This position is located in the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor’s Office of Near Eastern Affairs (DRL/NEA). This serves as public notice for the use of OPM's Direct Hire Authority. Applicants who meet the qualification requirements will be forwarded to the selecting official for consideration. We may select from this announcement or any other source to fill one or more vacancies.

Duties

At the GS-11/12 level, the incumbent performs essentially the same duties as outlined below; however, the scope and complexity of assignments are of less responsibility and independence and receives closer supervision than the GS-13 level. Develops and proposes resolutions of policy and procedural issues and coordinates implementation of USG policy decisions on country or Near East region-specific issues and problems regarding democratic governance and respect for human rights. Serves as a recognized expert on U.S. foreign policy. Prepares/coordinates policy & background papers; drafts, edits & clears policy guidance for other Department/inter-agency principals. Ensures that all documents comply with deadlines & guidance. Liaises with interagency working groups to ensure democracy and human rights policies are agreed to and implemented across the interagency, and to develop new policies or approaches that will assist in achieving policy objectives. Advises on country or Near East region-specific issues/problems with regard to democratic governance and respect for human rights; develops and proposes resolutions of policy & procedural issues and coordinates implementation of USG policy decisions.

Requirements

• U.S. Citizenship is required.
• Incumbent will be subject to random drug testing.
• Must be able to obtain and maintain a Top Secret security clearance.
• Successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, visit: www.dhs.gov/E-Verify/

Qualifications

Applicants must meet all the qualification requirements 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.) 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. Applying to the GS-11 IN ADDITION to meeting one of the basic entry qualifications requirements listed above, applicants applying for the GS-11 MUST also meet one of the requirements listed below:  Have at least 1 year of specialized experience that has equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position. This experience must be related to the work of the position and equivalent to at least the GS-09 level in the Federal service. Qualifying specialized experience must demonstrate the following: Experience researching and analyzing information derived from a variety of sources to provide input on foreign policy and human rights and democratic practices in the Near East region. Experience monitoring and assessing the relevancy and implications of global social, political, economic, and/or geographic issues affecting the formulation and execution of the U.S. foreign policy. OR Have 3 full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. degree OR Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree. This education must demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities to do the work of the position to be filled. OR Have a combination of graduate level education and specialized experience which is equivalent to the work of the position and equivalent to the GS0-9 level in the Federal service. This education and experience must meet 100% of the qualification requirements for this position. 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. Applying to the GS-12 IN ADDITION to the basic requirements, this position requires one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-11 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 providing support and making recommendations on policy issues related to human rights and democratic practices. Experience researching, analyzing and evaluating U.S. foreign policy objectives and programs to assess the relevancy and implications of global social, political, economic, geographic, and military issues, developments, and events affecting the formulation and execution of U.S. foreign policy in the Near East region. Applying to the GS-13 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 analyzing and evaluating factors and conditions involved in the development and implementation of U.S. foreign policy specific to Near East countries. Experience researching information derived from a variety of sources to provide guidance on foreign policy as it relates to promoting and protecting human rights, democracy promotion, and rule of law. Experience establishing liaison at all levels of the foreign policy and intelligence communities to exchange and solicit information and negotiate agreements.

Education

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

When an applicant has less than one year of specialized experience as described in the announcement, he or she may combine successfully completed graduate-level education with experience to meet the total qualification requirements. Generally, 18 graduate semester hours is equivalent to 1 full-time year of graduate study (your school and department determine what constitutes 1 full time year of graduate study). The percentage of specialized work experience (for example, 6 months equals 50%) and the percentage of graduate study (for example, 9 graduate hours for a GS-07 equals 50% where 18 graduate hours constitute a full time year) must total at least 100%.

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. For a list of accredited organizations recognized as specializing in interpretation of foreign education credentials, visit: www.naces.org/members.php.

Contacts

• Address U.S. Department of State 1999 Dyess Ave. Charleston Reg. Ctr., E119B Charleston, South Carolina 29405 United States
• Name: Kimberly Mingo
• Phone: 771 205-2090
• Email: [email protected]