized; information and research are fully analyzed and synthesized; the implications of data and research findings are identified and appropriate conclusions are drawn; alternatives are generated and assessed; and the consequences of choosing each alternative are evaluated. This also includes understanding the big picture, the inter-relationships of all aspects of the public policy issue, and the appropriate array and design of products and services to meet the client needs. Ability to lead people and manage a workforce.** The ability to conduct workforce planning activities by identifying staffing needs and recruiting, hiring, training, supervising, and mentoring highly qualified, diverse staff to meet those needs. This includes setting realistic but challenging goals and standards and providing regular, constructive feedback towards goal attainment. This also includes the ability and willingness to ensure that tasks are appropriately delegated and satisfactorily completed by monitoring and evaluating performance against a predetermined deadline and/or measure of quality. Ability to review the written products of others.** The ability to review and oversee the production of a variety of clear, accurate, and well-organized products. This includes evaluating the content, organization, and congressional relevance of a range of products and services to meet the quality standards of a public policy organization. Ensures that products and services are substantively correct, and meet CRS’s core values of objectivity, nonpartisanship, authoritativeness, and timeliness. Makes suggestions for improvement. Ability to apply knowledge of congressional decision-making.** The ability to apply knowledge of congressional decision making, including how legislation becomes law, the federal budget process, the appropriations process, and oversight, sufficient to ensure timely and legislatively relevant assistance to congressional committees, Members, and senior staff. This includes knowledge of the institutional and political environment, including the context in which congressional decision making occurs, the roles and relationships of the President and executive and independent agencies, the judiciary, state and local governments, and interest groups, and the ramifications of those decisions on existing policies and affected constituencies. Ability to exercise judgment and discretion. The ability to demonstrate awareness of the likely consequences or implications of one’s own actions and work within the context of agency/organizational/departmental standards. This includes behaving appropriately in a given situation (e.g., with colleagues, clients, media/press), using discretion, and honoring confidentiality. Ability to communicate effectively other than in writing. Ability to effectively express ideas and recommendations other than in writing in various settings to peers, staff, managers, supervisors, and external audiences to both provide and seek information. This includes actively listening to or understanding communicated information and answering questions thoughtfully and completely. Continue with the application process only if you are able to document on your resume that you meet all the critical competency requirements at the levels described below. 1. Knowledge of the Congress, executive branch, judicial branch, intergovernmental relations, and/or economics: I am recognized by decision makers as a professional resource in fields relevant to the Congress, executive branch, judicial branch, intergovernmental relations, and/or economics. 2. Ability to manage public policy research and analysis: I have routinely managed public policy research and analysis in specific aspects of issues covered in the Government and Finance Division. 3. Ability to lead people and manage a workforce: I have led, supervised, and managed a professional research staff. 4. Ability to review the written products of others: I have evaluated and critically reviewed diverse written research products on public policy issues for compliance with established substantive and qualitative standards and made independent judgments on acceptability of material. 5. Ability to apply knowledge of congressional decision-making: I have knowledge of the Congress, including its organization, operating procedures, committee structure, and oversight functions.
CRS seeks a senior manager to serve as Deputy Assistant Director and Specialist in the Government and Finance Division. The selectee will support the Assistant Director in managing the division, which provides expert research to meet ongoing congressional policy making and oversight needs, centered around some of the nation’s leading policy and economic issues. Among the government issues covered are legislative and budget process, congressional operations, election administration, congressional oversight, organization and management of the executive branch, intergovernmental relations, rulemaking, information policy, emergency management, and economic development. Among the economic issues covered are fiscal and monetary policy, banking, financial regulation, insurance and securities, fintech, the macroeconomy, taxation, public finance, federal debt and deficits. The ideal candidate will possess an intellectual curiosity about the breadth of policy issues in the division’s portfolio, a deeper subject knowledge of one of the areas covered by the division, and a demonstrated ability to exercise judgement and discretion in a client-focused environment. Candidates with research and research management experience in issues covered by the division and are capable of collaborating with a highly motivated and talented research staff committed to providing Congress the highest level of nonpartisan, authoritative, objective policy analysis are encouraged to apply. Previous experience in public policy research, analysis, and writing, and knowledge of congressional decision making and legislative process is desired. Strong interpersonal and collaborative skills along with excellent writing, reviewing and communication skills are required. The selectee will assist the Assistant Director, who heads the division, on all aspects of the administration and operations of the division; monitors research, administration and operations of the division in relation to its capacity for and actual experience in meeting needs of the Congress; ensures that the division is working toward identifying public policy problems facing the Congress and follows through with analysis that provides an objective, authoritative framework in which the Congress can assess the consequences of legislative/policy options; demonstrates intellectual leadership in monitoring congressional needs in policy areas within the research management responsibility of the division; collaborates with other senior research division managers to assure full identification of significant issues and develops analytical approaches; and serves with full delegated authority as the Assistant Director in his/her absence. The Deputy Assistant Director performs special research, consultative, or administrative assignments as requested by the CRS Director or the Assistant Director. Major duties of this position include: • Demonstrates intellectual leadership in the formulating, framing, conducting and communicating of research policy and analysis conducted in the division, in terms of subject matter expertise, methodology and relevance to congressional needs. Reviews the written products of staff to ensure that the Service’s quality standards are met. • In collaboration with other senior managers, ensures coverage of all issues identified throughout the Service. Oversees implementation of the research agenda, including approaches, frameworks, or methodologies. Monitors, updates, and adjusts the research agenda to meet the changing needs of Congress, reassesses/reallocates capacity and communicates adjustments to supervisors and staff. Coordinates research activities with managers in other divisions to promote research and analysis across the Service. • Performs the human resource management functions relative to the staff supervised. Ensures that supervisors and staff conduct research and analytical activities in a collaborative manner that incorporates expertise from multiple disciplines available from both inside and outside the division. Establishes and clearly communicates performance expectations for staff members in support of agency goals. Provides informal feedback and periodically formally evaluates staff on performance measures and results. • Establishes and maintains effective working relationships with various high-level individuals, including committees and officers of the United States Congress, other legislative agencies and the Library of Congress, executive branch departments and agencies, professional organizations, universities, and other research organizations in order to advance the programs and objectives of the Congressional Research Service. -- The salary range indicated reflects the basic pay adjustment of the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. This is a permanent, supervisory, non-bargaining unit position. The tour of duty for this position is full-time. The position description number for this position is 058850.