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International Trade Specialist

Department of Agriculture
Foreign Agricultural Service
Trade Policy and Geographical Affairs

Summary

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) links U.S. agriculture to the world, improves foreign market access for U.S. food and agricultural products, builds new markets, improves the competitive position of U.S. agriculture in the global marketplace, and provides food aid and technical assistance to foreign countries.

Positions from this announcement will be filled in the Washington D.C. locality area, and/ or in the Beltsville, MD locality area.

Overview

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Accepting applications
Posted this week · Apply by 07/13/26
Due by 11:59 p.m. ET on July 13, 2026
Location
Many vacancies in the following location:
Work site options
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Remote job
No
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Salary
$121,785 - $158,322 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 13
Promotion potential
13
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
No
Federal service type
This job is in the Competitive Service
Represented by a union
Yes
Drug test
Yes
Security clearance
Secret
Position sensitivity and risk
Noncritical-Sensitive (NCS)/Moderate Risk
Jobs require a background check and some require a security clearance. The type depends on the job.
Financial disclosure required
No
Some jobs require financial disclosure to identify conflicts of interests.
Announcement number
IMP-12993273-26-FAS-DJ
Control number
874952300

This job is open to

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Clarification from the agency

Applications will be accepted only from current permanent FAS employees with competitive status; Certain Former Overseas and Foreign Service Employees; and CTAP/RPL eligible candidates.

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Duties

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  • Contributes to the development and implementation of country strategies; analyzes key trade and competitiveness issues; and to significant agency policies, decisions, and determinations.
  • Independently identifies and synthesizes pertinent information based on continuous research, analysis and evaluation of information from a range of sources and shares this knowledge through oral and written communication.
  • Coordinates and provides policy support for assignments that involve some or all of the following: establishing fair and transparent rules governing international trade through negotiation and enforcement of trade agreements
  • Conducts assessments and develops interpretations of international trade issues, conditions, or events in support of decision-making, policy formulation, or program development by FAS and USDA.
  • Represents Division, Agency, or Department at intra- and inter-agency meetings, meetings/negotiations with foreign officials, and meetings with domestic farm and trade groups on issues in assigned areas.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • You must be a US Citizen or US National.
  • Males born after 12/31/1959 must be Selective Service registered or exempt.
  • Subject to satisfactory adjudication of background investigation and/or fingerprint check.
  • Direct Deposit: Per Public Law 104-134 all Federal employees are required to have federal payments made by direct deposit to their financial institution.
  • Successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, visit https://www.e-verify.gov/.
  • Testing Designated Position: Selectee must submit to a urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment and random testing thereafter. Final appointment and continued employment is conditional on negative results for illegal drug use.
  • In accordance with Office of Government Ethics regulations concerning conflict of interest, the incumbent will be required to submit a financial disclosure report within 30 days of their effective date of appointment and annually thereafter.
  • Selectee must be able to obtain and maintain a Secret security clearance.

Qualifications

pplicants must meet all qualifications and eligibility requirements by the closing date of the announcement including time-in-grade restrictions, specialized experience and/or education, as defined below.

TIME-IN-GRADE: Current federal employees applying for a promotion opportunity must meet time-in-grade (TIG) requirement of 52 weeks of service at the next lower grade level in the normal line of progression for the position being filled.

FOR THE GS-13 LEVEL: Applicants must have one year of specialized experience (equivalent to the GS-12 level) that may have been obtained in the private or public (local, county, state, Federal) sectors which demonstrates:

  • Experience of internal program management to implement, coordinate, and evaluate agricultural marketing programs and trade promotion programs;
  • Experience with leadership, staff coordination, and consultation for the assigned area, including formulating guidelines, implementing new developments, and providing policy interpretation and recommendations;
  • Experience of U.S. agricultural trade legislation, regulations, and international agreements;
  • Experience analyzing international trade promotion programs, evaluation of proposals and budgets, develop recommendations, and oversight of U.S. agricultural trade promotion programs and events.
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). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

Note: There is no education substitution for this grade level.

Education

This position does not have an education qualification requirement.

Additional information

  • 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 CompetencyBased 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. (https://appsupport-usastaffing.opm.gov/hc/en-us/sections/45063131363475-Reasonable-Accommodation-Information)
  • Veterans who are preference eligible or who have been separated from the armed forces under honorable conditions after three years or more of continuous active service are eligible for consideration under the Veteran's Employment Opportunity Act (VEOA).
  • Farm Service Agency (FSA) County Employees: Permanent County employees without prior Federal tenure who are selected for a Civil Service position under Public Law 105-277 will be given a career-conditional appointment and must serve a 1-year probationary period.
  • For more information on applying under special hiring authorities such as the Veteran's Recruitment Act (VRA), 30 percent disabled veterans, certain military spouses, Schedule A Disabled, etc., explore the different Hiring Paths on the USAJOBS website.
  • Land Management Workforce Flexibility Act (LMWFA) provides current or former temporary or term employees of federal land management agencies opportunity to compete for permanent competitive service positions. Individuals must have more than 24 months of service without a break between appointments of two or more years. Service must be in the competitive service and have been at a successful level of performance or better. Refer to PUBLIC LAW 114-47-AUG. 7, 2015 for more information.
  • Travel, transportation, and relocation expenses will NOT be paid. Any travel, transportation, and relocation expense associated with reporting for duty will be the responsibility of the selected employee.
  • Recruitment or Relocation Incentives will NOT be considered.
  • For more information on applying under special hiring authorities such as the Veteran's Recruitment Act (VRA), 30 percent disabled veterans, certain military spouses, Schedule A Disabled, etc., explore the different Hiring Paths on the USAJOBS website.

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.

You will be evaluated based on how well you meet the qualifications listed in this vacancy announcement. Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g., resume, supporting documents), your responses on the application questionnaire, and your responses to all assessments required for this position.

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

  • Attention to Detail
  • Customer Service
  • Decision Making
  • Flexibility
  • Integrity/Honesty
  • Interpersonal Skills
  • Reading Comprehension
  • Reasoning
  • Self-Management
  • Stress Tolerance
  • Teamwork
Your application, including the online Assessment Questionnaire, will be reviewed to determine if you meet (a) minimum qualification requirements and (b) the resume supports the answers provided to the job-specific questions. Your resume must clearly support your responses to all the questions addressing experience and education relevant to this position. Applicants who meet the minimum qualification requirements and are determined to be among the best qualified candidates will be referred to the hiring manager for consideration. Noncompetitive candidates and applicants under some special hiring authorities need only meet minimum qualifications to be referred.

Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or application questionnaire may result in your removal from consideration.

Clicking the link below will present a preview of the application form; i.e. the online questionnaire. The application form link below will only provide a preview and does not initiate the application process. To initiate the online application process, click the "Apply" button to the right.
To preview the application questionnaire, please visit: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12993273

Foreign Agricultural Service

Begin a challenging and rewarding career with the Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS), an agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). FAS is a dynamic foreign affairs agency with offices in Washington, D.C. and 70-plus countries around the world. FAS is seeking committed professionals with diverse skills and talents to help improve foreign market access for U.S. products, build new markets, enhance the competitive position of U.S. agriculture in the global marketplace, and provide food aid and technical assistance to foreign countries.

Agency contact information

Dorene Jones
Email
dorene.jones@usda.gov
Address
Foreign Agricultural Service
Human Capital Management Division
1400 Independence Avenue, SW
Washington, DC 20250
US

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