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LANGUAGE SPECIALIST

Department of the Air Force
Air Education and Training Command
This job announcement has closed

Summary

The primary purpose of this position is to serve as Senior Research Manager, and Director of Warfighter Engagement of the China Aerospace Studies Institute (CASI) to conduct research into Chinese aerospace activities for the United States Air Force (USAF) and direct/conduct agile education for the Air University (AU)-schools and others as directed; conduct engagement and outreach with external partners in government, industry, and academia.

Overview

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Hiring complete
Open & closing dates
03/28/2023 to 04/03/2023
Salary
$116,393 to - $151,308 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 14
Location
Few vacancies in the following location:
Anywhere in the U.S. (remote job)
Remote job
Yes
Telework eligible
Not applicable, this is a remote position.
Travel Required
50% or less - You may be expected to travel for this position.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
14
Job family (Series)
Supervisory status
Yes
Security clearance
Top Secret
Drug test
Yes
Position sensitivity and risk
Special-Sensitive (SS)/High Risk
Trust determination process
Announcement number
AFPCDEO-11890611-879026-YMH
Control number
715131600

Duties

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Plan, organize, lead, and direct the on-site operations of the China Aerospace Studies Institute (CASI).

Provide guidance and mentorship on Chinese strategy, policy and aerospace enterprise issues, papers, research, and associated activities.

Select or recommend selection of candidates for vacancies, promotions, details, and reassignment in consideration of skills, qualifications, and mission requirements.

Establish, develop, and maintain effective working relationships with senior leaders at the installation and leads CASI Outreach and Education.

Keep abreast of emerging trends in Chinese/PLA aerospace developments in the context of U.S. strategic imperatives in the Asia-Pacific region and perform the role of expert in the People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF), PLA Second Artillery Force (PLASAF), PLAN Naval Aviation and PLA Space, to assist senior leaders at Headquarters USAF, AU and Pacific Air Force (PACAF).

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • U.S. Citizenship Required
  • Males must be registered for Selective Service, see Legal and Regulatory Guide
  • This position is centrally managed by the International Affairs Career Field team. Travel and relocation expenses will be paid
  • Must be able to obtain and maintain a Top Secret (TS) clearance with Sensitive Compartmentalized Information (SCI) eligibility/access
  • May be required to travel by commercial or military conveyance to perform temporary duty
  • This position is subject to provisions of the DoD Priority Placement Program
  • Knowledge and proficiency in speaking Mandarin is highly desired
  • Knowledge in the PLA Air Force (PLAAF), PLA Rocket Force (PLARF), PLA Naval Aviation or PLA Strategic Support Force is highly desired
  • Knowledge and proficiency in Mandarin (reading and translation) in at least one of the expert knowledge areas (PLAAF, PLARF, PLA Naval Aviation or PLA Space operations) is desired.
  • Disclosure of Political Appointments is required

Qualifications

In order to qualify, you must meet the specialized experience requirements described in the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Individual Occupational Requirements for 1040 series and Group Standard forAdministrative & Management Positions.

SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: Applicants must have at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-13 level which equipped the applicant with the knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSA's) to successfully perform the duties of Language Specialist. Specialized experience is experience which may have been gained while assisting in translating and/or reviewing material in any number of broad scientific, technical, or political disciplines, e.g., chemistry, engineering, law, medicine, and physics; assist in interpreting the material to develop meaningful expository material for consumption by strategists and national policy makers.


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. Knowledge and proficiency in Mandarin (speaking, reading & translation), Chinese culture and government and ability to relate Chinese military developments and emerging trends to their potential significance to U.S. national military strategy.

2. Knowledge of and skill to use a variety of scholarly graduate-level research techniques to analyze, synthesize and evaluate security and defense issues.

3. Ability to teach graduate-level seminar courses and mentor graduate-level research, focused on China aerospace, US-China relations, and Chinese aerospace/military capabilities.

4. Knowledge of safety and security regulations, practices, and procedures.

5. Ability to plan, organize, and direct the functions of subordinate employees, and to analyze, plan, and adjust work operations of one or more organizational segments to meet program requirements and objectives within available resources.

6. Ability to communicate both orally and in writing.

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.

ADDITIONAL CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT:
An advanced academic degree in relevant field/fields of study such as but not limited to History/Military History, China/Asia Studies, International Relations, International Security Studies, Strategic/Security Studies, Political Science, Public Policy, etc., is highly desired.

A demonstrated record of applying qualifications as delineated, certified by either the Defense Language Proficiency Test (DLPT) or equivalent test within the last three years, or by documented equivalent proficiency from a previous employer or letter of reference is highly desired.

Education

This job does not have an education qualification requirement.

Additional information

Knowledge and proficiency as a China military analyst in one capacity or another, such as having served as an attaché in Beijing, Hong Kong, Taiwan or another Asia country where the candidate routinely used China-related skills and/or in an analytic or policy capacity in the United States Government (USG), a U.S. think tank or Federal Funded Research & Development Center (FFRDC), or major academic institution and experience in more than one such capacity is highly desired.

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 in the "Highly Qualified" or "Best Qualified" Category on the rating criteria for this vacancy. 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.

Selective Service: Males born after 12-31-59 must be registered or exempt from Selective Service. For additional information, click here.

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 11890611

To ensure compliance with an applicable preliminary nationwide injunction, which may be supplemented, modified, or vacated, depending on the course of ongoing litigation, the Federal Government will take no action to implement or enforce the COVID-19 vaccination requirement pursuant to Executive Order 14043 on Requiring Coronavirus Disease 2019 Vaccination for Federal Employees. Therefore, to the extent a Federal job announcement includes the requirement that applicants must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 pursuant to Executive Order 14043, that requirement does not currently apply. Federal agencies may request information regarding the vaccination status of selected applicants for the purposes of implementing other workplace safety protocols, such as protocols related to masking, physical distancing, testing, travel, and restriction from the workplace.

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. When you perform a Civilian Permanent Change of Station (PCS) with the government, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) considers the majority of your entitlements to be taxable. Visit GSA Bulletin FTR 20-04 here for additional information.

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.

Your responses to the questionnaire may be compared to the documents you submit. The 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.

Applicants who disqualify themselves will not be evaluated further.

BASIS OF RATING:
Your application will be rated under the Category Rating procedures based on the extent to which the quality, depth, and complexity of your experience and education relate to the qualifications requirement. Additional points are not added for Veteran's Preference; however, Veteran Preference is still applied.

Category 3, Best Qualified: Candidates in this category possess exceptional skills and experience to exceed well above the minimum requirements.
Category 2, Highly Qualified: Candidates in this category possess good skills and experience above the minimum requirements.
Category 1, Qualified: Candidates in this category meet the minimum education and/or experience requirements.

Once the application process is complete, a review of your application will be made to ensure you meet the job requirements. To determine if you are qualified for this job, a review of your resume and supporting documentation will be made and compared against your responses to the assessment questionnaire. The numeric rating you received is based on your responses to the questionnaire. The score is a measure of the degree to which your background matches the knowledge, skills and abilities required of this position. If, after reviewing your resume and or supporting documentation, a determination is made that you have inflated your qualifications and or experience, your score can and will be adjusted to more accurately reflect your abilities. Please follow all instructions carefully.

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