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POLITICAL-MILITARY AFFAIRS ADVISOR

Department of the Air Force
HQ USAF and Support Elements
This job announcement has closed

Summary

Click on "Learn more about this agency" button below to view Eligibilities being considered and other IMPORTANT information.

Overview

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Hiring complete
Open & closing dates
04/26/2021 to 05/03/2021
Salary
$122,530 to - $159,286 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 14
Location
FEW vacancies in the following location:
Pentagon, Arlington, VA
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Travel Required
Occasional travel - You may be expected to travel for this position.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
Yes—You may qualify for reimbursement of relocation expenses in accordance with agency policy.
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
14
Job family (Series)
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Sensitive Compartmented Information
Drug test
Yes
Announcement number
9L-AFPC-11099026-226744-VJW
Control number
599571900

Duties

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Primary Purpose: serves as the Subject Matter Expert (SME) for Department of the Air Force (DAF), Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) and Counter-UAS (C-UAS) Export Policy, directly supporting the Deputy Under Secretary of Air Force, International Affairs (SAF/IA), the Director of Policy and Programs (SAF/IAP), and the Weapons Division (SAF/IAPW) through detailed analysis of unmanned technology and export position.

  • Serves as UAS and C-UAS Subject Matter Expert to the Deputy Under Secretary of the Air Force for International Affairs on matters of technology transfer, U.S. industry relations, and foreign military sales.
  • Formulates and refines DAF UAS export positions to control the unwarranted transfer of sensitive technology and military information.
  • Serves as DAF liaison to the MQ-9 User's Group representing DAF equities to the growing multi-national working group comprised of the MQ-9A/B - equipped nations (US, UK, France, Italy, Netherlands, Spain, Belgium).
  • Enhances technical, managerial and military expertise through professional interaction with technical and professional societies, associations, academia, symposia, contractors, research and development organization, as well as through participation in formal training programs.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • U.S. Citizenship Required
  • Males must be registered for Selective Service, see www.sss.gov
  • This is a Centrally Managed Position in the Foreign Affairs Career Field. PCS will be paid in accordance with JTR Vol. 2 and applicable Air Force Regulations.
  • Recruitment incentives may/may not be authorized
  • This position is subject to provisions of the DoD Priority Placement Program
  • Disclosure of Political Appointments
  • Incumbent must be comfortable in dealing with high-ranking foreign representatives and able to utilize tact and diplomacy on all occasions.
  • Work may occasionally require travel away from the normal duty station on military or commercial aircraft.
  • Mobility is a condition of appointment; employee must sign an AF-Wide Mobility Agreement.
  • Master?s Degree in International Affairs or Strategic Studies is highly desired.
  • Graduate of DAF Weapons Instructor Course highly desirable.
  • Completion of a Senior Service School, (i.e. Air War College, National War College, RAND Fellows, etc.) is highly desirable.
  • This is a Mission-Essential position performing a Mission-Critical-Function, which must continue uninterrupted after the occurrence of an emergency and continued through full resumption of all functions.
  • May occasionally be required to work other than normal duty hours.
  • Must be able to obtain and maintain a Top Secret (TS) Clearance and is designated as Special Sensitive.
  • Attends at least one managerial, professional training or development opportunity per year. With rare exception, attends at least one trade show or other related meeting per year.
  • A non-disclosure agreement must be signed.
  • Requires eligibility for access to Sensitive Compartmented Information (SCI), other intelligence-related Special Sensitive information, or involvement in TS Special Access Programs to fully perform the duties/responsibilities of the position.

Qualifications

This is a Security Cooperation (SC) position due to the nature of the position's duties and responsibilities. Position requires incumbent to attain DoD Security Cooperation Certification in accordance with the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) 2017, Title 10 U.S. C., Sect. 384. Incumbent must maintain "good-standing" in an appropriate Area of Concentration (AoC) and certification level as determined by supervisor. Employee must meet DoD Security Cooperation Workforce Certification requirements applicable to the duties of the position. Selectee must meet the education and experience requirements for the designated Certification AoC and Certification Level within one year (Basic-level) or two years (Intermediate-level, Advanced-level and Expert-level) from Security Cooperation Workforce Development-Database entry date to become certified in accordance DoD SC Workforce Certification requirements as outlined in the Implementation Guidelines for the DoD SC Workforce Certification Program signed by the Director, DSCA. Incumbent of this position is required to comply with all Department of Defense and Defense Security Cooperation Agency requirements of this certification program. This certification requirement is a condition of employment for this position. Failure to obtain DoD SC certification within the required time may subject the incumbent to adverse action. Incumbent is required to maintain 20 hours of Security Cooperation professional development continuous learning every two-year period to maintain good standing in the DoD Security Cooperation Workforce Certification Program.

This position has been designated by the Air Force as a Testing Designated Position (TDP) under the Air Force Civilian Drug Demand Reduction Program. Employee must pass initial and periodic short notice drug testing. Illegal drug use by employees in sensitive positions present a clear threat to the mission of the Air Force, national security, and public safety.

In order to qualify, you must meet the specialized experience requirements described in the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Qualification Standards for General Schedule Positions, Professional and Scientific Positions, Foreign Affairs Series, 0130.

BASIC REQUIREMENTS FOR 0130 SERIES: A Bachelor's degree (or higher degree) or a degree with a 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. NOTE: You must submit copies of your transcripts.
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 above. NOTE: You must submit copies of your transcripts.
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. Evaluation of Experience: Qualifying experience may have been through residence, study, teaching, business or commercial activities, military service, newspaper work, military or civil government activities, missionary or international relief work, or other experience in foreign countries.
AND
In addition to meeting the basic requirement above, to qualify for this position you must also meet the qualification requirements listed below:

SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: Applicants must have at least one (1) year of specialized experience at the next lower grade GS-13, or equivalent in other pay systems. Examples of specialized experience includes knowledge of DoD and DAF policies, directives and instructions guiding release of unmanned weapons systems, associated capabilities (to include munitions, sensors, datalinks, and advanced technologies) and counter-capabilities to foreign governments and international organizations.; working knowledge of DAF security cooperation programs, defense alliances, personnel exchange programs, intelligence sharing programs, government and commercial international cooperative research, acquisition and development programs, individual country and regional defense policies, combined exercise programs, and current U.S. peacekeeping and trade sanctions enforcement activities is desired; and working knowledge of other division weapons programs and the DAF weapons and weapons systems export policy baselines.

FEDERAL TIME-IN-GRADE (TIG) REQUIREMENT FOR GENERAL SCHEDULE (GS) POSITIONS: Merit promotion applicants must meet applicable time-in-­grade requirements to be considered eligible. One year at the GS-13 level is required to meet the time-in-grade requirements for the GS-14 level. TIG applies if you are in a current GS position or held a GS position within the previous 52 weeks. NOTE: Applicants applying as VEOA candidates who are current GS civil service employees or are prior GS civil service employees within the past 52 weeks must also meet time-in-grade requirements.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES (KSAs): Your qualifications will be evaluated on the basis of your level of knowledge, skills, abilities and/or competencies in the following areas:
1. Provide thorough political-military analyses and recommendations regarding highly sensitive policy development, technology transfer, and disclosure matters to high-level officials.
2. Applies professional judgement concerning weapons and weapons systems to interpret ambiguous or contradictory guidance in an effort to develop DAF export policies for DAF aircraft and systems. Working knowledge of other division weapons programs and the DAF weapons and weapons systems export policy baselines.
3. Expert knowledge of Security Assistance laws, regulations, policies, and procedures.
4. Expert knowledge of and experience with Air Force operations, aircraft, and weapons system programs.
5. Skilled in articulating and negotiating complex and sensitive issues both written and orally with officials of diverse perspectives and with different, sometimes opposing views.
6. Effectively communicates with all levels of personnel and presents accurate information, briefings, and ideas in a clear and concise manner. Incumbent must be comfortable in dealing with high-ranking foreign representatives and able to utilize tact and diplomacy on all occasions. Skill to develop professional network with other organizations throughout US military, federal government, industry, and foreign defense communities as well as with civilian consultants through participation in conferences, meetings and project management.

PART-TIME OR UNPAID EXPERIENCE: Credit will be given for appropriate unpaid and or part-time work. You must clearly identify the duties and responsibilities in each position held and the total number of hours per week.

VOLUNTEER WORK EXPERIENCE: Refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service Programs (i.e., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community; student and social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge and skills that can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

Education

IF USING EDUCATION TO QUALIFY: If position has a positive degree requirement or education forms the basis for qualifications, you MUST submit transcriptswith the application. Official transcripts are not required at the time of application; however, if position has a positive degree requirement, qualifying based on education alone or in combination with experience, transcripts must be verified prior to appointment. An accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education must accredit education. Click here to check accreditation.

FOREIGN EDUCATION: Education completed in foreign colleges or universities may be used to meet the requirements. You must show proof the education credentials have been deemed to be at least equivalent to that gained in conventional U.S. education program. It is your responsibility to provide such evidence when applying.

Additional information

Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP): For information on how to apply as an ICTAP eligible click here. To be well-qualified and exercise selection priority for this vacancy, displaced Federal employees must be rated well qualified or above for this position. You must submit a copy of the agency notice, your most recent performance rating, and your most recent SF-50 noting position, grade level, and duty location.

Employed Annuitants (Reemployed Annuitants): Applicants in receipt of an annuity based on civilian employment in the Federal Service are subject to the DoD Policy on The Employment of Annuitants. Click here for more information.

120-Day Register: This announcement may result in a 120-day register that may be used to fill like vacancies for 120 days after the closing date. Applicants may be referred for consideration as vacancies occur.

Military Spouse Preference (MSP) Eligible: MSP applicants, if determined best qualified, must be selected at the full performance level and placed at the full performance level. You must include a completed copy of the Military Spouse PPP Self-Certification Checklist dated within 30 days along with the documents identified on the checklist to verify your eligibility for MSP. Click here to obtain a copy of the Military Spouse PPP Self-Certification Checklist.

Direct Deposit: All federal employees are required to have direct deposit.

If you are unable to apply online, view the following link for information regarding Alternate Application. The Vacancy ID is 11099026.

If you have questions regarding this announcement and have hearing or speech difficulties click here.

Tax Law Impact for PCS: On 22-Dec-2017, Public Law 115-97 - the "Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017" suspended qualified moving expense deductions along with the exclusion for employer reimbursements and payments of moving expenses effective 01-Jan-2018 for tax years 2018 through 2025. The law made taxable certain reimbursements and other payments, including driving mileage, airfare and lodging expenses, en-route travel to the new duty station, and temporary storage of those items. The Federal Travel Regulation Bulletin (FTR) 18-05 issued by General Services Administration (GSA) has authorized agencies to use the Withholding Tax Allowance (WTA) and Relocation Income Tax Allowance (RITA) to pay for "substantially all" of the increased tax liability resulting from the "2018 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act" for certain eligible individuals. For additional information on WTA/RITA allowances and eligibilities please click here. Subsequently, FTR Bulletin 20-04 issued by GSA, provides further information regarding NDAA FY2020, Public Law 116-92, and the expansion of eligibility beyond "transferred" for WTA/RITA allowances. For additional information, please click here.

How you will be evaluated

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

Your application package (resume, supporting documents, and responses to the questionnaire) will be used to determine your eligibility, qualifications, and quality ranking for this position. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your rating or consideration for employment.

BASIS OF RATING:
Your application will be rated under the Cut Point procedures based on the extent to which the quality, depth, and complexity of your experience and education relate to the qualification requirements. Additional points are not added for Veteran's Preference; however, Veteran's Preference is considered where applicable.

Best Qualified Group: Candidates in this category possess exceptional skills and experience to exceed well above the minimum requirements
Fully Qualified Group: Candidates in this category possess good skills and experience above the minimum requirements.
Basically Qualified Group: Candidates in this category meet the minimum education and/or experience requirements.

The resume/documents you submit must support your responses to the online questionnaire. If your application contradicts or does not support your questionnaire responses, you will receive a rating of "not qualified" or "insufficient information" and you will not receive further consideration for this job.

For additional information on what to include in your resume, click here.

Applicants who meet the requirements for and apply as a non-competitive eligible that meet minimal qualifications and other requirements of this position, will be given consideration as a non-competitive candidate and will be referred unless blocked by an individual with priority/preference.

APPRAISALS/AWARDS: Hiring Managers use objective methods and consider previous performance appraisals and awards in the selection process. Current Federal Civilian employees should list any relevant performance related rating and/or awards in your resume.

Applicants who disqualify themselves will not be evaluated further.

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