This position is being filled under a stream-lined hiring authority, Title 21 of the United States Code (21 US Code 379d-3a) as amended by the 21st Century Cures Act of 2016, section 3072 and the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023, Section 3624. The candidate selected for this position will serve under a Temporary or Term Appointment within the excepted service and be paid under the provisions of this authority. This position is being recruited based on the Title 21 Pay Table 9, Band D.
Summary
This position is being filled under a stream-lined hiring authority, Title 21 of the United States Code (21 US Code 379d-3a) as amended by the 21st Century Cures Act of 2016, section 3072 and the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023, Section 3624. The candidate selected for this position will serve under a Temporary or Term Appointment within the excepted service and be paid under the provisions of this authority. This position is being recruited based on the Title 21 Pay Table 9, Band D.
You must be a U.S. Citizen or U.S. National. Foreign nationals or legal permanent residents are not eligible for consideration. This is a 21st Century Cures Act authority announcement. Traditional federal rules regarding rating, ranking, and veterans' preference do not apply.
Develop Agency policies for risk management of imported products and promotion and development of national and international standards, procedures, and guidance.
Coordinates and collaborates with the FDA Foreign Office Director, Deputy Director, and other senior program/policy staff.
Provides expert guidance in the resolution of complex problems or issues impacting FDA programs, such as those associated with gaining consensus on significant policies and international goals.
Collects, analyzes, and disseminates intelligence on the current and potential new regulatory, scientific, political, social, cultural, economic, geographic, religious, and ethical state-of-affairs of countries and regions, as relevant to FDA's mission.
Coordinates, and collaborates with leadership and experts within FDA to augment FDA's awareness of country conditions, to inform and develop risk-based decisions and policy actions.
Develops position papers, briefings, speeches, articles, cables, and other communication to support FDA, HHS and U.S. Embassy leadership.
Identifies and monitors international trends and positions that could potentially affect FDA and U.S. consumers by following in-country developments within the foreign government's public health regulatory infrastructure.
Represents FDA and the U.S. Government in meetings, conferences, and/or symposiums with other FDA officials, foreign governments, international organizations, private industry, trade organizations, and consumer groups.
Organizes and/or conducts expert analysis and recommendations for programs, initiatives, strategies, options, and alternatives to meet current and evolving regulatory challenges, and prepares recommendations, reports and briefings for leadership.
Manages projects that include research and analysis of issues affecting the Agency's strategic plan and priorities that pertain to FDA regulated commodities in the foreign country or region.
Stays up to date on current public health policies and priorities to advance the agency's global public health mission.
Participates with the FDA Foreign Office Director and/or Deputy Director in the development of the office's operations, policies, program initiatives, and objectives that pertain to FDA regulated commodities.
U.S. Citizenship requirement or proof of being a U.S. National must be met by closing date.
The candidate selected for this position will serve under a Temporary or Term appointment within the excepted service and does not provide permanent placement upon completion or termination of the overseas assignment.
Direct Deposit: You will be required to have all federal salary payments electronically deposited into a bank account with a financial institution of your choice.
FDA participates in e-Verify: All new hires must complete the I-9 form; this information will be processed through e-Verify to determine your employment eligibility. If a discrepancy arises, you must take affirmative steps to resolve the matter.
Males born after December 31, 1959, must be registered with the Selective Service. Please go to http://www.sss.gov for more information.
Financial Disclosure may be required.
Ethics Clearance may be required.
Background Investigation Requirement: All employees must pass a security investigation. Failing to pass the background check may be grounds for removal or legal action. If hired, you may be subject to additional investigations at a later time.
Certification of Accuracy: All information concerning eligibility and qualification is subject to investigation and verification. False representation may be grounds for non-consideration, non-selection, or appropriate legal action.
All applicants tentatively selected for this position will be required to submit to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment and be subject to random, reasonable suspicion, and post-accident drug testing upon hiring.
Appointment to the position will be contingent upon a negative applicant drug test result.
One-year probationary period may be required.
A Top-Secret Clearance is required for China and a Secret Clearance for India, Argentina, and Costa Rica.
Selectees for temporary/term assignments may begin and remain stateside until all required clearances and training (security, medical and applicable training) are completed before being deployed to an overseas location.
A Statement of Understanding is required to be signed by the selected candidate indicating they understand the terms and conditions of this temporary appointment.
Qualifications
In order to qualify for the Public Health Advisor position which falls under the 0685 occupational Series, you must meet the following requirements by 11:59 pm EST on 07/06/2026:
To be placed into a Cures position, candidates must meet the following criteria:
Scientific, Technical, and Professional Fields
Qualified and Outstanding Candidates
Qualified applies to all candidates for Cures appointments. The FDA OTS will use the basic requirements defined in the OPM Qualification Standards as a baseline for comparing experience levels and other candidate attributes for relevant positions.
Outstanding candidates can be defined by existing outstanding work experience, outstanding performance rating, or both.
Minimum Years of Experience is the new standard, rather than specialized experience, for determining and validating a Title 21 candidate's band. This standard applies across all Title 21 positions.
Basic Qualification Requirements: Applicants must meet one of the following requirements: Education: A bachelor's degree or higher in a major field of study in an academic field related to the public health or other field of study with course work directly related to the work of the position to be filled.
NOTE: Applicants must submit all relevant transcripts that demonstrate you possess the required education to meet the Basic Qualifications.
RELEVANT YEARS OF EXPERIENCE: Applicants must meet one of the following education and relevant years of experience combinations to qualify for this AD-0685 Band D (GS-14 equivalent) position:
A bachelor's degree and also have 5 years of relevant experience as follows: (1) highly skilled in developing Agency policies for risk management of imported products and promotion; and development of national and international standards, procedures, and guidance; (2) strong knowledge of FDA policies, procedures, and statutory authorities as well as an understanding of how products are regulated by foreign counterparts; (3) ability to critically analyze information, issues, and initiatives and recommend/provide expert policy advice; (4) ability to negotiate and communicate effectively verbally and in writing with internal and external officials at all levels; (5) ability to build and maintain effective relationship with U.S. and foreign governments and other in-country stakeholders.
OR
A master's degree and also have 4 years of relevant experience as follows: (1) highly skilled in developing Agency policies for risk management of imported products and promotion; and development of national and international standards, procedures, and guidance; (2) strong knowledge of FDA policies, procedures, and statutory authorities as well as an understanding of how products are regulated by foreign counterparts; (3) ability to critically analyze information, issues, and initiatives and recommend/provide expert policy advice; (4) ability to negotiate and communicate effectively verbally and in writing with internal and external officials at all levels; (5) ability to build and maintain effective relationship with U.S. and foreign governments and other in-country stakeholders.
OR
A Doctorate and/or J.D. degree and also have 2 years of relevant experience as follows: (1) highly skilled in developing Agency policies for risk management of imported products and promotion; and development of national and international standards, procedures, and guidance; (2) strong knowledge of FDA policies, procedures, and statutory authorities as well as an understanding of how products are regulated by foreign counterparts; (3) ability to critically analyze information, issues, and initiatives and recommend/provide expert policy advice; (4) ability to negotiate and communicate effectively verbally and in writing with internal and external officials at all levels; (5) ability to build and maintain effective relationship with U.S. and foreign governments and other in-country stakeholders.
OR
A MD, DO, DDS, DPM, or DVM degree and also have 2 years of relevant experience as follows: (1) highly skilled in developing Agency policies for risk management of imported products and promotion; and development of national and international standards, procedures, and guidance; (2) strong knowledge of FDA policies, procedures, and statutory authorities as well as an understanding of how products are regulated by foreign counterparts; (3) ability to critically analyze information, issues, and initiatives and recommend/provide expert policy advice; (4) ability to negotiate and communicate effectively verbally and in writing with internal and external officials at all levels; (5) ability to build and maintain effective relationship with U.S. and foreign governments and other in-country stakeholders.
Desired Professional Experience:
Highly skilled in developing Agency policies for risk management of imported products and promotion; and development of national and international standards, procedures, and guidance.
Strong knowledge of FDA policies, procedures, and statutory authorities as well as an understanding of how products are regulated by foreign counterparts.
Demonstrates strong analytical skills in assessing information, issues, and initiatives, translating findings into actionable policy advice.
Possesses strong negotiation and communication skills, both verbal and written, for engaging with internal and external officials at all levels.
Skilled in establishing and maintaining effective relationship with U.S. and foreign governments and other in-country stakeholders.
Active-duty U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps Officers are encouraged to apply. If selected, officers may either (1) remain on active duty assigned to the designated billet for PHS assignment, or (2) separate or retire from the Commissioned Corps before entering a Title 21 civilian appointment.
NOTE: Applicants must submit all relevant transcripts that demonstrate you possess the required education to meet the Basic Qualifications.
Education
Pay careful attention to the Qualifications and Education sections to identify vacancies where a transcript is required. Even if you hold a similar position or are a current employee, you are not exempt from transcript requirements.
TRANSCRIPTS: Positions which are scientific or technical in nature often have very specific educational requirements. You must submit an official transcript, unofficial transcript, or a list including courses, grades earned, completion dates, and quarter and semester hours earned.
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 using education completed in foreign colleges or universities, see the Foreign Education section below for additional requirements.
Electronic Transcript Caution: If you have obtained your transcripts electronically, the file might contain security measures that could prevent our application system from reading the file. Therefore, you should consider asking the institution to provide the file in a non-secured electronic format. Alternatively, you could scan or take a photo of the printed copy of the transcript. If your uploaded transcript cannot be read by our system, you may receive consideration and credit for the information we can access.
Foreign Education: If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show that the education credentials have been evaluated by a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign education programs and such education has been deemed equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program; or full credit has been given for the courses at a U.S. accredited college or university. For further information, visit the U.S. Department of Education website for Foreign Education Evaluation.
To be acceptable, the foreign credential evaluation must include/describe at a minimum, the following information: (1) The type of education received by the applicant; (2) The level of education in relation to the U.S. education system, and state that its comparability recommendations follow the general guidelines of the International Evaluation Standards Council; (3) The content of the applicant's educational program earned abroad, and the standard obtained; (4) The status of the awarding foreign school's recognition and legitimacy in its home country's education system; and (5) Any other information of interest such as what the evaluation service did to obtain this information, the qualifications of the evaluator, and any indications as to other problems such as forgery.
Note: Some positions require the completion of specific courses or a specified number of credit hours. Therefore, the foreign credential evaluation should provide information similar to that of an official transcript, to include a list of the courses taken, quarter and/or semester hours awarded, the cumulative grade point average (GPA), honors received, if any, date degree awarded.
Applicants can request an evaluation from a member organization of one of the two national associations of credential evaluation services listed below:
Financial disclosure statement, OGE-450, required: Please be advised that this position may be subject to FDA's prohibited financial interest regulation and may require the incumbent of this position to divest of certain financial interests. Applicants are advised to seek additional information on this requirement from the hiring official before accepting this position.
Additional Information:
Additional selections may be made for similar positions within the commuting area(s) of the locations listed through this vacancy announcement.
Incentives may be authorized; however, this is contingent upon funds availability. If authorized, certain incentives will require you to sign a service agreement to remain in the Federal government for a period of up to 3 years. Note: This statement does not imply nor guarantee an incentive will be offered and paid. Incentives include the following: moving expenses, recruitment or relocation incentive; student loan repayment, superior qualifications appointment, creditable service for annual leave for prior non-federal work experience or prior uniformed military service, etc.
If you are serving, or have served in the last 5 years (from 07/06/2026) as an Executive Branch political, Schedule C, or Non-career SES appointee, HHS/FDA may be required to obtain approval by the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) prior to beginning employment. You can find out if you have held one of these appointment types by looking at your Standard Form 50s in your Electronic Official Personnel Folder (eOPF), in Section 5 where the legal authorities are listed. If you have served or are currently serving, you must provide a copy of your SF-50, Notification of Personnel Action, documenting this appointment. In addition, you will be required to respond to the question in the assessment and certify your responses to the questionnaire. See Political Appointee FAQ - OPM for more.
Applicants selected for this position will be subject to reasonable suspicion and post-accident drug testing upon hiring. To demonstrate commitment to the HHS goal of a drug-free workplace and to set an example for other Federal employees, employees not in a testing designated position may volunteer for unannounced random testing by notifying their Drug-free Federal Workplace Program Point of Contact upon hiring.
Active-duty U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps Officers are encouraged to apply. If selected, officers may either (1) remain on active duty assigned to the designated billet for PHS assignment, or (2) separate or retire from the Commissioned Corps before entering a Title 21 civilian appointment.
All requirements must be met by the closing date of this announcement (07/06/2026); only education and experience gained by this date will be considered. You must continue to meet all requirements throughout the entire hiring process.
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.
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above. This is a Title 21 announcement. Traditional rating and ranking of applications, and veterans' preference does not apply to this vacancy.
If you are referred to the hiring manager for consideration, you may be further evaluated based on an interview; review of requested work samples, writing samples, most recent performance evaluation(s), or professional references; or results of an oral presentation or work-related test. Failure to comply with any of the additional assessment requirements will result in removal from further consideration.
Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your eligibility.
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.
Resume: At a minimum, your resume should list the position title, employer name, start and end dates (including month and year), salary (or grade and step), hours worked per week, and a list of duties performed or accomplishments, for EACH position listed. A CV (curriculum vitae) may not contain enough information to meet these resume requirements.
Your two (2) page RESUME showing all relevant work experience (paid and unpaid) including: duties performed; full name and address of each employer; start and end dates (month/day/year); work schedule (part-time, full-time, number of hours if intermittent); salary; and any completed education and training (program title, subject area, number of hours completed, and completion date).
Transcripts: If the position has an education requirement or you are qualifying based on education, unofficial transcripts or a list of courses must be provided. See the Qualifications and Education Requirements section of this announcement.
Additional Documents (if applicable):
Cover Letter
DD-214/ Statement of Service
Disability Letter (Schedule A)
Disability Letter (VA)
License
PHS Commissioned Corp Appointment Letter
PCS Orders
Performance Appraisal
Professional Certification
Resume
Separation Notice (RIF)
SF-15
SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action
Transcript
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.
If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:
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.
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 optional and will not be scored or rated. Your answers will be reviewed by the hiring manager and agency leadership if you are referred for selection consideration. You will be asked to certify that your responses are written in your own words and that you did not use a consultant or artificial intelligence (AI) tool (such as ChatGPT or Copilot).
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.
To apply for positions with the Food & Drug Administration, you must have a https://secure.login.gov/ account, and be signed in to that account, before you click "Apply Online". See the USAJOBS Help Site article "How does the application process work?" for more on this process. Additionally, you must provide a resume and any required supporting documentation listed on the announcement, and you must complete all assessment questionnaires BEFORE 11:59 pm Eastern Time on the closing date of this announcement, 07/06/2026. We recommend that you start the application process early enough that you can complete and submit your application before this deadline.
Please note that you cannot submit documentation or make changes to your application after the close date.
If you would like to learn how to use USAJOBS including: accessing and managing your account, adding saved documents, building a resume, or starting an application; we recommend you visit the USAJOBS How To site, and read up on any topic that you need help with. This site is located at: https://help.usajobs.gov/how-to. Additionally, if you need technical assistance with USAJOBS (such as account issues) please visit the main USAJOBS Contact us at: USAJOBS - Contact us FDA's Applicant Help Desk is not able to support USAJOBS-related issues.
The Food & Drug Administration uses a system called Application Manager (USA Staffing) to post jobs and accept applications. If you are not familiar with Application Manager or you encounter any difficulty with the site, we recommend that you visit the Applicant HELP Site at:
https://appsupport-usastaffing.opm.gov/hc/en-us
. This help site contains step-by-step instructions for completing the application process, submitting documentation, and completing questionnaires, and should be very helpful to you!
You are encouraged to apply online. Applying online will allow you to review and track the status of your application. The FDA will provide reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities who are not able to apply online. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application process, please contact the Applicant Help Desk. Decisions on granting a reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis.
If after reviewing the USAJOBS and Application Manager help sites, you're not able to find the answer to your question or concern, or if you wish to request a reasonable accommodation, please contact the FDA Applicant Help Desk at 866-807-3742, or e-mail ERIC@fda.hhs.gov.
The Applicant Help Desk is staffed between the hours of 7am and 6pm Eastern Time, Monday through Friday, except for government holidays. If you contact the Applicant Help Desk, please provide the following Vacancy Identification Number (VIN) 12977935 so that we may assist you faster.
Resume: At a minimum, your resume should list the position title, employer name, start and end dates (including month and year), salary (or grade and step), hours worked per week, and a list of duties performed or accomplishments, for EACH position listed. A CV (curriculum vitae) may not contain enough information to meet these resume requirements.
Your two (2) page RESUME showing all relevant work experience (paid and unpaid) including: duties performed; full name and address of each employer; start and end dates (month/day/year); work schedule (part-time, full-time, number of hours if intermittent); salary; and any completed education and training (program title, subject area, number of hours completed, and completion date).
Transcripts: If the position has an education requirement or you are qualifying based on education, unofficial transcripts or a list of courses must be provided. See the Qualifications and Education Requirements section of this announcement.
Additional Documents (if applicable):
Cover Letter
DD-214/ Statement of Service
Disability Letter (Schedule A)
Disability Letter (VA)
License
PHS Commissioned Corp Appointment Letter
PCS Orders
Performance Appraisal
Professional Certification
Resume
Separation Notice (RIF)
SF-15
SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action
Transcript
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.
If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:
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.
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 optional and will not be scored or rated. Your answers will be reviewed by the hiring manager and agency leadership if you are referred for selection consideration. You will be asked to certify that your responses are written in your own words and that you did not use a consultant or artificial intelligence (AI) tool (such as ChatGPT or Copilot).
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.
To apply for positions with the Food & Drug Administration, you must have a https://secure.login.gov/ account, and be signed in to that account, before you click "Apply Online". See the USAJOBS Help Site article "How does the application process work?" for more on this process. Additionally, you must provide a resume and any required supporting documentation listed on the announcement, and you must complete all assessment questionnaires BEFORE 11:59 pm Eastern Time on the closing date of this announcement, 07/06/2026. We recommend that you start the application process early enough that you can complete and submit your application before this deadline.
Please note that you cannot submit documentation or make changes to your application after the close date.
If you would like to learn how to use USAJOBS including: accessing and managing your account, adding saved documents, building a resume, or starting an application; we recommend you visit the USAJOBS How To site, and read up on any topic that you need help with. This site is located at: https://help.usajobs.gov/how-to. Additionally, if you need technical assistance with USAJOBS (such as account issues) please visit the main USAJOBS Contact us at: USAJOBS - Contact us FDA's Applicant Help Desk is not able to support USAJOBS-related issues.
The Food & Drug Administration uses a system called Application Manager (USA Staffing) to post jobs and accept applications. If you are not familiar with Application Manager or you encounter any difficulty with the site, we recommend that you visit the Applicant HELP Site at:
https://appsupport-usastaffing.opm.gov/hc/en-us
. This help site contains step-by-step instructions for completing the application process, submitting documentation, and completing questionnaires, and should be very helpful to you!
You are encouraged to apply online. Applying online will allow you to review and track the status of your application. The FDA will provide reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities who are not able to apply online. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application process, please contact the Applicant Help Desk. Decisions on granting a reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis.
If after reviewing the USAJOBS and Application Manager help sites, you're not able to find the answer to your question or concern, or if you wish to request a reasonable accommodation, please contact the FDA Applicant Help Desk at 866-807-3742, or e-mail ERIC@fda.hhs.gov.
The Applicant Help Desk is staffed between the hours of 7am and 6pm Eastern Time, Monday through Friday, except for government holidays. If you contact the Applicant Help Desk, please provide the following Vacancy Identification Number (VIN) 12977935 so that we may assist you faster.
