Duties

Summary

This position is part of the U.S. Trade and Development Agency (USTDA), Sub-Saharan Africa Regional Office. The incumbent of this position is responsible for projects associated with Power Africa initiatives and/or other energy-related projects.
Learn more about this agency

Responsibilities

• Conducts industry-specific research and administrative services to facilitate the evaluation of Power Africa and other energy-related development projects in Africa.
• Evaluates the potential of development projects to impact U.S. exports and job creation; promote host country economic development; receive implementation financing; and support USG foreign policy priorities.
• Makes preliminary determinations of the project?s ability to meet USTDA funding criteria.
• Develops and maintains business relationships with embassy officials, government officials, and private sector representatives in the U.S. and assigned countries.
• Represents the Agency in a variety of forums related to Power Africa to provide information about, explain, advocate, and defend USTDA program activities.
• Tracks ongoing and completed Power Africa and energy-related projects to assess commercial and developmental impact, assist Evaluations Office with monitoring project developments.

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 Secret or Top Secret Clearance.

Qualifications

Applicants must meet the BASIC QUALIFICATION requirement for this position described below.

Undergraduate and/or Graduate Education: Major study -- marketing, business administration, political science, public administration, history, business or commercial law, economics, finance, international trade, or international relations.

OR

Experience: Experience that demonstrates knowledge of:

• Marketing that included economic, psychological, and sociological influences bearing upon consumption patterns;
• Business practices pertaining to wholesale, retail, manufacturers' distribution, distribution costs, finance and tax structure, and similar areas of activity or concern; and
• International economic and political factors influencing balance of payments, monetary exchange and tariffs, and their bearing on the distribution of commodities.

In addition to meeting the basic qualification, for the GS-09 level you must meet one of the following listed below:
1. Specialized Experience: Qualifying experience for the GS-09 level includes one year of specialized experience that is equivalent in difficulty and complexity to the GS-07 level in the Federal service. Specialized experience is defined as experience that is in or directly related to the line of work of this position and has equipped you with the knowledge and competencies to successfully perform the duties of this position. More specifically, this requirement involves research with respect to international infrastructure development projects using economic indicators and market trends in key sectors, such as energy; project development and management of grant and contract activities; and experience with foreign assistance programs that promote U.S. exports.
2. Education: A master's degree or equivalent degree or two full years of progressively higher- level education leading to such a degree, or an LL. B or J.D., if related. Such education must demonstrate the knowledge, skills and abilities necessary to perform the duties of the position.
3. Combination: A combination of experience and education as described above, where the total percentage is equal to 100%.

In addition to meeting the basic qualification, for the GS-11 level you must meet one of the following listed below:
1. Specialized Experience: Qualifying experience for the GS-11 level includes one year of specialized experience that is equivalent in difficulty and complexity to the GS-09 level in the Federal service. Specialized experience is defined as experience that is in or directly related to the line of work of this position and has equipped you with the knowledge and competencies to successfully perform the duties of this position. More specifically, this requirement involves providing substantive research with respect to international infrastructure projects using economic indicators and market trends in key sectors, such as energy; project development and management for grant and contract activities; experience providing foreign assistance, trade policy, commercial development, finance, banking, or other activities that contribute to the development of infrastructure initiatives or other similar international initiatives requiring capital investment; developing business relationships with U.S. and foreign private sector representatives and government officials.
2. Education: A Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree, or three full years of progressively higher level graduate studies leading to such a degree or LL.M, if related. Such education must demonstrate the knowledge, skills and abilities necessary to perform the duties of the position.
3. Combination: A combination of experience and education as described above, where the total percentage is equal to 100%.
Only experience and education obtained by the closing date of this announcement will be considered.

In addition to meeting the basic qualification, for the GS-12 level you must meet the specialized experience described below: Specialized Experience: Qualifying experience for the GS-12 level includes one year of specialized experience that is equivalent in difficulty and complexity to the GS-11 level in the Federal service. Specialized experience is defined as experience that is in or directly related to the line of work of this position and has equipped you with the knowledge and competencies to successfully perform the duties of this position. More specifically, this requirement involves: Providing substantive research with respect to international infrastructure projects using economic indicators and market trends in key sectors, such as energy; project development and management for grant and contract activities; leading foreign assistance, trade policy, commercial development, finance, banking, or other activities that contribute to the development of infrastructure initiatives or other similar international initiatives requiring capital investment; and developing high-level business relationships with U.S. and foreign private sector representatives and government officials.

Note: Professional experience and/or an academic background in international energy infrastructure is highly desirable, but not required.

A written test is not required.

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

Career Transition Assistance Programs: CTAP/ICTAP provides placement assistance to permanent Federal employees who are surplus, displaced, or involuntarily separated. To be considered under CTAP/ICTAP, applicants must be well-qualified (i.e., meet the minimum qualification requirements, including any selective placement factors; education, and experience requirements), score at least 85 on the assessment questionnaire, and be able to perform the duties of the position upon entry. Please refer to required documents section for additional details. For information on CTAP and ICTAP visit: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/working-in-government/unique-hiring-paths/federal-employees/career-transition/

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:

This term appointment may be extended up to a maximum total period of 4 years or terminated at any time at management's discretion. Selection does not confer eligibility to be promoted or reassigned to other positions or to be non-competitively converted to a career-conditional appointment.

Selection for this term position may require serving a 1-year trial period.

If selected, you will be required to file a Confidential Financial Disclosure Report (OGE Form 450).

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 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. Cheating on the online assessment may result in your removal from consideration. If you are found to be among the top candidates, you will be referred to the selecting official for employment consideration.

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).

You will be evaluated based on how well you meet the qualifications listed in this vacancy announcement. Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g., resume, supporting documents), the responses you provide on the application questionnaire, and the result of the online assessments required for this position. You will be assessed on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics):

• Analytical Thinking
• Business Planning & Resource Management
• Interpersonal Skills
• Oral Communication
• Planning and Evaluating
• Written Communication

In order to be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. In addition to the application and application questionnaire, this position requires an online assessment. The online assessment measures critical general competencies required to perform the job. Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or application questionnaire may result in your removal from consideration. Cheating on the online assessment may also result in your removal from consideration.

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 you are applying under CTAP or ICTAP, you MUST submit proof of eligibility under 5 CFR 330.602(a) for CTAP and 5 CFR 330.704 for ICTAP. This includes a copy of the agency notice, a copy of your most recent performance rating, and a copy of your most recent SF-50 (Notification of Personnel Action) showing your position, grade level, and duty location. Please annotate your application to reflect that you are applying as a CTAP or ICTAP eligible
• 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.

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.