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Job: Foreign Affairs Specialist (Selective Service, Pentagon)

Deadline: March 4, 2024

JOB POSTING: https://www.usajobs.gov/job/778812400

Duties

  • Responsible for recommending and implementing policy guidance for the direction, integration, management and supervision of international programs and activities affiliated with the Department of the Air Force concerning country and/or regional responsibility.
  • Areas of direct responsibility include implementation of US and USAF policy, military contacts and cooperative activities, country and regional reviews, USAF security assistance, disclosure policy and related activities, technology transfer, and other USAF international programs with foreign countries, coordination of senior AF official’s international travel and visits of senior foreign officials to the United States.
  • Reviews and establishes policy on current developments in the Europe/NATO Division. Identifies items that impact USAF bilateral or regional programs.
  • Represents USAF at weekly, monthly, and annually occurring interagency and departmental conferences and meetings. Represents SAF/IA as a member of appropriate committees and working groups.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

  • U.S. Citizenship Required
  • Males must be registered for Selective Service, see www.sss.gov
  • If authorized, PCS will be paid IAW JTR and AF Regulations. If receiving an authorized PCS, you may be subject to completing/signing a CONUS agreement. More information on PCS requirements, may be found at: https://afciviliancareers.com/regulatory/
  • This position is subject to provisions of the DoD Priority Placement Program
  • Disclosure of Political Appointments
  • Advance in hire may/may not be authorized if there is demonstrable proof provided on your resume
  • Leave accrual may be authorized upon request
  • Must be able to obtain and maintain a Secret clearance.
  • Employee must be comfortable in dealing with high-ranking foreign representatives and able to utilize tact and diplomacy on all occasions.
  • A Bachelor’s Degree in International Politics, International Affairs, or Education is highly desired. Europe/NATO language skills highly desired but not required.
  • Completion of an Intermediate Service School, (i.e. ACSC, AFLEP, ELDP, AFIT, etc.), within six years of accepting position is highly desirable.
  • Employee should be able to sustain periods of high stress without danger to the individual’s health. Work is primarily sedentary in nature and no special physical ability is required to do the work.
  • Majority of work is performed in an office setting; however, the position does require extensive travel (as much as 25% of time), both within CONUS and overseas, often on short notice and for extended (1-2 week) periods of time.
  • Work may require travel away from the normal duty station on military and commercial aircraft.

Qualifications

In order to qualify, you must meet the specialized experience requirements described in the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Qualification Standards for General Schedule Positions, Professional and Scientific Positions, Foreign Affairs Specialist Series, 0130.

BASIC REQUIREMENT OR INDIVIDUAL OCCUPATIONAL REQUIREMENT: A Bachelor’s degree (or higher degree) or a degree with a 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. NOTE: You must submit a copy of your transcripts.

OR
COMBINATION OF EXPERIENCE AND EDUCATION: A combination of education and experience may be used to qualify for this position as long as the computed percentage of the requirements is at least 100%. Courses equivalent to a major, or a combination of related courses totaling at least 24 semester hours, as shown above. NOTE: You must submit a copy of your transcripts.

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. Evaluation of Experience: Qualifying experience may have been through residence, study, teaching, business or commercial activities, military service, newspaper work, military or civil government activities, missionary or international relief work, or other experience in foreign countries.

For positions at grades GS-12 and above, this experience must have included either (a) responsibility for the direction and coordination of research, analysis, or other professional work in one or more of the fields listed in A above, or (b) specialized professional work of a high level of difficulty and responsibility in one or more of these fields. This high level experience must have been in such specialized activities as (1) formulation of instructions and policy guidance for United States representatives in international organizations; (2) transport and communication involving knowledge of economic, political, and technical aspects of international aviation, shipping, inland transport, or radio, telephone, and telegraph, etc.; (3) cultural affairs involving formulation and operation of policy on large-scale international cultural exchange programs; (4) occupied area affairs involving problems of occupation of conquered or liberated countries, regions, or zones; or (5) other specialized international affairs such as analyzing public opinion and attitudes, evaluating specific conditions, trends, or forces in a foreign country, formulating policy on problems of petroleum resources or fisheries, etc., representing foreign interests, protecting American property or interests, arranging for conferences, or similar activities.

AND
In addition to meeting the basic requirement above, to qualify for this position you must also meet the qualification requirements listed below:

SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: Applicants must have at least one (1) year of specialized experience at the next lower grade GS-12, or equivalent in other pay systems. Examples of specialized experience includes extensive knowledge of national security, strategic policy, international relations, foreign affairs, foreign assistance programs, and related fields. Ability to develop and analyze political-military alternatives as they relate to the USAF and Europe. Must be able to acquire and comprehend a working knowledge of security assistance laws, regulations, principles, policy, national and international politics, and economic and military operations sufficiently to assist agency technical experts in one or more very broad aspects of foreign military sales and other security assistance programs. Knowledge of foreign affairs and national security policies and objectivities; US defense programs and policies doctrine, strategy, and political-military structures as they pertain to the EUCOM region. Knowledge of military command structure, missions, programs, and organizational relationships. NOTE: PLEASE SUBMIT TRANSCRIPTS.

FEDERAL TIME-IN-GRADE (TIG) REQUIREMENT FOR GENERAL SCHEDULE (GS) POSITIONS: Merit promotion applicants must meet applicable time-in-grade requirements to be considered eligible. One year at the GS-12 level is required to meet the time-in-grade requirements for the GS-13 level. TIG applies if you are in a current GS position or held a GS position within the previous 52 weeks. NOTE: Applicants applying as VEOA candidates who are current GS civil service employees or are prior GS civil service employees within the past 52 weeks must also meet time-in-grade requirements.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES (KSAs): Your qualifications will be evaluated on the basis of your level of knowledge, skills, abilities and/or competencies in the following areas:

  • Knowledge of foreign affairs and national security policies and objectivities; US defense programs and policies doctrine, strategy, and political-military structures as they pertain to the EUCOM region.
  • Knowledge of US foreign policy, legislation/directives, the Arms Export Control Act (AECA), the Foreign Assistance Act (FAA), and other DoD and Air Force directives/regulations governing the sale of military articles and services to foreign governments.
  • Ability to research and analyze information/situations to provide sound advice and recommendations in support of senior Air Force officials’ decision-making.
  • Skill and diplomacy in dealing with senior officials in the Federal Government, industry and the international community.
  • Ability to communicate effective, both orally and in writing to justify, defend, present, advocate, and/or advise on Security Assistance processes, actions, and decisions.
  • Ability to perform work requiring a professional knowledge of the formulation and implementation of foreign policy of the United States in the conduct of the relations, primarily of a political or politico-economic nature, of the United States with other governments.

PART-TIME OR UNPAID EXPERIENCE: Credit will be given for appropriate unpaid and or part-time work. You must clearly identify the duties and responsibilities in each position held and the total number of hours per week.

VOLUNTEER WORK EXPERIENCE: Refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service Programs (i.e., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community; student and social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge and skills that can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

Education

IF USING EDUCATION TO QUALIFY: If position has a positive degree requirement or education forms the basis for qualifications, you MUST submit transcriptswith the application. Official transcripts are not required at the time of application; however, if position has a positive degree requirement, qualifying based on education alone or in combination with experience, transcripts must be verified prior to appointment. An accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education must accredit education. Click here to check accreditation.

FOREIGN EDUCATION: Education completed in foreign colleges or universities may be used to meet the requirements. You must show proof the education credentials have been deemed to be at least equivalent to that gained in conventional U.S. education program. It is your responsibility to provide such evidence when applying.

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