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Foreign Affairs Specialist

Department of Energy
National Nuclear Security Administration
Office of Counterterrorism and Counterproliferation, Office of Nuclear Threat Science
This job announcement has closed

Summary

This position is part of the Office of Counterterrorism and Counterproliferation, Office of Nuclear Threat Science (NA-82). which is responsible for overseeing and coordinating nuclear device design-related assessment activities to ensure the full range of nuclear weapons physics knowledge, engineering, analysis, information, and technologies informs U.S. and international nuclear policies. A successful candidate in this position will serve as a Foreign Affairs Specialist.

Overview

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Reviewing applications
Open & closing dates
09/22/2025 to 09/26/2025
Salary
$142,488 to - $207,500 per year
Pay scale & grade
EN 4
Location
1 vacancy in the following location:
Washington, DC
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy. Situational telework only.
Travel Required
25% or less - You may be expected to travel for this position.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Excepted
Promotion potential
4
Job family (Series)
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Q Access Authorization
Drug test
Yes
Position sensitivity and risk
Special-Sensitive (SS)/High Risk
Financial disclosure
Yes
Bargaining unit status
No
Announcement number
25-NA-80-XA-00443-NNSAL
Control number
846577400

This job is open to

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Clarification from the agency

This Job Opportunity Announcement is only open to current NNSA Employees with competitive and excepted service status.

Duties

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As a Foreign Affairs Specialist you will:

  • Lead office efforts to harness and evaluate the rewards and risks of artificial intelligence and emerging technologies on the nuclear counterterrorism mission.
  • Lead strategic planning efforts for nuclear counterterrorism cooperation with the U.S. interagency and international partners, helping to ensure that the office's strategic plan is integrated into NNSA strategies, goals, objectives, and work plans, and supporting technical work is appropriately prioritized and executed by the national laboratories.
  • Conduct briefings for senior U.S. Government officials (e.g., members of the Senior Executive Service and Administration political appointees both inside and outside of DOE/NNSA) to apprise them of the threat of nuclear counterterrorism and information security risks and mitigations and ensure support for relevant policies and programs within organizations.
  • Understand technical concepts related to nuclear weapons and fuel cycles and applies them to strategic planning and program development. Maintain a robust awareness of the laws, policies, and regulations related to nuclear information in order to develop creative options to mitigate nuclear counterterrorism risk.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • Subject to Random Drug Testing
  • Must pass a pre-employment drug test.
  • Must pass a polygraph 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.
  • More than one position may be filled from this vacancy announcement.
  • 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

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 in the Federal Service, i.e. EN-03 or NQ-03. Specialized experience for this position is defined as applying foreign affairs practices, policies and procedures including building relationships with foreign governments and counterparts; 2) leading and developing emergency operation procedures; and 3) serving as a program or project manager for one or more areas in assigned portfolio and/or overseeing development and execution of projects and programs.

Your application and resume should 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!

  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Communication
  • Planning and Evaluating
  • Technical Competence


"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:

1) 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
2) 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
3) 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.

If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:

EDUCATION: Education must be obtained from an accredited 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.

Structured Resume Review: The Human Resources Office/Subject Matter Expert(s) will review the first two pages of your resume to determine your technical qualifications.

Additional documentation (e.g., cover letter, links embedded in your resume) may not be considered.

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.

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/12805471

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