Duties

Summary

The position is located in the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs, Office of Western Hemisphere Programs. INL/WHP is responsible for overseeing foreign assistance to develop law enforcement institutions, combat illicit trafficking of narcotics throughout the region. The incumbent serves as Supervisory Foreign Affairs Officer with responsibility for Colombia. He/She performs a wide range of duties for the Bureau's budget, programs, and engagements in Colombia.

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Responsibilities

• Provides management oversight, and is responsible for developing and implementing INL counternarcotics, anti-crime, police professionalization, and rule of law programs funded under the Foreign Assistance Act in Colombia.
• Reviews and analyzes substantive policy documents, leads and/or participates in working groups, coordinates findings and summarizes information, and makes recommendations to senior level officers on the Colombia program.
• Acts as liaison with GAO, OIG and other oversight groups on narcotics and crime issues in Colombia. Works closely with INL/WHP management and the INL Section in Bogota.
• Drafts, reviews, and edits a wide variety of briefing materials, and bilateral agreements in accordance with Department policies. This includes Congressional testimony, talking points, cables, and memos regarding programs and issues in Colombia.
• Supervises the work of subordinates; identifies work assignments; guides, monitors, and assesses subordinates' work products; sets and identifies performance standards and acts to recognize contributions.

Travel Required

Occasional travel - Occasional Domestic and international travel.

Supervisory status
Yes

Promotion Potential
14 - Position is at the full performance level.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

• Incumbent will be subject to random drug testing.
• U.S. Citizenship is required.
• New supervisors must successfully complete a 1 year probationary period.
• One year probationary period, unless excepted by regulation.
• Must be able to obtain and maintain a Top Secret security clearance.

Qualifications

Applicants must meet all the required qualification requirements, including education, and any selective placement factors described below by the closing date of this announcement. If you are qualifying based on education OR if there are mandatory education requirements listed below, you MUST submit a copy of your college transcript with your application. NOTE: Applicants must meet time-in-grade and time after competitive appointment requirements, by the closing date of this announcement. Time-In-Grade Requirements: Federal applicants must have served 52 weeks at the next lower grade to satisfy time-in-grade restrictions, per 5CFR 300, Subpart F.

Applicants must have the required experience or education as described below and meet any selective factors, when specified.

BASIC REQUIREMENTS: Have a bachelor's or graduate degree from an accredited college or university in international law, international relations, political science, economics, history, sociology, geography, social or cultural anthropology, law, statistics, or in the humanities;

OR

Have a bachelor's or graduate degree from an accredited college or university that included a combination of courses, with 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

Have 12 semester hours in one of the above disciplines and 12 semester hours in statistics / quantitative methods.

OR Have a combination of education and experience where your coursework was equivalent to a major, or a combination of related courses totaling at least 24 semester hours, (as shown above), PLUS appropriate relevant experience OR additional education.

OR Have completed at least 4 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. (NOTE: qualifying work experience may have been gained through residence, study, teaching, business or commercial activities, military service, newspaper work, military or civil government activities, missionary or international relief work, or other experience in foreign countries.)

Note: If you are qualifying based on education, you MUST submit transcripts as verification of educational requirement by the closing date of this announcement. If you fail to provide requested information, or the information you submit is insufficient to verify your eligibility, you WILL lose consideration for this position.

IN ADDITION to meeting one of the basic entry qualifications requirements listed above, the applicant MUST have at least one year of specialized experience that has equipped them with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position and meet any selective factors, when specified. This experience is related to the work of the position and equivalent to at least the GS-13 level in the Federal service.

Qualifying specialized experience must demonstrate the following:

• Experience in the development and implementation of the USG's worldwide international narcotics control programs, e.g., providing oversight, program support and guidance to both domestic and overseas staff.
• Experience analyzing substantive issues, developing initiatives, and recommending program changes consistent with new developments or goals in foreign policy to the Bureau's senior management and related 7th floor Principals, when appropriate.
• Experience acting in a liaison capacity with oversight groups such as the GAO, OIG and/or other similar organizations on narcotics and crime issues worldwide, and in discussing policies and objectives and justifying continuing or additional resources for programs.

Note: All applicants MUST submit transcripts as verification of educational requirement by the closing date of this announcement. If you fail to provide requested information, or the information you submit is insufficient to verify your eligibility, you WILL lose consideration for this position.

In addition, applicant's experience must also demonstrate that the candidate possesses the following qualities:

• Ability to assign, review, and supervise the work of others;
• Objectivity and fairness in judging people on their ability, and situations on the facts and circumstances;
• Ability to adjust to change, work pressures, or difficult situations without undue stress;
• Willingness to consider new ideas or divergent points of view; and
• Capacity to "see the job through."

Education

See the qualifications section of this vacancy announcement for education requirements, if applicable.

Education completed in foreign colleges or universities may be used to meet the education requirements if you can show that the foreign education is comparable to that received in an accredited educational institution in the United States. It is your responsibility to provide such evidence when applying. Click on the link for a list of accredited organizations recognized as specializing in interpretation of foreign education credentials.

Additional information

For reasonable accommodation at the U.S. Department of State, please contact the Office of Accessibility and Accommodations at (202) 663-3474 or ReasonableAccommodations@state.gov .

If eligible, applicants to this announcement may be referred to other positions in other Bureaus/Offices in the Department.

How You Will Be Evaluated

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

Your qualifications will be evaluated on the following knowledge, skills, abilities (KSAs) and other characteristics that are relevant to the duties of this position and must be fully supported by information in your resume:

Ability to analyze and evaluate complex foreign policy issues.

Ability to effectively communicate analytical information in writing.

Ability to effectively communicate information orally.

Ability to plan, evaluate and direct program activities.

Your resume serves as the basis for qualification determinations and must highlight your most relevant and significant work experience and education (if applicable) as it relates to this job opportunity. 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). Your resume should include the dates of all qualifying experience (from month/year to month/year) and the number of hours worked/volunteered per week. For assistance with creating a resume, please click here .

Qualified candidates are assigned a score between 70 and 100. Agency Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP) or Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP) candidates must be rated "Well Qualified" for the position and earn a score of at least 85 (when applicants are rated in a range of 70 to 100) to receive consideration for selection priority. If, after reviewing your resume and self-assessment questionnaire responses and a determination is made that you have inflated your qualifications and/or experience, a score will be manually determined that reflects your documented experience. This may result in a lower score, which may also eliminate you from consideration for this position.

Applicants must meet all the qualification requirements and submit any required supporting documentation by the closing date of this job opportunity. Your application package must contain sufficient information to make a valid determination that you fully meet the basic/specialized experience requirements as stated in this job opportunity announcement for each grade level(s) for which you are applying. Applicants found to be among the top qualified candidates will be referred to the hiring official for further consideration and possible interview. Qualified non-competitive candidates must be deemed best qualified based on the applicant assessment in order to be referred to the hiring official for further consideration and possible interview.

To preview questions please click here .

Background checks and security clearance

Security clearance
Top Secret

Drug test required
Yes

Required Documents

All required documents listed below, that are applicable to you, must be submitted to our automated system "Gateway to State" by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) on the closing date of this announcement.

1. Resume - your resume or any other written format you choose should contain the required information as specified in the "How You Will Be Evaluated" section. Insufficient information will result in an ineligible rating.

2. A completed online job specific self-assessment questionnaire through the Department's automated system "Gateway to State".

3. Transcripts - if applicable, see the Qualifications section of the announcement. If selected, an official/sealed college transcript(s) will be required to verify education prior to employment.

4. If you are qualifying based on other criteria listed under the Qualification Section of this announcement, you must submit the required supporting documentation (certificates, certifications, etc.) with your application by the closing date.

5. Current eligible DOS employees (per 3 FAM 2315) including non-competitive applicants must submit a SF-50 (Notification of Personnel Action) that shows the effective date, position title, series, grade, salary, tenure, position occupied, full promotion potential, AND submit a copy of your most recent completed annual performance appraisal that includes the final rating. If a performance appraisal does not exist, is incomplete or unavailable, a Form DS-1812 (Applicant Appraisal) or equivalent form from another agency signed by the current supervisor is acceptable. Mid-year progress reviews will not be accepted.

6. CTAP eligibles must submit a copy of the appropriate documentation with their application. See link below:

CTAP Considerations

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.