This position is located in the Kennan Institute (KI) at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars (Wilson Center). The Wilson Center was established by an Act of Congress in 1968 as the national, living memorial honoring President Woodrow Wilson.
Along with the National Gallery of Art and Kennedy Center, it is one of the three entities affiliated with the Smithsonian Institution, and is governed by its own presidentially appointed Board of Trustees. The Center provides a non-partisan policy forum for tackling issues through independent research and open dialogue that seeks to inform actionable ideas for the policy community and the public at large. It offers a bridge between the world and Washington and between critical ideas and policy practice. Most of the Center's outreach efforts take place within the Center itself, but some of the activities take place in the region.
The Kennan Institute is the premier US national center for advanced research on Russia and Eurasia, co-founded by George F. Kennan in 1974. The mission of the Kennan Institute is to build and sustain deep mutual understanding, cooperation, and exchange among intellectual and opinion leaders in the United States, Russia, and the surrounding states – a bedrock for regional and global peace, prosperity, and security. Insights from Kennan scholars, publications and events have proven invaluable for US policymakers, media, and the general public seeking to understand not only what is happening in Russia and the region, but why. Since the end of the Cold War, Kennan has developed even wider and deeper contacts with intellectual opinion leaders in Russia and Ukraine, establishing offices in Moscow (1993) and Kyiv (1999). During its 43rd anniversary year and beyond, the Kennan Institute will focus on its core strengths: Deepening “lanes of excellence” in scholarship; strengthening engagement with policy processes in the US and the region; and enhancing the depth and value of Kennan’s international alumni networks.
Summary
This position is located in the Kennan Institute (KI) at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars (Wilson Center). The Wilson Center was established by an Act of Congress in 1968 as the national, living memorial honoring President Woodrow Wilson.
Along with the National Gallery of Art and Kennedy Center, it is one of the three entities affiliated with the Smithsonian Institution, and is governed by its own presidentially appointed Board of Trustees. The Center provides a non-partisan policy forum for tackling issues through independent research and open dialogue that seeks to inform actionable ideas for the policy community and the public at large. It offers a bridge between the world and Washington and between critical ideas and policy practice. Most of the Center's outreach efforts take place within the Center itself, but some of the activities take place in the region.
The Kennan Institute is the premier US national center for advanced research on Russia and Eurasia, co-founded by George F. Kennan in 1974. The mission of the Kennan Institute is to build and sustain deep mutual understanding, cooperation, and exchange among intellectual and opinion leaders in the United States, Russia, and the surrounding states – a bedrock for regional and global peace, prosperity, and security. Insights from Kennan scholars, publications and events have proven invaluable for US policymakers, media, and the general public seeking to understand not only what is happening in Russia and the region, but why. Since the end of the Cold War, Kennan has developed even wider and deeper contacts with intellectual opinion leaders in Russia and Ukraine, establishing offices in Moscow (1993) and Kyiv (1999). During its 43rd anniversary year and beyond, the Kennan Institute will focus on its core strengths: Deepening “lanes of excellence” in scholarship; strengthening engagement with policy processes in the US and the region; and enhancing the depth and value of Kennan’s international alumni networks.
Provides administrative support to Director, Deputy Director, and staff of the Kennan Institute.
Prepares and edits various correspondences for proper grammar, punctuation, and spelling.
Arranges travel and hotel accommodations for staff members and participants in the Institute’s activities; completes appropriate travel authorizations, travel vouchers, purchase orders, petty cash, and other accounting-related paperwork.
Prepares and organizes Kennan Institute public events; responsible for set-up, microphones, and all other logistical matters.
Organizes multi-day conferences including travel logistics, catering, supplies, creating and formatting agendas and program materials, and coordinating staff and attendees.
Assists with scholar administration including organizing scholar competitions, onboarding procedure, management of internal scholar seminar schedule, visa support, and scholar list.
Assists with outreach, including communications by phone, e-mail, webpages, and social media.
Maintains and edits the Kennan Institute blogs.
Answers phones and office-wide email to provide information related to program activities.
Selective Service Registration is required, as applicable.
May be required to complete a probationary period.
You must maintain a bank account for direct deposit.
All Qualifications criteria must be met by the closing date of announcement.
Qualifications
To qualify for this position, applicants must meet criteria in (1) and (2) below.
(1) Selective Factor (SF): Proficiency with the Russian language to perform written and oral fluency requirements is mandatory for this position. A selective factor is an essential requirement for successful performance that cannot be reasonably acquired on the job during a customary period of orientation or training. Applicants who do not meet the SF, which must be supported on the résumé, will not be eligible for further consideration for this position.
(2) Specialized Experience:
For GS-6: Applicants must have at least one full-time year (12-months) of specialized experience at, or equivalent to, the Grade 5 grade level in the Federal service providing administrative support functions including arranging travel and hotel accommodations, completing purchase orders, and drafting and proofreading correspondence for correct grammar, punctuation, and spelling in English and Russian.
For GS-7: Applicants must have at least one full-time year (12-months) of specialized experience at, or equivalent to, the Grade 6 level in the Federal service performing administrative support functions including arranging travel and hotel accommodations; completing purchase orders, coordinating events; and drafting and proofreading correspondence for correct grammar, punctuation, and spelling in English and Russian.
One year of GRADUATE level education directly related to the work of the position or a combination of relevant education and specialized experience meets the qualification requirements of the position at GS-7.
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.
In describing your experience, please be clear and specific. We will not make assumptions regarding your experience. If your résumé does not support your questionnaire answers, we will not allow credit for your response(s).
Education
All academic degrees and coursework must be completed at a college or university that has obtained accreditation or pre-accreditation status from an accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. For a list of schools that meet this criteria, see www.ed.gov.
Education completed in foreign colleges or universities may be used to meet the above 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 timely provide such evidence by submitting proof of creditability of education as evaluated by a credentialing agency with your application materials. More information may be found at https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html.
Additional information
Veterans' Preference: If you are entitled to veterans' preference, you should indicate the type of preference you are claiming on your résumé. Your veterans' preference entitlement will be verified by the employing organization. See REQUIRED DOCUMENTS for details on appropriate forms to submit with your application.
CTAP/ICTAP: To receive special priority consideration for eligible displaced Federal employees, you must rate a score of 85 or better on the established ranking criteria. Additional information can be found at CTAP/ICTAP.
A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.
Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.
How you will be evaluated
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
Applications are evaluated and rated under Category Rating and Selection procedures. Category rating combines the applicant's total experience and/or education/training into a single category. Your application will initially be rated against the criteria outlined in this announcement.
Information for Veterans: The category rating process does not add veteran's preference points but protects the rights of veterans by placing them ahead of non-preference eligibles within each category. Preference eligibles who meet qualification requirements and have a compensable service-connected disability of at least 10% will be listed in the highest quality category, except when the position being filled is scientific or professional at the GS-9 grade or higher. For additional information, see Veteran Information.
Qualifying applications will be placed into one of the following categories:
Gold (Best Qualified)
Silver
Bronze
Applications in the Best Qualified category will be evaluated to ensure that the Specialized Experience and other eligibility requirements are met and supported/verified by the résumé and supplemental documents submitted.
You will be rated based on the following competencies:
A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.
Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.
A Résumé showing relevant experience including hours worked per week and month/year dates of employment.
Responses to the Assessment Questionnaire completed online.
Unofficial transcript if you are using graduate education to qualify for the position.
Federal employees should submit an SF-50 Notification of Personnel Action.
Applicants applying for Veterans Preference must submit:
A copy of your DD214, Member Copy 4; or
A certification of expected discharge or release from active duty under honorable conditions dated within the last 120 days for current Active Duty members.
VA Letter of Disability, if applicable.
Veterans claiming 10-Point Preference must also submit an SF-15 Form and ALL documents indicated on the form as proof for the type of preference.
Applicants claiming CTAP/ICTAP Eligibility must submit:
Certification of Expected Separation, Reduction-In-Force Separation Notice, or Notice of Proposed Removal; most recent performance evaluation; AND SF-50 demonstrating your separation or the position you will be separated from; or
Worker's Compensation Separation: Agency certification of inability to place employee AND Notification of Separation; or Separation SF-50; or
Disability Annuity Termination: Notification from OPM of disability annuity termination AND Separation SF-50 of the last position held; or
Military Reserve or National Guard Technician Special Disability Retirement Annuity under 5 U.S.C. 8337(h) or 8456: Certification of special disability retirement annuity from a military department or National Guard Bureau AND Separation SF-50 of the last position held.
Failure to submit any of the above mentioned required documents may result in loss of consideration due to an incomplete application package. It is your responsibility to ensure that all required documents have been submitted.
If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:
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.
To apply for this position, you must complete the online application and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section below. A complete application must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on the closing date to receive consideration.
To begin the process, click the Apply Online button to create an account or log in to your existing USAJOBS account. Follow the prompts to complete the assessment questionnaire.
Click Apply Online to create a USAJOBS account or log in to your existing account. Follow the prompts to select your USAJOBS resume and/or other supporting documents and complete the initial online questionnaire.
Click the Submit My Answers button to submit your application package. It is your responsibility to ensure your responses and appropriate documentation is submitted prior to the closing date.
If you log into your USAJOBS account, https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login, select the Application Status link and then select the more information link for this position. The Details page will display the status of your application, the documentation received and processed, and any correspondence the agency has sent related to this application. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process.
To return to an incomplete application, log into your USAJOBS account and click Update Application in the vacancy announcement. You must re-select your resume and/or other documents from your USAJOBS account or your application will be incomplete.
When you receive a notification from your USAJOBS account it may indicate that your application is complete after you submit the initial online questionnaire and documentation, however, your application will NOT be complete until you have successfully completed all steps described above.
NOTE: Paper applications and information sent by mail WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED.
If applying online poses a hardship, please contact us at (202) 691-4067 prior to the closing date to speak to someone who can provide assistance for online submission. Requests for extensions will not be granted.
Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars
1300 Pennsylvania Ave. NW
Washington, District of Columbia 20004
United States
Next steps
Once the online questionnaire is received, you will receive an acknowledgement email that your submission was successful. Based upon your score, you may be referred to the hiring official. If your name is referred to the hiring official, you may be contacted directly by that office for a possible interview. You will receive notice via email or by mail, if no email address was provided by you during the application process.
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
A Résumé showing relevant experience including hours worked per week and month/year dates of employment.
Responses to the Assessment Questionnaire completed online.
Unofficial transcript if you are using graduate education to qualify for the position.
Federal employees should submit an SF-50 Notification of Personnel Action.
Applicants applying for Veterans Preference must submit:
A copy of your DD214, Member Copy 4; or
A certification of expected discharge or release from active duty under honorable conditions dated within the last 120 days for current Active Duty members.
VA Letter of Disability, if applicable.
Veterans claiming 10-Point Preference must also submit an SF-15 Form and ALL documents indicated on the form as proof for the type of preference.
Applicants claiming CTAP/ICTAP Eligibility must submit:
Certification of Expected Separation, Reduction-In-Force Separation Notice, or Notice of Proposed Removal; most recent performance evaluation; AND SF-50 demonstrating your separation or the position you will be separated from; or
Worker's Compensation Separation: Agency certification of inability to place employee AND Notification of Separation; or Separation SF-50; or
Disability Annuity Termination: Notification from OPM of disability annuity termination AND Separation SF-50 of the last position held; or
Military Reserve or National Guard Technician Special Disability Retirement Annuity under 5 U.S.C. 8337(h) or 8456: Certification of special disability retirement annuity from a military department or National Guard Bureau AND Separation SF-50 of the last position held.
Failure to submit any of the above mentioned required documents may result in loss of consideration due to an incomplete application package. It is your responsibility to ensure that all required documents have been submitted.
If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:
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.
To apply for this position, you must complete the online application and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section below. A complete application must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on the closing date to receive consideration.
To begin the process, click the Apply Online button to create an account or log in to your existing USAJOBS account. Follow the prompts to complete the assessment questionnaire.
Click Apply Online to create a USAJOBS account or log in to your existing account. Follow the prompts to select your USAJOBS resume and/or other supporting documents and complete the initial online questionnaire.
Click the Submit My Answers button to submit your application package. It is your responsibility to ensure your responses and appropriate documentation is submitted prior to the closing date.
If you log into your USAJOBS account, https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login, select the Application Status link and then select the more information link for this position. The Details page will display the status of your application, the documentation received and processed, and any correspondence the agency has sent related to this application. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process.
To return to an incomplete application, log into your USAJOBS account and click Update Application in the vacancy announcement. You must re-select your resume and/or other documents from your USAJOBS account or your application will be incomplete.
When you receive a notification from your USAJOBS account it may indicate that your application is complete after you submit the initial online questionnaire and documentation, however, your application will NOT be complete until you have successfully completed all steps described above.
NOTE: Paper applications and information sent by mail WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED.
If applying online poses a hardship, please contact us at (202) 691-4067 prior to the closing date to speak to someone who can provide assistance for online submission. Requests for extensions will not be granted.
Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars
1300 Pennsylvania Ave. NW
Washington, District of Columbia 20004
United States
Next steps
Once the online questionnaire is received, you will receive an acknowledgement email that your submission was successful. Based upon your score, you may be referred to the hiring official. If your name is referred to the hiring official, you may be contacted directly by that office for a possible interview. You will receive notice via email or by mail, if no email address was provided by you during the application process.
Fair and transparent
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
