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Foreign Affairs Officer

Department of State
Department of State - Agency Wide
This job announcement has closed

Summary

This position is located in the Office of Foreign Missions (OFM), which is responsible for implementing the requirements of the Foreign Missions Act of 1982 (22 U.S.C. 4301‑4316, as amended). Through its regulation of the services and benefits provided to the foreign mission community in the United States, OFM contributes to the reduction of the U.S. Government’s operating costs overseas and helps protect the American public from the abuses of diplomatic and consular privileges and immunities.

Overview

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Hiring complete
Open & closing dates
05/23/2022 to 06/06/2022
Salary
$91,493 - $141,434 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 12 - 13
Location
Houston, TX
1 vacancy
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Travel Required
Occasional travel - Some travel may be required.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-Time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
13
Job family (Series)
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Top Secret
Drug test
Yes
Position sensitivity and risk
High Risk (HR)
Announcement number
HRSC/M/OFM-2022-0006
Control number
655818700

Duties

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  • Responsible for implementing and interpreting the Foreign Missions Act of 1982, coordinating and maintaining the reciprocal policies and procedures affecting the activities of the diplomatic communities.
  • Serves as the lead on emergency management within the respective region and conducts outreach activities to advance awareness and management of privileges and restrictions that apply to the foreign diplomatic community.
  • Prepares reports of the short and long-term impact of new OFM policy initiatives in the region for use by the Regional Director and OFM Washington in policy formulation and implementation.
  • Serves as one of the office liaisons with the governmental and non-governmental communities to inform and to explain U.S. policies and goals related to the foreign mission community.
  • The incumbent of the GS-12 position performs essentially the same duties as the GS-13, under closer supervision and decreased level of complexity.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • U.S. Citizenship is required.
  • Incumbent will be subject to random drug testing.
  • Must be able to obtain and maintain a Top Secret security clearance.
  • Successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, visit: www.dhs.gov/E-Verify/

Qualifications

Applicants must meet all the required qualification requirements described below by the closing date of this announcement. If you are qualifying based on education OR if there are mandatory education requirements listed below, you MUST submit a copy of your college transcript with your application. 

NOTE: Applicants must meet time-in-grade and time after competitive appointment requirements, by the closing date of this announcement.

Time-In-Grade Requirements: Federal applicants must have served 52 weeks at the next lower grade to satisfy time-in-grade restrictions, per 5CFR 300, Subpart F.

Applicants must have the required experience or education as described below and meet any selective factors, when specified.

BASIC REQUIREMENTS: Have a bachelor's or graduate degree from an accredited college or university in international law, international relations, political science, economics, history, sociology, geography, social or cultural anthropology, law, statistics, or in the humanities;

OR Have a bachelor's or graduate degree from an accredited college or university that included a combination of courses, with 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 Have 12 semester hours in one of the above disciplines and 12 semester hours in statistics / quantitative methods.

OR Have a combination of education and experience where your coursework was equivalent to a major, or a combination of related courses totaling at least 24 semester hours, (as shown above), PLUS appropriate relevant experience OR additional education.

OR Have completed at least 4 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.

(NOTE: qualifying work experience may have been gained 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.)

GS-12

IN ADDITION to the basic requirements, this position requires one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-11 level in the Federal service which provided the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities to perform the duties of the position.

Qualifying specialized experience must demonstrate the following:

  • Experience with OFM policies and procedures relating to the acquisition and use of real property.
  • Experience assisting with resolving complex issues.
  • Experience analyzing and evaluating policies, regulations and laws.

GS-13

IN ADDITION to the basic requirements, this position requires one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-12 level in the Federal service which provided the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities to perform the duties of the position.

Qualifying specialized experience must demonstrate the following:

  • Experience establishing and maintaining key points of contact at foreign missions and federal, state, and local government agencies.
  • Experience planning, coordinating, and conducting outreach activities to foreign missions and federal, state, and local government agencies.
  • Experience acting as liaison between foreign missions and local emergency management agencies during disaster response efforts.  

Note: If you are qualifying based on education, you MUST submit transcripts as verification of educational requirement by the closing date of this announcement. If you fail to provide requested information, or the information you submit is insufficient to verify your eligibility, you WILL lose consideration for this position.

Education

See the qualifications section of this vacancy announcement for education requirements.

Education completed in foreign colleges or universities may be used to meet the 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 provide such evidence when applying. For a list of accredited organizations recognized as specializing in interpretation of foreign education credentials, visit: www.naces.org/members.php.

Additional information

  • For reasonable accommodation at the U.S. Department of State, please contact the Office of Accessibility and Accommodations at (202) 663-3474 or OAA@state.gov.
  • If eligible, telework and/or remote work agreements may be permitted with supervisory approval. Please note that any approved remote work arrangement is subject to the locality pay area of the alternative telework worksite.  
  • Multiple positions may be filled from this announcement.  If eligible, applicants to this announcement may be referred to other similar positions in other Bureaus/Offices in the Department for up to 240 days.  Telework eligibility and security clearance requirements may vary for such similar positions. 

How you will be evaluated

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

Once the application process is complete, a review of your resume will be conducted and compared against your responses to the assessment questions to determine if you are qualified for this job.  Note:  Responses to questions that are not fully supported by the information in your resume may result in adjustments to your rating. 

Applicants who meet the minimum qualification requirements, as described in the “Qualifications” section of this announcement, will be assigned a score between 70 and 100.  The assessment is used to measure the degree in which your background matches the competencies (knowledge, skills, and abilities) required for this position. Your qualifications will be evaluated on the following competencies:

  • Knowledge of the realm of Foreign policy / international affairs.
  • Knowledge of the Foreign Missions Act (FMA).
  • Ability to establish and maintain liaison with officials throughout the foreign affairs community.
  • Ability to analyze and evaluate information derived from a variety of sources.
  • Ability to lead individuals and teams.

Applicants found to be among the top qualified candidates will be referred to the hiring official for further consideration and possible interview.  Qualified non-competitive candidates must be deemed best qualified based on the applicant assessment in order to be referred to the hiring official for further consideration and possible interview.

Agency Career and Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP and ICTAP) candidates must be rated "Well Qualified" for the position and earn a score of at least 85 (when applicants are rated in a range of 70 to 100) to receive consideration for selection priority.


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Department of State - Agency Wide

The U.S. Department of State, our country’s lead foreign policy agency, provides employees with a dynamic international career whether at home or abroad and unique professional development opportunities.  Each day, our employees make a difference as they advance the interests of the American people, their safety and economic prosperity, through diplomacy, advocacy, and assistance.  We embrace diversity and inclusion and our talented workforce reflects the personal, professional, and educational strengths and diversity of our country.

Named one of America’s Best Employers by Forbes, we offer a workplace that values and rewards leadership, collaboration, innovation, and personal and professional development. Visit careers.state.gov to learn more about what it's like to work at the U.S. Department of State, what the agency does, the wide range of careers this agency offers, and the benefits available to employees.

Agency contact information

Mattie Mitchell
Phone
843-952-0052
Fax
000-000-0000
Email
mitchellm2@state.gov
Address
U.S. Department of State
1999 Dyess Ave.
(Charleston Reg. Ctr.)
Charleston, South Carolina 29405
United States

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