Job opening: FOREIGN AFFAIRS SPECIALIST
Salary: $112 015 - 172 075 per year
Published at: Sep 15 2023
Employment Type: Full-time
This position is located in the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Policy (OUSDP). The USDP serves as the principal advisor and assistant to the Secretary of Defense for all matters concerned with the formulation of national security and defense policy with particular emphasis on the integration and oversight of DoD policy and plans to achieve national security objectives. This position could be assigned to one or more of any number of countries or regional portfolios.
Duties
Incumbent typical work assignments may include the following:
Plays a major role in the study, review, and adjustment of the strategies, concepts, programs, and budgets required to support OSD policy and program guidance; focuses senior policy attention on issues with major defense policy, national security, or international security implications.
Takes a lead role in managing team projects, including actively encouraging communication, coordination, innovation, and high quality team products; analyses highly complex policy, strategy, and force posture alternatives and implications.
Provides expert advice at the ASD or higher level on key strategy and various other matters; reviews and develops Policy positions and responses to action originating in other DoD and non-DoD offices or agencies that have implications for foreign policy and national security policy, strategy, program, planning, and budgets.
Represents DoD in delegations to international meetings and conferences; represents DoD positions during contact with the Congressional staff; monitors Congressional action on DoD defense strategy, programs, and budget; and develops or contributes testimony or other presentations to the Congress.
Requirements
- U.S. Citizenship is required
- Males born after 12-31-59 must be registered or exempt from Selective Service (see https://www.sss.gov/Home/Registration)
- This position is subject to provisions of the WHS/OSD PPP Pilot Program
- May be required to successfully complete a probationary/trial period
- Must be determined suitable for federal employment
- Required to participate in the direct deposit program
- This position is subject to pre-employment and random drug testing
- This position requires you to obtain and maintain a Top Secret security clearance with SCI and SAP components.
- This position may require occasional travel away from your normal duty station on military or commercial aircraft.
- This position may require you to work other than normal hours, which may include evenings, weekends, and/or holidays and/or overtime.
Qualifications
For qualifications determinations, it is recommended that applicants include their months and hours worked per week for each employment listed on their resume. If a determination is not able to be made about the length of your creditable experience for qualification requirements, you will be removed from consideration.
Read more about what should I include in my federal resume? at https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/faq/application/documents/resume/what-to-include/
Basic Requirement:
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.
You may qualify at the GS-13 level if you fulfill the following qualification requirement:
One year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-12 grade level in the Federal service (experience may have been gained in the private sector) that demonstrates your experience: 1) contributing to the development foreign policy related to irregular warfare programs for an organization (such as special operations, intelligence, sensitive activities); 2) reviewing irregular warfare programs, budgets, and authorities to identify gaps and discrepancies with policy for leadership attention and required action; evaluating policy and strategy related to irregular warfare for applicable use for senior foreign policy leaders to support national security; contributing to the development of written documentation on irregular warfare (such as presentations, briefs, decision memorandums) to support senior foreign policy leader engagements; and preparing senior foreign policy leaders' participating in international meetings and conferences supporting international relations and cooperation in the field of irregular warfare.
You may qualify at the GS-14 level if you fulfill the following qualification requirement:
One year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-13 grade level in the Federal service (experience may have been gained in the private sector) that demonstrates your experience: 1) developing foreign policy related to irregular warfare programs for an organization (such as special operations, intelligence, sensitive activities); 2) evaluating irregular warfare programs, budgets, and authorities to identify ways to better integrate irregular warfare concepts and capabilities into foreign policy and operations; 3) providing policy and strategy advice and guidance to senior foreign policy leaders on irregular warfare options to support national security; 4) preparing written documentation on irregular warfare (such as presentations, briefs, decision memorandums) to support senior foreign policy leader engagements; and 5) participating in international meetings and conferences supporting international relations and cooperation in the field of irregular warfare.
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). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.
ACTIVE DUTY SERVICE MEMBERS: The VOW Act Chapter 21 of Title 5, United States Code (U.S.C.), Section 2108a, requires Federal agencies treat active duty service member as veterans, disabled veterans, and preference eligible, when they submit, at the time they apply for a Federal job, a "certification" of active service in lieu of a DD-214, assuming the service member is otherwise eligible. A "certification" letter should be on letterhead of the appropriate military branch of the service and contain (1) the military service dates including the expected discharge or release date; and (2) the character of service. The service member's military service dates are necessary in order to determine whether he or she meets the definition of "veteran" under 5 U.S.C. 2108(1). The "certification" must reflect the service member is expected to be discharged or released from active duty service in the armed forces under honorable conditions not later than 120 days after the date of submission. The "certification" must be signed by, or by direction of, the adjutant, personnel officer, or commander of your unit or higher headquarters and must indicate when your terminal leave will begin (if applicable), your rank, dates of active duty service, the type of discharge and character of service (i.e. honorable). Further, under paragraph (h) of the rule, agencies are required to verify a qualifying separation from military service prior to appointment, through the DD-214 or other appropriate documentation. Your preference and/or appointment eligibility will be verified prior to appointment. Active duty members that fail to provide a valid "certification" of service with their initial application will be found ineligible for veterans preference. Military members may be appointed before the effective date of their military retirement/separation if member is on terminal leave.
Current or Former Political Appointees: Beginning January 1, 2010, agencies must seek prior approval from OPM before they can appoint a current or recent political appointee to a competitive or non-political excepted service position at any level under the provisions of title 5, United States Code. If you are currently or have been within the last 5 years, a political Schedule A, Schedule C, or Non-career SES employee in the executive branch, you MUST disclose that to the Human Resources Office. Submit a copy of your applicable SF-50, along with a statement that provides the following information regarding your most recent political appointment:
Position title;
Type of appointment (Schedule A, Schedule C, Non-career SES, or Presidential Appointee);
Agency; and,
Beginning and ending dates of appointment.
All qualifications and education requirements must be met by the closing date of this announcement and clearly documented in your resume.
Education
Education cannot be substituted for experience.
ARE YOU QUALIFYING BASED ON A COMBINATION OF EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE?
You must provide sufficient documentation of your education in your resume. You are strongly encouraged to provide a copy of transcripts or degrees in your application package. It is also acceptable to document your applicable course listing in your resume (course number, credits earned, etc.). 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. Applicants can verify accreditation at the following website: http://www.ed.gov/admins/finaid/accred/index.html. All education claimed by applicants will be verified by the appointing agency. If selected, an official/sealed transcript will be required prior to appointment.
PASS/FAIL COURSES: If more than 10 percent of your undergraduate course work (credit hours) were taken on a pass/fail basis, your claim of superior academic achievement must be based upon class standing or membership in an honor society.
GRADUATE EDUCATION: One academic year of graduate education is considered to be the number of credits hours your graduate school has determined to represent one academic year of full-time study. Such study may have been performed on a full-time or part-time basis. If you cannot obtain your graduate school's definition of one year of graduate study, 18 semester hours (or 27 quarter hours) should be considered as satisfying the requirement for one year of full-time graduate study.
FOREIGN EDUCATION: If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show 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:
https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html.
Contacts
- Address Office of the USD for Policy
4800 Mark Center Drive
Alexandria, VA 22350
US
- Name: Washington HQ Services
- Phone: 000-000-0000
- Email: [email protected]
Map