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Foreign Affairs Officer

Department of State
Department of State - Agency Wide

Summary

The position is located in the Cultural Heritage Center, under the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Policy, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA/P/CH). The mission of ECA is to advance foreign policy goals of the United States by fostering mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other countries.

Overview

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Open & closing dates
04/29/2026 to 05/04/2026
Salary
$121,785 - $158,322 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 13
Location
Washington, DC
1 vacancy
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
Yes—Situational Telework
Travel Required
Occasional travel - 25% or less - Some domestic and/or international travel will 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
Secret
Drug test
Yes
Position sensitivity and risk
Noncritical-Sensitive (NCS)/Moderate Risk
Announcement number
HR-CTAP-2026-0005
Control number
866909200

Duties

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  • Identify and develop programs to implement cultural property agreements and to broadly advance regional cultural heritage protections.
  • Provide expert analysis and assessment of world and/or specific regional contexts, illegal looting and trafficking of cultural property, and efforts to protect and preserve cultural heritage.
  • Draft reports of the findings and recommendations of the President’s Cultural Property Advisory Committee, as well as decision-making documents to advance U.S. foreign policy in cultural heritage protection and preservation.
  • Consult with ECA leadership to develop and implement policies for the Department’s support of cultural heritage efforts globally, including during and after natural disasters and other complex emergencies.

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 Secret security clearance.

Qualifications

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 identifying and developing programs to implement cultural property agreements and to advance cultural heritage protection.
  • Experience researching, tracking and drafting written material pertaining to cultural property laws and regulations.
  • Experience working with law enforcement agencies on policy and objectives related to protection and preservation of cultural heritage to include combating illegal looting and trafficking of cultural property.

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. 
  • OAA is responsible for reviewing and adjudicating reasonable accommodation (RA) requests for the Assessment Battery being used for this announcement.  RA requests cover additional time on timed sections only.  Applicants MUST submit their application before the vacancy closes, even if pending an adjudication decision. Applicants will have 48 hours after their RA request is adjudicated to complete the assessment battery.  Scores generated after the allotted timeframe will not be admissible and the applicant will not be considered further for the vacancy.  If a different type of RA is needed, please contact OAA directly 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 this Bureau for up to 240 days and may require a higher or lower security clearance.  Telework eligibility and security clearance requirements may vary for such similar positions. 
  • Agency & Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP & ICTAP): View OPM’s  CTAP & ICTAP eligibility website for more information. You must be rated in the Well-Qualified category and submit supporting documents under the required documents section of this announcement to receive selection priority consideration. To be considered Well-Qualified applicants must: score an 85 or above, meet Minimum Qualifications, and demonstrate proficiency in some, but not all major aspects of the position. 

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.

The evaluation process consists of the Monster Competency Based Assessments for which applicants will be assigned a score between 70 and 100. A resume review will be conducted for minimum qualification requirements, as described in the “Qualifications” section of this announcement.  Resumes longer than two pages will be deemed ineligible and will not be considered further.  

You will be assessed on the following job-related competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics):  

Non-Supervisory: Oral Communication, Writing, Interpersonal Skills, Problem Solving, Teamwork, Technology Orientation, Customer Service, Attention to Detail and Self-Management. 

Your score from the Non-supervisory external assessmentwill remain on file for 180 days, allowing you to apply for multiple DOS-announced positions without needing to retake the assessments. 

Your qualifications will be evaluated on the following competencies: 

  • Knowledge of international cultural property laws and protocols.
  • Ability to analyze and evaluate information and/or policies and apply resulting findings.
  • Knowledge of grant program requirements, policies, and business processes.
  • Knowledge of U.S. foreign policy and objectives related to cultural heritage.
  • Ability to establish and maintain liaison with officials throughout the foreign affairs community.

In describing your experience, please be clear and specific. We do not make assumptions regarding your experience. Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials may result in your removal from consideration. 

You must be rated in the Well-Qualified category and submit supporting documents under the required documents section of this announcement to receive selection priority consideration. To be considered Well-Qualified applicants must: score an 85 or above, meet Minimum Qualifications, and demonstrate proficiency in some, but not all major aspects of the position.  Agency & Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP & ICTAP):  View OPM’s  CTAP & ICTAP eligibility website for more information.


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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

Elizabeth Rice
Phone
000-000-0000
Fax
000-000-0000
Email
riceec@state.gov
Address
U.S. Department of State
1999 Dyess Avenue
Charleston, South Carolina 29405
United States

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