Foreign Affairs Specialist with Security Clearance

Duties Incumbent typical work assignments may include the following: Independently identifies and focuses senior policy attention on issues with major defense policy, national security, detention affairs, or international security implications. Provide expert advice at the ASD and higher level on key strategy, planning, programming, budgeting, and policy matters Review and develop policy positions and responses to actions originating in other DoD and non-DoD offices or agencies that have implications for foreign policy and national security policy, strategy, program planning, and budgets. Represents DoD in delegations to international meetings and conferences. Develops or contributes testimony or other representations to the Congress Requirements Conditions of Employment U.S. Citizenship is required Males born after 12-31-59 must be registered or exempt from Selective Service (see ) May be required to successfully complete a probationary/trial period Must be determined suitable for federal employment Required to participate in the direct deposit program This position is subject to pre-employment and random drug testing This position requires you to obtain and maintain a Top-Secret clearance with SCI and SAP components. This position may require occasional travel away from your normal duty station on military or commercial aircraft. The incumbent may be required to work other than normal duty hours, which may include evenings, weekends, and/or holidays and/or overtime. Qualifications For qualifications determinations, it is recommended that applicants include their months and hours worked per week for each employment listed on their resume. If a determination is not able to be made about the length of your creditable experience for qualification requirements, you will be removed from consideration. Read more about what should I include in my federal resume? at Basic Requirement: 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 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 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. You may qualify at the GS-14 level, if you fulfill the following qualification requirement: One year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-13 grade level in the Federal service (experience may have been gained in the private sector) that demonstrates your ability to: 1) Advising senior civilian leadership (e.g. Director, Principal Director, Deputy Assistant Secretary, Assistant Secretary, Under Secretary, Secretary) on political-military matters affecting U.S. national security interests and preparing senior U.S. Government civilian leadership (e.g., Deputy Assistant Secretary, Assistant Secretary, Under Secretary and Secretary) for engagements with their counterparts; 2) Conducting analyses regarding the development, interpretation, and/or implementation of national security, and U.S. foreign policies; 3) preparing papers, memoranda, briefings, and/or messaging for senior civilian leadership (e.g. Deputy Assistant Secretary, Assistant Secretary, Under Secretary, Secretary), drafting advance policy questions, responses to Questions for the Record, written and oral testimony, and/or Member and staff briefings; and 4) developing policy options and recommendations for senior civilian leadership (e.g. Deputy Assistant Secretary, Assistant Secretary, Under Secretary, Secretary) to interagency decision-making process and crafting and coordinating policy positions with U.S. Government, and/or non-USG entities to advance national security objectives. 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, 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. ACTIVE-DUTY SERVICE MEMBERS: The VOW Act Chapter 21 of Title 5, United States Code (U.S.C.), Section 2108a, requires Federal agencies treat active-duty service member as veterans, disabled veterans, and preference eligible, when they submit, at the time they apply for a Federal job, a "certification" of active service in lieu of a DD-214, assuming the service member is otherwise eligible. A "certification" letter should be on letterhead of the appropriate military branch of the service and contain (1) the military service dates including the expected discharge or release date; and (2) the character of service. The service member's military service dates are necessary in order to determine whether he or she meets the definition of "veteran" under 5 U.S.C. 2108(1). The "certification" must reflect the service member is expected to be discharged or released from active-duty service in the armed forces under honorable conditions not later than 120 days after the date of submission. The "certification" must be signed by, or by direction of, the adjutant, personnel officer, or commander of your unit or higher headquarters and must indicate when your terminal leave will begin (if applicable), your rank, dates of active-duty service, the type of discharge and character of service (i.e. honorable). Further, under paragraph (h) of the rule, agencies are required to verify a qualifying separation from military service prior to appointment, through the DD-214 or other appropriate documentation. Your preference and/or appointment eligibility will be verified prior to appointment. Active-duty members that fail to provide a valid "certification" of service with their initial application will be found "not eligible." Military members may be appointed before the effective date of their military retirement/separation if member is on terminal leave. Current or Former Political Appointees: Beginning January 1, 2010, agencies must seek prior approval from OPM before they can appoint a current or recent political appointee to a competitive or non-political excepted service position at any level under the provisions of title 5, United States Code. If you are currently or have been within the last 5 years, a political Schedule A, Schedule C, or Non-career SES employee in the executive branch, you MUST disclose that to the Human Resources Office. Submit a copy of your applicable SF-50, along with a statement that provides the following information regarding your most recent political appointment: Position title; Type of appointment (Schedule A, Schedule C, Non-career SES, or Presidential Appointee); Agency; and, Beginning and ending dates of appointment. All qualifications, education, and time-in-grade requirements must be met by the closing date of this announcement and clearly documented in your resume. Education ARE YOU USING YOUR EDUCATION TO QUALIFY? You MUST provide transcripts to support your educational claims. Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Unless otherwise stated: (1) official or unofficial transcripts are acceptable, or (2) you may submit a list with all of your courses, grades, semester, year, and credit for the course. All materials must be submitted by the closing date of the announcement. PASS/FAIL COURSES: If more than 10 percent of your undergraduate course work (credit hours) were taken on a pass/fail basis, your claim of superior academic achievement must be based upon class standing or membership in an honor society. GRADUATE EDUCATION: One academic year of graduate education is considered to be the number of credits hours your graduate school has determined to represent one academic year of full-time study. Such study may have been performed on a full-time or part-time basis. If you cannot obtain your graduate school's definition of one year of graduate study, 18 semester hours (or 27 quarter hours) should be considered as satisfying the requirement for one year of full-time graduate study. ARE YOU QUALIFYING BASED ON EDUCATION or A COMBINATION OF EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE? You must provide sufficient documentation of your education in your resume. You are strongly encouraged to provide a copy of transcripts or degrees in your application package. It is also acceptable to document your applicable course listing in your resume (course number, credits earned, etc.). 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. Applicants can verify accreditation at the following website: . All education claimed by applicants will be verified by the appointing agency. If selected, an official/sealed transcript will be required prior to appointment. FOREIGN EDUCATION: If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must