Skip to main content
U.S. flag
Back to results

Foreign Affairs Specialist

Department of Energy
National Nuclear Security Administration
Office of Nonproliferation and Arms Control (NA-24), Office of Nuclear Verification (NA-243)
This job announcement has closed

Summary

The Mission of NPAC's Office of Nuclear Verification (ONV/NA-243) is to verifiably limit and reduce nuclear weapons and nuclear weapons programs while maintaining deterrence and strategic stability. Specifically, ONV provides technical measures, policy options, and implementation capabilities to enable safe, secure, and verifiable reductions and limitations and monitoring of nuclear warheads, fissile material production and associated facilities, and chemical weapons.

Overview

Help
Hiring complete
Open & closing dates
05/30/2024 to 06/13/2024
Salary
$117,962 - $181,216 per year
Pay scale & grade
NQ 3
Location
1 vacancy in the following location:
Washington, DC
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
3
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
23-XA-03089-12420499-GOV
Control number
793438500

This job is open to

Help

Clarification from the agency

Current Federal employees with competitive status or other eligibility; Former Federal employees with reinstatement eligibility; CTAP/ICTAP eligibles; Veterans with VOW, VEOA, or 30% disability; Military Spouses; Individuals with Disabilities Schedule A; Peace Corps, Vista (AmeriCorps) eligibles; Those eligible under an OPM interchange agreement or other special appointing authority.

Duties

Help

  • Incumbent collaborates with a wide-range of international and domestic partners, with limited supervision; supports the execution of programs and projects to implement activities under bilateral and multilateral agreements; conducts outreach and training with foreign partners; provides input to international policies and regulations; coordinates with NNSA's counterparts within the U.S. interagency and other stakeholders; and provides expert advice to NNSA senior leadership on matters within their areas of expertise.
  • The work as a Foreign Affairs Specialist in NA-243/Office of Nuclear Verification often involves collecting and analyzing complex technical information gathered from a wide variety of sources to determine the nature and scope of the issue(s). The work also involves working with peers in ONV to provide information and analyses that identify, interpret, and develop alternatives and options to complex technical and policy issues.
  • Under limited supervision, incumbent participates in discussions and negotiations with foreign partners, and implements processes and procedures mandated by law, regulations, and/or policy. Incumbent participates with higher-graded specialists in support of accomplishing strategic goals and priorities for assigned areas of responsibility.
  • The work involves implementing broad and extensive assignments of significant interest to the public, DOE/NNSA, and the Office of Nonproliferation and Arms Control (NPAC)/Office of Nuclear Verification (ONV). The employee's work impacts the ability of NNSA to meet its goals and objectives and affects the public. In addition, the work supports close allies and partners in achieving their nuclear nonproliferation and strategic stability goals and objectives.
  • Specialized experience for this position demonstrates mastery of comprehensive knowledge and skill in the application of foreign affairs and nuclear warhead verification and monitoring projects and verification technology development and multilateral arms control and nonproliferation projects

Requirements

Help

Conditions of employment

  • Subject to Random Drug Testing
  • Must pass a pre-employment drug test.
  • Favorable suitability determination required.
  • Financial Disclosure is 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 one year probationary period may be required.

Qualifications

SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS

A 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, NQ-02 or GS-12 grade level in the Federal service. Specialized experience for this position is defined as: demonstrates mastery of comprehensive knowledge and skill in the application of foreign affairs and nuclear warhead verification and monitoring projects and verification technology development and multilateral arms control and nonproliferation projects.


Examples of Specialized Experience:
1. Communicates project/program missions, plans, and performance to DOE/NNSA senior management and other stakeholders as applicable.
2. Represent DOE/NNSA by performing the following duties: developing policy regarding nuclear treaties and agreements; participating in interagency backstopping and compliance working groups; reviewing guidance and other interagency materials; contributing to the development of arms control technical solutions.
3. Plans, determines, justifies, monitors, and coordinates funding requirements and financial activities between NNSA HQ, support service contractors, interagency colleagues, and the national laboratories.

"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 component. Please provide transcripts.

Degree: major or equivalent, or a combination of courses totaling at least24semester 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.

Combination of education and experience -- courses equivalent to a major, or a combination of related courses totaling at least 24 semester hours, asshown in1 above, plus appropriate experience or additional education.

Experience -- four years of appropriate experience in one or more of thefields 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):

Communication, International and Domestic Nuclear Laws, Policy and Strategy, and Project and Program Management

Your application and resume shall demonstrate that you possess the following Competencies. Do not provide a separate narrative written statement. Rather, you must describe in your application how your past work experience demonstrates that you possess the Competencies identified below. Cite specific examples of employment or experience contained in your resume and describe how this experience has prepared you to successfully perform the duties of this position. DO NOT write "see resume" in your application.

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/12420499

National Nuclear Security Administration

This position is located at the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), the Department of Energy's Headquarters in Washington, DC, Office of Nuclear Verification (ONV/NA-243). The incumbent supports bilateral and multilateral agreements and cooperative arrangements with foreign government agencies and technical institutes, coordinates tasks, events, and activities, conducts strategic planning, budget development, and budget reviews, represents the NNSA in U.S. Government interagency meetings, and responds to Congressional inquiries and prepares technical portions of Congressional testimony. The nature of work and the high level of complexity requires expert knowledge and superior analytical skills to solve problems. Innate complexity and interrelationships of tasks require extensive research and originality of thought to arrive at an optimal solution. The many variables to be taken into consideration in analyzing the problem require trade-offs involving several probable solutions from which the most feasible is selected.

Agency contact information

Keyonna Washington
Phone
240-686-9404
Email
keyonna.washington@nnsa.doe.gov
Address
NNSA - Deputy Administrator for Defense Nuclear Nonproliferation
24600 20th St SE
Kirtland AFB, NM 87117-5507
US

Your session is about to expire!

Your USAJOBS session will expire due to inactivity in 8 minutes. Any unsaved data will be lost if you allow the session to expire. Click the button below to continue your session.