Assistant Chairman for Planning & Operations

National Endowment for the Humanities • Washington, DC

3d

About The Position

The Assistant Chairman for Planning and Operations works within the Office of the Chairman at the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), an independent federal grant-making agency that supports research, education, preservation, and public programs in the humanities. The position provides executive leadership and direction for NEH’s planning, budgeting, accounting, and other administrative functions, and ensures the agency’s plans, budgets, policies, and procedures align with the Chairman’s priorities.

The Assistant Chairman advises the Chairman, Deputy Chairman, Assistant Chairman for Programs, and other senior staff on strategic and performance plans, OMB and Congressional budgets, administrative policies, and operational procedures. The role supervises directors of NEH administrative offices, manages internal operations, and represents NEH in dealings with federal oversight bodies, Congress, and other government agencies. It also oversees agency workforce practices, grant processing and oversight, enterprise risk management, contracting, acquisitions, procurement, human resources, and support services.

This is a Senior Executive Service position. Applicants must demonstrate executive leadership and supervisory experience, along with the Executive Core Qualifications and Technical Qualifications described in the announcement. A resume may not exceed two pages. The position requires a one-year probationary period for an initial SES appointment and an annual Public Financial Disclosure Report.

Requirements

• U.S. citizenship.
• Meet all qualification requirements by the announcement closing date.
• Favorable background investigation.
• Males born after December 31, 1959, must be registered with Selective Service if required to register.
• Submit an annual Public Financial Disclosure Report.
• Demonstrated progressively responsible executive leadership and supervisory experience indicating senior executive managerial capability in a large or complex organization.
• Experience sufficiently broad in scope and at a major management level; the announcement notes such experience is typically at GS-15 or equivalent in federal service or the private sector.
• Demonstrated ability to supervise employees through subordinate supervisors and experience hiring, developing, and evaluating employees.
• Demonstrated ability to lead an organizational unit, ensure the success of major programs or projects, monitor strategic goals, evaluate performance, and take action to improve it.
• Demonstrated ability to supervise employees, develop policy, and perform other executive functions.
• Demonstrate the Executive Core Qualifications and Technical Qualifications in a resume of no more than two pages.
• Demonstrated experience administering and overseeing federal grantmaking across the full lifecycle, including application review, grant monitoring, closeout, and compliance; alignment with statutory requirements such as 2 C.F.R. 200, federal grant and contract procedures, and enterprise risk management; and advising senior leaders on grant policy and operations.
• Ability to lead and integrate administrative operations, develop administrative policies, oversee federal management compliance, optimize workflows, guide multi-office teams, sustain internal operations, and support workforce readiness and organizational planning.
• Demonstrated experience planning and implementing complex projects, programs, policies, and procedures; overseeing strategic and performance planning; integrating program objectives with agency priorities; meeting OMB and Congressional requirements; and coordinating initiatives and change using data-driven analysis and policy development.
• Demonstrated ability to build and maintain stakeholder relationships, advise senior leaders, work with federal oversight bodies and partner agencies, navigate sensitive issues, facilitate collaboration, represent an agency in interagency discussions, and communicate across diverse audiences.
• Submit an SF-50 to verify federal status, as specified in the additional information.
• Applicants seeking noncompetitive SES appointment must provide proof of SES membership, OPM SES Candidate Development Program certification, or SES reinstatement eligibility, if applicable.

Responsibilities

• Advise the Chairman, Deputy Chairman, Assistant Chairman for Programs, and senior staff on NEH strategic and performance plans, OMB and Congressional budgets, administrative policies, and operational procedures.
• Ensure NEH plans, budgets, policies, and procedures are consistent with the Chairman’s priorities.
• Supervise the directors of NEH administrative offices and ensure they understand the Chairman’s policies and priorities.
• Serve as NEH liaison with OMB, OPM, GAO, the Department of the Treasury, GSA, the Small Agency Council, relevant congressional committees, and other government departments and agencies.
• Ensure compliance with applicable federal policies, regulations, and laws.
• Manage the agency’s internal operations.
• Oversee agency personnel recruitment, training, and evaluation practices.
• Oversee application and grant processing, grant monitoring, and award closeout procedures.
• Ensure agency compliance with enterprise risk management requirements.
• Oversee contracting, acquisitions, procurement, human resources, and support services.
• Lead and integrate agency-wide administrative operations, including budgeting, financial management, grant management, acquisitions, procurement, HR, and administrative services.
• Oversee strategic and performance planning, cross-functional initiatives, organizational change, and policy and procedure implementation.

Benefits

• The announcement states that federal employees and their families have access to a comprehensive benefits package; specific benefits depend on position type and should be confirmed with the hiring agency.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Executive
• Education Level: No Education Listed