The position is located in the Latin American Program (LAP) at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars. LAP seeks to improve understanding, communication, and cooperation between the United States and Latin America by promoting original research, encouraging public discussion, and proposing policy options for enhancing policymaking in the United States and the region.
Summary
The position is located in the Latin American Program (LAP) at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars. LAP seeks to improve understanding, communication, and cooperation between the United States and Latin America by promoting original research, encouraging public discussion, and proposing policy options for enhancing policymaking in the United States and the region.
Occasional travel - Travel may be required for this position, which may include International travel.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Temporary - This is a temporary position not to exceed 2 years. Extension or conversion to indefinite is not automatic or guaranteed. It is dependent on budget constraints and management approval.
Work schedule
Full-Time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
11 - Employee will be eligible for promotion after 1 year. Promotion is not automatic or guaranteed. It is subject to approval from supervisor.
This position is responsible for planning and developing public programs, briefings, seminars, and other activities that analyze a wide range of programmatic initiatives on environmental sustainability, trade, and integration. The responsibilities include:
Carrying out original research on environmental, trade, and other issues and publishing in U.S. and Latin American media in areas of expertise in English and Spanish
Developing conferences and seminars—to include designing the agenda, recruiting speakers, and working with other LAP staff and partner organizations to ensure the implementation of needed logistical arrangements in English and/or Spanish
Managing the Latin American Program public policy fellowships
Working closely with other LAP staff on budget oversight and management
In coordination with the Program Director, assisting with fundraising from foundation and private sector sources, and assisting the Program Director in overseeing the budget related to areas of responsibility
Preparing funding proposals and grant narratives
Drafting and assisting with all phases of producing publications based on LAP events and projects, to include original writing, editing, and overseeing all aspects of the editing, design, and printing of bulletins, reports, and articles in the associate’s areas of expertise in English and Spanish
Conducting outreach to advertise LAP Fellowship opportunities, compile applications, and assist in their review
Identifying and working closely with partner organizations in areas of expertise, maintaining fluid communications and exchange and identifying opportunities for joint activities
You must have a valid authorization to work in the United States.
You must complete a background investigation.
Selective Service Registration is required, as applicable.
You may be required to complete a probationary period.
You must maintain a bank account for direct deposit.
You must have a valid Social Security Number.
Qualifications
To qualify for this position, applicants must meet criteria in (1) and (2) below.
(1)Selective Factor (SF): Proficiency with the Spanish language to perform written and oral fluency requirements is mandatory for this position. For example, applicant must be able to draft correspondence in Spanish and offer oral remarks in Spanish at public conferences. A selective factor is an essential requirement for successful job 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: Applicants must have at least one full-time year (12-months) of specialized experience at, or equivalent to, the Grade 7 level (relative to federal and market standards) coordinating special initiatives for an organization, planning conferences/seminars, supporting grants management, and contributing to written publications related to Latin American and US/Latin American relations; OR
Education: Possess a master’s or equivalent graduate degree or two full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree. Such education must demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work; OR
Combination of Specialized Experience and Education described above that meets 100% of the qualification requirements for this position. (Only graduate education in excess of the first full year may be used in this calculation.) The resume must support the experience and/or education criteria stated above.
A Master's degree in International Relations, Political Science and Public Policy with focus on Latin American studies (or equivalent) is highly desirable.
Note: The “relative market standards” is defined based on the knowledge required to do the work, complexity of the work performed, independence in conducting the work, and regular/recurring contacts.
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.
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.
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.
Qualifying applications will be placed into one of the following categories:
1. Gold (Best Qualified) 2. Silver 3. 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:
Planning & Organizing Program Initiatives
Researching Information
Fundraising and Grants Management
Financial Management
Written and Oral Communication
Expertise in Latin American and US-Latin American relations
Note: Additional assessment/s may be included as part of the application, which may include, but not limited to, providing a writing sample, a timed writing assessment and/or a panel interview. Some parts of the assessment may be conducted in the Spanish language to assess your fluency.
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.
Cover letter addressing your interest to the position.
Responses to the Assessment Questionnaire completed online.
An unofficial transcript if you are using graduate education to qualify for the position.
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) 691-4211 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.
Cover letter addressing your interest to the position.
Responses to the Assessment Questionnaire completed online.
An unofficial transcript if you are using graduate education to qualify for the position.
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) 691-4211 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.
