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Foreign Affairs Officer

Department of State
Department of State - Agency Wide

Summary

This position is located in the Under Secretary for Foreign Assistance, Humanitarian Affairs and Religious Freedom (F). You will serve as a Foreign Affairs Officer responsible for monitoring information into and out of the front office and for synchronizing action on a broad spectrum of the F Family Bureau's formulation and implementation of foreign assistance programs, international disaster crisis and humanitarian efforts, global immigration and border security policies and strategies. 

Overview

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Accepting applications
Open & closing dates
03/23/2026 to 03/29/2026
Salary
$121,785 - $158,322 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 13
Location
Washington, DC
1 vacancy
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Travel Required
Occasional travel - Occasional travel may be required
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
13
Job family (Series)
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Top Secret
Drug test
Yes
Position sensitivity and risk
Critical-Sensitive (CS)/High Risk
Trust determination process
Announcement number
S/ES-S-2026-0009
Control number
862084000

Duties

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  • Serves as point of contact for actions assigned by the F Family Bureaus and Offices, U.S. embassies and posts, and other U.S. government agencies related to foreign assistance, humanitarian affairs, and religious freedom.
  • Monitors foreign assistance programs, international disaster, crisis, and humanitarian efforts, and societal developments and trends to achieve U.S. foreign policy objectives, particularly those related to foreign policy.
  • Analyzes political, economic, and other reporting from a wide variety of sources to understand conditions in other countries and implications for U.S. interests.
  • Represents F at meetings with representatives of other State Department offices, U.S. government agencies, foreign governments, and non-governmental entities. Provides informational consultations to colleagues and management officials.

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

***This announcement closing date has been updated to March 29th, 2026.***

Applicants must meet all the required qualification requirements described below by the closing date of this announcement. If you are qualifying based on education OR if there are mandatory education requirements listed below, you MUST submit a copy of your college transcript with your application. 

 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 must have the required experience or education as described below and meet any selective factors, when specified.

BASIC REQUIREMENTS: Have a bachelor's or graduate degree from an accredited college or university in international law, international relations, political science, economics, history, sociology, geography, social or cultural anthropology, law, statistics, or in the humanities;

OR Have a bachelor's or graduate degree from an accredited college or university that included a combination of courses, with 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 Have 12 semester hours in one of the above disciplines and 12 semester hours in statistics / quantitative methods.

OR Have a combination of education and experience where your coursework was equivalent to a major, or a combination of related courses totaling at least 24 semester hours, (as shown above), PLUS appropriate relevant experience OR additional education.

OR Have completed at least 4 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. (NOTE: qualifying work experience may have been gained through residence, study, teaching, business or commercial activities, military service, newspaper work, military or civil government activities, missionary or international relief work, or other experience in foreign countries.)

Note: If you are qualifying based on education, you MUST submit transcripts as verification of educational requirement by the closing date of this announcement. If you fail to provide requested information, or the information you submit is insufficient to verify your eligibility, you WILL lose consideration for this position.

IN ADDITION to the basic requirements, this position requires one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-12 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 evaluating program effectiveness and making recommendations for adjustments to policies and programs.

-Experience analyzing foreign policy issues and making recommendations for engaging foreign governments and international organizations on these issues.

-Experience providing informational consultations to colleagues and management officials in the Department and interagency.

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

See the qualifications section of this vacancy announcement for education requirements.

Education completed in foreign colleges or universities may be used to meet the education requirements if you can show that the foreign education is comparable to that received in an accredited educational institution in the United States. It is your responsibility to provide such evidence when applying. For a list of accredited organizations recognized as specializing in interpretation of foreign education credentials, visit: www.naces.org/members.php.

Additional information

  • For reasonable accommodation at the U.S. Department of State, please contact the Office of Accessibility and Accommodations at OAA@state.gov. 
  • If eligible, situational telework agreements may be permitted with supervisory approval. 
  • 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.

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

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 limited to two pages will be conducted and evaluated by an HR specialist to determine if you are qualified for this job. Resumes longer than two pages will be deemed ineligible and will not be considered further.

Your qualifications will be evaluated on the following competencies:

• Knowledge of foreign assistance.

• Knowledge of the realm of foreign policy/international affairs.  

• Ability to provide advice, guidance, and consultation to officials with regard to the interpretation and application of foreign policy analyses. 

• Ability to establish liaison at all levels throughout the foreign policy community.

• Skill in communication to prepare analyses, provide guidance, solicit information, defend proposals, and negotiate agreements.

Agency Career and Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP and ICTAP) candidates must be rated "Well Qualified" and submit the supporting documents listed under the required documents section of this job to receive consideration for selection priority. 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.


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Department of State - Agency Wide

The U.S. Department of State, our country’s lead foreign policy agency, provides employees with a dynamic international career whether at home or abroad and unique professional development opportunities.  Each day, our employees make a difference as they advance the interests of the American people, their safety and economic prosperity, through diplomacy, advocacy, and assistance.  We embrace our talented workforce which reflects the personal, professional, and educational strengths of our country. 

Named one of America’s Best Employers by Forbes, we offer a workplace that values and rewards leadership, collaboration, innovation, and personal and professional development. Visit careers.state.gov to learn more about what it's like to work at the U.S. Department of State, what the agency does, the wide range of careers this agency offers, and the benefits available to employees.

Agency contact information

Tyneesha Lawrence
Phone
(202) 647 5701
Email
lawrenceth@state.gov
Address
U.S. Department of State
Not accepting applications
Washington, District of Columbia 20520
United States

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