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International Relations Officer

Department of Labor
Bureau of International Labor Affairs
This job announcement has closed

Summary

This position is located in the in the Bureau of International Labor Affairs (ILAB), Office of Trade and Labor Affairs (OTLA) in the Trade Negotiation & Implementation Division or Preference Program Enforcement Division. The mission of the OTLA is to work to ensure that U.S. trade agreements are fair for American workers and workers around the world.

- Additional selections may be made from this announcement.

Overview

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Hiring complete
Open & closing dates
04/16/2021 to 04/26/2021
Salary
$72,750 to - $134,798 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 11 - 13
Location
5 vacancies in the following location:
Washington, DC
Few vacancies
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Travel Required
Occasional travel - 5 percent of the time.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
13 - There is no obligation to provide future promotions if you are selected. Promotions are dependent on your ability to perform the duties at a higher level, meet all the performance requirements, and supervisor’s recommendation to the next grade.
Job family (Series)
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Secret
Drug test
Yes
Position sensitivity and risk
Noncritical-Sensitive (NCS)/Moderate Risk
Trust determination process
Announcement number
DE-21-PHIL-ILAB-0040
Control number
598586000

This job is open to

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Clarification from the agency

U.S. Citizens; CTAP/ICTAP in the local commuting area. Also advertised as job #MS-21-PHIL-ILAB-0074 for status applicants: Current Federal employees with competitive status; Former Federal employees with reinstatement eligibility; ICTAP/CTAP eligibles in the local commuting area; VEOA eligibles; Military Spouse eligibles; Land Management Act eligibles.

Duties

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  • Analyzes the impact of international trade, economic policy, development finance, international development, and/or livelihoods policies on U.S. workers, U.S. Government (USG) policy priorities, and DOL/ILAB policy interests.
  • Formulates policy or program recommendations and develops negotiating objectives and positions, including coordinating and developing official positions on assigned work areas. Designs strategies and tactics for advancing ILAB policy positions and negotiating objectives. Coordinates policies, directives, negotiating objectives, positions, and strategies with stakeholders.
  • Negotiates policies and agreement and other efforts to effect the adoption of policy positions. Represents the interest of the agency to others in formal negotiations and at international, interagency, and intra-agency working groups, committees, international meetings, and conferences and meetings with other USG agencies, foreign governments, employers and management organizations, and workers' organizations.
  • Analyzes labor provisions of trade, investment, and development finance agreements and programs and ILAB's roles and responsibilities in administering those provisions. Applies understanding of the underlying policy and political interests that drive ILAB engagements and positions regarding these agreements and programs.
  • Assesses countries' compliance with international labor standards set by the International Labor Organization and analyzes countries' policies and practices for enforcing their labor laws with respect to international labor standards. Analyzes and evaluates complaints or allegations that labor rights commitments have been violated under relevant trade or investment agreements or programs. Prepares detailed analyses of beneficiary or partner countries' compliance or deficiencies with international labor standards and/or labor provisions of trade agreements and programs. Drafts remediation plans to bring countries into compliance with labor provisions of trade agreements and programs.
  • Serves as an authoritative consultant, expert, and advisor to DOL staff and leaders, other U.S. Government agencies, foreign governments, and/or international organizations on policy and key developments regarding office issues and programs.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • Candidate required to obtain the necessary security/investigation level.
  • Appointment to this position may require a background investigation.
  • Subject to pre-employment and random drug tests.
  • Requires a probationary period if the requirement has not been met.
  • Must be at least 16 years old and a U.S. Citizen.

Applicants must meet all legal and regulatory requirements. Reference the "Required Documents" section for additional requirements.

Qualifications

IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE.

Basic Requirements:

  1. 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

  2. Combination of education and experience: courses equivalent to a major, or a combination of related courses totaling at least 24 semester hours, in one or more of the social sciences, or in the humanities, as shown in A above, plus appropriate experience or additional education.

    OR

  3. 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.

In addition to the basic requirements of this position, applicants must also possess 52 weeks of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level in the Federal Service.

For the GS-11:

Possess (52 weeks) of specialized experience at or equivalent to the GS-09 grade level or pay band in the Federal Service or equivalent experience in the private or public sector. Specialized experience is experience 1) conducting research on worker rights; 2) monitoring of company or country’s policies or practices for compliance with international labor standards; OR 3) assisting in the formulation of policy recommendations related to trade policy, labor rights, or equitable economic growth.

OR

3 years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. degree or Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree (degree must be related to the position.)

For the GS-12:

Possess (52 weeks) of specialized experience at or equivalent to the GS-11 grade level or pay band in the Federal Service or equivalent experience in the private or public sector. Specialized experience is experience 1) conducting research on worker rights; 2) monitoring or analysis of company or country’s policies or practices for compliance with international labor standards; OR 3) formulating policy recommendations related to trade policy, labor rights, or equitable economic growth.

For the GS-13:

Possess (52 weeks) of specialized experience at or equivalent to the GS-12 grade level or pay band in the Federal Service or equivalent experience in the private or public sector. Specialized experience is experience: 1) conducting research on worker rights; 2) monitoring, analysis, or remediation of company or country’s policies or practices for compliance with international labor standards; OR 3) formulating or implementing policy recommendations related to trade policy, labor rights, or equitable economic growth.

Education

Any applicant falsely claiming an academic degree from an accredited school will be subject to actions ranging from disqualification from federal employment to removal from federal service.

If your education was completed at a foreign college or university, you must show comparability to education received in accredited educational institutions in the United States and comparability to applicable minimum course work requirements for this position. Click Evaluation of Foreign Education for more information.

Additional information

DOL seeks to attract and retain a high performing and diverse workforce in which employees’ differences are respected and valued to better meet the varying needs of the diverse customers we serve. DOL fosters a diverse and inclusive work environment that promotes collaboration, flexibility and fairness so that all individuals are able to participate and contribute to their full potential.

Refer to these links for more information: GENERAL INFORMATION, ADDITIONAL DOCUMENTATION, FORMER FEDERAL EMPLOYEES

How you will be evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

If you meet the minimum qualifications, you will be evaluated against the evaluation factors below and will be placed into a category based on your vacancy question responses.

Categories

Category A - Meets the basic qualification requirements for the vacancy and has successful experience in the same or similar job that has demonstrated superior proficiency in applying critical competencies.

Category B - Meets the basic qualification requirements for the vacancy and demonstrates satisfactory proficiency in the critical competencies.

Category C - Meets the specialized experience described in the minimum qualifications requirements section of this announcement and demonstrates proficiency in the basic competencies.

Evaluation Factors (Competencies) - All qualified applicants will be evaluated on the following key competencies:

Compliance– Effectively assesses, evaluates, and monitors programs, policies, ad practices for compliance with relevant international standards and/or domestic statutes, such as national laws, regulations, and guidance.

Technical Competence - Uses knowledge that is acquired through formal training or extensive on-the-job experience to perform one's job; works with, understands, and evaluates technical information related to the job.

Strategic Thinking - Formulates effective strategies consistent with the business and competitive strategy of the organization in a global economy. 

Written/Oral Communication - Writes in a clear, concise, organized, and convincing manner for the intended audience, with the ability to synthesize complex set of ideas, facts, and messages into clear, coherent and concise arguments. Expresses information to individuals or groups effectively; makes clear and convincing oral presentations.

Influencing/Negotiating – Persuades others to accept recommendations, cooperate, or change their behavior; works with others towards an agreement; negotiates to find mutually acceptable solutions.

Project Management – Applies principles, methods, or tools for developing, scheduling, coordinating, monitoring, evaluating, and managing projects and resources, including technical performance.

The information you provide on your resume may be verified by a review of your work experience, employment start/end dates/hours worked and/or education, by checking references and through other means (ex. interview). The examining Office of Human Resources (OHR) makes the final determination concerning applicant ratings. Your resume MUST provide sufficient information to substantiate your responses to the vacancy questions. If not, the OHR may amend your responses to more accurately reflect the level of competency indicated by the content of your resume. Your evaluation may also include a review by a Human Resources Specialist or panel and may include other assessments (ex. interview, panel review, written test, writing sample, etc.)

INFORMATION FOR ICTAP/CTAP ELIGIBLE(S) ONLY: If you are eligible for special priority selection under ICTAP/CTAP, you must be well-qualified for the position to receive consideration. ICTAP/CTAP eligible(s) who are placed into Category A or higher will be considered "well-qualified." Be sure to review DOL Account Eligibility Questions #24 to reflect that you are applying as an ICTAP or CTAP eligible and submit supporting documentation. Click Application of Veterans Preference for Category Rating Jobs for more information.


To preview questions please click here.

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