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International Relations Specialist

Employer
USAJobs
Location
Arlington, Virginia
Closing date
Nov 14, 2019
Duties

Summary

Click on "Learn more about this agency" button below to view Eligibilities being considered and other IMPORTANT information.

This is a Centrally Managed position in the International Affairs career field

The primary purpose of this position is to serve as the Deputy Chief, Military Personnel Exchange Program (MPEP); oversee the development, negotiation, and staffing of MPEP International Agreements; and manage the budgetary and administrative functions of the overall program.

Learn more about this agency

Responsibilities

  • Backs up Chief, MPEP as subject matter expert on all MPEP-related issues. Develops, coordinates and executes SAF/IA and HAF policy initiatives affecting MPEP execution.
  • Prepares, and negotiates Memoranda of Agreements/Understandings (MOA/MOU) that describe specific exchange conditions between the USAF and an international air force, in coordination with Air Staff, DoD, DoS, MAJCOMs, GCCs, and international partners.
  • Develops and executes the overall budget for the MPEP. Acts as Program Element Manager (PEM) for an estimated $1.7M annual MPEP budget.


Travel Required

25% or less - You may be expected to travel for this position.

Supervisory status
No

Promotion Potential
13

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

  • U.S. Citizenship Required
  • Males must be registered for Selective Service, see www.sss.gov
  • Incumbent must obtain and maintain SECRET clearance
  • PCS expenses if authorized will be paid IAW JTR and Air Force Regulations
  • Recruitment incentives may/may not be authorized
  • This posn is subject to provisions of the DoD Priority Placement Program
  • Disclosure of Political Appointments
  • Work may require travel away from the normal duty station on commercial or military aircraft a current government passport is highly desirable.
  • Incumbent must be comfortable in dealing with high-ranking foreign representatives and able to utilize tact and diplomacy on all occasions.
  • This position meets the administrative exemption criteria for the Fair Labor Standards Act (5 CFR 551.206).
  • May require occasional travel. Some temporary duty outside the National Capital Region is likely.
  • Occasional public speaking, as in conference briefings on the Military Personnel Exchange Program (MPEP), is also required.


Qualifications

This position has both basic qualifications AND specialized experience:

Basic Requirements: Must have a degree: major or equivalent, or a combination of courses totaling at least 24 semester hours, in international law and international relations, political science, economics, history, sociology, geography, social or cultural anthropology, law, statistics, or in the humanities; or 12 semester hours in one of the above disciplines and 12 semester hours in statistics/quantitative methods.

OR

Combination of education and experience -- courses equivalent to a major, or a combination of related courses totaling at least 24 semester hours, as shown in A above, plus appropriate experience or additional education
OR

Experience -- four years of appropriate experience in one or more of the fields listed above in work associated with international organizations, problems, or other aspects of foreign affairs.

AND

SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: At least one (1) year of specialized experience at the next lower grade (GS-12) or equivalent. Specialized experience must include knowledge of communications principles, methods, and techniques, ability to apply this knowledge to specific duties listed above in the following manner: (1) develop written communication that clearly conveys program objectives, points of bilateral agreement, problems to be solved and solutions to those problems; (2) Analyze program successes, weaknesses and strengths, and document them; (3) bridge cultural differences in order to communicate with exchange personnel and international officials; (4) discuss and coordinate with other agencies to collaborate on such as individual legal and medical care information, military finance and personnel factors, status of forces protection, foreign living conditions for families, personal and family security concerns, embassy relationships, and USAF assignment matters; (5) manage a budget and program for POM inputs.

OR

To view qualifying educational requirements and/or combination of education and specialized experience click on the following link:
https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/#url=GS-PROF

FEDERAL TIME-IN-GRADE (TIG) REQUIREMENT FOR GENERAL SCHEDULE (GS) POSITIONS: Merit promotion applicants must meet applicable time-in-­grade requirements to be considered eligible. One year at the GS-12 level is required to meet the time-in-grade requirements for the GS-13 level. TIG applies if you are in a current GS position or held a GS position within the previous 52 weeks.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES (KSAs): Your qualifications will be evaluated on the basis of your level of knowledge, skills, abilities and/or competencies in the following areas:

1. Knowledge of the MPEP and awareness of DoD and USAF policies concerning participating of USAF, and international personnel in, MPEP assignments, ability to coordinate with USAF, DoD, and international civilian and military officials on MPEP activities.
2. Knowledge of USAF manpower management and international programs sufficient to develop goals, objectives, and recommendations pertaining to current and future AF participation in the MPEP.
3. Knowledge of the AF budget process and MPEP cost factors to forecast, fund and manage exchange program.
4. Knowledge of AF personnel assignment system.
5. Knowledge of the host country political, social, economic, and cultural conditions where AF personnel are assigned to MPEP positions, in order to negotiate and advocate support from appropriate government agencies.
6. Skill in planning, organizing and directing team efforts. Knowledge and skill in preparing and presenting briefings, along with managing and training team members.
7. Ability to communicate effectively both orally and in writing and perform quality assurance on a wide variety of daily outgoing correspondence.

PART-TIME OR UNPAID EXPERIENCE: Credit will be given for appropriate unpaid and or part-time work. You must clearly identify the duties and responsibilities in each position held and the total number of hours per week.

VOLUNTEER WORK EXPERIENCE: Refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service Programs (i.e., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community; student and social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge and skills that can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

Education

IF USING EDUCATION TO QUALIFY: If position has a positive degree requirement or education forms the basis for qualifications, you MUST submit transcriptswith the application. Official transcripts are not required at the time of application; however, if position has a positive degree requirement, qualifying based on education alone or in combination with experience, transcripts must be verified prior to appointment. An accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education must accredit education. Click here to check accreditation.

FOREIGN EDUCATION: Education completed in foreign colleges or universities may be used to meet the requirements. You must show proof the education credentials have been deemed to be at least equivalent to that gained in conventional U.S. education program. It is your responsibility to provide such evidence when applying.

Additional information

Current or Former Federal Civilian Employees (Includes current Air Force employees): You are required to submit legible copy/copies of your last or most recent SF-50, Notification of Personnel Action, (block 24 must be a "1" or "2" AND block 34 must be a"1"). Additionally, if you are applying for a higher grade (GS) and your SF-50 has an effective date within the past year, it may not clearly demonstrate you meet the one year time-in-grade requirement so you will need to provide an SF-50 which clearly demonstrates you meet the time-in-grade requirements (examples of appropriate SF-50s include Promotions, Within-grade Grade/Range Increases, and SF-50s with an effective date more than one year old)

Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP): For information on how to apply as an ICTAP eligible click here . To be BEST-qualified and exercise selection priority for this vacancy, displaced Federal employees must be rated well qualified or above for this position. You must submit a copy of the agency notice, your most recent performance rating, and your most recent SF-50 noting position, grade level, and duty location.

Employed Annuitants (Reemployed Annuitants): Applicants in receipt of an annuity based on civilian employment in the Federal Service are subject to the DoD Policy on The Employment of Annuitants. Click here for more information.

120-Day Register: This announcement may result in a 120-day register that may be used to fill like vacancies for 120 days after the closing date. Applicants may be referred for consideration as vacancies occur.

Direct Deposit: All federal employees are required to have direct deposit.

If you have questions regarding this announcement and have hearing or speech difficulties click here .

Tax Law Impact for PCS: On 22-Dec-2017, Public Law 115-97 - the "Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 suspended qualified moving expense deductions along with the exclusion for employer reimbursements and payments of moving expenses effective 01-Jan-2018 for tax years 2018 through 2025. The law made taxable certain reimbursements and other payments, including driving mileage, airfare and lodging expenses, en-route travel to the new duty station, and temporary storage of those items. The Federal Travel Regulation Bulletin (FTR) 18-05 issued by General Services Administration (GSA) has authorized agencies to use the Withholding Tax Allowance (WTA) and Relocation Income Tax Allowance (RITA) to pay for "substantially all" of the increased tax liability resulting from the "2018 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act" for certain eligible individuals. For additional information on WTA/RITA allowances and eligibilities, please click here .

How You Will Be Evaluated

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

Your application package (resume, supporting documents, and responses to the questionnaire) will be used to determine your eligibility, qualifications, and quality ranking for this position. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your rating or consideration for employment.

The resume/documents you submit must support your responses to the online questionnaire. If your application contradicts or does not support your questionnaire responses, you will receive a rating of "not qualified" or "insufficient information" and you will not receive further consideration for this job.

For additional information on what to include in your resume, click here .

Applicants who meet the requirements for and apply as a non-competitive eligible that meet minimal qualifications and other requirements of this position, will be given consideration as a non-competitive candidate and will be referred unless blocked by an individual with priority/preference.

APPRAISALS/AWARDS: Hiring Managers use objective methods and consider previous performance appraisals and awards in the selection process. Current Federal Civilian employees should list any relevant performance related rating and/or awards in your resume.

Applicants who disqualify themselves will not be evaluated further.

Background checks and security clearance

Security clearance
Secret

Drug test required
No

Position sensitivity and risk
Noncritical-Sensitive (NCS)/Moderate Risk

Trust determination process
Suitability/Fitness

Required Documents

The following documents are required and must be provided with your application. Applicants who do not submit required documentation to determine eligibility and qualifications will be eliminated from consideration. Other documents may be required based on the eligibility/eligibilities you are claiming. Click here to view the AF Civilian Employment Eligibility Guide and the required documents you must submit to substantiate the eligibilities you are claiming.
  • Online Application: Questionnaire
  • Resume: For qualification determinations your resume must contain hours worked per week and dates of employment (i.e., month/year to month/year or month/year to present). If your resume does not contain this information, your application may be marked as insufficient and you will not receive consideration for this position. If you are a current Federal employee or previous Federal employee, provide your pay plan, series and grade, i.e. GS-0301-09. Current Federal Civilian Employees should list any relevant performance related rating (given within the last three years) and/or incentive awards in your resume. Do NOT include photographs (or links to social media such as LinkedIn ), inappropriate material, inappropriate content, nor personal information such as age, gender, religion, social security number, etc., on your resume.
  • Transcripts/Registration/License: If qualifying on education/position requires education, you must submit copies of your transcripts and if required for the position, submit an active, current registration/license.
  • Veterans: If claiming VRA, VEOA or Veterans' Preference - Submit VOW certification memo or copy of the official DD-Form 214, which must include the character of service/type under honorable conditions (i.e., with an honorable or general discharge). This will be annotated in block 24 on member copy 2, 4, or 7 of the DD-Form 214. If you are also claiming 10-point preference and/or 30% Disabled Veteran, you must submit a VA Letter or a disability determination from a branch of the Armed Forces (or documentation of Purple Heart, if applicable).
  • Current or Former Federal Civilian Employees (includes current Air Force employees): You must submit a legible copy of a SF-50, Notification of Personnel Action . The SF-50, block 24 must contain "1" or "2" AND block 34 must be a "1". Employees eligible under an OPM approved interchange agreement , block 34 may contain a "1" or "2".
  • Promotion Consideration: If you wish to be considered as a promotion candidate and your SF-50 has an effective date within the past year, it may not clearly demonstrate you meet the one-year time-in-grade requirements. You will need to provide additional SF-50s which clearly demonstrates you meet the time-in-grade requirements (examples of appropriate SF-50s include Promotions, Within-Grade, Grade/Range Increases, and SF-50s with an effective date more than one year old).
  • ACTIVE DUTY SERVICE MEMBERS: The VOW Act requires federal agencies to treat an eligible active duty service member as a veteran, disabled veteran, and preference eligible (as applicable) when applying for civil service positions before the effective release or discharge date. Appointment of military members before the release or discharge date is permissible if the member is on terminal leave. At the time the active duty member applies for a civil position, he or she must submit a "certification" memo in lieu of a DD-Form 214, Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty . Active duty members applying for a civil service position without submitting a valid certification memo or DD-Form 214 with their application will render the member ineligible for the position. The certification memo must originate from the member's military service branch on official letterhead and contain the following:
    • Name/Rank/Grade of Service Member
    • Branch of Armed Forces
    • Dates of Active Service (Start and End Date(s)
    • Expected Date of Discharge/Release from Active Duty
    • Terminal leave start date (if applicable)
    • Expected character of service/discharge and type of separation (i.e. separation or retirement)
    • Must be certified within 120 days of anticipated discharge
    • Signature by, or by direction of the adjutant, personnel office, unit commander, or higher headquarters commander.
    Note: The VOW Act provides tentative preference. If appointed, a DD Form-214 must be submitted upon receipt.

    OPTIONAL DOCUMENTS:
    Performance Appraisals for Current Federal Civilian Employees
    - Most recent performance appraisals (dated within last 3 years) showing the official rating of record, signed by a supervisor, or statement why the performance appraisal is unavailable.

    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.

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