What are the responsibilities and job description for the Assistant Director (National Security) position at Government Accountability Office?
Summary
GAO supports the Congress in meeting its constitutional responsibilities to legislate, appropriate, and oversee the Federal government for the benefit of the American people. GAO, commonly referred to as the investigative arm of Congress, or the congressional watchdog, is independent and nonpartisan. GAO assists Congress in making informed decisions by providing information on policy and program issues, as well as by providing recommendations to make government more effective and responsive.
This job is open to
- Internal to an agency
Current federal employees of this agency.
Clarification from the agency
This opportunity is ONLY OPEN to qualified full-time or part-time GAO employees on permanent appointments. This procedure will be conducted under the processes outlined in GAO Order 2335.8.
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Duties
The primary purpose of the Assistant Director (AD) position is to manage GAO engagement teams and oversee the completion of GAO engagements designed to evaluate the effectiveness and efficiency of government programs and operations. The AD manages all aspects of assigned engagements or projects and serves as an expert specialist. Audit work performed is in support of GAO engagements requiring access to classified information. The AD supervises all team members to ensure productivity and efficiency of the management of federal agencies.
Major Duties & Responsibilities
Requirements
Conditions of Employment
You must meet all qualification requirements by the effective date of promotion.
Must be a current GAO employee on a permanent appointment.
This position may require a one year Supervisory / Managerial probationary period.
These positions (1 with team DCM and 1 with team HSJ) are located in Washington, D.C. If selected, your Official Duty Station (ODS) will be Washington, D.C.
Qualifications
Band III
Must be a full-time or part-time GAO employee on a permanent appointment. In addition, applicants must have at least one year (52 weeks) of specialized experience, equivalent to at least the next lower band level (PE-IIB, PA-II, PT-III, or MS-I), that demonstrates substantive knowledge of GAO's programs and activities, its mission, policies, objectives, management principles and processes; and the ability to manage staff, and independently analyze and evaluate the effectiveness of administrative services and staff resources. The 52 weeks of specialized experience described above must be completed by May 18, 2025, the effective date of promotion.
Education
There is no education requirement for this position.
Additional information
For information on the number promotion opportunities by team, please see the GAO-wide Notice published and distributed (via email) earlier this month.
This position requires the employee to report to the GAO headquarters (Washington, D.C.) to work with classified materials, as mission needs require. Work will be performed in a secure environment. The employee may be permitted to telework per agency telework policy; however, the ability to telework will be limited.
If you have an approved Flexible Work Agreement (FWA) and you are selected for promotion, you must complete and submit a new flexible work application for approval. Your new flexible work arrangement will be reviewed and decided based on Agency policy governing these arrangements.
BARGAINING UNIT STATUS : This position is not included in the bargaining unit.
Travel and relocation expenses will not be paid for by the GAO.
If you would like to apply for Specialist and / or "General" Analyst promotion opportunities (ARM, DCM, HSJ, IAT, NRE, IT Analyst, Financial Auditor, etc.), you must submit a separate application directly to the appropriate announcement for each Specialist and / or "General" Analyst position for which you wish to be considered.
This position is a moderate risk public trust position with possible upgrade to a Secret or Top Secret or SCI clearance depending on the type of engagement the employee will be assigned to within the mission teams.
REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION : GAO provides reasonable accommodations to applicants and employees with disabilities. To request accommodation, please email ReasonableAccommodations@gao.gov.
The U.S. Government Accountability Office's policy is to provide equal employment opportunity for all regardless of race, religion, color, sex (including pregnancy), national origin, age, disability, genetic information, sexual orientation, or gender identity.
A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.
Review our benefits
Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.
How You Will Be Evaluated
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
If you meet the qualification requirements stated above, a panel of team managers will assess your qualifications along with those of other candidates who are deemed eligible for the position. The rating panel (BQ panel) will establish a ranked list of candidates from which the panel chair, in consultation with the panel, identifies those candidates who are best-qualified. Complete the online questionnaire and follow all instructions carefully, as incomplete answers, errors, or omissions may affect your consideration. Your application will be invalid if you fail to include a narrative reply to any vacancy question(s) that requires further explanation, or your reply is see resume. You must provide narrative answers in the space provided.
To preview the assessment questions, click here https : / / apply.usastaffing.gov / ViewQuestionnaire / 12675491
A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.
Review our benefits
Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.
As a new or existing federal employee, you and your family may have access to a range of benefits. Your benefits depend on the type of position you have - whether you're a permanent, part-time, temporary or an intermittent employee. You may be eligible for the following benefits, however, check with your agency to make sure you're eligible under their policies.
Band III
You must submit your resume and application (completed vacancy questions) online through USAJOBS. HCO will provide all performance appraisal ratings data at the Band IIB or equivalent level to the panel for the period between 10 / 15 / 22 to 10 / 14 / 24.
To apply for this position, you must complete the online application and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section below.
A complete application package must be submitted by 11 : 59 PM (EST) on the closing date of the announcement to receive consideration.
To verify the status of your application, log into your USAJOBS account (https : / / my.usajobs.gov / Account / Login), all of your applications will appear on the Welcome screen. The Application Status will appear along with the date your application was last updated. For information on what each Application Status means, visit : https : / / www.usajobs.gov / Help / how-to / application / status / .
If you are unable to apply online, please contact Matthew Myatt at myattm@gao.gov by 4 p.m. on the closing date of the announcement.
For technical issue with USAJOBS : Please refer to the USAJOBS help page.
Agency contact information
Matthew Myatt
myattm@gao.gov
Address
Government Accountability Office
Human Capital Office
441 G Street NW
Washington, DC 20548
Next steps
3 / 26 / 25 : BQ results to applicants. Employees who are deemed best qualified may apply for promotion opportunities in other teams during Phase 2. The Phase 2 announcements will be posted on GAO's intranet through the "Annual Promotion Opportunities" link.
3 / 27 / 25 - 4 / 17 / 25 : Managing Directors may conduct interviews on BQ applicants resulting from Phase 1 (if desired).
4 / 11 / 25 - 4 / 17 / 25 : Managing Directors may conduct interviews of Phase 2 BQ applicants (if desired).
5 / 05 / 25 - 5 / 06 / 25 : Managing Directors make promotion offers.
5 / 18 / 25 : Effective date of promotions.
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
Criminal history inquiries
Required Documents
Band III
You must submit your resume and application (completed vacancy questions) online through USAJOBS. HCO will provide all performance appraisal ratings data at the Band IIB or equivalent level to the panel for the period between 10 / 15 / 22 to 10 / 14 / 24.
How to Apply
To apply for this position, you must complete the online application and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section below.
A complete application package must be submitted by 11 : 59 PM (EST) on the closing date of the announcement to receive consideration.
To verify the status of your application, log into your USAJOBS account (https : / / my.usajobs.gov / Account / Login), all of your applications will appear on the Welcome screen. The Application Status will appear along with the date your application was last updated. For information on what each Application Status means, visit : https : / / www.usajobs.gov / Help / how-to / application / status / .
If you are unable to apply online, please contact Matthew Myatt at myattm@gao.gov by 4 p.m. on the closing date of the announcement.
For technical issue with USAJOBS : Please refer to the USAJOBS help page.
Agency contact information
Matthew Myatt
myattm@gao.gov
Address
Government Accountability Office
Human Capital Office
441 G Street NW
Washington, DC 20548
Next steps
3 / 26 / 25 : BQ results to applicants. Employees who are deemed best qualified may apply for promotion opportunities in other teams during Phase 2. The Phase 2 announcements will be posted on GAO's intranet through the "Annual Promotion Opportunities" link.
3 / 27 / 25 - 4 / 17 / 25 : Managing Directors may conduct interviews on BQ applicants resulting from Phase 1 (if desired).
4 / 11 / 25 - 4 / 17 / 25 : Managing Directors may conduct interviews of Phase 2 BQ applicants (if desired).
5 / 05 / 25 - 5 / 06 / 25 : Managing Directors make promotion offers.
5 / 18 / 25 : Effective date of promotions.
Fair & Transparent
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.