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Director, Security and Foreign Affairs

Legislative Branch
United States-China Economic and Security Review Commission
This job announcement has closed

Summary

Under the direction of the Executive Director, the position is responsible for leading, managing, and developing a small team of 5-6 policy research staff (analysts, fellows, and research assistants), specifically overseeing the unclassified work in Security and Foreign Affairs subject matter areas. Also contributes to the broader staff as one of the directors providing cross-functional coordination and leadership across the Commission staff.

Overview

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Job closed
Open & closing dates
09/30/2024 to 10/14/2024
Salary
$147,500 to - $184,500 per year
Pay scale & grade
AD 00
Location
1 vacancy in the following location:
Washington, DC
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Travel Required
Not required
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Term
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Excepted
Promotion potential
00
Supervisory status
Yes
Security clearance
Other
Drug test
No
Financial disclosure
Yes
Bargaining unit status
No
Announcement number
007-2024-DSFA
Control number
811920600

This job is open to

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Clarification from the agency

Administratively Determined, Full-Time, Term-Appointed Position (The initial term of appointment is one year and is generally renewed annually by mutual agreement. This position is not covered by provisions of 5 USC that apply to Executive Branch employees regarding appointment, termination, competitive service selection, and pay related rules and regulations.)

Duties

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  1. Lead and manage a diverse team developing policy-relevant analysis within the Commission's mandate. Lead the team's efforts to: generate ideas; research and draft the Commission's Annual Report; prepare staff papers and issue briefs; develop hearings; draft talking points and editorials, etc.
  2. Develop and mentor junior and mid-career policy analysts to build subject matter expertise and produce substantive and effective written and oral assessments of issues in the team's portfolio.
  3. Collaborate with the Economics and Trade Team to ensure research in support of the Commission's mandate is comprehensive and coordinated across all relevant issue areas.
  4. Ensure the team's analytic work is accurate, timely, and well written; satisfies the requirements of Commissioners and Congress; reflect the Commission's positions; is relevant to Congressional policy-making; and meets professional standards.
  5. Serve as a subject matter expert for Commissioners, to Congressional staff, and in support of the Commission's advice to Congress, in the subject matter areas assigned to your team (see areas of expertise identified in the requirements and qualifications listed below).
  6. Develop and sustain a professional network with officials in the U.S. government who create or carry out China-related strategy, policy, or plans; and China analysts in the U.S. government, private sector, and academia.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • Applicants must be eligible for a security clearance.
  • Upon appointment, the selectee will be required to undergo a background investigation, and during the employment period may also be required to obtain and hold a Federal security clearance.
  • An active clearance is not a prerequisite for applying for or initiating employment.

Qualifications

REQUIREMENTS AND QUALIFICATIONS

  1. An established record of policy-relevant professional experience on issues related to Chinese national security and foreign affairs.
  2. Experience supervising and leading people and teams in conducting research and analysis.
  3. Strong and demonstrated ability to present information clearly and concisely through both written and oral communication.
  4. Advanced research, analytical, and evaluative skills, including the ability to mentor and develop in analysts the skills necessary to synthesize and analyze large amounts of disparate data on emerging and/or controversial issues and clearly communicate their implications to a policy audience.
  5. Expert knowledge of five or more of the following areas:
    1. China's foreign policy and global diplomatic activities;
    2. China's domestic politics and policy-making;
    3. China's military strategy and the organization, capabilities, and activities of the People's Liberation Army (PLA);
    4. China's development of technologies for defense applications, the defense research and development (R&D) ecosystem, and military-civil fusion initiatives;
    5. China's internal security policies and apparatus, to include CCP inspection and discipline organs, the Ministry of State Security (MSS), the Ministry of Public Security (MPS), the People's Armed Police (PAP), and the judicial, Pro curatorial, and penal systems;
    6. China's policies and activities relating the transnational security challenges, including drug flows, cybersecurity, nonproliferation, public health, information control, transnational repression, and others;
    7. China's relations with Taiwan;
    8. China's policy toward Hong Kong; and U.S. foreign policy related to China and the Indo-Pacific (including U.S. alliances and other partnerships in the region) and U.S. military strategy, capabilities, and activities in the Indo-Pacific.
HIGHLY DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS:
(Not required, but may be considered in the selection process)
  1. Professional proficiency in Mandarin Chinese, to include ability to effectively utilize original language sources of electronic and print information, and guide the use of such resources by other analysts, in developing policy-relevant original research and analysis.
  2. Experience working in or engaging with Congress on matters related to national security and foreign affairs policy.
  3. Experience living and/or working in China, Taiwan, or Hong Kong, or in a U.S. government department or agency that conducted or oversaw national security and foreign affairs policy with China.
  4. Academic degree(s) in a relevant field, such as Asian Studies, International Relations, Political Science, Security Studies, or Asian History.

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher.

Additional information

The Commission actively seeks a diverse applicant pool and values having a variety of views, backgrounds, and experiences on the team. The U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission is an equal employment opportunity employer and does not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of that individual's protected characteristics, including: race, color, religion, sex (including gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, and childbirth), national origin, age, disability, genetic information, marital status, uniformed service, or sexual orientation.

The Commission will provide reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities as appropriate. Determinations on requests for reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis.

The Commission participates in the E-Verify Program established by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Social Security Administration (SSA). If you are hired by the Commission, the Commission will verify with the DHS and the SSA that you are eligible for employment in the United States.

Benefits. As federal government employees, Commission employees in six-month term positions are eligible to participate in the Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) Program. Employees accrue and may use annual and sick leave in accordance with Commission policies and procedures. For more information, please visit https://help.usajobs.gov/working-in-government/benefits

How you will be evaluated

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

The Commission will evaluate your cover letter, resume, and writing sample to assess your qualifications and experience. The Executive Director and appropriate staff will interview the top candidates. Interviews will consist of two parts: 1) interviews with the Executive Director and appropriate staff; and 2) a writing test.
The Chairman and/or Vice Chair may interview the final candidates. The final hiring decision will be made by the Executive Director.

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