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Foreign Affairs Specialist

Department of Energy
National Nuclear Security Administration
Office of Defense Nuclear Nonproliferation (NA-20)
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 Global Material Security (GMS) (NA-21). The incumbent serves as a senior advisor to GMS leadership, supporting internal operations of the organization, advising on a wide-range of nuclear security topics, and engaging with key stakeholders within the U.S. interagency and international community.

Overview

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Hiring complete
Open & closing dates
12/11/2024 to 12/26/2024
Salary
$163,964 to - $191,900 per year
Pay scale & grade
NQ 4
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
4
Job family (Series)
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Q Access Authorization
Drug test
Yes
Position sensitivity and risk
Critical-Sensitive (CS)/High Risk
Financial disclosure
Yes
Bargaining unit status
No
Announcement number
25-XA-03372-12635050-NNSA
Control number
823563100

This job is open to

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Clarification from the agency

Current NNSA Federal employees with competitive status only. NNSA employees with CTAP or RPL eligibility.

Duties

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As a Foreign Affairs Specialist, you will:

1. Provide support to the GMS Assistant Deputy Administrator (ADA) and Associate ADA, including preparation for internal and external engagements with both domestic and international partners.
2. Lead cross-office initiatives and working groups, fostering collaboration within GMS, NNSA, and the interagency.
3. Oversee the contractor action officer team and assist with the review of response to requests for information from senior DOE/NNSA leadership and external stakeholders, such as Congress and the GAO.
4. Assist with planning of and coordination of GMS participation in major international events that cross-cut across GMS program areas.

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 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 or GS grade level in the Federal service, i.e., NQ-03 pay band or GS-14. Specialized experience for this position is defined as experience in leading or supporting the execution of nonproliferation or national security 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:

  • Experience in the development, implementation, sustainability and oversight of U.S. Government nonproliferation or national security programs.
  • Experience in U.S. foreign policies, government-to-government agreements, regulations, guidelines, and sustainability challenges related to nonproliferation and/or nuclear or national security issues.
  • 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 or national security mission.
  • Experience in supporting and advising senior leaders in the execution of nonproliferation or national security programs.

"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 make sure to provide transcripts

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, as shown in 1 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.

If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:

EDUCATION: 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.**If you are selected, official transcripts will be required.**FOREIGN 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. Please Note: If your foreign education has already been accepted by an accredited U.S. educational institution as part of a degree program with that institution, you do not need to provide an evaluation of foreign education but must submit a copy of the transcripts listing the degree from the U.S. accredited institution that accepted your foreign education.

Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.

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
  • Diplomacy/Negotiation
  • Project and Program Management
  • Technical Competence


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/12635050

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