Chief of Staff

The major duties of this position include but are not limited to the following:

• Serves as the Commissioners Chief of Staff managing sensitive high-responsibility special assignments in direct support of the Commissioner and Reclamations mission.
• Provides program oversight for major Reclamation-wide initiatives integrating and coordinating high-impact projects delegating complex and time-sensitive work and offering recommendations on organizational structure policy and long-range planning.
• Reviews and edits policy statements and major program materials to ensure they accurately reflect the Commissioners views and align with Departmental and Reclamation goals.
• Plans and coordinates key Commissioner responsibilities including budget submissions personnel actions annual assurance statements IT certifications and major meetings and events involving internal and external stakeholders.
• Exercises supervisory responsibilities including assigning and reviewing work setting priorities evaluating performance and approving leave.
• Leading liaison and coordination efforts with private-sector representatives Federal state local and Tribal governments and other key stakeholders to advance complex sensitive and high-visibility issues.

• Must be a U.S. Citizen or National.
• Appointment subject to background investigation and favorable adjudication.
• Males born aftermust be registered for Selective Service.
• Direct Deposit participation required.
• Successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check. To learn more visit may be required to travel occasionally for this position to attend meetings conferences training or site visits. You must obtain a government charge card for travel purposes.
• You are required to complete training obtain and maintain a government credit card with travel and purchase authority.
• A financial disclosure report will be required within 30 days of appointment.

This is a supervisory position that may require completion of a supervisory probationary period.

As a condition of employment for accepting this position you may be required to serve a 1-year probationary period to evaluate your fitness and whether your continuation of employment advances the public interest.

This probationary period is an extension of the appointment process and therefore requires the agency to determine if continued employment would advance the public interest meet the organization goals and mission of the agency and/or otherwise promote the efficiency of the determining if your employment advances the public interest the agency will consider: your performance and conduct; the needs and interests of the agency; whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service.

Under applicable law the employment of an individual serving a probationary or trial period automatically terminates when that period ends unless the agency affirmatively certifies in writing that the individuals employment should continue and that their appointment should be the absence of agency action to affirmatively certify continued employment beyond the probationary or trial period such appointments are terminated. Upon completion of your probationary period your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification in writing that your continued employment advances the public interest.

All qualifications must be met by the closing date of this announcement - 09/15/2026-unless otherwise stated in this vacancy announcement. Competitive candidates must also meet Time-in-Grade requirements as defined in 5 CFR 300 Subpart F.

For current Federal employees if hours worked per week are not included on your resume you must submit a non-award SF-50 as part of your application to be used to validate your work schedule and determine the amount of specialized experience that you will be granted. An award SF-50 will not be acceptable documentation for which to consider your amount of qualifying experience. For periods of time that reflect military service the DD-214 or Statement of Service is sufficient to meet the work schedule requirement as the service dates will be reflected. For all other applicants who are not current federal employees your resume must state either full-time (or 40 hours a week) or part-time with the number of hours worked per week to ensure proper crediting of specialized experience.

Minimum Qualification Requirements: To qualify for this position you must meet the following minimum qualifications:

Specialized Experience: To qualify you must possess at least one full year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-14 level in the Federal service (obtained in either the public or private sector). Specialized experience is defined as demonstrated experience in leading and advising work in water and related resource management and hydropower generation demonstrating the ability to: communicate effectively with internal and external leadership anticipate leadership needs and develop clear briefings and talking points; interpret and synthesize data from multiple systems to support decision-making and priority setting; manage rapidly changing situations provide continuity and represent leadership in varied settings; perform complex sensitive or critical assignments under tight or short-notice deadlines; apply project management principles (time resources budget) to develop implement and improve processes and procedures; and ability to demonstrate strong collaboration diplomacy situational awareness and sound judgment.

Supervisory Competencies: Applicants should possess proficiency or the potential to develop proficiency in the following competencies for successful performance of Federal supervisory work: accountability customer service decisiveness flexibility integrity/honesty interpersonal skills oral communication problem solving resilience and written communication. Additional information on supervisory competencies: 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.