Selecting the next SecDef

[Controllable]

 

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TO: All Hands
FROM: Military Advisory Council:  President Sycron, Vice President TekD., and Speaker of the House Controllable.
SUBJ: Opening applications for future SecDef appointment / USDF updates

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Team,

 

  President Sycron's all-hands statement at the beginning of August discussed an exciting process for determining who the next Secretary of Defense will be.  Since then, the US Defense Force has been led, on an interim status, by Vice-President Mr. TekD, Interim Deputy Secretary Mr. Watch4Me, and me (SoH, and currently Interim Secretary of Defense), alongside the support of our leaders and commanders, to whom which we express our sincere appreciation.  We have led USDF forward with many command overhauls, constructed two new official USDF rooms in the OMP Transfer HQ, and created a designated area for JNCO Mentorship and training.  We also continued the full transition of the new USDF forums and unveiled the new Standard of Work (SoW) tracking and submission system on the Personnel Tracking System (PTS).  This past weekend was a busy one!  USDF’s headquarters was replaced with a familiar past design with modern updates and we also saw the completion of our 35th Ceremonial Parade.

In addition to announcing the application process for the new Secretary of Defense, I would also like to inform you of the official formation of the Office of the President Military Advisory Council (MAC), which Mr. Sycron will chair, and staffed by Vice-President Mr. TekD, Speaker of the House Mr. Controllable, and the Secretary of Defense (and Deputy Secretary per invitation). This role will be to provide formal strategic guidance to the future Secretary(s) of Defense and to ensure the vision of USDF remains consistent and cohesive for the years to come, and the transition between generations remains smooth.

 

As announced at the parade, I will be returning as Interim Secretary of Defense effective immediately, and Mr. TekD will be returning to his role as USDF’s Vice President.  Interim DepSecDef Watch4Me will honorably retire at the end of the application process and move into a non-operational advisory role in the MAC after a decade-plus of experience in USDF and DEPTNAV.

 

The MAC, led and chaired by President Mr. Sycron, will jointly oversee the open selection process.  The person selected will be appointed as Deputy Secretary of Defense and will be personally mentored and guided by the President, Vice-President and Speaker of the House to ensure the skillset built is one to push USDF forward positively. The person(s) selected will then be appointed as Secretary and Deputy Secretary of Defense and lead the next generation of USDF and our community.

We hope that the recruitment process will be a timely one (outlined below), but what is most important is appointing the right candidate and then training them appropriately.

 

To note, candidates are applying to fill both roles of SecDef and DepSecDef.  The person selected will be appointed based on experience, application material, current/past evaluations, and a thorough vetting process.  Specific application instructions will be listed below, and this thread will be updated with replies for all changes and updates throughout the application process.  

The application process will be broken down into three parts: 

1. Open applications for all hands (22 August through 28 August 2022)

2. The first round of candidates selected, followed by a thorough review of experience and potential to be the next SecDef (28 August through 04 September)

3. The final round of candidates is followed by a voice interview with the MAC team and a thorough vetting process. (04 September through 10 September)

4. The final interviews are reviewed, determination of second interview requirements, and the President officially appoints an incoming Secretary of Defense.

Before applying, candidates must thoroughly read both overview and Key Performance Indicator (KPI) traits for Secretary and Deputy Secretary of Defense.  This KPI self-assessment shall be included in the candidate's application.

Secretary of Defense Overview and KPI

 

Duties and Responsibilities

 

The Secretary of Defense (SecDef) serves as the Chief Executive Officer of all active day-to-day operations at the Executive Level-1 paygrade and acts as the President's official representative and first-in-charge for all operational matters, and ultimately is responsible for the performance of USDF as Habbo's leading military. These duties include but are not limited to:

• Setting and managing the strategic direction of USDF
• Appointment and vetting of all senior leadership of USDF
• Community relations within the USDF community, including oversight of a strong community engagement plan
• Management of diplomatic relations with broader community groups, militaries, and agencies
• Fostering a positive relationship with Habbo's staff and management, alongside working with other officially endorsed platforms (eg Fansites)
• The preservation of the cyber safety and wellbeing of our community and a commitment to the condemnation of illegal warfare in all forms
• The development of the Deputy Secretary and OSD as a future Secretary of Defense, and
• Any other duties or responsibilities as directed by the President.

Selection Criteria

The successful candidate will have a proven record of:

• Extensive management experience in a complex environment
• Successful management of confidential and sensitive information
• The ability to effectively and strategically plan within a complex and fast-paced environment
• Strong leadership skills, experience in the supervision of others and large teams, and the capacity to build team cohesion
• Successfully interacting with people of all geo and demographics with a high-level of written communication skills
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, including the ability to negotiate, build effective relationships, foster diplomacy and establish consensus
• Creating professional and personal networks that engage a diverse range of people
• Ability to contribute to small and large team decisions as both an operational and strategic participant, and
• The ability to manage time well and understand the importance of recognising that while Habbo is a game--and this should always be paramount--that we are working with real people, with real feelings, and therefore the needing for care, compassion, understanding and empathy will be required at all times.

Term and Availability
 

The successful applicant will be appointed by the President to the role of Secretary of Defense for a term of 12 months, and subsequently evaluated and appointed for periods of 12 months (minimum) to 24 months (maximum) by the President depending on their performance appraisal [please note USDF's Legislation will be updated to reflect this]. The SecDef is expected to have a commitment to remaining active and on Habbo for this time period, and to provide a minimum of 3 months' notice should the need to retire occur. The SecDef will be expected to have the following availability:

• 1.5 hours per day of off-client management and administration
• 1.5 hours per day of in-client management and administration, and
• No less than 15 hours per week to dedicate to the USDF community.

SecDef KPI Self Appraisal

Based on the above duties, responsibilities, selection criteria, etc. Candidates shall conduct an honest self-assessment of themselves based on the following:

 

Key Performance Indicator	1-5 Scale (from low to high)
HQ Activity: Activity in headquarters is a major factor in our selection process.  We realize that majority of the "handy work," and external communications occur on our official external platforms such as Discord, Drive, PTS, and Forums; maintaining a consistent HQ presence is critical to the success of USDF.
Team Management: Team builder who inspires cooperation and progress.  A talented mentor who focuses on goals and techniques for the team. The best at setting and offering team direction.
Leadership:  Inspiring motivator and trainer who ensures subordinates reach the highest level of growth and development. Superb organizer, tremendous foresight, develops military-wide process improvements and efficiencies.  Perseveres through the toughest challenges and inspires others. Exceptional communicator.
Strategic Planning: Ability to consistently plan and think about the possible direction of the military not only weeks ahead but months ahead, strategically. Demonstrates a clear understanding of executive leadership, program management, and ability
Critical Decision Making: Ability to consistently plan and think about the possible direction of the military not only weeks ahead but months ahead, strategically. Demonstrates a clear understanding of executive leadership, program management, and ability
Public and Foreign Affairs Expert: Ability to make decisions and statements on behalf of the entire organization. Strong knowledge of both Habbo and military/agencies floor. Demonstrates a clear knowledge of what type of organization the USDF would associate itself with via partnership.

 

 

 

The Application

 

 

The application will be open to all hands.  The only persons whose application will not be considered are former members of USDF that are actively marked as “Never Rehire” and “Dishonorably Discharged.”  

The Expression of Interest must AT LEAST contain:

 

1. Your complete Habbo military/agency history leading up to your current status.
2. A cover letter that reflects and addresses the Selection Criteria and Key Performance Indicator (KPI) self-assessment, relating to how it justifies you over all other candidates to be selected.
3. Your short-term plans as SecDef (first 100 days) 
4. Your long-term plans as SecDef (6-9 months from now)
5. Your complete assessment of where USDF stands today both foreign (alliances, treaties, etc.) and abroad (state of the branches, programs, and policies in place, overall infrastructure)
6. Reflection on your leadership style and how it has been previously utilized (cite examples/IRL is acceptable).  Further reflection on your strengths and weaknesses. 
7. Experience as an executive manager throughout your history on Habbo, specifically in managing team(s) of people and/or community.
8. To the best of your ability, describe how much “free time” you will have to serve as the SecDef throughout 2023.
9. Conclusion and summary of what makes you stand out amongst your peers applying for the position

 

The first round of applications will begin 22 August 2022.  You can submit your application here:  Google Form for Application