Department: Department Of Housing And Urban Development

Agency: Assistant Secretary for Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity

Join the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Team, if you are looking for a challenging career opportunity and want to be an impact player helping individuals achieve the American Dream!  HUD is an integral partner in revitalizing and improving communities across America.

HUD offers a broad array of benefits and program activities to develop your career, such as:  professional development opportunities; work assignments that may consist of projects related to different housing program; advanced technology; networking opportunities; and recognition and award for creativity, exceptional performance, and teamwork.

Our mission is to create strong, sustainable, inclusive communities and quality affordable homes for all.  HUD is working to strengthen the housing market to bolster the economy and protect consumers; meet the need for quality affordable rental homes; utilize housing as a platform for improving quality of life; build inclusive and sustainable communities free from discrimination; and transform the way HUD does business.  For more information about HUD’s mission, activities, and careers, please visit our website at:  http://www.hud.gov/ .

You may apply to this position if you are a United States Citizen.

Federal Status Candidates (and those eligible to be considered under HUD’s merit promotion procedures) may apply for this position under announcement H12-MP-676293-VMz

This position is with the Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity (FHEO) Regional Offices, Program Centers or Field Offices.

Relocation expenses will not be paid.

KEY REQUIREMENTS

As an Equal Opportunity Specialist, you will:

• ·         Serve as a Multi-lingual analyst in the FHEO assisting Korean, Chinese, or Vietnamese speaking individuals.  
• ·         Investigate and assist Korean, Chinese, or Vietnamese speaking and other victims of housing and lending discrimination based on  race, color, religion, sex, national origin, handicap and/or family status.
• ·         Prepare final investigative reports and letters of determination.
• ·         Translate conversations and information from documents to and from Korean, Chinese, or Vietnamese, interview complainants/respondents; witnesses in English and Korean, Chinese, or Vietnamese and review documents to investigate and make determinations in housing discrimination and lending discrimination complaints.   
• ·         Perform compliance reviews of fair housing programs, policies, and procedures.
• ·         Conduct and participate in fair housing education and outreach events in English and Korean, Chinese, or Vietnamese with local organizations, fair housing groups, housing providers and community associations.

Applicant must meet both the specialized experience and the selective placement factor in order to qualify:

GS-11:  At least one year of specialized experience, equivalent to the GS-09 in the Federal service or comparable pay band system.  For this position specialized experience is defined as: Experience in enforcing or administering civil rights and/or equal opportunity laws or regulations, including conducting on-site civil rights related compliance reviews, inspections or investigations and conducting education and outreach activities in English and Korean, Chinese, or Vietnamese.

GS-12: At least one year of specialized experience, equivalent to the GS-11 in the Federal service or comparable pay band system.  For this position specialized experience is defined as: Experience applying the rules, regulations, and statutes prohibiting discrimination in housing in order to eliminate barriers to fair housing and equal opportunity, including conducting and resolving compliance reviews; experience in intake, investigation, conciliation, and or resolution of complex, highly sensitive and difficult allegations of discrimination related to housing, conducting systemic housing discrimination related to housing; conducting systemic housing discrimination complaint investigations; and leading or participating in fair housing education and outreach programs in both English and Korean, Chinese, or Vietnamese.

GS-11: You may substitute a Ph.D. or an equivalent doctoral degree, or three full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree or an LL.M. for experience at the GS-11 grade level. Such education must have been obtained in an accredited college or university. Check with your school to determine how many credit hours comprise three years of graduate study. If that information is not available, use 54 semester or 81 quarter hours.

Combining Experience and Education:
To combine your education and experience, you must convert each to a percentage, and then add the percentages. The combined total of your percentage of education and experience must equal at least 100% in order to qualify. If your education is currently described in quarter hours, convert the quarter hours into semester hours by multiplying the quarter hours by the fraction 2/3. To calculate your percentage of graduate education, divide the number of graduate semester hours by 18. To determine your percentage of qualifying experience, you must divide your total number of months of qualifying experience by the required number of months of experience. Add your percentages of education and experience. The two percentages must total at least 100%.

GS-12: There is no education substitution at this grade level.

Selective Placement Factor:

Applicants must be fluent in both the Korean, Chinese, or Vietnamese and English language in order to communicate orally and provide technical assistance to the general public, public officials, clients, applicants, and recipients regarding fair housing programs in both languages.

Additional information on qualification requirements is outlined in the OPM Qualifications Standard Handbook of General Schedule Positions.  It is available for your review on OPM’s website at http://www.opm.gov/qualifications.

HOW YOU WILL BE EVALUATED:

Human Resources will review your resume and supporting documentation to ensure you meet the minimum qualification requirements.  If you meet the minimum qualifications, your knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) will be rated between 70 and 100 based on your responses to the online assessment questionnaire.  If you are eligible for placement under the Agency Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP) or the Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP) eligibility, you must earn a score that places you in the Best Qualified group to be considered qualified.  The KSAs for this position are:

1. Knowledge of Title VIII of the civil Rights Act of 1968 (Fair Housing Act), Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Section 109 of the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974, Section 3 of the Housing and Urban Development Act of 1968, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Age Discrimination Act of 1975. Title II of the American with Disabilities Act.
2. Skill in fact finding, analysis, formulating and presenting recommendations, and negotiating resolutions of complex issues.
3. Skill in preparing well written English as well as either  Korean, Chinese or Vietnamese high quality investigative reports which clearly support conclusions and recommendations.
4. Skill in providing technical assistance to the general public and public officials through effective oral communication, in English as well as either Korean, Chinese or Vietnamese.

If you meet the minimum qualifications, you will be placed in one of the following categories:

1. Best Qualified:  Applicants possessing a background that demonstrates a superior level of all evaluation criteria (100-95).
2. Better Qualified:  Applicants possessing a background that demonstrates a satisfactory level of the evaluation criteria (94-85).
3. Qualified:  Applicants possessing the basic qualifications, with general knowledge, skills, and abilities (84-70).

If you are best qualified, you may be referred to the hiring manager for consideration and may be called for an interview.

Agency Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP) or the Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP) Eligibles:  If you have never worked for the Federal government, you are not CTAP/ICTAP eligible.  Information about ICTAP or CTAP eligibility can be found at:  http://www.opm.gov/Reduction_In_Force/employee_resources/ctap/index.asp .  To be considered qualified under CTAP/ICTAP, you must be placed in the Best Qualified category for this position, as described above.  In addition, you must submit supporting documentation listed in the “Required Documents” section of this announcement.

Veterans:  Veterans with 5 point preference who meet the eligibility and qualification requirements are placed above non-preference eligibles within the category in which they qualify.  Veterans who have a compensable service-connected disability of at least 10% are listed in the best qualified category, except when the position being filled is scientific or professional at the GS-09 grade level or higher.  For information on veterans’ preference, please see:  http://www.fedshirevets.gov/index.asp.

HUD offers competitive starting salaries and an attractive benefits package, including: health insurance, Thrift Savings Plan (similar to a 401(k)), Flexible spending Account, retirement plan, life and long-term care insurance, Employee Assistance Program, personal leave days and paid Federal holidays.  Other benefits may include:  flexible work schedules, telework, tuition reimbursement, transportation subsidies, health and wellness programs, and fitness centers.  HUD is committed to employee development and offers a variety of employee training and development opportunities.  For more information, go to http://www.usajobs.gov/EI/benefits.asp.

OTHER INFORMATION:

Background Investigation:  To ensure the accomplishment of our mission, HUD requires every employee to be reliable and trustworthy.  To meet these standards, selected applicants must successfully complete and maintain a background investigation.  Failure to meet these requirements will be grounds for termination.

Travel:  Occasional travel may be required.

Promotion Potential:  There is no obligation to provide future promotions to you if you are selected.  Future promotions will be dependent on your ability to perform the duties at a higher level, the continuing need for an employee assigned to the higher level, and supervisory approval.

Probationary Period:  All employees new to the Federal government must serve a one year probationary period during the first year of his/her initial permanent Federal appointment to determine fitness for continued employment.  Current and former Federal employees may also be required to serve or complete a probationary period.

Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA):  Non-Exempt

Bargaining Unit Position:  Yes

Selective Service Registration:  All male applicants born after December 31, 1959 must be registered with the selective service system.  Please visit https://www.sss.gov/ for more information.

Time After Competitive Appointment:  Applicants applying under Merit promotion must have completed three months of civilian service after a competitive appointment by the closing date of the announcement in order to be considered. (Regulation 5 CFR 330.501).

HUD employees are prohibited from owning Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac securities and from owning or acquiring property subsidized by Section 8 tenancies.  HUD employees are also prohibited from the active participation in a business dealing with or related to real estate.  This includes the sale and management of real estate.  These interests are prohibited under the HUD Supplemental Standards of Conduct regulation at 5 CFR 7501.  Certain HUD employees are required to file a financial disclosure report.

HUD provides reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities.  If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process, please notify the Human Resources Representative listed on the vacancy announcement.  The decisions on granting reasonable accommodation will be on a case-by-case basis.

The United States Government does not discriminate in employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, disability and genetic information, age, membership in an employee organization, or other non-merit factor.

To begin your online application, click the “Apply Online’ button and follow the prompts to register or sign into Application Manager.  Your application packet must include a completed assessment questionnaire, a resume, and any applicable and/or required supporting documentation.  Please see the “Required Documents” section below for additional information.  All application materials must be submitted by 11:59pm Eastern Standard Time (EST) on Wednesday, June 27, 2012.

You are not required to submit official documentation as part of your application package.  However, if selected, you must provide the required official documentation prior to appointment.

We strongly encourage you to apply online.  If you are unable to upload your supporting documents, please complete and use the cover page located at http://staffing.opm.gov/pdf/usascover.pdf and fax them to 1-478-757-3144.  Please include on the cover sheet the following information:  the vacancy ID 676287, your SSN, the name you used to complete your assessment questionnaire, and your address.  If your documents were successfully uploaded into Application Manager, it is not necessary for you to fax those documents.

If you are unable to apply online, please follow the steps below.

1.      Click the following link to view and print the assessment questionnaire View Occupational Questionnaire

2.      Print this 1203 FX form, http://www.opm.gov/forms/pdf_fill/OPM1203fx.pdf , and provide your responses to the assessment questionnaire

3.      Fax the completed 1203 FX form along with any required and supporting documents to 1-478-757-3144. Your 1203FX will serve as a cover page for your fax transmission.

If any part of your application is not received, it will be evaluated solely on the information available.

REQUIRED DOCUMENTS:

• Resume:  A resume describing your job-related qualifications is required and must be in English.  It must contain your full name, address, phone number, the last four digits of your Social Security Number, a detailed description of your duties and the dates you performed them (MM/DD/YY), as well as your work schedule and salary.
• Completed online self-assessment questionnaire.
• Transcripts are required if basing any part of your qualifications on education or there is a positive education requirement.  Education must be from an institution accredited by an agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.  Education obtained from a foreign university or college is not creditable unless it has been evaluated by an organization that specializes in interpretation of education credentials.  For a listing of accrediting agencies, please see http://www.naces.org/members.htm
• Agency Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP) or the Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP) eligibility:  You must submit a separate notice; SF-50; an agency certification that you cannot be placed after injury compensation has been terminated; an OPM notification that your disability annuity has been terminated; or a Military Department of National Guard Bureau notification that you are retired under 5 U.S.C. 8337(h) or 8456. Information about ICTAP or CTAP eligibility can be found at http://www.opm.gov/Reduction_In_Force/employee_resources/ctap/index.asp .
• Veterans Preference:  To apply veteran’s preference you must submit the following proof of eligibility:

1. Five Point Preference:  DD Form 214 showing dates you served, type of discharge, and any campaign badges or expeditionary medals you may have earned.
2. Ten Point Preference:  DD Form 214, as described above, and supporting documentation as listed on the Standard Form 15 (application for 10-Point Veteran’s Preference).  Click this link for a copy of the SF-15:  http://www.opm.gov/forms/pdf_fill/SF-15.pdf.
3. If you are currently serving on active duty.  A statement of service from your unit identifying the branch of service, period(s) of service, campaign badges or expeditionary medals earned, and the date you will be separated or be on approved terminal leave.  If selected for this position, your preference will be verified using your separation DD Form 214, as described above.  For more information about Veteran’s Preference, please click this link:  http://www.opm.gov/employ/veterans/html/vetguide.asp .

It is your responsibility to verify that information entered, uploaded, or faxed (i.e., resume, veterans documentation, completed assessment, and SF-50′s) is received and accurate.    Human Resources will not modify or change any part of your application.  Pleas ensure that all documents are legible.

Applications and supporting documentation will not be accepted by mail or e-mail.  The address below is for inquiries only.  You may apply more than once; however, only your most recent application will be used.

AGENCY CONTACT INFO:

WHAT TO EXPECT NEXT:

Once the job announcement has closed, Human Resources will assess your experience and training, identify the best qualified applicants, and refer those applications to the hiring manager for further consideration and/or interviews.  You will be notified by e-mail upon completion of each step.  Your status will also be updated on USAJOBS throughout the process.  To check your status, log on to your USAJOBS account, click on “Application Status” and then click “More Information”.  If you are referred, you will receive a final notification of the disposition of the vacancy