Duties

Summary

These positions are located in the Bureau of International Labor Affairs (ILAB), Office of Trade and Labor Affairs (OTLA), in the divisions of: Monitoring & Enforcement of Trade Agreements (META) or United States/Mexico/Canada Agreement (USMCA) Monitoring and Enforcement (USMCA ME).

- Additional selections may be made from this announcement.

- This position is located outside the bargaining unit.

Learn more about this agency

Responsibilities

Language Requirement - Ability to speak, read, and write Spanish In all styles and forms of the language pertinent to the duties of the position .

The mission of the Office of Trade and Labor Affairs (OTLA) is to work to ensure that U.S. trade agreements are fair for American workers and workers around the world.

Major Duties Include:

Monitors and analyzes the impact of international trade, economic policy, international development, and/or livelihoods policies on U.S. workers, U.S. Government (USG) policy priorities, and DOL/ILAB policy interests.

Assesses countries' compliance with international labor standards set by the International Labor Organization and analyzes countries' policies and practices for enforcing their labor laws with respect to international labor standards.

Analyzes and evaluates complaints or allegations that labor rights commitments have been violated under relevant trade or investment agreements or programs. Prepares detailed analyses of beneficiary or partner countries' compliance or deficiencies with international labor standards and/or labor provisions of trade agreements. Drafts remediation plans to bring countries into compliance with labor provisions of trade agreements and programs.

Analyzes labor provisions of trade agreements and fulfills ILAB's roles and responsibilities in administering those provisions. Applies understanding of the underlying policy and political interests that drive ILAB engagements and positions regarding these agreements and programs.

Formulates policy or program recommendations and develops negotiating objectives and positions, including developing official positions on assigned work areas. Designs strategies and tactics for advancing ILAB policy positions and objectives. Coordinates policies, directives, negotiating objectives, positions, and strategies with external stakeholders.

Represents the interests of the agency to others in formal settings and at international, interagency, and intra-agency working groups, committees, international meetings, and conferences and meetings with other USG agencies, foreign governments, employers' organizations, and workers' organizations.

Serves as an authoritative expert and advisor to DOL staff and leaders, other U.S. Government agencies, foreign governments, and/or international organizations on labor policy and key developments regarding enforcement of international labor standards and/or labor provisions of trade agreements.

The incumbent serves in a developmental capacity at the GS-11 and GS-12 grade levels. Key functions will be similar to those described at the full performance level of the target position (GS-13).

Travel Required

Occasional travel - 5% of the time

Supervisory status
No

Promotion Potential
13 - There is no obligation to provide future promotions if you are selected. Promotions are dependent on your ability to perform the duties at a higher level, meet all the performance requirements, and supervisor's recommendation to the next grade.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

• Candidate required to obtain the necessary security/investigation level.
• Appointment to this position may require a background investigation.
• Subject to pre-employment and random drug tests.
• Requires a probationary period if the requirement has not been met.
• Must be at least 16 years old and a U.S. Citizen.

Applicants must meet all legal and regulatory requirements. Reference the "Required Documents" section for additional requirements.

Language Requirement - Ability to speak, read, and write Spanish In all styles and forms of the language pertinent to the duties of the position.

Qualifications

THIS POSITION HAS A BASIC REQUIREMENT. ALL APPLICANTS MUST MEET THIS REQUIREMENT IN ORDER TO BE CONSIDERED.

Basic Requirements:

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, in one or more of the social sciences, or in the humanities, 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.

In addition to the basic requirements of this position, applicants must also possess 52 weeks of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level in the Federal Service.



IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE.


For the GS-11:

Possess (52 weeks) of specialized experience at or equivalent to the GS-09 grade level or pay band in the Federal Service or equivalent experience in the private or public sector. Specialized experience is experience 1) conducting research on worker rights; 2) conducting monitoring of company or country's policies or practices for compliance with international labor standards; OR 3) assisting in the formulation of policy recommendations related to labor rights.

OR

3 years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. degree or Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree (degree must be related to the position.)

For the GS-12:

Possess (52 weeks) of specialized experience at or equivalent to the GS-11 grade level or pay band in the Federal Service or equivalent experience in the private or public sector. Specialized experience is experience 1) conducting research on worker rights; 2) conducting monitoring or analysis of company, industry or country's policies or practices for compliance with international labor standards; OR 3) formulating policy recommendations related to labor rights.

For the GS-13:

Possess (52 weeks) of specialized experience at or equivalent to the GS-12 grade level or pay band in the Federal Service or equivalent experience in the private or public sector. Specialized experience is experience 1) conducting research on worker rights; 2) conducting monitoring, analysis, or remediation of company, industry or country's policies or practices for compliance with international labor standards; OR 3) formulating or implementing policy recommendations related to labor rights.

Education

Any applicant falsely claiming an academic degree from an accredited school will be subject to actions ranging from disqualification from federal employment to removal from federal service.

If your education was completed at a foreign college or university, you must show comparability to education received in accredited educational institutions in the United States and comparability to applicable minimum course work requirements for this position. Click Evaluation of Foreign Education for more information.

Additional information

DOL seeks to attract and retain a high performing and diverse workforce in which employees' differences are respected and valued to better meet the varying needs of the diverse customers we serve. DOL fosters a diverse and inclusive work environment that promotes collaboration, flexibility and fairness so that all individuals are able to participate and contribute to their full potential.

Refer to these links for more information: GENERAL INFORMATION , ADDITIONAL DOCUMENTATION , FORMER FEDERAL EMPLOYEES

How You Will Be Evaluated

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

If you meet the minimum qualifications, you will be evaluated against the evaluation factors below and will be placed into a category based on your vacancy question responses.

Categories

Category A - Meets the basic qualification requirements for the vacancy and has successful experience in the same or similar job that has demonstrated superior proficiency in applying critical competencies.

Category B - Meets the basic qualification requirements for the vacancy and demonstrates satisfactory proficiency in the critical competencies.

Category C - Meets the specialized experience described in the minimum qualifications requirements section of this announcement and demonstrates proficiency in the basic competencies.

Evaluation Factors (Competencies) - All qualified applicants will be evaluated on the following key competencies:

Compliance- Effectively assesses, evaluates, and monitors programs, policies, ad practices for compliance with relevant international standards and/or domestic statutes, such as national laws, regulations, and guidance.

Technical Competence - Uses knowledge that is acquired through formal training or extensive on-the-job experience to perform one's job; works with, understands, and evaluates technical information related to the job.

Strategic Thinking - Formulates effective strategies consistent with the business and competitive strategy of the organization in a global economy.

Oral/Written Communication - Writes in a clear, concise, organized, and convincing manner for the intended audience, with the ability to synthesize complex set of ideas, facts, and messages into clear, coherent and concise arguments. Expresses information to individuals or groups effectively; makes clear and convincing oral presentations.

Influencing/Negotiating - Persuades others to accept recommendations, cooperate, or change their behavior; works with others towards an agreement; negotiates to find mutually acceptable solutions.

Project Management - Applies principles, methods, or tools for developing, scheduling, coordinating, monitoring, evaluating, and managing projects and resources, including technical performance.

The information you provide on your resume may be verified by a review of your work experience, employment start/end dates/hours worked and/or education, by checking references and through other means (ex. interview). The examining Office of Human Resources (OHR) makes the final determination concerning applicant ratings. Your resume MUST provide sufficient information to substantiate your responses to the vacancy questions. If not, the OHR may amend your responses to more accurately reflect the level of competency indicated by the content of your resume. Your evaluation may also include a review by a Human Resources Specialist or panel and may include other assessments (ex. interview, panel review, written test, writing sample, etc.)

INFORMATION FOR ICTAP/CTAP ELIGIBLE(S) ONLY: If you are eligible for special priority selection under ICTAP/CTAP, you must be well-qualified for the position to receive consideration. ICTAP/CTAP eligible(s) who are placed into Category A or higher will be considered "well-qualified." Be sure to review DOL Account Eligibility Questions #24 to reflect that you are applying as an ICTAP or CTAP eligible and submit supporting documentation. Click Application of Veterans Preference for Category Rating Jobs for more information.

To preview questions please click here .

Background checks and security clearance

Security clearance
Secret

Drug test required
Yes

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

Trust determination process
National security

Required Documents

The following documents must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. (ET) on the vacancy closing date. You are not required to submit a document if it does not apply to you. Warning: If you submit a document using the same document title, the 2nd submission will OVERWRITE the 1st submission. Also, do not upload password-protected documents.

- Resumes are required - provide a resume either by creating one in USAJOBS or uploading one from your profile. To receive full consideration for relevant and specialized experience, please list the month, year, and the number of work hours worked for the experience listed on your resume. We also suggest that you preview the vacancy questions, and confirm that your resume supports your question responses.

- Veterans Documents (if applicable): To be considered as a 5-point preference eligible, you must submit a copy of your Certificate of Release or Discharge From Active Duty, DD214. Your DD-214 must show the type of discharge and dates of active duty. To claim 10-point preference, you must submit a copy of your DD214; an Application for 10-point Veteran's Preference, SF15; and the proof of entitlement of this preference which is normally an official statement, dated 1991 or later, from the Department of Veterans Affairs certifying to the present existence of the service-connected disability and indicating the percentage of your disability. (For active duty service members expecting honorable or general discharge or release within 120 days, click Active Duty ). Without this documentation, you will not receive veteran's preference. For more information, go to http://www.fedshirevets.gov/hire/hrp/vetguide/index.aspx

- Displaced Employee Placement Documents - Only required if requesting priority consideration under CTAP or ICTAP eligibility.

- Cover Letters are not mandatory and will not be used to verify experience, but may be submitted. Applicants selected for employment who are not current DOL employees will be required to provide proof of citizenship , and the E-Verify system will be used to confirm the employment eligibility of all new hires.

Unofficial Transcript(s) (in English) - If you are using education as a basis for qualifying for this position, you must submit all applicable academic transcripts demonstrating that you meet the qualifying educational requirements (ex. BA/BS, MA, JD, Ph.D., etc.). If specific coursework is required to qualify, you must supply an unofficial transcript from each academic institution in which the required courses were taken in order to receive credit.

You may upload your unofficial transcript(s) as one document (3 MB size limit). If over 3 MB, please submit via fax feature.

NOTE: The OFFICIAL Transcript(s) MUST BE RECEIVED, if you are selected, and prior to receiving the firm offer with a start date.

Reference the "Education Section" for College Transcript and Evaluation of Foreign Education.

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.