The John S. McCain Strategic Defense Fellowship Program is a 1-year Department of War (DoW) development program for recent advanced degree program graduates from across multiple academic disciplines. While these are temporary appointments, Fellows that successfully complete this program are eligible to be considered for conversion into permanent positions if vacancies are available.
The John S. McCain Strategic Defense Fellowship Program is a 1-year Department of War (DoW) development program for recent advanced degree program graduates from across multiple academic disciplines. While these are temporary appointments, Fellows that successfully complete this program are eligible to be considered for conversion into permanent positions if vacancies are available.
This position is open to U.S. Citizens, U.S. Nationals and lawful permanent residents who have completed a graduate degree (or higher) from an accredited institution of higher education in the U.S. no earlier than two (2) years prior to the acceptance into the program. Acceptance into the program is defined as the Fellow's Entry on Duty date. There is no preferential authorities or provisions for veterans who apply to the McCain Fellowship.
The Department of War is seeking applicants for the John S. McCain Strategic Defense Fellowship Program.
The application period opens on May 21, 2026 and closes on May 26, 2026 at 11:59pm EST.
This position is being filled under Section 932 of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2019, and its later amendments Section 1113 of the NDAA Fiscal Year 2024 and Section 1112 of the NDAA Fiscal Year 2025. NDAA FY25 Sec 1112 NDAA FY24 Sec 1113 NDAA FY19 Sec 932
Assignments during the Fellows program are to an Excepted Service position either in the Office of the Secretary of War or other Department of War Components.
Please read this Public Notice in its entirety prior to submitting your application for consideration.
Typical work assignments may include the following:
Providing strategic research, advice, and analysis to senior leaders; producing reports, briefings, and position papers for the Office of the Secretary of War.
Developing long-term strategies; analyzing policy implications and impacts on plans and capabilities.
Serving as Department representatives to working-level interagency or interdepartmental meetings; preparing senior defense leaders for inter-departmental and interagency meetings, Congressional testimony, and/or bilateral and multilateral engagements.
In all job functions, incumbents will maintain strict security protocols for classified information, ensuring compliance with all applicable regulations.
U.S. Citizenship, U.S. National or lawful permanent residency is required
Males born after 12-31-59 must be registered or exempt from Selective Service (see https://www.sss.gov/Home/Registration)
Total salary varies depending on location of position
May be required to successfully complete a probationary/trial period
Must be determined suitable for federal employment
Required to participate in the direct deposit program
This position is subject to pre-employment and random drug testing
The incumbent must adhere to DoD Standards of Conduct
Position may require occasional travel away from your normal duty station for official business on military or commercial
The incumbent may be required to work other than normal duty hours, which may include evenings, weekends, and/or holidays and/or overtime
Position requires incumbent to obtain and maintain a Top Secret/SCI security clearance
Qualifications
In order to qualify, you must meet the requirements described below.
BASIC REQUIREMENTS: Applicants must meet the Basic Requirements for the Foreign Affairs (0130) series which includes:
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, 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 entry qualifications requirement, applicants must have specialized experience and/or directly related education.
You may qualify at the GS-12 level, if you fulfill the following qualification requirement:
One year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-11 grade level in the Federal service (experience may have been gained in the private sector) that demonstrates your ability in: 1) Researching and analyzing a wide variety of issues to formulate solutions; 2) Developing long-term strategies resulting in successful implementation; and 3) Oral and written communication to develop and deliver briefings and correspondence/reports to higher-level managers.
You may qualify at the GS-11 level, if you fulfill the following qualification requirement:
One year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-9 grade level in the Federal Service (experience may have been gained in the private sector) that demonstrates your ability in: 1) Researching and analyzing a wide variety of issues to formulate solutions; and 2) Oral and written communication to develop and deliver briefings and correspondence/reports to higher-level managers.
OR
Have a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree or 3 full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree.
OR
Have a combination of specialized experience and education.
You may qualify at the GS-10 level, if you fulfill the following qualification requirement:
Have a master's degree or equivalent graduate degree or 2 years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree.
Education must have been completed in a college or university in the U.S. (Note: You must attach a copy of your transcripts for verification)
Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community, student, social). You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.
All qualifications and education requirements must be met by the closing date of this announcement and clearly documented in your resume. Your resume may not exceed two (2) pages. For qualifications determinations, it is recommended that applicants include their months and hours worked per week for each employment listed on their resume. If a determination is not able to be made about the duration of your creditable experience for qualification requirements, you will be removed from consideration.
THIS FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM HAS AN EDUCATION REQUIREMENT.
To be eligible for this Fellowship Program, you MUST have a graduate degree (or higher) from an accredited college/university in the United States, in any field of study, that was earned no earlier than two (2) years prior to the acceptance into the program; OR will have earned a graduate degree from an accredited college/university in the United States, in any field of study, within six (6) months of acceptance into the program. Acceptance into the program is defined as the Fellow's Entry on Duty (EOD) date.
IF YOU ARE RELYING ON EDUCATION TO MEET THE BASIC REQUIREMENTS FOR THIS POSITION: This position has an education requirement. You MUST provide transcripts to support your educational claims. Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution by the the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. See Department of Education Accreditation Search to verify school accreditation.
PASS/FAIL COURSES: If more than 10 percent of your undergraduate course work (credit hours) were taken on a pass/fail basis, your claim of superior academic achievement must be based upon class standing or membership in an honor society.
GRADUATE EDUCATION: One academic year of graduate education is considered to be the number of credits hours your graduate school has determined to represent one academic year of full-time study. Such study may have been performed on a full-time or part-time basis. If you cannot obtain your graduate school's definition of one year of graduate study, 18 semester hours (or 27 quarter hours) should be considered as satisfying the requirement for one year of full-time graduate study
Additional information
Probationary/Trial Periods: As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider:
your performance and conduct;
the needs and interests of the agency;
whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and
whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service.
Trial periods are required for all excepted service employees. Trial periods served in the same position and agency with no break in service will satisfy the requirement.
This position is in the Excepted Service. A current Federal Career or Career-Conditional employee selected must voluntarily relinquish his or her competitive status prior to appointment to this position.
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 an online application, you may request an alternative application. Please send an email to the following address for information on how to obtain an alternative application: whs.job.application.assistance@mail.mil
Current or Former Political Appointees: Agencies must seek prior approval from OPM before they can appoint a current or recent political appointee to a competitive or non-political excepted service position at any level. If you are currently or have been within the last 5 years, a political Schedule A, Schedule C, or Non-career SES employee in the executive branch, you MUST disclose that to the Human Resources Office.
Nepotism: Under the provisions of 5 USC 3110, an individual may not be appointed into a position if the position is under the supervisory chain of command of a relative.
Position may be filled at the GS-10, GS-11, or GS-12 level.
Applicants may meet qualifications for more than one grade level; however, referral will only be made for the grade levels the DoW component intends to fill. The selecting official has the right to select at any of the referred grade levels, regardless of higher qualifications.
The Fellow's EOD date is contingent upon their successful completion of all pre-employment and onboarding requirements.
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.
A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.
Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.
How you will be evaluated
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
Note: Under this hiring authority, veteran's preference does not apply.
Your application (resumes and supporting documentation) will be evaluated to determine if you meet the program eligibility requirements, education requirements, and minimum qualifications and education required as listed in this announcement.
A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.
Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.
YOU ARE REQUIRED TO DOCUMENT IN YOUR APPLICATION PACKAGE EVIDENCE THAT SUPPORTS YOUR ELIGIBILITY AND QUALIFICATION CLAIMS. You MUST upload the applicable documents with your application package. If you fail to provide these documents, you will be marked as having an incomplete application package and you will not be considered any further.
All applicants are required to submit a resume limited to two (2) pages showing all relevant experience. Your resume must address your technical qualifications for the position, and it may not exceed two (2) pages. Your 2-page (or less) resume must be in PDF format, with no smaller than a 1" margin and no smaller than a 10-point font. If you submit a resume that exceeds the two-page limit and/or does not meet the margin or font limitations stated herein, you will immediately be deemed ineligible for this position and will receive no further consideration.
If you submit more than one copy of your resume, only the most recent version will be reviewed. The latest timestamp will be used to determine which version of your resume is "most recent."
If your resume includes a photograph or other inappropriate material or content, it will not be used to make eligibility and qualification determinations, and you will not be considered for this vacancy.
LIST OF REQUIRED DOCUMENTS:
Resume:
All applicants must submit a resume limited to two (2) pages (as stated above) showing all relevant experience.
It must include your name and contact information (telephone number and email)
For qualification determinations your resume must contain hours worked per week and dates of employment (i.e., hours per week and month/year to month/year or month/year to present).
Two Letters of Recommendation - from previous employers, professors, coaches, internship supervisors, volunteer activity leads, or work colleagues addressing work ethic, academic ability, and any extra-curricular activities.
Endorsement Letter - From the applicant's graduate institution (e.g. registrar office) addressing the applicant's academic history and overall character (i.e., no record of honor investigation, plagiarism, accusations, suspension, misconduct, etc. This must be on a university letterhead.
Unofficial Transcripts at the Undergraduate level and Graduate Level - To be eligible, applicants must have either completed their graduate degree at the time of acceptance into the program; OR applicants who will complete their graduate degree within six months after acceptance into the program. Transcripts must show degree conferral dates or anticipated degree completion dates. If selected, it is mandatory that you provide official transcripts.
If the graduate transcript does not have a degree conferral date or anticipated degree conferral date, applicants are encouraged to submit a letter of enrollment from their graduate institute to support their eligibility. The letter of enrollment must include the graduate program they are in and the anticipated degree conferral date.
Academic Writing Sample - Examples include published articles, dissertation, thesis, academic paper, etc.
Compelling Narratives to one or more of the following prompts:
Career goals. Describe your career goals and areas of interest and how the McCain Fellows Program will help you achieve those goals.
Accomplishments. Describe and provide examples/evidence of any learning, professional, leadership, and work accomplishments.
Benefits for Department of Defense. Describe how your selection benefits the DoD and your motivation for service in the Department.
Essay. Describe what you want to accomplish and achieve during the fellowship.
ARE YOU A CURRENT OR FORMER POLITICAL SCHEDULE A, SCHEDULE C, NON-CAREER SES OR PRESIDENTIAL APPOINTEE EMPLOYEE?
Submit a copy of your applicable SF-50, along with a statement that provides the following information regarding your most recent political appointment:
Position title;
Type of appointment (Schedule A, Schedule C, Non-career SES, or Presidential Appointee);
To apply for this position, you must complete the online application and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section above.
The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59pm (EST) on May 26, 2026 to receive consideration.
To begin, click Apply to access the online application. You will need to be logged into your USAJOBS account to apply. If you do not have a USAJOBS account, you will need to create one before beginning the application.
Follow the prompts to select your resume and/or other supporting documents to be included with your application package. Your resume cannot exceed two pages. See the Required Documents section above for more information.
You will have the opportunity to upload additional documents to include in your application before it is submitted. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process, and it is your responsibility to ensure that they do so successfully.
After acknowledging you have reviewed your application package, complete the Include Personal Information section as you deem appropriate and click to continue with the application process.
You will be taken to the online application which you must complete in order to apply for the position. Complete the online application, verify the required documentation is included with your application package, and submit the application.
Read the Eligibility questions carefully. Your responses will affect your consideration for the position. You may qualify for more than one eligibility, so please choose carefully. You will only be considered under the options you have selected. If you respond that you do not meet any of the eligibility questions, you will not be considered for this position.
Failure to submit a complete application package will result in an ineligible rating and loss of consideration.
Do not email or send hard copy resumes/applications to the Contact Information or Agency Information listed in this vacancy announcement. All resumes/applications received at the addresses listed in the Contact Information or Agency Information will be destroyed and will not be considered for this vacancy announcement.
It is the applicant's responsibility to verify that all information in their resume and documents are legible and accurate. HR will not modify answers/documents submitted by an applicant.
Additional information on how to upload documents to your application may be found here.
WHS Miscellaneous Activities
Human Resources Directorate
4800 Mark Center Drive
Alexandria, VA 22350
US
Next steps
Once your online application is submitted you will receive a confirmation notification by email. Your application will be evaluated by the Human Resources Office to determine your eligibility for the position. After the evaluation is complete, you will receive another notification regarding the status of your application. If you are determined to be ineligible or not qualified, your application will receive no further consideration.
A tentative offer of employment will be rescinded if the selectee fails to meet the pre-employment requirements, including failure to report to any of the scheduled appointments.
Washington Headquarters Services uses E-Verify to confirm the employment eligibility of all newly hired employees. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, visit: http://www.dhs.gov/E-Verify
YOU ARE REQUIRED TO DOCUMENT IN YOUR APPLICATION PACKAGE EVIDENCE THAT SUPPORTS YOUR ELIGIBILITY AND QUALIFICATION CLAIMS. You MUST upload the applicable documents with your application package. If you fail to provide these documents, you will be marked as having an incomplete application package and you will not be considered any further.
All applicants are required to submit a resume limited to two (2) pages showing all relevant experience. Your resume must address your technical qualifications for the position, and it may not exceed two (2) pages. Your 2-page (or less) resume must be in PDF format, with no smaller than a 1" margin and no smaller than a 10-point font. If you submit a resume that exceeds the two-page limit and/or does not meet the margin or font limitations stated herein, you will immediately be deemed ineligible for this position and will receive no further consideration.
If you submit more than one copy of your resume, only the most recent version will be reviewed. The latest timestamp will be used to determine which version of your resume is "most recent."
If your resume includes a photograph or other inappropriate material or content, it will not be used to make eligibility and qualification determinations, and you will not be considered for this vacancy.
LIST OF REQUIRED DOCUMENTS:
Resume:
All applicants must submit a resume limited to two (2) pages (as stated above) showing all relevant experience.
It must include your name and contact information (telephone number and email)
For qualification determinations your resume must contain hours worked per week and dates of employment (i.e., hours per week and month/year to month/year or month/year to present).
Two Letters of Recommendation - from previous employers, professors, coaches, internship supervisors, volunteer activity leads, or work colleagues addressing work ethic, academic ability, and any extra-curricular activities.
Endorsement Letter - From the applicant's graduate institution (e.g. registrar office) addressing the applicant's academic history and overall character (i.e., no record of honor investigation, plagiarism, accusations, suspension, misconduct, etc. This must be on a university letterhead.
Unofficial Transcripts at the Undergraduate level and Graduate Level - To be eligible, applicants must have either completed their graduate degree at the time of acceptance into the program; OR applicants who will complete their graduate degree within six months after acceptance into the program. Transcripts must show degree conferral dates or anticipated degree completion dates. If selected, it is mandatory that you provide official transcripts.
If the graduate transcript does not have a degree conferral date or anticipated degree conferral date, applicants are encouraged to submit a letter of enrollment from their graduate institute to support their eligibility. The letter of enrollment must include the graduate program they are in and the anticipated degree conferral date.
Academic Writing Sample - Examples include published articles, dissertation, thesis, academic paper, etc.
Compelling Narratives to one or more of the following prompts:
Career goals. Describe your career goals and areas of interest and how the McCain Fellows Program will help you achieve those goals.
Accomplishments. Describe and provide examples/evidence of any learning, professional, leadership, and work accomplishments.
Benefits for Department of Defense. Describe how your selection benefits the DoD and your motivation for service in the Department.
Essay. Describe what you want to accomplish and achieve during the fellowship.
ARE YOU A CURRENT OR FORMER POLITICAL SCHEDULE A, SCHEDULE C, NON-CAREER SES OR PRESIDENTIAL APPOINTEE EMPLOYEE?
Submit a copy of your applicable SF-50, along with a statement that provides the following information regarding your most recent political appointment:
Position title;
Type of appointment (Schedule A, Schedule C, Non-career SES, or Presidential Appointee);
To apply for this position, you must complete the online application and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section above.
The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59pm (EST) on May 26, 2026 to receive consideration.
To begin, click Apply to access the online application. You will need to be logged into your USAJOBS account to apply. If you do not have a USAJOBS account, you will need to create one before beginning the application.
Follow the prompts to select your resume and/or other supporting documents to be included with your application package. Your resume cannot exceed two pages. See the Required Documents section above for more information.
You will have the opportunity to upload additional documents to include in your application before it is submitted. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process, and it is your responsibility to ensure that they do so successfully.
After acknowledging you have reviewed your application package, complete the Include Personal Information section as you deem appropriate and click to continue with the application process.
You will be taken to the online application which you must complete in order to apply for the position. Complete the online application, verify the required documentation is included with your application package, and submit the application.
Read the Eligibility questions carefully. Your responses will affect your consideration for the position. You may qualify for more than one eligibility, so please choose carefully. You will only be considered under the options you have selected. If you respond that you do not meet any of the eligibility questions, you will not be considered for this position.
Failure to submit a complete application package will result in an ineligible rating and loss of consideration.
Do not email or send hard copy resumes/applications to the Contact Information or Agency Information listed in this vacancy announcement. All resumes/applications received at the addresses listed in the Contact Information or Agency Information will be destroyed and will not be considered for this vacancy announcement.
It is the applicant's responsibility to verify that all information in their resume and documents are legible and accurate. HR will not modify answers/documents submitted by an applicant.
Additional information on how to upload documents to your application may be found here.
WHS Miscellaneous Activities
Human Resources Directorate
4800 Mark Center Drive
Alexandria, VA 22350
US
Next steps
Once your online application is submitted you will receive a confirmation notification by email. Your application will be evaluated by the Human Resources Office to determine your eligibility for the position. After the evaluation is complete, you will receive another notification regarding the status of your application. If you are determined to be ineligible or not qualified, your application will receive no further consideration.
A tentative offer of employment will be rescinded if the selectee fails to meet the pre-employment requirements, including failure to report to any of the scheduled appointments.
Washington Headquarters Services uses E-Verify to confirm the employment eligibility of all newly hired employees. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, visit: http://www.dhs.gov/E-Verify
