Clarification from the agency

United States citizens. Veterans. Current or former federal employees, regardless of tenure. Individuals with disabilities. Internal agency employees; including agency temporary employees, eligible agency Experts, and eligible agency personal services contractors. Recently Returned Peace Corps Volunteers and qualified Returned Peace Corps Response Volunteers with Peace Corps Eligibility.

A successful candidate for the role of Country Director must be able to communicate and collaborate effectively with Volunteers, local staff, community members, host-country officials at senior levels, the U.S. Embassy, Peace Corps headquarters, and other stakeholders.
The Country Director performs the following major duties:

• Provides overall leadership and direction for Peace Corps operations in the assigned country, ensuring alignment with Agency mission and strategic objectives.
• Directs all key functional areas, including: Volunteer support; program design, training, and evaluation; administration; logistics; financial management; medical services; and safety and security.
• Leads strategic planning and policy implementation, setting organizational and program priorities for the post.
• Supervises senior staff and oversees all administrative and human resource functions, fostering a high-performing and participatory team culture.
• Coaches and mentors Volunteers and staff, promoting professional growth and intercultural competence.
• Serves as the senior Peace Corps representative, engaging at executive levels with host-country government officials, U.S. embassy leadership, senior Peace Corps management, and other key stakeholders; also represents Peace Corps at a local level with community leadership and community members.
• Advocates for Peace Corps' mission and programs with host-country partners, local organizations, the U.S. Embassy, and other government agencies.
• Collaborates with host-country stakeholders to develop a vision for the country program and develop plans to achieve shared goals.
• Provides leadership and oversight to ensure projects align with host-country development needs, Peace Corps philosophy, and Volunteer capabilities.
• Ensures program quality and impact, emphasizing capacity building, sustainability, and responsiveness to host-country priorities while adhering to Peace Corps standards.
• Negotiates and executes agreements with host-country partner agencies in consultation with the Office of General Counsel.
• Manages resources effectively, determining requirements for budget, facilities, equipment, staffing, and Volunteers.
• Maintains a safe and productive environment for trainees, Volunteers, and staff to perform their duties effectively.
• Establishes and enforces safety and security protocols, including site identification and monitoring, risk mitigation, and support for victims of crime.
• Provides leadership and oversight of policies and procedures to ensure Volunteer safety and security, including training for personal safety, disaster response, risk mitigation, and support for victims of crime such as physical and sexual assault, theft, and other crimes.
• Coordinates with the Office of Health Services to deliver comprehensive medical care for Volunteers.
• Promotes intercultural competence among staff and Volunteers.
• Develops a cohesive, respectful organizational culture that upholds dignity and professionalism.
• Ensures compliance with U.S. federal laws, Peace Corps policies, and local labor laws in all personnel actions.

Conditions of employment

Applicants selected for this position are subject to the following Conditions of Employment:

• You must be a U.S. citizen and at least 18 years old.
• Males born after December 31, 1959, must be registered with Selective Service (see www.sss.gov).
• Prior to employment, Peace Corps will review records for Returned Peace Corps Volunteers and former employees, as required by statutes 5 USC 3322 and 22 USC 2507b.
• You must submit a signed statement acknowledging adherence to the Peace Corps Conditions of Employment before your first day.
• You must obtain and maintain a Top-Secret security clearance.
• You must obtain and maintain a medical clearance.
• This position is designated for drug testing under the Drug-Free Workplace Program. You must pass a pre-employment drug test. After hire, you will be subject to random drug testing.
• You must file a financial disclosure report.
• An 18-month probationary period may be required. This requirement is not applicable to current agency US Direct Hire employees who have completed a probationary period or current Experts who have served for more that 12 months.
• Travel within and outside the country of assignment is required.
• The initial appointment to this position cannot exceed five years.

Qualifications

Applicants must meet all qualification requirements prior to the closing date of this announcement, 03/04/2026. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience demonstrated in your resume, including volunteer work. Qualification claims are subject to verification. This vacancy is being announced at one grade level.

Specialized Experience at the FP-01 (GS-15) Level: To qualify for this position at the FP-01 level, you must have at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower level in the normal line of progression, FP-02 or GS-14. This experience must be directly related to the work of the position and must have equipped you with the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to successfully perform the duties of the role. Specialized experience includes:

• Directing and managing the operations of complex international or domestic technical assistance and capacity-building programs across multiple functional areas. Functional areas include staff or volunteer support, program design and evaluation, administration, logistics, and financial management.
• Leading strategic planning and policy development for an organization's programs by establishing organizational objectives, allocating resources, and aligning projects with organizational priorities and mission.
• Representing an organization at the executive level, with internal and external stakeholders, to advocate for program goals, negotiate agreements, and build collaborative partnerships that advance strategic objectives.
• Leading, supporting and coaching staff or volunteers at various career stages, including early-career professionals, to create an atmosphere of open communication, accountability, trust and belonging.

Education cannot be substituted for experience at this grade level.

~AND~

Selective Placement Factor: This position has one selective placement factor: Three years of: 1) executive leadership experience in transitioning or developing countries involving international development work, or 2) community development experience working with underserved communities in the United States. Experience may be with private sector, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), or government organizations (local, state, and/or federal). Executive experience must include either an international focus or a focus on domestic communities composed primarily of members from varied cultural backgrounds.

~AND~

Time-in-Grade Requirements: Current or former Federal employees, including Peace Corps employees, must meet applicable Time-in-Grade requirements to be eligible for this position. For positions above the FP-09 (GS-05) level, you must have completed at least one year (52 weeks) at the next lower grade in the normal line of progression for the position to which you are applying.

All current or former Federal employees, including internal employees, must provide a copy of their SF-50(s), "Notification of Personnel Action," to demonstrate that you meet Time-in-Grade requirements. For more information, refer to the "Required Documents" section below.

Please note:

• Experience that satisfies the Specialized Experience and Selective Placement Factor requirements must be clearly documented in your resume. Failure to provide this information may result in disqualification. Please review the "Required Documents" section of this announcement for further information on resume requirements.
• Specialized experience may be gained in the public sector, private sector, or through volunteer service (e.g., National Service programs such as Peace Corps or AmeriCorps, or other organizations such as professional, philanthropic, religious, spiritual, community, student, or social groups).
• One year of experience refers to full-time work. Part-time work will be credited on a prorated basis.
• For more details on qualification requirements, refer to the OPM Qualifications Standards Handbook for General Schedule Positions, available on the OPM web site.

How you will be evaluated

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

Applications are reviewed after the announcement closes. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or missing information may affect our ability to verify your eligibility or qualifications. We use a multi-step application review process:

1. Eligibility

We review your resume and supporting documents to confirm you meet the eligibility requirements of the position, including Time-in-Grade requirements.

You will be rated ineligible if:

• You are outside of the area of consideration (i.e., who may apply). Refer to the "This job is open to" section for more information about the area of consideration. Refer to the "Required Documents" section for more information about the documentation required to verify your eligibility to apply.
• You do not meet the Time-in-Grade requirement. Refer to the "Qualifications" section for more information about Time-in-Grade. Refer to the "Required Documents" section for more information about the documentation required to verify Time-in-Grade.

2. Minimum Qualifications, Rating and Ranking

After we determine you meet the eligibility requirements, we assess your experience by comparing your resume to the specialized experience required for the grade level(s) to which you applied. A "final score cut point" may be used when reviewing applications. We also review other qualification factors, such as Selective Placement Factors and education requirements. After we have determined that you meet the minimum requirments, a Subject Matter Expert will conduct a structured resume review to assess your qualifications.

You will be disqualified if:

• Your resume does not demonstrate that you possess the minimum qualifications. Refer to the "Specialized Experience" listed in the "Qualifications" section for more information about the minimum qualifications.
• Your resume does not demonstrate that you meet applicable Selective Placement Factors. If a Selective Placement Factor is required to qualify for this job announcement, more information about Selective Placement Factors is listed in the "Qualifications" section.
• You do not meet the applicable education requirements or did not submit supporting documentation to verify that you meet the requirements. If specific education is required to qualify for this job announcement, more information about the education requirements can be found in the "Qualifications" and "Education" sections.
• You inflate or falsify qualifications, education, or experience on your resume.

3. Referral and Selection

Highly qualified applicants are referred to the selecting official. The selecting official may:

• Conduct a structured interview.
• Check your references.
• Request a writing sample or conduct an additional job-related assessment.

Your qualifications will be evaluated on the following competencies:

• Leadership
• Organizational Awareness
• Stakeholder Management
• Strategic Thinking

You may preview the questionnaire for this vacancy here: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12892001