Security ClearanceNot Required
Duties
The position is located in the Publishing Office of the Center for Exhibits and Interpretation in the Office of the Librarian. The incumbent will report to the Director of Publishing. The incumbent serves as a Team Lead and works closely with the Director of Publishing and ensures that the editorial operation of the Library of Congress Publishing Office follows best practices in research, scholarship, writing and publishing. The incumbent oversees the editorial work of staff writer-editors, editorial assistants, freelancers, temporary employees, interns and fellows, guiding their projects and professional interactions with authors, co-publishers, Library staff and other stakeholders in the Library's cooperative publishing program. The incumbent oversees editorial content for a diverse portfolio of publishing projects that include books written by Publishing Office writer-editors, books written by other Library Staff, and books written by authors who do not work for the Library. The portfolio also includes nonbook items with significant editorial content. These items are known within the publishing industry as “sidelines,” these products include calendars, note cards, flash cards, puzzles, posters and other products that feature images of Library collections with accurate interpretive captions. The incumbent plays an essential role in coordinating and balancing a challenging workload among a small staff of experienced writer-editors to meet the Publishing Office's mission of showcasing the collections and services of the Library of Congress with creativity, innovation, accuracy and the highest levels of integrity in scholarship and editorial practice. Serves as a Team Leader. Articulates and communicates to the team the assignment, project, problem to be solved, actionable events, milestones, and/or program issues under review, and deadlines and time frames for completion. Identifies, distributes, and balances workload and tasks among employees in accord with established workflow, skill level, and/or occupational specialization. Makes adjustments to accomplish the workload in accord with established priorities to ensure timely accomplishment of assigned team tasks. Monitors and reports to the supervisor on the status and progress of work, checking on work in progress and reviewing completed work to ensure instructions on work priorities, methods, deadlines, and quality have been met. Answers questions from team members on procedures, policies, regulations, etc. Prepares reports and maintains records of work accomplishments and administrative information, as required, and coordinates the preparation, presentation, and communication of work-related information. Estimates and reports to the team on progress in meeting established milestones and deadlines for completing assignments, projects, and tasks. Ensures all team members are aware of and participate in planning for achievement of team goals and objectives. Manages a diverse portfolio of projects assigned to a small staff of writer-editors, editorial assistants, freelancers, occasional employees, interns, and fellows. Consults routinely with the Director of Publishing and editorial staff to ensure that editorial projects are assigned appropriately, managed efficiently, and delivered within established deadlines. Serves as lead editor for select publications and handles writing assignments as necessary. Works with Director of Publishing, editorial staff, and Administrative specialist to help ensure that print and digital project files include essential records and archives of essential components, including final manuscript, final print-ready PDFs, art logs, permission grants, citation records and other essential research notes, and copies of high-resolution art files. Works with Editorial Assistant to gather and organize files near the completion of each project and with the Administrative Specialist to periodically review/cull files and transfer appropriate documents to Records Management. Oversees the Publishing Office project database, archives, and library. Works with Editorial Assistant, Administrative Specialist, warehouse, and the Library Shop to monitor inventory of active titles and ensure adequate quantities are on hand for use by the Librarian's Office, the Development Office, Exhibitions, and other stakeholders. Works with Administrative Specialist and others as needed to initiate the purchase of additional inventory. Assists Director of Publishing with the development, negotiation, and successful execution of co- publishing agreements. Works with the Office of General Counsel to ensure that agreements reflect appropriate deadlines for the submission and review of content. Works with administrative specialist to ensure that all contracts are properly distributed and filed. Performs other duties as assigned. Relocation expenses will not be authorized for the person(s) selected under this vacancy announcement.
Requirements
Conditions of Employment Library of Congress employees are prohibited from using illegal drugs, including marijuana. The Library is part of the Federal Government and abides by federal law, so regardless of individual state or District of Columbia laws, marijuana use is illegal, considered criminal activity, and can affect your employment at the Library. In addition, past or current drug use and activities (e.g., selling or distributing) may deem you ineligible for employment.
Qualifications
Applicants must have had progressively responsible experience and training sufficient in scope and quality to furnish them with an acceptable level of the following knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform the duties of the position without more than normal supervision. Ability to interact collaboratively with others and provide consultation or liaison services to complete publishing projects.** Ability to lead a team of excellence effectively** Ability to prepare materials for publication.** Ability to apply editorial style guidelines. Ability to communicate effectively in writing. Ability to use information technology to perform writing duties. Ability to communicate effectively other than in writing.
Other Information
Although it is the Library's policy to afford the maximum pay benefit to employees when setting rates of pay, a new appointee who has had no previous Federal service will generally be paid at step one of the grade. The Library of Congress is an equal opportunity employer. Applicants must submit a complete application package that is received by the closing date of this announcement. Appointment/retention is subject to a favorable evaluation of an appropriate personnel security/suitability investigation. For more information, please see: Vetting Process This agency provides reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process, please email ADA@loc.gov. The decision on granting reasonable accommodation will be determined on a case-by-case basis. Applicants with disabilities may be considered under special hiring procedures and must submit an appropriate certificate of eligibility when applying for this position. The proof or disability/certification may be issued by the State Vocational Rehabilitation Office, Disability Services or Career Services office of the applicant's college or university, or the Department of Veterans Affairs. The letter must verify that the applicant has a severe disability and must be dated within three years of the date of the application. Certification from health care providers are not accepted. For more information contact the Library's Office of Equal Employment Opportunity at 202-707-6024 or email spp@loc.gov. FAILURE TO SUBMIT YOUR CERTIFICATION WILL CAUSE YOUR APPLICATION TO NOT BE CONSIDERED UNDER THE SELECTIVE PLACEMENT PROGRAM. The Library of Congress is the national library of the United States and is part of the Legislative Branch of the Federal government. As such, all positions are in the excepted service. The Library reserves the right to fill a lesser or greater number of vacancies indicated during the life of this vacancy announcement. Initial permanent appointments to the Library of Congress require completion of a one-year probationary period. Probationary periods served at other Federal agencies do not count toward this requirement. The Library of Congress may offer repayment for all or part of federally insured student loans. However, not all service units within the Library of Congress participates in the repayment of federally insured student loans. Therefore, determination to repay a federally insured student loan is subject to approval by the appropriate service unit. A “Not to Exceed" (NTE) status is used to identify an appointment with a specific ending date. However, the Library has the right to separate a NTE employee at any time due to either performance issues or budget constraints. Are you a veteran? Please indicate the type of veterans' preference you are claiming in your application materials and/or applicant profile and provide the appropriate supporting documentation to validate your claim. Those applying for 5-point preference must submit Member Copy 4 of your DD 214. Those applying for 10-point preference must fill out an SF-15 (click here for the form) and provide the required documentation listed on the back of the form. If required supporting documentation is not attached, Veterans' Preference will not be considered in the application process.