Foreign Affairs Specialist
What you'd do
This position is located in the Research Analysis and Intelligence Dissemination Directorate. This is the full performance level for the position. The incumbent independently plans and carries out a variety of assignments related to foreign affairs and national security policy. The work requires a comprehensive understanding of the subject matter and involves handling a range of complex issues with minimal supervision.
Major duties
Incumbent typical work assignments may include the following: Conducts comprehensive research from a wide range of sources to analyze complex foreign policy and national security issues. Independently authors complete analytical reports, policy memos, issue papers, and formal briefing materials that present findings and make recommendations. Establishes and maintains a network of contacts throughout the policy and intelligence communities to facilitate information sharing and collaboration.
What you need to qualify
In order to qualify for this position, you must meet the requirements described below. BASIC REQUIREMENTS: Applicants must meet the Basic Requirements for the Foreign Affairs (0130) series which includes: 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-11 level, if you fulfill the following qualification requirement: One year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-9 grade level in the Federal Service (experience may have been gained in the private sector) that demonstrates your ability in: 1) Researching and analyzing a wide variety of issues to formulate solutions; and 2) Oral and written communication to develop and deliver briefings and correspondence/reports to higher-level managers. OR Have a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree or 3 full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree. OR Have a combination of specialized experience and education. Education must have been completed in a college or university in the U.S. (Note: You must attach a copy of your transcripts for verification) You may qualify at the GS-12 level, if you fulfill the following qualification requirement: One year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-11 grade level in the Federal service (experience may have been gained in the private sector) that demonstrates your ability in: 1) Researching and analyzing foreign military capabilities, international security developments, or defense policy issues; 2) Developing long-term strategies resulting in successful implementation; and 3) Oral and written communication to develop and deliver briefings and correspondence/reports to higher-level managers. 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. All qualifications and education requirements must be met by the closing date of this announcement and clearly documented in your resume. Your resume may not exceed two (2) pages. 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 duration 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://help.usajobs.gov/faq/application/documents/resume/what-to-include ACTIVE DUTY SERVICE MEMBERS: Federal agencies treat active duty service member as veterans, disabled veterans, and preference eligible, when they submit, as part of their application package, a "certification" of active service in lieu of a DD-214, indicating the service member is otherwise eligible and will be discharged or released within 120 days from the date of submission.. 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. This "certification" must include your rank, dates of active duty service, type of discharge and character of service (i.e. honorable), and date any terminal leave will begin. It must be signed by, or by direction of, the adjutant, personnel officer, or commander of your unit or higher headquarters. Active duty members that fail to provide a valid "certification" of service with their initial application will be found "not eligible". Members may be appointed before the effective date of their military retirement/separation if they are on terminal leave. Current or Former Political Appointees: 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. 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. Time-in-grade requirements must be met by the closing date of this announcement and clearly documented in your resume.
Before you apply
Federal applications are different: your resume should be 3–5 pages and mirror the language of this announcement. Read our federal resume guide first — it's the #1 reason qualified people get screened out.
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