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Supervisory Foreign Affairs Specialist

Department of Energy
National Nuclear Security Administration
International Operations

Summary

The incumbent serves a Supervisory, Foreign Affairs Specialist (Deputy Director) located in the NNSA Associate Administrator for Management & Budget, International Operations Division (NA-MB-70), whose mission is to assist the Director in providing a corporate perspective and ensuring the consistency of the operation and implementation of DOE and NNSA procedures, and systems pertaining to the operation of the Department's overseas presence.

Overview

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Accepting applications
Posted today · Apply by 06/01/26
Due by 11:59 p.m. ET on June 1, 2026
Location
Work site options
Telework eligible
No
Remote job
No
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Salary
$143,913 - $209,600 per year
Pay scale & grade
EN 4
Pay scale and grade determines the salary of the job.
Work schedule
Full-time
Travel Required
Occasional travel - You may be expected to travel for this position.
Appointment type
Permanent
Occupations and job series
Supervisory status
Yes
Federal service type
This job is in the Excepted Service
Represented by a union
No
Drug test
Yes
Security clearance
Q Access Authorization
Position sensitivity and risk
Critical-Sensitive (CS)/High Risk
Jobs require a background check and some require a security clearance. The type depends on the job.
Financial disclosure required
Yes
Some jobs require financial disclosure to identify conflicts of interests.
Announcement number
26-NA-MB-XA-00596-DOE
Control number
870433600

This job is open to

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Clarification from the agency

Current DOE/NNSA Employees with competitive and excepted service status.

Duties

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As a Supervisory Foreign Affairs Specialist(Deputy Director) you will:

  • Maintain expert knowledge of relevant international and domestic nuclear laws, regulations, and U.S. Government priorities to inform discussions, authoritatively implements mandated processes, develop strategic goals and identify new partnerships, and provide authoritative advice and recommendations to senior leaders on nuclear laws and strategy.
  • Represent DOE/NNSA to internal, interagency, and foreign counterparts through both written and oral communications, prepare a variety of documents, conduct briefings for senior DOE/NNSA leadership, make presentations at domestic and international meetings, provide guidance and feedback to teams, and engage in negotiations with partners.
  • Apply critical thinking to identify and resolve complex technical issues, ensuring accuracy in project and program execution, evaluate work performed, maintain accurate project documentation, and provide well-researched analyses and evaluations.
  • Serve as program or project manager, overseeing the development and execution of projects and programs, managing relationships with partners and multidisciplinary teams, defining strategy, scope, budget, and schedule, tracking critical milestones, managing quality and risk, and ensuring alignment with DOE/NNSA strategic goals.
  • Lead and guide multidisciplinary teams, including those from partner organizations, in the analysis of critical issues, the development of strategic goals and priorities, foster consensus among stakeholders, influence strategic planning, provide authoritative advice and recommendations to senior leaders to advance NNSA objectives, and exercise full supervisory duties, overseeing federal staff and managing a geographically dispersed diverse workforce through subordinate supervisors.

THIS POSITION IS ALSO BEING ANNOUNCED UNDER: 26-NA-MB-XA-00596-DOE-A (NQ-0130-04)

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • Subject to Random Drug Testing
  • Must pass a pre-employment drug test.
  • Favorable suitability determination required.
  • Financial Disclosure is required.
  • Must be able to obtain/maintain a Q level Security Clearance.
  • You must be a United States Citizen.
  • This employer participates in the e-Verify program.
  • Males must abide by Selective Service registration requirements.
  • Compliance with Homeland Security Presidential Directive (HSPD-12) governing personal identity which will require that you provide two forms of identification.
  • A two (2) year trial period may be required. Employees serving on a trial period may be terminated at any time during the trial period for performance, conduct, or business-related reasons in the interest of Federal service.
  • One (1) year Supervisory Probationary period may be required.
  • Please limit your resume to no more than two (2) pages. If more than two pages are submitted, only the first two pages will be reviewed to determine your eligibility and qualifications. Your full resume will be made available to the hiring manager if you are referred.
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.

Qualifications

SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS

A qualified candidate's online application and resume must demonstrate at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower NNSA pay band level or GS grade level in the Federal Service, i.e., EN/NQ-03 or GS-13 Specialized experience for this position is defined as: Possessing in-depth knowledge of U.S. diplomatic missions and foreign affairs practices, coupled with mastery of program analysis and management to develop strategic initiatives and resolve international operational challenges, alongside demonstrated supervisory experience leading geographically dispersed teams of Foreign Affairs Specialists, and excellent written and oral communication skills for high-level decision-making and interagency briefings on energy and nonproliferation missions.

Examples of Qualified Experience that May Be Qualifying:

  • Managing an office or multiple offices that are geographically dispersed; managing operations in a U.S. diplomatic mission; or supporting overseas operations.
  • Management of programs, including planning resourcing (budgeting and staffing) to ensure smooth operations and execution.
  • Leading large organizations with multiple programmatic goals and activities.
  • Participating in development of interagency requirements for integrated operations.
  • Drafting of briefing books, diplomatic correspondence, talking points, and decision papers for senior U.S. government staff.

"Experience" refers to paid and unpaid experience. Examples of qualifying unpaid experience may include: volunteer work done through National Service programs (such as Peace Corps and AmeriCorps); as well as work for other community-based philanthropic and social organizations. Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills; and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

You must meet all qualifications and eligibility requirements by the closing date of this announcement.

Education

In addition to meeting the specialized experience listed above, applicants must meet the Basic Requirements for the Foreign Affairs (0130) series which include:

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.

EDUCATION: Education must be obtained from an accredited institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Applicants who have completed part or all of their education outside of the U.S. must have their foreign education evaluated by an accredited organization to ensure that the foreign education is comparable to education received in accredited educational institutions in the U.S. A written evaluation of any foreign education must be provided with your application in response to this vacancy announcement or be received by the closing date of this announcement. Failure to provide this evaluation will result in you being found unqualified for the position. For special instructions pertaining to foreign education, see the Department of Education website, and for a list of organizations that can evaluate foreign education, visit The National Association of Credential Evaluation Services.

Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

**If you are selected, official transcripts will be required.

**FOREIGN EDUCATION: Applicants who have completed part or all of their education outside of the U.S. must have their foreign education evaluated by an accredited organization to ensure that the foreign education is comparable to education received in accredited educational institutions in the U.S. A written evaluation of any foreign education must be provided with your application in response to this vacancy announcement or be received by the closing date of this announcement. Failure to provide this evaluation will result in you being found unqualified for the position. For special instructions pertaining to foreign education, see the Department of Education website, and for a list of organizations that can evaluate foreign education, visit The National Association of Credential Evaluation Services. Please Note: If your foreign education has already been accepted by an accredited U.S. educational institution as part of a degree program with that institution, you do not need to provide an evaluation of foreign education but must submit a copy of the transcripts listing the degree from the U.S. accredited institution that accepted your foreign education.

Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.

Additional information

  • Veterans and persons with disabilities are encouraged to apply. For more information, please visit the links at the bottom of this page or visit the FedsHireVets website.
  • More than one selection may be made from this vacancy announcement.
  • All positions require successful completion of a background investigation.
  • All males born after December 31,1959 must abide by laws regarding Selective Service registration. To learn more about this law, visit the Selective Service web page, Who Must Register. If you are not registered and don't have an approved exemption, you will not be eligible for employment with the Federal government.
  • A Recruitment/Relocation Incentive may be authorized for a highly qualified applicant in accordance with the Agency policy and applicable regulations.
  • In accordance with Executive Order 14170, applicants are encouraged to respond to the four short, free-response, essay questions in the questionnaire. Answers to these questions are not scored or rated. Your answers will be reviewed by the hiring manager and agency leadership if you are referred for selection consideration.

EEO Policy: Click HERE.
Reasonable Accommodation Policy: Click HERE.
Veterans Information: Click HERE.
Telework: Click HERE.
Selective Service Registration: Click HERE

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.

Your application will be rated by our application system using the Self-Assessment Rating procedure.

THE APPLICATION REVIEW PROCESS WILL BE IN TWO STAGES:

Minimum Qualifications: Once the application process is complete, the Human Resources Office will review the first two pages of your resume and supporting documentation to determine whether you meet the minimum job qualifications. Additional documentation (e.g., cover letter, links embedded in your resume) may not be considered.

Structured Resume Review: The Human Resources Office/SMEs will review the first two pages of your resume to determine your technical qualifications.

Your application and resume shall demonstrate that you possess the following Competencies. Do not provide a separate narrative written statement. Rather, you must describe in your application how your past work experience demonstrates that you possess the Competencies identified below. Cite specific examples of employment or experience contained in your resume and describe how this experience has prepared you to successfully perform the duties of this position. DO NOT write "see resume" in your application.

  • International and Domestic Nuclear Laws, Policy and Strategy
  • Communication
  • Technical Competence
  • Project and Program Management
  • Leadership

If your resume is incomplete or does not support the responses you provided in your online questionnaire, or if you fail to submit all required documentation before the vacancy closes, you may be rated 'ineligible', 'not qualified'.

To preview the application questionnaire, click the link below.
https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12968106

National Nuclear Security Administration

The Department of Energy (DOE) Overseas Presence Advisory Board is responsible for governing DOE's overseas presence in order to effectively meet national security objectives, including energy security, nuclear security, and scientific discovery and innovation, implemented outside the United States.

We are seeking highly skilled and talented candidates to carry out the Board's objective of ensuring that the Secretary of Energy and the Department are effectively represented at U.S. Embassies, Consulates, and other diplomatic organizations in a variety of DOE program areas.

Agency contact information

Deborah Shells
Phone
202-868-2658
Email
deborah.shells@nnsa.doe.gov
Address
Associate Administrator for Management and Budget
24600 20th St SE
Kirtland AFB, NM 87117-5507
US

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