Foreign Affairs Officer

Summary This position is located in Crisis Management and Strategy within the Office of the Secretary, Executive Secretariat Operations Center (S/ES-O). The Operations Center is open 24/7 and serves as the Secretary's & the Department's communications/crisis management center. As Crisis Management Support (CMS), you will monitor and analyze global events and incidents to anticipate potential hot spots and recommend actions to reduce risk and prepare our diplomatic missions to face any crisis. Responsibilities At the GS-12 level, the incumbent performs essentially the same duties as outlined below however, the scope and complexity of assignments are of less responsibility and independence and receives closer than normal supervision than the GS-13 level. Advises on, administers, and performs research or other work in the formulation and direction of foreign affairs or in the study and disposition of information on international relations as it relates to crisis management risk reduction/mitigation. Monitors and analyzes global events and incidents in their assigned areas to anticipate potential hot spots and recommends actions to reduce/mitigate risk and prepare our diplomatic missions to face any crisis. Visits embassies and posts as necessary to explain Bureau programs and requirements and to provide guidance and assistance in developing contingency plans or Emergency Action Plans. Promptly assesses and confirms the validity, accuracy, and reliability of information received and determines appropriate responses based on the significance of information to the current interests of the policy making organizations supported. Requirements Conditions of Employment Qualifications Applicants must meet all the required qualification requirements described below by the closing date of this announcement. If you are qualifying based on education OR if there are mandatory education requirements listed below, you MUST submit a copy of your college transcript with your application. 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 the required experience or education as described below and meet any selective factors, when specified. BASIC REQUIREMENTS: Have a bachelor's or graduate degree from an accredited college or university in international law, international relations, political science, economics, history, sociology, geography, social or cultural anthropology, law, statistics, or in the humanities; OR Have a bachelor's or graduate degree from an accredited college or university that included a combination of courses, with 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 Have 12 semester hours in one of the above disciplines and 12 semester hours in statistics / quantitative methods. OR Have a combination of education and experience where your coursework was equivalent to a major, or a combination of related courses totaling at least 24 semester hours, (as shown above), PLUS appropriate relevant experience OR additional education. OR Have completed at least 4 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. (NOTE: qualifying work experience may have been gained 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.) Note: If you are qualifying based on education, you MUST submit transcripts as verification of educational requirement by the closing date of this announcement. If you fail to provide requested information, or the information you submit is insufficient to verify your eligibility, you WILL lose consideration for this position. FOR THE GS-12: IN ADDITION to the basic requirements, this position requires one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-11 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 monitoring global political, national security, international affairs, geographic or military developments. Experience contributing to the preparation of written policy recommendations from foreign policy analysis. FOR THE GS-13: IN ADDITION to the basic requirements, this position requires one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-12 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 monitoring global political, national security, international affairs, geographic or military developments. Experience preparing written policy recommendations from foreign policy analysis. Experience serving in an advisory capacity to senior level leadership on complex, sensitive, and controversial matters. Education See the qualifications section of this vacancy announcement for education requirements. Education completed in foreign colleges or universities may be used to meet the education requirements if you can show that the foreign education is comparable to that received in an accredited educational institution in the United States. It is your responsibility to provide such evidence when applying. For a list of accredited organizations recognized as specializing in interpretation of foreign education credentials, visit: www.naces.org/members.php. Additional Information For reasonable accommodation at the U.S. Department of State, please contact the Office of Accessibility and Accommodations at (202) 663-3474 or [email protected]. If eligible, telework and/or remote work agreements may be permitted with supervisory approval. Please note that any approved remote work arrangement is subject to the locality pay area of the alternative telework worksite. 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. Telework eligibility and security clearance requirements may vary for such similar positions.