Duties

Summary

The incumbent assists a Regional Director in promoting economic development by funding feasibility studies, consultancy, training programs, and other project planning services. The incumbent is normally assigned a portion of the geographic region and makes recommendations regarding USTDA's approach to major infrastructure projects there.

This announcement may be used to fill vacancies in one or more of USTDA's geographic Regional Offices.
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Responsibilities

• Evaluate the potential of infrastructure development projects in emerging markets to facilitate U.S. exports and job creation.
• Make preliminary determinations of the project's ability to meet USTDA funding criteria, including ability to obtain implementation financing and support U.S. exports and jobs.
• Support USG foreign policy priorities by promoting host country economic growth.
• Represent the Agency in a variety of forums to provide information about, explain, advocate, and defend USTDA program activities.
• Develop and maintain business relationships with embassy officials, government officials, and private sector representatives in the U.S. and assigned countries.
• Perform due diligence on prospective USTDA contractors and grantees.
• Track ongoing and completed projects to assess commercial and developmental impact in order to assist the Evaluations Office with monitoring project developments.
• Draft briefing materials, memoranda, talking points, speeches, and other written materials that support USTDA's leadership, the regional teams, and other stakeholders relevant to USTDA's project activities.
• Provide formal and informal oral presentations to business groups, USTDA leadership, foreign audiences, and other stakeholders relevant to USTDA's project activities.

Travel Required

Occasional travel - You may be expected to travel for this position.

Supervisory status
No

Promotion Potential
13

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

• US Citizenship is required.
• Suitable for Federal employment, determined by background investigation.
• Direct Deposit of pay is required.
• Selective Service registration required for male applicants, unless exempt.
• Background and security investigation for Top Secret Clearance.

Qualifications

At the GS- 09 level ,you must meet one of the following qualifications:
A. One year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-07 level. Specialized experience is that which has equipped the applicant with the competencies to successfully perform the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the position to be filled. Examples of specialized experience at this grade level include, but are not limited to:

Experience conducting substantive economic, trade or industry research to support international projects in key infrastructure sectors (e.g., energy, transportation, telecommunications and environment).

Experience may also include: familiarity with foreign assistance programs that promote U.S. exports; familiarity with such transactional instruments as grant agreements, scopes of work, contracts, feasibility studies, financial agreements or other documents that support the development of major infrastructure projects; or familiarity in developing and maintaining project tracking systems, conducting corporate or agency strategic planning and developing tools that improve operational efficiency;
OR
B. A master's or equivalent graduate degree; or 2 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree; or LL.B. or J.D., if related in one of the following fields marketing, business administration, political science, public administration, history, business or commercial law, economics, finance, international trade, or international relations;
OR
C. A Combination of education and experience as list above.

At the GS- 11 level, you must meet one of the following qualifications:
A. One year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-09 level. Specialized experience is that which has equipped the applicant with the competencies to successfully perform the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the position to be filled. Examples of specialized experience at this grade level include, but are not limited to:

Experience conducting substantive economic, trade or industry research to support international projects in key infrastructure sectors (e.g., energy, transportation, telecommunications and environment).

Experience may also include: experience with foreign assistance programs that promote U.S. exports; experience developing and maintaining project tracking systems, conducting corporate or agency strategic planning and developing tools that improve operational efficiency; experience providing foreign assistance or financial support for infrastructure projects; or experience managing relations with a variety of stakeholders (including inter-agency officials, foreign government officials, financial institutions and U.S. industry representatives) involved in major infrastructure project development;
OR
B. A Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree; or 3 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree; or LL.M., if related in one of the following fields marketing, business administration, political science, public administration, history, business or commercial law, economics, finance, international trade, or international relations;
OR
C. A Combination of education and experience as list above..

At the GS- 12 level, you must meet the following qualification:

One year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-11 level. Specialized experience is that which has equipped the applicant with the competencies to successfully perform the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the position to be filled. Examples of specialized experience at this grade level include but are not limited to:

Professional level industry-specific research experience related to infrastructure and large-scale development projects and experience conducting substantive economic, trade or industry research to support international projects in key infrastructure sectors (e.g., energy, transportation, telecommunications and environment).

Experience may also include: extensive experience with foreign assistance programs that promote U.S. exports; experience negotiating, drafting or managing such instruments as grant agreements, scopes of work, contracts, feasibility studies, financial agreements or other documents that support the development of major infrastructure projects; experience developing and maintaining complex project tracking systems, conducting corporate or agency strategic planning and developing tools that improve operational efficiency; experience providing foreign assistance or financial support for major infrastructure projects; experience managing complex relationships with a variety of stakeholders (including inter-agency officials, foreign government officials, financial institutions and U.S. industry representatives) involved in major infrastructure project development; or experience managing the work of contractors or consultants for major infrastructure projects.

Only experience and education obtained by the closing date of this announcement will be considered.

This position contains a selective placement factor (SPF) that is part of the minimum requirement of the position. If you do not meet the SPF, you are ineligible for further consideration. The SPF for this position is:

• Demonstrated experience linking businesses with export opportunities and/or supporting the development of infrastructure in emerging economies.

Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community, student, social). You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

Education

If qualifying based on EDUCATION you MUST provide transcripts or other documentation to support your educational claims. Unless otherwise stated: (1) official or unofficial transcripts are acceptable, or (2) you may submit a list with all of your courses, grades, semester, year, and credit for the course. All materials must be submitted by the closing date of the announcement.

Only education from institutions which are accredited or preaccredited/candidate for accreditation may be used to meet education requirements.

FOREIGN EDUCATION: If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show that the education credentials have been evaluated by a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign education programs and such education has been deemed equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program; or full credit has been given for the courses at a U.S. accredited college or university. For further information, visit: http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html

Additional information

Telework Suitability:
The duties of this position are suitable for occasional telework and the selectee may be allowed to telework with supervisor approval and if they meet the eligibility criterion in the 2010 Telework Act.

Stipulations of Employment:

Selection may require completion of a 1-year probationary period.

Applicants must be eligible to obtain and keep a security clearance. Appointment is subject to the successful completion of a background investigation and favorable adjudication. Failure to successfully meet these requirements will be grounds for termination.

Work Schedule:

This position allows for a flexible work schedule.

Miscellaneous:

TDA uses E-Verify to confirm the employment eligibility of all newly hired employees. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, please visit http://www.uscis.gov/e-verify .

This position is being advertised concurrently with vacancy announcement # TDA-19-MP-10497927WO using Merit Promotion procedures. If interested, refer to that announcement to determine if you meet merit promotion requirements and can apply to that announcement. NOTE: You must apply separately to each announcement in order to be considered under both.

This vacancy announcement may be used to fill similar positions within 90 days.

If selection is made below the full performance level, promotion up to the full performance level may be made without further competition. However, promotion(s) will depend on the performance of the incumbent and are not guaranteed.

If you are unable to apply online or need to fax a document you do not have in electronic form, view the following link for information regarding an Alternate Application: https://help.usastaffing.gov/Apply/index.php?title=Alternate_Application_Information

How You Will Be Evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

For Category Rating: Once the application process is complete, qualified candidates will be assigned to a quality category. The category assignment is a measure of the degree in which your background matches the competencies required for this position. The categories for this announcement are defined as: Best-Qualified, Well-Qualified, and Qualified. Your resume and supporting documentation will then be used to determine if you are qualified for this job. If you rate yourself higher than is supported by your application materials, your responses may be adjusted and/or you may be excluded from consideration for this job. If you are found to be among the top candidates, you will be referred to the selecting official for employment consideration.

Your qualifications will be evaluated on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities and other characteristics):

• Attention to Detail
• Business Planning & Resource Management
• Oral Communication
• Planning and Evaluating
• Written Communication

The Category Rating Process does not add veterans' preference points or apply the "rule of three," but protects the rights of veterans by placing them ahead of non-preference eligible within each category. Preference eligibles who meet the minimum qualification requirements and who have a compensable service-connected disability of at least 10 percent must be listed in the highest quality category (except in the case of scientific or professional positions at the GS-09 level or higher).

Background checks and security clearance

Security clearance
Top Secret

Drug test required
No

Position sensitivity and risk
Critical-Sensitive (CS)/High Risk

Trust determination process
Suitability/Fitness

Required Documents

To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package which includes:

1. Your Resume listing work schedule, hours worked per week, dates of employment mm/yy and duties performed.
2. Other supporting documents:

• College transcript(s), if qualifying based on education or if this position has a basic education requirement
• Veterans' Preference documentation, if applicable (e.g. DD-214 Member Copy 4 showing type of discharge/character of service, SF-15 Form and related documentation, VA letter, etc.)
• Career Transition Assistance Program/Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program Documentation, if applicable (e.g. Certification of Expected Separation, Reduction-In-Force Separation Notice, or Notice of Proposed Removal; SF-50 that documents the RIF separation action; and most recent performance appraisal.)
• Cover Letter, optional

If you are a veteran with preference eligibility and you are claiming veterans' preference, you must submit a copy of your DD-214 or other proof of eligibility. If applicable, you must also submit an SF-15, "Application for 10-Point Veterans' Preference" plus the proof required by that form. Failure to provide this documentation may result in a non preference determination. For more information on veterans' preference (see https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/veterans-employment-initiative/vet-guide/ ). It is your responsibility to ensure all required documents have been submitted prior to the closing date of the announcement.

Career Transition Assistance Programs: These programs apply to employees who have been involuntarily separated from a Federal service position within the competitive service or Federal service employees whose positions have been deemed surplus or no longer needed. To receive selection priority for this position, you must: 1) meet CTAP or ICTAP eligibility criteria; 2) be rated well-qualified for the position with a score of 85 or above; and 3) submit the appropriate documentation to support your CTAP or ICTAP eligibility. For more information: http://www.opm.gov/rif/employee_guides/career_transition.asp .

If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:

Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education .

Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.