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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 Department of Labor, Bureau of International Labor Affairs (ILAB), in the Office of Trade and Labor Affairs (OTLA), Trade Negotiation and Implementation (TNI) Division. OTLA's mission is to ensure that U.S trade agreements are fair for American workers and workers around the world. 

Overview

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Hiring complete
Open & closing dates
03/24/2023 to 04/07/2023
Salary
$78,592 to - $145,617 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 11 - 13
Location
1 vacancy in the following location:
Washington
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Travel Required
Occasional travel - Travel may be required for training, conferences, meetings or other mandatory interactions, as scheduled, up to 20% 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-23-PHIL-ILAB-0057
Control number
715076000

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-23-PHIL-ILAB-0072 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; Individuals with Disabilities (Schedule A); Peace Corps & AmeriCorps VISTA eligibles

Duties

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This position is in the bargaining unit. The full performance level of this position is GS-13.

Additional Selections may be made from this announcement.

Relocation (PCS) expenses are not authorized.

MAJOR DUTIES:

  • Support TNI’s efforts to negotiate strong labor provisions in new trade and investment agreements; to engage with trade partner countries to assess compliance with, and secure adherence to, those labor provisions; and to strengthen partner governments’ and other stakeholders’ commitments to advance workers’ rights within supply chains.
  • Coordinates policy positions and work products across ILAB offices, other DOL agencies, and outside stakeholders to advance ILAB missions regarding research, technical assistance, and policy engagement.
  • Provides training and technical guidance on methods, concepts, tools, usage, etc. to internal, external, and international audiences on mission-based activities.
  • Represents ILAB in international, interagency, and intra-agency working groups, committees, international meetings, conferences, etc. in the capacity of DOL or ILAB spokesperson to present and clarify DOL/U.S. policy related to the mission.
  • Serves as a liaison for the agency while coordinating with other U. S. Federal and State government officials and with representatives of international agencies to develop strategies and work plans to implement.
  • Develops and prepares in-depth analyses of assigned issues, initiatives, or programs at multiple levels to provide inputs for reports and other research, as well as for the development of policies and programs.
  • Research and report on the impact of international trade, economic policy, supply chains, development finance, labor markets, international development, or livelihoods policies on workers, U.S. Government (USG) policy priorities or DOL/ILAB policy interests. 
  • Formulating and writing detailed analyses of countries’ deficiencies or compliance with international labor standards and labor provisions of U.S. trade and economic agreements and preference programs. 
  • Producing and executing effective strategies and/or action plans to address labor, trade or development issues at the country, regional or sectoral levels, including for inter-agency or multilateral policy processes.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

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

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

Notification Concerning COVID-19 Vaccinations.  As required by Executive Order 14043, Federal executive branch employees are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 regardless of the employee's duty location or work arrangement (e.g., telework, remote work, etc.), subject to such exceptions as required by law.  If selected, you will be required to be vaccinated against COVID-19 and to submit documentation of proof of vaccination or to be in the process of requesting an exception to the vaccination requirement before appointment or onboarding with the agency.  The agency will provide additional information regarding which forms of documentation can be accepted and how you can request to be considered for a legally required exception from this requirement.  

Currently, implementation and enforcement of Executive Order 14043 has been suspended pursuant to an injunction pending further litigation.

Qualifications

In addition to meeting the specialized experience requirements, all applicants MUST meet one of the basic requirements as specified below:

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 DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUPTIONS REGARDING YOUR SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE. 

Applicants must have 52 weeks of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level in the Federal Service or private sector. Qualifying specialized experience is experience that equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities to perform the duties of the position. 

For GS-11: Applicant must have 52 weeks of experience equivalent to at least a GS-9 in the Federal Service or private sector.

  • 1) conducting research on worker rights; OR
  • 2) monitoring of company or country's policies or practices for compliance with international labor standards.

                                                                        OR

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

                                                                        OR

  • Combination of education and experience.

For GS-12: Applicant must have 52 weeks of experience equivalent to at least a GS-11 in the Federal Service or private sector.

  • 1) conducting research on worker rights; AND
  • 2) analyzing company or country policies or practices for compliance with international labor standards; OR
  • 3) formulating policy recommendations related to labor rights and/or equitable economic growth.

For GS-13: Applicant must have 52 weeks of experience equivalent to at least a GS-12 in the Federal Service or private sector.

  • 1) conducting research on worker rights; AND
  • 2) analyzing company or country policies or practices for compliance with international labor standards; AND
  • 3) building and maintaining relationships with internal and external organizations

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

Persons who are deaf, hard of hearing, blind, or have speech disabilities, please dial 711 to access telecommunications relay services.

The mission of the Department of Labor (DOL) is to protect the welfare of workers and job seekers, improve working conditions, expand high quality employment opportunities, and assure work-related benefits and rights for all workers.  As such, the Department is committed to fostering a workplace and workforce that promote equal employment opportunity, reflect the diversity of the people we seek to serve, and model a culture of respect, equity, inclusion, and accessibility where every employee feels heard, supported, and empowered. 

Refer to these links for more information: GENERAL INFORMATION, REASONABLE ACCOMMODATIONADDITIONAL 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 required by this position to work of increased levels of difficulty and complexity.

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

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:

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; advises others on technical issues.

Written Communication - Writes in a clear, concise, organized, and convincing manner for the intended audience.

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

Oral Communication - Expresses information (for example, ideas or facts) to individuals or groups effectively, taking into account the audience and nature of the information (for example, technical, sensitive, controversial); makes clear and convincing oral presentations; listens to others, attends to nonverbal cues, and responds appropriately.

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.

Strategic Thinking - Formulates effective strategies consistent with the business and competitive strategy of the organization in a global economy. Examines policy issues and strategic planning with a long-term perspective. Determines objectives and sets priorities; anticipates potential threats or opportunities.

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.)


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