Enable America Jobs

Summary This position is aligned with the Office of the Secretary, Department of Energy. As an Ombudsman Specialist, you will serve as a confidential, independent, neutral, and informal resource for helping to prevent, address, and resolve conflicts and concerns. Responsibilities The following are the duties of this position at the GS-13. If you are selected at a lower grade level, you will have the opportunity to learn to perform all these duties and will receive training to help you grow in this position. As an Ombudsman Specialist, you will: Serve as a confidential, neutral, independent, and informal resource for preventing, addressing and resolving conflict. Seek the resolution of problems and differences between employees, supervisors, and other Departmental officials (career and political) and programs to facilitate effective problem resolution and prevention in a neutral third-party role. Develop and deliver custom designed training to provide the DOE workforce with knowledge and ability to identify and resolve workplace challenges quickly and enhance collaboration, teamwork, and communication. Identify and analyze trends, patterns, and systemic issues identified through casework, and make recommendations for organizational improvements. Analyze relevant data to develop annual marketing, outreach, and training objectives and strategies. Assist in the development and implementation of practices, procedures, and guidelines related to the ombudsman function. Stay updated on best practices, industry standards, and legal developments related to conflict resolution and ombudsman services. Performs administrative functions in support of data, records, and websites management. Requirements Conditions of Employment Qualifications GS-09 - To qualify at this grade level, you must meet one of the following requirements below: EXPERIENCE: One-year specialized experience, equivalent to the GS-07 grade level in federal service. Specialized experience for this grade level is defined as: 1. Assisting in the development and delivery of training in the areas of collaborative and informal conflict resolution; AND 2. Assisting as a neutral third party assessing key aspects of workplace conflicts and issues and to help generate potential options; AND 3. Researching and analyzing data in the area of conflict resolution. OR EDUCATION: 2 years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a master's degree or master's or equivalent graduate degree. Graduate education must provide the knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform in the position. (TRANSCRIPTS REQUIRED) OR COMBINATION: A combination of experience and graduate level education that when combined meet the requirement for this position. Only graduate level education in excess of the first 18 semester hours (27 quarter hours) may be combined to be considered for qualifying education. (TRANSCRIPTS REQUIRED). GS-11 - To qualify at this grade level, you must meet one of the following requirements below: EXPERIENCE: One-year specialized experience, equivalent to the GS-09 grade level in federal service. Specialized experience for this grade level is defined as: 1. Assisting, as a neutral third party, in leveraging dispute resolution tools and techniques such as mediation, facilitation, conflict coaching, and providing options of resolution to involved parties; AND 2. Assisting in the development and delivery of training in the areas of collaborative and informal conflict resolution; AND 3. Assisting in analyzing alternative dispute resolution or ombuds trend data and developing recommendations for management to make workplace improvements. AND 4. Practicing to the International Ombuds Association's Standards of Practice and Code of Ethics. OR EDUCATION: Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree OR 3 full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree OR LL.M., if related. Graduate level education must demonstrate the competencies necessary to do the work of the position. OR COMBINATION: You may qualify on a combination of education and experience, the total percentage of experience at the required grade level compared to the specialized experience requirement, as well as the percentage of completed education compared to the educational requirement must equal at least 100 percent. Only graduate level education in excess of 36 semester hours (54 quarter hours), may be used to combine education and experience. Your resume must contain the specialized experience as described above to meet the experience requirement. Education To be eligible for the Pathways Recent Graduate program you must be a: Recent graduate who has completed, within the previous two years, a qualifying associates, bachelors, masters, professional, doctorate, vocational or technical degree or certificate from a qualifying educational institution. -OR- Student who within 1 month of the closing date of this announcement will meet the education requirements and will graduate with a qualifying associates, bachelors, masters, professional, doctorate, vocational or technical degree or certificate from a qualifying educational institution. A student may not be appointed to a position until they have graduated. -OR- Preference eligible veteran who was precluded from applying due to their military service obligation begin their two-year eligibility period upon release or discharge from active duty. Eligibility for these veterans cannot exceed six years after degree or certificate completion. You MUST submit a copy of the DD214 showing the duration and dates of service that precluded you from applying due to the military service obligation. If substituting education for specialized experience, you must submit proof of your qualifying education. Education must be obtained from an accredited institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. While not required, examples of preferred degrees in the field of conflict resolutions such as: Conflict Resolution Conflict Management Negotiation and Conflict Resolution Dispute Resolution Conflict Analysis and Dispute Resolution CERTIFICATE: A Certificate program is a post-secondary educational program, in a qualifying educational institution, equivalent to at least one full- time academic year of study, that is part of an accredited college-level, technical, trade, vocational or business school curriculum. Transcripts would need to be provided. FOREIGN EDUCATION: Education completed in foreign colleges or universities may be used to meet the requirements. You must show proof the education credentials have been deemed to be at least equivalent to that gained in a conventional U.S. education program. It is your responsibility to provide such evidence when applying. For special instructions pertaining to foreign education and a list of organizations that can evaluate foreign education, see the Department of Education website. If you are qualifying on foreign education, you MUST submit proof of creditability of education as evaluated by a credentialing agency. Refer to OPM Instructions. Failure to provide college transcripts may result in a rating of 'Ineligible'. Additional Information The U.S. Department of Energy fosters a diverse and inclusive workplace and is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We may select from this announcement or any other source to fill one or more vacancies. This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional similar vacancies across DOE. For general information on government-wide Telework polices visit: www.opm.gov/telework/ EEO Policy: www.energy.gov/justice/eeo-complaint-process Reasonable Accommodation Policy: www.energy.gov/hc/department-energy-reasonable-accommodation-program Veterans Information: https://help.usajobs.gov/working-in-government/unique-hiring-paths/veterans Selective Service Registration: http://www.sss.gov/ Recruitment incentives may be available. Student Loan Repayment may be available. Advance in Hire (Superior Qualifications) may be available. Creditable Service may be available. This position is exempt from the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). Management has the prerogative to select at any grade level. The Fair Chance Act prohibits specific inquiries concerning an applicant's criminal or credit background unless the hiring agency has made a conditional offer of employment to the applicant. An applicant may submit a complaint to the agency within 30 calendar days of the date of alleged noncompliance by completing the Fair Chance Act Intake Form and submitting it to the Administrative Investigations Program at AdministrativeInvestigations@hq.doe.gov. CONVERSION REQUIREMENTS: DOE has the option to non-competitively convert a Recent Graduate to a permanent or term position upon successful completion of program requirements. This is not automatic, nor guaranteed. Conversion is at the discretion of the hiring manager and employing office. To be eligible to be converted to a permanent or term position you must: Be a US Citizen or National Be recommended for conversion by your manager or supervisor. Complete all training and development requirements within the 1-year appointment period. Successful completion of 1 year of continuous service. Demonstrate successful job performance of at least a "Fully Successful" or equivalent on performance appraisal. Meet the Office of Personnel Management's qualification standards for the position to which the Recent Graduate will be converted (which may include a positive education requirement). A Recent Graduate may be converted to the highest General Schedule (GS) grade level qualified for at time of conversion. If converted to a permanent or term appointment, the anticipated target position is Ombuds Specialist with a full performance level to the GS-13. Recent Graduates converted to a term position in the competitive service may subsequently be non-competitively converted to a career or career-conditional appointment without further competition. WHERE CAN I FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THE PATHWAYS PROGRAM? For additional information regarding the Pathways Program, please refer to the following website: USAJOBS Help Center | Students & recent graduates