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Human Resources Specialist (Recruitment)

Department of State
Department of State Headquarters

Summary

These are TEMPORARY, INTERMITTENT position(s) located in the Bureau of Diplomatic Security, Office of the Executive Director (DS/EX), Human Resources Management (HRM), Recruitment Unit (RECU). This unit is responsible for planning, coordinating, and executing recruitment and outreach programs that attract and recruit highly qualified candidates for Foreign Service, Civil Service, and other mission-critical positions supporting the Bureau's worldwide security and law enforcement mission.

Overview

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Accepting applications
Location
Few 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
$143,913 - $187,093 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 14
Promotion potential
14
Pay scale and grade determines the salary of the job.
Work schedule
Intermittent - Intermittent Work Schedule (no regular work schedule); limited to a maximum of 1,040 hours during the appointment period.
Travel Required
Occasional travel - Occasional travel may be required for this position.
Appointment type
Temporary - Temporary Appointment not-to-exceed 1 year. May be extended without further announcement.
Occupations and job series
Supervisory status
No
Federal service type
This job is in the Competitive Service
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.
Announcement number
M/DS-MPE-2026-0046
Control number
884476900

Duties

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  • Serves as a Recruitment Advisor responsible for planning, coordinating, and executing strategic recruitment outreach activities to support the Bureau's recruitment objectives for Foreign Service, Civil Service, and other mission-critical occupations.
  • Represents the Bureau at virtual and in-person recruitment events, career fairs, conferences, information sessions, panel discussions, university outreach activities, and other recruitment initiatives to attract highly qualified applicant pools.
  • Provides informed guidance regarding specialized occupational requirements, career paths, and workforce needs to support consistent and accurate recruitment messaging across recruitment activities.
  • Advises on recruitment strategies, candidate engagement approaches, workforce trends, and outreach initiatives that support current and emerging hiring priorities.
  • Analyzes recruitment metrics, workforce data, labor market information, applicant trends, and program performance measures to evaluate the effectiveness of Bureau recruitment activities and outreach initiatives.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • U.S. Citizenship is required.
  • Incumbent will be subject to random drug testing.
  • Must be able to obtain and maintain a Secret security clearance.
  • Successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, visit: www.dhs.gov/E-Verify/

Qualifications

Applicants must meet all the required qualification requirements described below by the closing date of this announcement. 

NOTE: Applicants must meet time-in-grade and time after competitive appointment requirements, by the closing date of this announcement.

Time-In-Grade Requirements: Federal applicants must have served 52 weeks at the next lower grade to satisfy time-in-grade restrictions, per 5CFR 300, Subpart F.

Applicants must have 1 year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-13 level in the Federal service which provided the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities to perform the duties of the position.

Qualifying specialized experience must demonstrate the following: 

  • Experience collaborating and consulting on recruitment strategies for both Civil and Foreign service.
  • Experience advising on human resources laws, regulations, and policies associated with Delegated Examining and Merit Promotion procedures and practices.
  • Experience identifying recruitment challenges, evaluating outreach effectiveness, and developing recommendations that improve recruitment processes and candidate engagement. 

There is no substitute of education for specialized experience for the GS-14 position.

Education

Education requirements do not apply to this vacancy announcement.

Additional information

  • To request a reasonable accommodation for additional time on the timed sections of the assessment, please submit your request using the “Request a Reasonable Accommodation” button within the Assessment Application. 

    For all other reasonable accommodations at the U.S. Department of State, please contact the Office of Accessibility and Accommodations (OAA) at OAA@state.gov.    

    OAA is responsible for reviewing and adjudicating reasonable accommodation (RA) requests for the Assessment Battery being used for this announcement.  The following applies to all RA requests: 

    • RA requests cover additional time on timed sections only.   

    • Applicants submitting a RA request MUST attach supporting medical documentation signed by a licensed, treating medical provider. The documentation should describe the nature, severity, and expected duration of the condition, identify the relevant medical condition or diagnosis, and explain the basis for the requested extension.  RA requests that do not contain supporting medical documentation attachments at the time of initial request may be subject to further review.  

    • Note: the following documents do not, on their own, qualify for automatic approval of the RA request: Schedule A letters, VA benefits letters, or SSA letters. 

    • Applicants MUST submit their application before the vacancy closes, even if pending an accommodation decision.  

    • Applicants are encouraged to carefully follow instructions related to medical documentation provided in the vacancy announcement prior to beginning the RA process. 

    • Applicants will have 48 hours after their RA request is adjudicated to complete the assessment battery.  Scores generated after the allotted timeframe will not be admissible and the applicant will not be considered further for the vacancy.   

    • If a different type of RA is needed, please contact OAA directly at OAA@state.gov.       

  • If eligible, situational telework agreements may be permitted with supervisory approval. 
  • Multiple positions may be filled from this announcement.  If eligible, applicants to this announcement may be referred to other similar positions in other Bureaus/Offices in the Department for up to 240 days and may require a higher or lower security clearance.  Telework eligibility and security clearance requirements may vary for such similar positions. 
  • Agency & Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP & ICTAP): View OPM’s  CTAP & ICTAP eligibility website for more information. You must be rated in the Well-Qualified category and submit supporting documents under the required documents section of this announcement to receive selection priority consideration. To be considered Well-Qualified applicants must: score an 85 or above, meet Minimum Qualifications, and demonstrate proficiency in some, but not all major aspects of the position. 

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.

The evaluation process consists of the ApplyGov Competency Based Assessments for which applicants will be assigned a score between 70 and 100. A resume review will be conducted for minimum qualification requirements, as described in the “Qualifications” section of this announcement, of applicants found to be among the top qualified candidates based on assessment scores.  Resumes longer than two pages will be deemed ineligible and will not be considered further.  

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

Non-Supervisory: Oral Communication, Writing, Interpersonal Skills, Problem Solving, Teamwork, Technology Orientation, Customer Service, Attention to Detail and Self-Management. 

Set aside at least 2 hours to take the external assessments; however, most applicants complete the assessments in less time. There are timed sections that must be completed within the allotted timeframe.

Your score from the external assessment (i.e., Non-supervisory) will remain on file for 180 days, allowing you to apply for multiple DOS-announced positions without needing to retake the assessments. 

Top applicants may be referred to the hiring manager for further consideration. Your qualifications will be evaluated on the following competencies: 

  • Knowledge of strategic recruitment methodologies, workforce planning concepts, labor market conditions, recruitment analytics, and outreach techniques to assess trends and recommend program improvements.
  • Knowledge of Federal human resources (HR) management principles, policies, regulations, and staffing authorities governing Civil Service and Foreign Service recruitment.
  • Ability to plan, coordinate, execute, and evaluate strategic recruitment programs.
  • Ability to advise leadership on recruitment strategies, candidate engagement, workforce trends, outreach initiatives, and recruitment processes.
  • Skill in developing practical recommendations that improve recruitment effectiveness and support organizational hiring priorities.

In describing your experience, please be clear and specific. We do not make assumptions regarding your experience. Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials may result in your removal from consideration. 

Applicants found to be among the top qualified candidates will be referred to the hiring official for further consideration and possible interview.  

Agency & Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP & ICTAP):  View OPM’s  CTAP & ICTAP eligibility website for more information. You must be rated in the Well-Qualified category and submit supporting documents under the required documents section of this announcement to receive selection priority consideration. To be considered Well-Qualified applicants must: score an 85 or above, meet Minimum Qualifications, and demonstrate proficiency in some, but not all major aspects of the position.


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Department of State Headquarters

The U.S. Department of State, our country’s lead foreign policy agency, provides employees with a dynamic international career whether at home or abroad and unique professional development opportunities.  Each day, our employees make a difference as they advance the interests of the American people, their safety and economic prosperity, through diplomacy, advocacy, and assistance.  We embrace our talented workforce which reflects the personal, professional, and educational strengths of our country. 

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Agency contact information

Brianna D. Skinner
Phone
000-000-0000
Fax
000-000-0000
Email
skinnerbd@state.gov
Address
U.S. Department of State
Not accepting applications by Mail
Charleston, South Carolina 29405
United States

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