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Foreign Affairs Specialist

Department of Energy
National Nuclear Security Administration
Office of Defense Nuclear Nonproliferation (DNN)
This job announcement has closed

Summary

This position is located at the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), the Department of Energy's Headquarters in Washington, DC, Office of Defense Nuclear Nonproliferation. The incumbent will authoritatively advise and advocate DOE/NNSA's positions, policies, strategic objectives, future priorities, courses of action, considerations impacting U.S. negotiating positions, and final outcomes to senior leaders and officials.

Overview

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Hiring complete
Open & closing dates
03/26/2024 to 04/09/2024
Salary
$139,395 to - $204,000 per year
Pay scale & grade
EN 4
Location
1 vacancy in the following location:
Washington, DC
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
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
Excepted
Promotion potential
4
Job family (Series)
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Q Access Authorization
Drug test
Yes
Position sensitivity and risk
Critical-Sensitive (CS)/High Risk
Announcement number
24-XA-03052-12358297-NNSAL
Control number
783664300

This job is open to

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Clarification from the agency

Current NNSA Federal employees with competitive AND excepted status only within the Washington, DC commuting area. NNSA employees with CTAP or RPL eligibility.

Duties

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As a Foreign Affairs Specialist, you will:

  • Manage, oversee, and/or lead strategic planning, foreign affairs programs or projects.
  • Manage, oversee and/or lead development of plans, treaties, agreements, positions, policies, initiatives, Congressional testimony, briefings, reports, speeches, codicils, letters of understanding, contracts, correspondence, bi- and multi-lateral cooperation documents.
  • Manage, oversee, and/or lead NNSA/DOE activities, and operations with foreign governments, interdepartmental, interagency, international committees and groups, intra- and inter-departmental committees.
  • Manage, oversee, and/or lead visits to nuclear and other sensitive sites to observe, evaluate, and recommend improvements to nuclear nonproliferation projects and programs. Manage, oversee, and/or lead bilateral and multilateral exchanges of ideas and information, official visits and meetings to improve nuclear security in other nations and/or global regions.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • Subject to Random Drug Testing
  • Must pass a pre-employment drug test.
  • Favorable suitability determination required.
  • Must be able to obtain/maintain a Q level Security Clearance.
  • You must be a United States Citizen.
  • This employer participates in the e-Verify program.
  • Males must abide by Selective Service registration requirements.
  • Compliance with Homeland Security Presidential Directive (HSPD-12) governing personal identity which will require that you provide two forms of identification.
  • A two year trial period may be required.

Qualifications

SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTSA qualified candidate's online application and resume must demonstrate at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower NNSA Demonstration Project pay band of EN-03 or GS -13 grade level in the Federal service. Specialized experience for this position is defined as: experience in leading or supporting the execution of nonproliferation programs that require establishing and maintaining effective working relationships among multiple U.S. agencies, international organizations, and other countries to reduce the risk of nuclear proliferation and terrorism through cooperative efforts with other countries.

Examples of Specialized Experience:
1. Experience in the development, implementation, sustainability, and oversight of U.S. Government nonproliferation programs.
2. Experience in U.S. foreign policies, government-to-government agreements, regulations, guidelines, and sustainability challenges related to nonproliferation and/or nuclear security issues.
3. Experience in international relations and foreign affairs, including relevant U.S. foreign policies and Government-to-Government agreements and other arrangements between the U.S. and international partners relevant to nonproliferation mission.

"Experience" refers to paid and unpaid experience. Examples of qualifying unpaid experience may include: volunteer work done through National Service programs (such as Peace Corps and AmeriCorps); as well as work for other community-based philanthropic and social organizations. 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.

CTAP/ICTAP candidates: To be considered "well qualified" you must meet all of the requirements as described in this section. If you are eligible for career transition assistance plans such as ICTAP or CTAP, you must meet the definition of "well qualified" which is defined as having a score of 85 or better.

You must meet all qualifications and eligibility requirements within 30 days of the closing date of this announcement.

Education

THIS POSITION HAS AN EDUCATIONAL REQUIREMENT. PLEASE PROVIDE THE APPLICABLE TRANSCRIPTS FOR QUALIFICATION.

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

Combination of education and experience -- courses equivalent to a major, or a combination of related courses totaling at least 24 semester hours, as shown in 1 above, plus appropriate experience or additional education; 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.

Education must be obtained from an accredited institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education Applicants who have completed part or all of their education outside of the U.S. must have their foreign education evaluated by an accredited organization to ensure that the foreign education is comparable to education received in accredited educational institutions in the U.S. A written evaluation of any foreign education must be provided with your application in response to this vacancy announcement or be received by the closing date of this announcement. Failure to provide this evaluation will result in you being found unqualified for the position. For special instructions pertaining to foreign education, see the Department of Education website, and for a list of organizations that can evaluate foreign education, visit The National Association of Credential Evaluation Services.

Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

Additional information

  • The U.S. Department of Energy fosters a diverse and inclusive workplace and is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
  • Veterans and persons with disabilities are encouraged to apply. For more information, please visit the links at the bottom of this page or visit the FedsHireVets website.
  • If you believe that you are eligible for the Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP), please visit the OPM ICTAP/CTAP website for more information. In order to be considered under the ICTAP program, your application must score within the pre-established "well qualified" category as stated in the Qualifications section.
  • More than one selection may be made from this vacancy announcement.
  • Some positions may require completion of a probationary period of up to 1 (one) year.
  • Many positions require successful completion of a background investigation.
  • All males born after December 31,1959 must abide by laws regarding Selective Service registration. To learn more about this law, visit the Selective Service web page, Who Must Register. If you are not registered and don't have an approved exemption, you will not be eligible for employment with the Federal government.
  • A Recruitment/Relocation Incentive may be authorized for a highly qualified applicant in accordance with Agency policy.
EEO Policy: Click HERE.
Reasonable Accommodation Policy: Click HERE.
Veterans Information: Click HERE.
Telework: Click HERE.
Selective Service Registration: Click HERE.
Information about the NNSA Demonstration project can be found by clicking HERE.

How you will be evaluated

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

The Department of Energy uses an application tracking system to evaluate the responses you provide in the applicant assessment questionnaire to determine if you meet the minimum qualifications necessary for this position. Then, the HR Office and/or Subject Matter Expert (SME) will conduct a quality review of your application and supporting documentation to determine if your qualifications meet the criteria for referral to the selecting official.

Merit Promotion & VEOA Procedures: If you are minimally qualified for this job, your responses to the self-assessment questions (True/False, Yes/ No, Multiple Choice questions) will be evaluated to determine if you are a best qualified candidate. If you rate yourself higher than is supported by your application materials, your responses may be adjusted and/or you may be excluded from consideration for this job. Due weight will also be given to federal employees, when applicable, for performance appraisals and awards in accordance with 5 CFR ยง 335.103(b)(3). Federal employees must meet time-in-grade requirements and current employees must have at least a fully successful or equivalent performance rating to receive consideration.

Your qualifications will be evaluated on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics):

  • Diplomacy/Negotiation
  • Leadership
  • Project and Program Management


Non-competitive Procedures: If you are applying under a non-competitive or special hiring authority, you will still be required to answer the assessment questions. However, you will not be evaluated against the rating and ranking criteria. Your resume and supporting documentation will be used to determine if you are minimally qualified for this job. Veterans' Preference will be applied when required by the hiring authority (e.g., VRA, Schedule A).

All qualified Non-competitive applicants and the best qualified Merit Promotion and VEOA applicants will be referred to the hiring manager for consideration.

Career Transition Assistance Programs: To receive selection priority for this position, you must: 1) meet the eligibility criteria; and 2) be rated "well-qualified", which is defined as having a score of 85 or better.

If your resume is incomplete or does not support the responses you provided in your online questionnaire, or if you fail to submit all required documentation before the vacancy closes, you may be rated 'ineligible', 'not qualified', or your score may be adjusted accordingly.

To preview the application questionnaire, click the link below.
https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12358297

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