Duties

• Serves as the chief action officer and is the initial point of contact for all incoming actions regarding assignment from Departmental Offices, U.S. embassies/posts, international and non-governmental organizations, and foreign governments.
• Ensures effective communication of US policy developments and guidance, and advocates and defends policy interests in dealing with specific Foreign Assistance program proposals and other US government (USG) activities.
• Assesses conditions in assigned countries through analysis of reporting and on-site interviews and observation, and determines the advisability and need for more, less, or continued USG program activity. Advocates adjustments in program funding.
• Offers insight into foreign affairs and makes recommendations on effective U.S. policy choices in dealing directly with countries or indirectly through third parties or multi-lateral organizations, to foreign policy decision-makers and entities.
• Develops and proposes resolutions of policy and procedural issues, and coordinates implementation of policy decisions through research, analysis, and overseas site visits as needed.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

• Incumbent will be subject to random drug testing.
• U.S. Citizenship is required.
• One year probationary period, unless excepted by regulation.
• Must be able to obtain and maintain a Secret security clearance.
• Verification of employment eligibility in the United States is required.

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.

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.)

IN ADDITION to the basic requirements, this position requires one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-12 level in the Federal service which provided the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities to perform the duties of the position.

Qualifying specialized experience must demonstrate the following:

• Experience developing, implementing, monitoring and advising on U.S. foreign policy related to a particular country or region.
• Experience liaising with policymaking officials.
• Experience presenting, explaining, and defending controversial policy matters.

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.

Education

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

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, telework and remote work agreements may be permitted with supervisory approval. Please note that any approved remote work arrangement is subject to the locality pay area of the alternative telework worksite.

If eligible, applicants to this announcement may be referred to other positions in other Bureaus/Offices in the Department that may require a higher security clearance.

EMPLOYMENT ELIGIBILITY VERIFICATION PROGRAM (E-Verify) - U.S. law requires organizations to employ only individuals who may legally work in the United States - either U.S. citizens, or foreign citizens who have the necessary authorization. This agency utilizes E-Verify to compare information from the Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification, to data from U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Social Security Administration (SSA) records to confirm employment eligibility. If the employee's information does not match DHS and/or SSA records, the employee is given an opportunity to resolve the problem. If eligibility cannot be verified, employment will be terminated.

Mandatory COVID-19 Vaccination for Federal Employees:

As required by Executive Order 14043 , Federal employees are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 regardless of the employee's duty location or work arrangement (e.g., telework, remote work, etc.), subject to such exceptions as required by law. If selected, you will be required to be vaccinated against COVID-19 and submit documentation of proof of vaccination by November 22, 2021, or before appointment or onboarding with the Department of State, if after November 22. The Department of State will provide additional information regarding what information or documentation will be needed and how you can request of the agency a legally required exception from this requirement.