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International Affairs Specialist

Department of Homeland Security
Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency
Stakeholder Engagement Division
This job announcement has closed

Summary

Who May Be Considered:

  • U.S. Citizens
  • View common definitions of terms found in this announcement.
  • This position is located in the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), Stakeholder Engagement Division.

Overview

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Hiring complete
Open & closing dates
06/02/2023 to 06/08/2023
This job will close when we have received 150 applications which may be sooner than the closing date. Learn more
Salary
$71,099 to - $129,878 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 12 - 14
Location
9 vacancies in the following location:
Arlington, VA
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Travel Required
25% 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
No
Security clearance
Sensitive Compartmented Information
Drug test
Yes
Position sensitivity and risk
Special-Sensitive (SS)/High Risk
Trust determination process
Announcement number
SED-DE-11971380-23-SJ
Control number
729120100

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Duties

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Joining CISA means being part of the team focused on securing the Nation's physical and cyber infrastructure against threats to public health and safety, economy, and national security; we Defend Today, Secure Tomorrow. Within CISA, the Stakeholder Engagement Division (SED) leads CISA's national and international voluntary partnerships and engagements while serving as the agency's hub for the shared stakeholder information that unifies CISA's approach to whole-of-nation operational collaboration and information sharing.

Visit www.cisa.gov to learn more about CISA and how you can be part of the team to Defend Today, Secure Tomorrow.

The primary purpose of the position is to serve as the International Affair Specialist with the Stakeholder Engagement Division's (SED) International Affairs Sub-Division. The person selected for this role will be responsible for developing and implementing international policy and initiatives in support of CISA's international policy objectives.

Typical work assignments include:

  • Identifying international engagement priorities and objectives and contributing to the development of international engagement strategy and policies.
  • Establishing policies and processes to increase the efficiency of international efforts.
  • Participating in bilateral and multilateral seminars, conferences, substantive exchanges and training activities.
  • Preparing senior and working level officials for meetings with international partners; and providing direct support to senior leadership for meetings and travel.
  • Drafting and negotiating documents to further CISA's international goals, including developing international cooperative programs and championing CISA's equities through international engagements.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • You must be a U.S. citizen to apply for this position.
  • You must successfully pass a background investigation. This may include a credit check, a review of financial issues, as well as certain criminal offenses and illegal use or possession of drugs.
  • Selective Service - males born after 12/31/59 must be registered or exempt from Selective Service see http://www.sss.gov/
  • You must be able to obtain and maintain a Top Secret/SCI security clearance.
  • One-year probationary period may be required.
  • You must submit to a drug test and receive a negative test result prior to appointment to this position and subject to random drug testing.
  • If you receive a conditional offer of employment for this position, you will be required to complete an Optional Form 306, Declaration for Federal Employment, and to sign and certify the accuracy of all information in your application.
  • This position has been designated EXCLUDED from bargaining unit representation under the national security provision of 5 U.S.C. § 7112(B)(6).
  • DHS uses e-Verify, an Internet-based system, to confirm the eligibility of all newly hired employees to work in the United States. Learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities.
  • Permanent Change of Duty Station (PCS) Expenses will not be paid.
  • Other incentives may be authorized.
  • All employees are required to participate in Direct Deposit/Electronic Funds Transfer for salary payments.
  • This position may be designated as essential personnel. Essential personnel must be able to serve during continuity of operation events without regard to declarations of liberal leave or government closures due to weather, protests, and acts of terrorism or lack of funding. Failure to report for or remain in this position may result in disciplinary or adverse action in accordance with applicable laws, rules, and regulations (5 U.S.C. § 7501-7533 and 5 CFR Part 752, as applicable).
  • Interviews may be required for this position. Failure to complete the interview may result in removal from further consideration. The interview process may consist of in-person or phone panel interview.

Qualifications

Individual Occupational Requirements

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 meeting the Basic Requirements requirement above, to qualify for this position you must also meet the requirements listed below:

AND

You may qualify for the GS-12 grade level, if you possess at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-11 grade level performing the following duties:
  1. Contributing to the development of international policies.
  2. Supporting the evaluation of organization-wide international activities and participating in solutions-based discussions to ensure adherence to international policies and procedures.
  3. Helping to organize, and if called upon, participating in multinational seminars, conferences, substantive exchanges and training activities.
You may qualify for the GS-13 grade level, if you possess at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-12 grade level performing the following duties:
  1. Preparing reports, summaries, analyses, and issue papers on various aspects of international engagements; tracking and coordinating responses to international and strategy-based tasks assigned to the organization.
  2. Identifying and managing opportunities to pursue an organization's international agenda, whether through information exchanges, technical research and development, or operational activities with other organizational components, interagency counterparts and foreign interlocutors.
  3. Identifying an organization's international engagement priorities and objectives and contributing to the development of international engagement strategy and policies.
  4. Working with an organization's policy officials to ensure international priorities are aligned.
You may qualify for the GS-14 grade level, if you possess at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-13 grade level performing the following duties:
  1. Developing and implementing international policy and initiatives in support an organization's missions and international policy objectives.
  2. Developing new international initiatives that effectively and efficiently promote an organization's mission and communicating with internal and external partners on a regular basis regarding the maintenance and development of international activities and programs.
  3. Identifying and managing opportunities to pursue an organization's international agenda, whether through information exchanges, technical research and development, or operational activities with other organizational components, interagency counterparts and foreign interlocutors.
  4. Working with an organization's policy officials to ensure international priorities are aligned.
  5. Preparing senior and working level officials and subcomponents for meetings with international partners; providing direct support to senior leadership for meetings and travel; and providing guidance and direct support to organizational component activities, while ensuring that activities and engagements align with the organization's international strategic priorities..

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

Current or Former Political Appointees: The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) must authorize employment offers made to current or former political appointees. If you are currently, or have been within the last 5 years, a political Schedule A, Schedule C, Non-career SES or Presidential Appointee employee in the Executive Branch, you must disclose this information to the Human Resources Office.

Qualifications Must Be Met
The qualification requirements listed above must be met by the closing date of this announcement.

Education

Individual Occupational Requirements

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.


Are you qualifying based on education? Submit a copy of your college transcript (unofficial is acceptable) or a list of coursework with hours completed. Education must be from an accredited institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. For additional information, refer to the U.S. Department of Education web site at http://www.ed.gov.

Foreign Education: Education completed in foreign colleges or universities may be used to meet Federal qualification requirements if you can show that your foreign education is comparable to education received in accredited educational institutions in the United States. For example, specific courses accepted for college-level credit by an accredited U.S. college or university, or foreign education evaluated by an organization recognized for accreditation by the Department of Education as education equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. college or university. It is your responsibility to provide such evidence with your application. See Recognition of Foreign Qualifications for more information. All education must have been obtained from an accredited college or university. For additional information regarding the substitution of education for experience, click HERE.

All materials must be submitted by the closing date of the announcement.

Additional information

Promotion Potential:. The full performance level of this position is GS-14.

This is a non-supervisory position.

Pursuant to Executive Order 12654 and DHS policy, DHS is committed to maintaining a drug-free workplace and, therefore, conducts random and other drug testing of its employees in order to ensure a safe and healthy work environment. Headquarters personnel in safety- or security-sensitive positions are subject to random drug testing and all applicants tentatively selected for employment at DHS Headquarters are subject to drug testing resulting in a negative test result.

Current or Former Political Appointees: The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) must authorize employment offers made to current or former political appointees. If you are currently, or have been within the last 5 years, a political Schedule A, Schedule C, Non-career SES or Presidential Appointee employee in the Executive Branch, you must disclose this information to the Human Resources Office.

How you will be evaluated

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

Applicants will be evaluated on their resume and supporting documentation to ensure you meet the basic qualification requirements. If you meet the minimum qualifications, your experience, education and training will be rated using an Assessment Questionnaire that is based on the following competencies or knowledge, skills, and abilities needed to perform this job:

  • Creative Thinking
  • Customer Service
  • Influencing/Negotiating
  • Information Management
  • Oral Communication
  • Technical Competence
  • Writing


Category Rating Procedures: If you meet the minimum qualifications, you will be placed in one of the following categories:
  1. Best-Qualified: Applicants possessing experience that substantially exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position and demonstrate high proficiency in all of the critical competencies, including all Selective Placement Factors (SPF) and appropriate Quality Ranking Factors (QRF) as determined by the job analysis.
  2. Well-Qualified: Applicants possessing experience that exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position and demonstrates acceptable proficiency in all of the critical competencies, including all SPFs and appropriate QRFs as determined by the job analysis.
  3. Qualified: Applicants possessing experience that meets the minimum qualifications of the position and demonstrate basic proficiency in most of the critical competencies, including all SPFs and appropriate QRFs as determined by the job analysis.
Veterans: Qualified veterans who have a compensable service-connected disability of at least 10% are listed in the best-qualified category, except when the position being filled is scientific or professional at the GS-09 grade level, or higher. This position is considered scientific/professional. Other 10-point preference eligibles and veterans with 5-point preference who meet the eligibility and qualification requirements are placed above non-preference eligibles within the category in which they qualify. View information on https://www.fedshirevets.gov

Interagency/Career Transition Assistance Program (I/CTAP): If you have never worked for the federal government, you are not I/CTAP eligible. View information about I/CTAP eligibility on OPM's Career Transition Resources website. To be considered well qualified under I/CTAP, you must be rated at a minimum score of 85 for this position. In addition, you must submit the supporting documents listed under the required documents section of this announcement.

To preview the application for this position, click here: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/11971380

Interview Requirement: Interviews may be required for this position. Failure to complete the interview may result in removal from further consideration. The interview process may consist of in-person or phone panel interview.

Shared Certificate: When Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) completes their selections, the remaining list of qualified candidates may be shared with other DHS Component agencies who are hiring for similar positions. You will have an opportunity to opt-in if you would like your name, application materials, and assessment results shared to be considered for employment with other DHS Component agencies. There is no guarantee of further consideration, and you can continue to explore other job opportunity announcements.

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