This Program Associate position is located in the Wilson Center’s Asia Program. The program provides a forum in the Nation's capital for enhancing deeper understanding of, and policy debate about Asia. It seeks to furnish an intellectual link between the world of ideas and the world of policy on issues relating to Asia and U.S. interests in Asia.
Applicants are highly encouraged to read the entire vacancy announcement prior to applying.
Summary
This Program Associate position is located in the Wilson Center’s Asia Program. The program provides a forum in the Nation's capital for enhancing deeper understanding of, and policy debate about Asia. It seeks to furnish an intellectual link between the world of ideas and the world of policy on issues relating to Asia and U.S. interests in Asia.
Applicants are highly encouraged to read the entire vacancy announcement prior to applying.
Temporary - This is a temporary position not to exceed 2 years. Extensions or conversion to indefinite appointment is not automatic or guaranteed and it requires approval from management.
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Excepted
Promotion potential
11 - Promotion to the full performance level is not automatic or guaranteed.
Supports the Program Director in research and writing for reports, blog posts, op-eds, briefings, testimony, and other substantive activities.
Leads the Asia Program's new fellowship program to include managing the application competition process.
Collaborates with senior staff members with the production of program specific meeting reports, briefing notes, program newsletters, grant applications and publications.
Engages with Senior Program Associates in drafting and assisting with all phases of producing publications, to include original writing and editing.
Identifies and works closely with partner organizations in areas of expertise, maintaining fluid communications and exchange and identifying opportunities for joint activities.
Collaborates with the Program’s Communications Specialist to expand Asia Program’s communication initiatives, including the Fellowship Program.
Serves as the principal point person for all communications with Fellowship participants and ensure all related activities are conducted on time and to the highest standards of quality.
Manages information related to Fellowship participants, and oversees all alumni activities.
Assists with the maintenance of the program website, including working with the technical computer staff, and researching and updating links.
Major duties and responsibilities are at the full performance level. If selected at the Grade 09 level, the complexity and the scope of work are less than that of the full performance level. You will be given minimal administrative guidance at the Grade 09 level.
You must be authorized to work in the United States.
You must complete a background investigation.
Selective Service Registration is required, as applicable.
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 to apply.
All Qualifications criteria must be met by the closing date of announcement.
Qualifications
To minimally qualify for this position, applicants must meet one of the following:
(1). 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, cultivating partnerships with internal and external stakeholders, and researching and writing reports or other written materials/publication related to Asia and/or US-Asia relations; OR
(2). 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
(3).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 graduate degree in International Relations, Political Science and Public Policy with focus on Asian studies and/or geopolitical issues related to the Asia-Pacific is highly desirable. Knowledge of China and the capacity in the Mandarin language are preferred.
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.
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
Communication Skills
Expertise and interest in Asia studies and/or US-Asia 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.
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.
Note: If selected for the position and you used your education to qualify, you will be required to provide your official transcripts (and other documents from an accredited credentialing agency for foreign academic credentials). You will be responsible for any cost associated in obtaining the documents.
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.
Note: If selected for the position and you used your education to qualify, you will be required to provide your official transcripts (and other documents from an accredited credentialing agency for foreign academic credentials). You will be responsible for any cost associated in obtaining the documents.
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.
