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Staff Assistant

Department of State
Department of State - Agency Wide
This job announcement has closed

Summary

This position is located in the Office of the Assistant Secretary, Bureau of International Organizations Affairs (IO/FO). The Bureau of International Organization Affairs, domestically and through its seven missions, develops and implements U.S. policy in the United Nations, its specialized and voluntary agencies, and certain other international organizations.

Overview

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Reviewing applications
Open & closing dates
04/22/2025 to 04/29/2025
Salary
$84,601 to - $131,826 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 11 - 12
Location
1 vacancy in the following location:
District of Columbia, DC
1 vacancy
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Travel Required
Not required
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-Time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
12
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Top Secret
Drug test
Yes
Position sensitivity and risk
Critical-Sensitive (CS)/High Risk
Trust determination process
Financial disclosure
No
Bargaining unit status
No
Announcement number
IO-2025-0007
Control number
835693100

Duties

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  • Initiates responses to Congressional inquiries; ensures requests are routed to appropriate staff members; reviews Bureau responses to Congressional letters and other correspondence to ensure consistency with office procedures.
  • Researches critical issues, information requirements, timelines, and the nature/type of product required; communicates requirements used by 7th floor to IO senior managers and offices.
  • Reviews incoming and outgoing documents for content, appropriateness, timeliness, and internal consistency.
  • Develops and implements procedures, standards, and guidance for efficient operation of various administrative processes.
  • Develops and coordinates appropriate systems of internal controls and provides advice and guidance to staff and program specialists on administrative issues.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • U.S. Citizenship is required.
  • Incumbent will be subject to random drug testing.
  • Must be able to obtain and maintain a Top Secret security clearance.

Qualifications

Applicants must meet all the required qualification requirements described below by the closing date of this announcement. 

NOTE: Applicants must meet time-in-grade and time after competitive appointment requirements, by the closing date of this announcement.

Time-In-Grade Requirements: Federal applicants must have served 52 weeks at the next lower grade to satisfy time-in-grade restrictions, per 5CFR 300, Subpart F.

Applicants applying for the GS-11 grade level must meet one of the following requirements: A. Have at least 1 full year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-09 level in the Federal service which provided you with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities to perform the duties of the position.

Qualifying specialized experience must demonstrate the following:

-Experience developing and implementing policy and procedures for managing records.

-Experience monitoring and tracking correspondence and documents between multiple offices and parties. 

OR B. Have a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree OR 3 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree, or LL.M. from an accredited college or university. OR

C. Have a combination of graduate level education and specialized experience (as described above), which is equivalent to the GS-09 level in the Federal Service. This experience and education together meets 100% of the qualification requirements for this position.

Combination of Experience and Education: When an applicant has less than one year of specialized experience as described in the announcement, he or she may combine successfully completed graduate-level education with experience to meet the total qualification requirements. Generally, 18 graduate semester hours is equivalent to 1 full-time year of graduate study (your school and department determine what constitutes 1 full time year of graduate study). The percentage of specialized work experience and the percentage of graduate study must total at least 100%.

Minimum Qualifications: To be considered well qualified, in addition to meeting minimum qualifications candidates must demonstrate proficiency in some, but not all of the major aspects of the position. 

Note: All applicants WILL BE required to submit transcripts as verification of educational requirement. If you fail to provide requested information, or the information you submit is insufficient to verify your eligibility, you may lose consideration for this position.

Applicants applying for the GS-12 grade level must have: 1 year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-11 level in the Federal service which provided the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities to perform the duties of the position.

Qualifying specialized experience must demonstrate the following:

-Experience in applying analytical and evaluative methods and techniques of assigned administrate program operations and projects.

-Experience organizing and controlling documents and correspondence. 

There is no substitute of education for specialized experience for the GS-12 position.

Minimum Qualifications: To be considered well qualified, in addition to meeting minimum qualifications candidates must demonstrate proficiency in some, but not all of the major aspects of the position. 

Education

Education requirements do not apply to this vacancy announcement.

Additional information

  • For reasonable accommodation at the U.S. Department of State, please contact the Office of Accessibility and Accommodations at (202) 663-3474 or OAA@state.gov. 
  • Multiple positions may be filled from this announcement. If eligible, applicants to this announcement may be referred to other similar positions in other Bureaus/Offices in the Department for up to 240 days. Telework eligibility and security clearance requirements may vary for such similar positions.

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, a review of your resume will be conducted and compared against your responses to the assessment questions to determine if you are qualified for this job.  Note:  Responses to questions that are not fully supported by the information in your resume may result in adjustments to your rating. 

Applicants who meet the minimum qualification requirements, as described in the “Qualifications” section of this announcement, will be assigned a score between 70 and 100.  The assessment is used to measure the degree in which your background matches the competencies (knowledge, skills, and abilities) required for this position. Your qualifications will be evaluated on the following competencies:

-Knowledge of administrative concepts, principles, and practices.
-Ability to compile and analyze data.
-Ability to plan and organize work.
-Ability to communicate in writing.
-Knowledge of correspondence management.
-Skill in interpersonal communication.

Applicants found to be among the top qualified candidates will be referred to the hiring official for further consideration and possible interview.  Qualified non-competitive candidates must be deemed best qualified based on the applicant assessment in order to be referred to the hiring official for further consideration and possible interview.

Agency Career and Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP and ICTAP) candidates must be rated "Well Qualified" for the position and earn a score of at least 85 (when applicants are rated in a range of 70 to 100) to receive consideration for selection priority.  Applicants found to be among the top qualified candidates will be referred to the hiring official for further consideration and possible interview. 


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