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Senior Attache (Mexico)

Department of Labor
Bureau of International Labor Affairs
OTLA

Summary

This position is located in DOL's Bureau of International Labor Affairs (ILAB), serving in the U.S. Embassy in Mexico. The Senior Attaché in Mexico advises the U.S. Ambassador to Mexico and the USG interagency on labor and employment issues, with a focus on implementation of the labor commitments in the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement.

This is a term appointment not to exceed 3 years, with an option to extend for an additional year. This position is outside the bargaining unit.

Overview

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Accepting applications
Open & closing dates
05/15/2026 to 05/28/2026
Salary
$169,279 - $197,200 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 15
Location
1 vacancy in the following location:
Washington, DC
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Travel Required
Occasional travel - You may be expected to travel for this position.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
Yes—You may qualify for reimbursement of relocation expenses in accordance with agency policy.
Appointment type
Term - 3 years with option to extend, NTE 4 years total.
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
15
Job family (Series)
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Top Secret
Drug test
Yes
Position sensitivity and risk
Critical-Sensitive (CS)/High Risk
Financial disclosure
Yes
Bargaining unit status
No
Announcement number
DE-26-PHL-ILAB-12947018-AOS
Control number
869265000

Duties

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Major duties:

  • The position implements and/or facilitates the implementation of USG labor and employment mandates, policies, programs, and initiatives, including those related to the US Mexico Canada Agreement (USMCA), and advocates for, develops, and implements strategies to advance USG labor and employment priorities in Mexico. The position serves as an expert on labor and employment issues and developments in Mexico for officials of DOL and other USG agencies.
  • Monitors labor and employment mandates, policies, programs, and initiatives, including direct technical assistance and technical assistance programming, the ILO, other international organizations, and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) with interests in Mexico.
  • Provides technical assistance to the Mexican government to facilitate legal reforms consistent with international labor standards and effective enforcement of labor laws and regulations.
  • The position provides labor and employment expertise to the U.S. Mission, DOL, and other USG agencies to facilitate the development and implementation of targeted USG-funded grants and contracts addressing labor and employment challenges in Mexico, consistent with international labor standards and effective enforcement of labor laws and regulations.
  • The position supports and closely coordinates and collaborates with the Human Rights Officer on the Country Reports on Human Rights Practices and Trafficking in Persons report.
  • The position serves as head of the labor office at the post and may provide oversight for any locally employed staff at post reporting to the labor office. The position serves as the main point of contact for ILAB initiatives in Mexico and acts as conduit of information and guidance to other Attachés in Mexico.
  • Builds professional relationships with a wide range of USG and international contacts at varying levels of authority and earns the trust of Mexican counterparts to provide effective guidance and authoritative recommendations to these stakeholders.
  • Provides onsite representation and expert and authoritative advice on all aspects of policies and programs that relate to the complete
    range of DOL's international mission concerning labor and employment policies and programs. Represents the Secretary of Labor's priorities to the Embassy.
  • Conducts oral and written briefings and drafts analytical and spot cables, including in coordination with other Embassy officials. Responds to inquiries from USG agencies on labor and employment issues and developments especially as they relate to DOL mandates and mission priorities.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • Must be a U.S. Citizen.
  • Must be at least 16 years old.
  • Requires a probationary period if the requirement has not been met.
  • Candidate required to obtain the necessary security/investigation level.
  • Subject to pre-employment and random drug tests.
  • Subject to financial disclosure requirements.
  • This position requires foreign language proficiency in Spanish.

Qualifications

This position has a language proficiency requirement. The incumbent MUST be able to speak, read, and write in all styles and forms of the language pertinent to the duties of the position, Spanish.

This position is authorized foreign entitlements in accordance with the Department of State Standardized Regulations (DSSR).This section is contingent upon host country approval.

When employee is assigned to Mexico, the employee will not receive Washington DC locality pay, salary will be adjusted to reflect basic pay. The Foreign Service Act and the President's Letter of Instruction to Chiefs of Mission give the COM full authority over and responsibility for the direction, coordination and supervision of all USG executive branch employees in his/her country, regardless of employment categories or locations, except those under the command of U.S. as in military commanders, or the staff of international organizations, or serving as Voice of America correspondents on assignment. Furthermore, all executive branch agencies with employees under COM authority must keep the COM full informed of their activities and ensure that all such employees comply fully with all applicable COM directives.


The base pay scale for the assignment in Mexico is as follow: $126,384.00 to $164,301.00 Per Year. The selected candidate will be relocated to Mexico at government expense and will be eligible for all benefits normally provided to US government employees at the US Embassy and Consulates in Mexico, including Post (Hardship) Differential. More information on Post Differential in Mexico may be found at: State Department Website

The selected applicant will be assigned to serve in the U.S. Embassy located in Mexico City, Mexico at time of appointment or sometime after appointment. The assignment in Mexico City is temporary for three years and may be extended for an additional year.

You must meet the Basic Requirements and the Specialized Experience to qualify for the Senior Attaché - Mexico, as described below.

Basic Requirements:

  • 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
  • Combination of education and experience: courses equivalent to a major, or a combination of related courses totaling at least 24 semester hours, in one or more of the social sciences, or in the humanities, as shown in A above, plus appropriate experience or additional education.
or
  • 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

In addition to meeting the basic requirement above, to qualify for this position, you must also meet the specialized experience listed below:
For GS-15: Applicants must have 52 weeks of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level, GS-14 in the Federal Service or private sector.

Specialized Experience is the experience that equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSA's) to perform the duties of the position successfully, and that is typically in or related to the position to be filled. To be creditable, specialized experience must have been equivalent to at least the next lower grade level.

Qualifying specialized experience is defined as having at least FOUR (4) of the following, equivalent to at least the next lower grade level, GS-14 in the Federal Service or private sector.:

  • Implementing U.S. government international labor and trade mandates and priorities, such as assessing countries' labor laws and enforcement for their effectiveness in complying with international labor standards.
  • Engaging in the development, negotiation, or implementation of U.S labor and employment policy in an international context.
  • Developing and implementing plans for the monitoring and enforcement of labor or international commitments.
  • Managing or leading a team to complete long term projects.
  • Researching Mexico's geopolitical and industrial relations.

Education

Any applicant falsely claiming an academic degree from an accredited school will be subject to actions ranging from disqualification from federal employment to removal from federal service.

If your education was completed at a foreign college or university, you must show comparability to education received in accredited educational institutions in the United States and comparability to applicable minimum coursework requirements for this position. Click Evaluation of Foreign Education for more information.

Additional information

Refer to these links for more information: GENERAL INFORMATION, REASONABLE ACCOMMODATIONS, ADDITIONAL DOCUMENTATION, FORMER FEDERAL EMPLOYEES

As a condition of employment, all personnel must undergo a background investigation for access to DOL facilities, systems, information and/or classified materials before they can enter on duty: BACKGROUND INVESTIGATION

Non-Supervisory Financial Disclosure: This position is subject to the confidential financial disclosure requirements of the Ethics in Government Act of 1978 (P.L. 95-521). Therefore, if selected, you will be required to complete a Confidential Financial Disclosure Report (OGE Form 450) to determine if a conflict or an appearance of a conflict exists between your financial interest(s) and your prospective position with DOL. This information will be required annually.

For more information, click Telework Position Information. This is not a remote work position. The selectee will report to an assigned DOL office location on a regular basis and is eligible for participation in telework as determined by management in accordance with DOL policy.

Based on agency needs, additional positions may be filled using this vacancy.

The Department of Labor may use certain incentives and hiring flexibilities, currently offered by the Federal government to attract highly qualified candidates. Click for more information on Pay, Leave, and Workforce Flexibilities.

The Fair Chance Act (FCA) prohibits Federal agencies from requesting an applicant's criminal history information before the agency makes a conditional offer of employment. If you believe a DOL employee has violated your rights under the FCA, you may file a complaint of the alleged violation following our agency's complaint process Guidelines for Reporting Violations of the Fair Chance Act.

Note: The FCA does not apply to some positions specified under the Act, such as law enforcement or national security positions.

All applicants tentatively selected for this position will be required to submit to screening for illegal drug use prior to the appointment.

All Department of Labor employees are subject to the provisions of the Drug-Free Workplace Program under Executive Order 12564 and Public Law 100-71.

Reasonable Accommodation (RA) Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a RA in your online application. Requests for RA for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for RA must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for RA are made on a case-by-case basis. If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, based on your adjudication decision. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments if you received the link after the close of the announcement. To determine if you need a RA, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments.

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.

Applicants must meet all legal and regulatory requirements. Reference the Required Documents section for additional requirements.

The mission of the Department of Labor (DOL) is to protect the welfare of workers and job seekers, improve working conditions, expand high-quality employment opportunities, and assure work-related benefits and rights for all workers.

Your evaluation will be based on how well you meet the qualifications outlined in this vacancy announcement, as demonstrated through your resume and supporting documentation.

Click Application of Veterans Preference for more information.

You may preview application questions for this vacancy here: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12947018

If you meet the minimum qualifications, you will be evaluated against the evaluation factors below and will be placed into a category based on your vacancy question responses.

Category A - Meets the basic qualification requirements for the vacancy and has successful experience in the same or similar job that has demonstrated superior proficiency in applying critical competencies required by this position to work of increased levels of difficulty and complexity.

Category B - Meets the basic qualification requirements for the vacancy and demonstrates satisfactory proficiency in the critical competencies required by this position.

Category C - Meets the specialized experience described in the minimum qualification requirements section of this announcement and demonstrates proficiency in the basic competencies.

USA Hire

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

  • Attention to Detail
  • Customer Service
  • Decision Making
  • Flexibility
  • Influencing/Negotiating
  • Integrity/Honesty
  • Interpersonal Skills
  • Learning
  • Reasoning
  • Self-Management
  • Stress Tolerance
  • Teamwork


The information you provide may be verified by a review of your paid, unpaid, volunteer, as it demonstrates the competencies or skills required for the position to be filled. Your evaluation may include an interview, reference checks, or other assessment conducted by HR specialists, subject matter experts, or panel members and may include other assessment tools (ex. interview, structured interview, written test, work sample, etc.).

INFORMATION FOR ICTAP/CTAP ELIGIBLE(S) ONLY: If you are eligible for special priority selection under ICTAP/CTAP, you must be well-qualified for the position to receive consideration. ICTAP/CTAP eligible(s) who are Category B or higher will be considered well-qualified. Be sure to review the eligibility questions to reflect that you are applying as an ICTAP or CTAP eligible and submit supporting documentation.

Bureau of International Labor Affairs

Begin a challenging career with the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL), and you will help shape the workforce of tomorrow. DOL offers rewarding opportunities to contribute to a noble mission; to serve and protect American workers, prepare them for new and better jobs, and to ensure the safety and fairness of American workplaces.

The Department of Labor values its customers. Every DOL employee is responsible for delivering good customer service through accurate, courteous, efficient, and effective transactions.

The Department of Labor does not make unfavorable hiring decisions on the basis of an applicant's previous or current unemployment, or the fact that an applicant has experienced financial difficulty through no fault of his/her own and has undertaken good faith efforts to meet his/her financial obligations. Consideration is given to financial status in relation to appointments only where required by law, regulation, or Executive Order.

Applicants with disabilities can contact the vacancy point of contact listed on the job vacancy announcement to request reasonable accommodations needed for the application process.

Agency contact information

Ashley Oneal-Shue
Phone
215-861-5056
Email
onealshue.ashley@dol.gov
Address
Bureau of International Labor Affairs
200 Constitution Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20210
US

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