The Coordinator of Review position is located in the Editorial and Review Office (ERO), within Congressional Research Service (CRS).
The competencies below are required for this position. Those marked with a double asterisk (**) are considered the most critical competencies for this position. Ability to Direct and Manage Public Policy Research Review**: * The successful candidate has the ability to lead, organize, and contribute to the review of analyses of public policy issues that demonstrated the ability to support stakeholders such as Congressional clients. This includes applying knowledge of many areas of public policy in the critical review of work products, ensuring that the policy issues are aptly framed and defined, the alternatives are credibly presented and addressed, the agency standards for accuracy and quality are met and the finalized work products adhere to organizational standards. Ability to Assess the Credibility and Authoritativeness of Research**: * The successful candidate has the ability to apply in-depth knowledge of research standards in the review of others’ written and recorded research products. This includes knowledge of research standards, methods, and the credibility of sources, and conforming to organizational standards (e.g., objectivity, nonpartisanship, authoritativeness, timeliness and nonadvocacy). This also includes the ability to discern whether a product achieves its objective of meeting clients’ needs, to determine whether a topic has been adequately researched and does not suffer from serious omission, and to judge whether a product is logically constructed and presented in clear, unambiguous language. Ability to Lead People and Manage a Workforce**: * The successful candidate has the ability to oversee the overall performance of a multi-disciplinary workforce by assessing staffing requirements in relation to current and anticipated workload; developing staffing plans, justifications, and requests; guiding and overseeing staff performance under tight timeframes and in situations requiring high levels of productivity; and promoting an atmosphere of collegiality and open communication. This includes the development and oversight of recruiting, hiring, mentoring, and training a diverse workforce, as well as building and maintaining exceptional staff performance. Ability to Apply Established Standards to Difficult, Complex, and Evolving Issues and Situations: * The successful candidate has the ability to interpret broad policy and accuracy standards and apply them to specific issues and products. This requires the exercise of objectivity and impartiality despite personal preferences or other pressures. This also includes the ability to develop and apply appropriate courses of action for difficult, complex, evolving, and/or unprecedented situations, as well as acting appropriately in a given situation, using discretion and being committed to confidentiality. Ability to Communicate Effectively Other than in Writing: * The successful candidate has the ability to speak clearly, politely, and under control to peers, staff, managers, supervisors, and external audiences to both provide and seek information. This also includes actively listening to and understanding information; and listening to and answering questions thoughtfully and completely. This includes appropriately judging the amount, form, depth and level of detail, and content of information to the needs of the receiver/audience.
The Editorial and Review Office is responsible for agency review and approval of all CRS written research products, including reports, confidential memoranda, congressional testimony, and seminars, briefings, and presentations prepared exclusively for Members of Congress and congressional committees and staff. The Coordinator of Review manages editors and review specialists. A key responsibility for ERO is reviewing up to two dozen CRS products daily, often under tight deadlines, in response to congressional demands, and in anticipation of pending issues before Congress. The Coordinator of Review is responsible for final clearance of all CRS products prior to release to Congress. The Coordinator of Review applies established policy and research standards to assure objectivity, balance, accuracy and authoritativeness of products and presentations. As head of the Editorial and Review Office, the Coordinator of Review provides leadership and guidance to a staff of editors and review specialists. In this regard, the incumbent actively manages workload to maintain high productivity and meet stringent review deadlines. The Coordinator regularly communicates with all levels of CRS management and advises the Counselor to the Director (COU) and the CRS Director and CRS Deputy Director on policy issues and agency performance trends. Performs special assignments at the direction of the Deputy Director. Reviews, evaluates, and clears written research products from all CRS divisions, including American Law; Domestic Social Policy; Foreign Affairs, Defense, and Trade; Government and Finance; Resources, Science, and Industry; and the Knowledge Services Group. Interacts with research product authors and their managers to ensure that products meet the organization’s quality and policy standards of authoritativeness, objectivity, impartiality, and nonpartisanship. Provides advice and guidance to CRS research staff on the preparation of written research work. Participates in the development of CRS review policies. Responsible for explaining review policies to CRS research staff and managers. CRS works exclusively for the United States Congress, providing policy and legal analysis to committees and Members of both the House and Senate, regardless of party affiliation. As a legislative branch agency within the Library of Congress, CRS has been a valued and respected resource on Capitol Hill for more than a century. The mission of CRS is providing authoritative, confidential, objective, and nonpartisan research and analysis to Congress. CRS ensures that Congress has immediate access to the nation's best thinking on public policy issues of interest to its Members and Committees. Applications received for this position will not be considered for any other CRS vacancies. To be considered for this position you must meet the critical competency requirements of the job at the levels described below. Ability to Direct and Manage Public Policy Research Review: I have routinely led or undertaken the review of analyses of public policy issues in a few areas of public policy, considering the impact of developments in other public policy areas on final work products. Ability to Assess the Credibility and Authoritativeness of Research: I have working knowledge of research standards, methods, and the credibility of sources by regularly reviewing and providing feedback on the research of others in an academic, business, or government setting including, 1) discerning whether work products achieve their objective of meeting client needs, 2) determining whether topics are adequately researched and do not suffer from serious omission, and 3) judging whether products are logically constructed and presented in clear, unambiguous language. Ability to Lead People and Manage a Workforce: I have led and managed legislative and policy research professionals and, in so doing, exercised the following management responsibilities, 1) made assignments for staff to ensure a high level of productivity; 2) developed and oversaw recruiting, hiring, mentoring, and training; 3) built and maintained exceptional staff performance by establishing performance standards and holding staff accountable for meeting or exceeding those standards; 4) identified and implemented methods to improve staff productivity; 5) promoted an atmosphere of collegiality and open communication. The position description number for this position is 464366. The salary range indicated reflects the locality pay adjustments for the Washington, D.C., Metropolitan area. The incumbent of this position will work a flextime work schedule. This is a supervisory, non-bargaining unit position. Relocation expenses will not be authorized for the person(s) selected under this vacancy announcement.