Duties

• Plans, directs, and executes liaison operations for critical agency-wide programs, with national or international implications. Serves as the Region's principal liaison to Overseas Programming And Training Support (OPATS) and Office of Global Health and HIVE (OGHH) in the identification of support opportunities to improve programming, training and evaluation assistance to overseas posts. Assumes a leadership role in establishing regional response priorities in consultation with regional management and technical specialists in OPATS and OGHH.
• Serves as the liaison with the Office of Global Operations (OGO) and the Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO) to insure that technology is being effectively used overseas to enhance post operations, program implementation and staff development.
• Represents the region on working groups, task forces and standing committees dealing with programming and training issues as needed.
• Represents the region in Office of Inspector General Program Evaluations. Supports Post responses on evaluation findings and recommendations.
  Serves as the principal regional liaison to the Office of Strategic Partnerships and Intergovernmental Affairs (SPIGA) and Peace Corps Response

• Provides expert advice and guidance on broad projects, programs, and training with national and global impact. Guidance requires extensive interpretation for many different and unrelated program processes and methods.

• Analyzes and interprets broad Agency policies, directives into programming and training operational guidance for the region.

• Coordinates the dissemination of best practices in regional and global programming and training efforts. Supports the introduction of innovations and creative techniques in programming and training.

• Assesses program effectiveness or the improvement of complex program and management processes and systems encompassing difficult and diverse functions or issues that affect critical aspects of the major programs of the agency.

• Participates in the development of regional strategies and the allocation of regional resources for programming and training activities based upon plans articulated by overseas posts and regional priorities.

• Monitors and supports all regional and post participation in HIV/AIDs programming and training activities, providing direction and oversight. Provides particular attention to and serves as primary liaison for all regional efforts related to Peace Corps' PEPFAR engagement.

• Monitors and makes final allocation decisions on all discretionary partnership funds (e.g. FTF, GEF, SPA) within the region's control in response to planned and ad hoc requests from overseas posts.
• Determines manpower resource needs; establishes and manages Regional positions; programming and training vacancies, evaluates candidates and initiates candidate recommendations for regional positions, reviews SOWs for overseas program and training staff, recommends to the RD of Regional staff promotions, transfers, extensions, and terminations.

• Supervises and coordinates the activities of the HQ Programming and Training Unit. Assigns and reviews work, evaluates performance, establishes priorities, and participates in the selection of staff members, promotions, training, etc.

• Supports and guides team-building. Assigns delegated authority to staff while providing adequate direction and appropriate, moderated oversight. Promotes staff development opportunities. Applies EEO and affirmative action principles. Adheres to Merit System Principles per Section 2301, Title 5 United States Code (5 USC).

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

• COVID-19 vaccination required per EO 14043. (See Additional Information section)
• Applicants must be U.S. citizens.
• Applicants must successfully complete a background security investigation with favorable adjudication. Failure to successfully meet this requirement will be grounds for employment termination.
• All Federal employees are required to have federal salary payments made by direct deposit to a financial institution of their choosing.
• A 1-Year trial period is required.
• This is not a bargaining unit position.
• Must successfully complete a background security investigation with favorable adjudication. Failure to meet this requirement will be grounds for employment termination.

Peace Corps Information

• This is a Federal civilian job in the Excepted Service. Peace Corps employees are paid on the Foreign Personnel (FP) pay scale.
• Initial appointment of employment cannot exceed five years.
• Qualified internal applicants will be given full consideration.
• Additional hiring needs may be filled through this vacancy.
• The Peace Corps is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy and gender identity), national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, membership in an employee organization, retaliation, parental status, military service, or other non-merit factors.
• The Peace Corps is a drug-free workplace and promotes a drug-free environment.
• The Peace Corps is committed to maintaining a diverse and inclusive culture. Our goal is to attract and develop the best and brightest from all lifestyles and backgrounds. The Peace Corps strives to create a culture of inclusion where individuals feel respected and are treated fairly in all aspects of differences. Our commitment is to make a difference in the lives of people around the world.

The Peace Corps provides reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the hiring process, please notify the Office of Human Resources by calling 202-692-1200 or the Office of Civil Rights and Diversity on 202-692-2139. Decisions on granting reasonable accommodation are made on a case-by-case basis.

Qualifications

Specialized Experience:

You must meet the specialized experience at the grade level(s) in which you choose to be considered by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) on 05/20/2022 (the closing date of the announcement). You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. To ensure full credit for your experience, please indicate dates of employment by month, day, and year and the number of hours worked per week in your resume.

This vacancy is being announced at two Grade Levels:

FP-3 (Equivalent to the GS-13)

Qualifying experience for the FP-3 (GS-13) grade level includes one year of specialized experience at least equivalent to the FP-4 or GS-12 grade level which is in or directly related to the line of work of the position to be filled and which has equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position. Specialized experience includes: Coordinating, implementing and evaluating an organization's programming and training activities and functions; effectively applying methodologies, practices, procedures, instructions and policies relating to an organization's programming and training activities and functions. Coordinating and evaluating work plans, assignments, and performance of programming and training staff; and participating in the design, implementation, and facilitation of professional development opportunities.

FP-2 (Equivalent to the GS-14)

Qualifying experience for the FP-2 (GS-14) grade level includes one year of specialized experience at least equivalent to the FP-3 or GS-13 grade level which is in or directly related to the line of work of the position to be filled and which has equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position. Specialized experience includes: Coordinating and evaluating work plans, assignments, and performance of programming and training staff; and participating in the design, implementation, and facilitation of professional development opportunities; planning, directing, and executing liaison operations for critical agency-wide programs; providing expert advice and guidance on projects, programs, and training; analyzes and interprets agency policies, procedures and directives; monitors and makes final allocation decisions on disbursement of funds

Additional information on qualification requirements is outlined in the OPM Qualifications Standards Handbook of General Schedule Positions. It is available for your review on the OPM web site at https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/

All qualification requirements must be met by 05/20/2022 (the closing date of this announcement). Qualification claims will be subject to verification.

Please note: Peace Corps employees are employed using the Foreign Personnel (FP) pay scale. The FP pay plan does not follow the same structure as the GS pay plan. In the FP pay plan, as the grade-level numbers decrease the level/pay for the position increases (e.g., the FP-09 is the lowest entry-level pay and the FP-01 is the highest senior-level pay).

Education

Education cannot be substituted at the FP-2 (GS-14) and FP-3 (GS-13) grade levels.

Additional information

COVID-19 Vaccination Requirements (EO 14043)

As required by Executive Order 14043, Federal employees are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 regardless of the employee's duty location or work arrangement (e.g., telework, remote work, etc.), subject to such exceptions as required by law. If selected, you will be required to be vaccinated against COVID-19 and submit documentation of proof of vaccination by November 22, 2021 or before appointment or onboarding with the agency, if after November 22. The agency will provide additional information regarding what information or documentation will be needed and how you can request of the agency a legally required exception from this requirement.

Due to COVID-19, the Peace Corps is currently in an expanded telework posture. If selected, you may be expected to temporarily telework, even if your home is located outside the local commuting area. Once employees are permitted to return to the office, you will be expected to report to the duty station listed on this announcement within 30 days. At that time, you may be eligible to request to continue to telework one or more days a pay period depending upon the terms of the agency's telework policy.

Intelligence Background Information

Peace Corps Manual Section 611 is applicable to this position. This section prohibits the employment of certain persons previously engaged in intelligence activities or connected with intelligence agencies within the past 10 years. If you have ever worked for the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), you are not eligible for employment at the Peace Corps in any capacity, and you should not apply for employment.

Acceptance of employment with Peace Corps precludes employment by certain intelligence organizations for a specific period of time, determined by the employing agency, after Peace Corps employment ceases.

Applicants who are found to be otherwise qualified will be required to submit upon request in the future a completed Intelligence Background Questionnaire, or narrative signed statement, indicating whether the applicant has been involved in or has had any connection with intelligence activities or related work and, if so, the nature and dates of his or her involvement. Failure to meet this requirement will result in the applicant being rated ineligible for further consideration. If you have any other type of possible intelligence connection, your application will not be further considered until you submit this form. Except when the CIA or the National Security Agency (NSA) is involved (see below), if your connection with an Intelligence Agency involves an immediate family member who works or has worked in intelligence, the immediate family member should complete the form, not the applicant. Usually relying on memory is sufficient to answer most if not all of the questions.

If you have an immediate family member who works or has worked for the CIA, you should not give them this form to complete. Please contact your relative in person-not by phone, email, social networking, or any other means that is not in person- and ask him or her to contact the Office of General Counsel at the CIA.

If you or an immediate family member have been employed by or associated with the NSA, you or your family member must contact the NSA Prepublication Review Office at 443-634-4095.