Clarification from the agency

U.S. citizens or U.S. Nationals; Military Spouses; no prior Federal experience is required.

As an International Relations Specialist, you will:

• Conduct in-depth analyses for comprehensive and long-term energy policy planning and strategy development, investigating international energy policy, market trends, investment and trade issues and their impact on U.S. national security, foreign policy, and trade policy objectives in assigned non-U.S. geographical regions within the Americas.
• Serve as the DOE representative in meetings with foreign officials, both here and abroad, and in interagency meetings related to the assigned area of responsibility.
• Draft comprehensive briefings, speeches, and testimony given by the Secretary, Deputy Secretary, the Under Secretary, Assistant Secretary, and other senior DOE officials. Develop background briefing/position papers for senior DOE management on energy policies, trade issues, strategies, and programs in the area of responsibility for use during bilateral and multilateral discussions.
• Assist in identifying and monitoring potential foreign activities for cooperative arrangements from which the Government would derive benefits, recommending short- and long-range strategies and plans for cooperation.

Conditions of employment

• You must be a U.S. Citizen or National.
• This employer participates in the e-Verify program.
• If you are a male applicant born after December 31, 1959, you must certify that you have registered with the Selective Service System or are exempt from having to do so under the Selective Service Law. See www.sss.gov.
• If selected, your appointment may be subject to a suitability or fitness determination, as determined by a completed background investigation.
• If selected, you may be required to complete a one year probationary period.
• This position does not support 100% remote work. You will be required to report physically to the official reporting worksite as specified by the supervisor, but no less than 2 days per pay period.
• This position is a Testing Designated Position (TDP) subject to applicant testing and random drug testing thereafter. Failure to test or a positive result on random drug tests conducted after appointment may result in removal from Federal employment.
• A preliminary background check must be completed before a new employee can begin work. Current Federal employees or other individuals with an existing completed background investigation may not be required to undergo another background check.
• This position has been designated as ENTER POSITION DESIGNATION and requires a security clearance at the ENTER LEVEL. The incumbent is required to obtain and maintain this clearance; failure to do so may result in separation from federal service.
• This position is included in a Bargaining Unit.

Qualifications

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.

GS-12 SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS: A qualified candidate's online application and resume must demonstrate at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-11 grade level in the Federal service. Specialized experience for this position is defined as meeting ALL of the following:

• Researching and analyzing international energy policy, market trends, and/or investment and trade issues; AND
• Developing policy positions and providing in-depth analyses on international energy, climate, and/or energy technology matters; AND
• Preparing written reports and/or oral briefings to present appropriate information in a concise and coherent manner to internal leadership and external stakeholders.

Qualification Standard 0131 International Relations Series

"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 (1) meet all of the requirements as described in this section; and 2) be rated "well-qualified", which is defined as scoring in the in Well Qualified category (or higher).

You must meet all qualifications and eligibility requirements by the closing date of this announcement.

How you will be evaluated

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

Once the application process is complete, your resume and supporting documentation will be used to determine whether you meet the job qualifications. 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 and you will be placed into one of three pre-defined quality categories under Category Rating procedures. These categories are "Best Qualified", "Well Qualified", and "Qualified. 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.

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

• External Awareness
• Oral Communication
• Problem Solving
• Technical Competence

Application of Veterans' Preference: If you are a preference eligible candidate, you will be listed at the top of whichever quality category your rating places you in. CP/CPS veterans are placed at the top of the highest category for all positions except professional and scientific positions at GS-9 and higher.

Non-Competitive Hiring Authority for Military Spouses: If you are a military spouse eligible under this authority, and you meet the minimum qualification requirements for the position, you will be referred to the selecting official for consideration on a separate list specific to only military spouses.

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 scoring in the in Well Qualified category (or higher).

Shared Certificates: The Department of Energy shares lists of applicants among its internal Departmental Elements and organizations. You may be referred for consideration to other DOE Hiring Managers throughout the Department for more than one position based on this application. By applying to this announcement, you understand your application materials may be shared with multiple Hiring Mangers throughout DOE. If additional positions are filled from this announcement conditions of employment may differ. You will be notified if you are referred for additional positions.

You must meet all qualifications and eligibility requirements by the closing date (11/25/2024) of this announcement.

To preview the Assessment Questionnaire, clickhttps://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12614610.