USAJOBS - Job Announcement

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The position is located in the Bureau East Asian and Pacific Affairs, Office of Multilateral Affairs (EAP/MLA). Serves as the EAP bureau’s subject matter expert on all matters related to diplomacy, lawfare, and strategy for the South China Sea (SCS). The incumbent develops and coordinates new policy recommendations and works with the U.S interagency, including the Department of Defense and the National Security Council, to implement a range of policies to advance U.S. strategic interests.

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Hiring complete

Open & closing dates

09/29/2021 to 10/05/2021
Salary

$122,530 - $159,286 per year
Pay scale & grade

GS 14
Location
- Washington, DC 1 vacancy
Telework eligible

Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Travel Required

Occasional travel - Occasional international travel.
Relocation expenses reimbursed

No
Appointment type

Permanent
Work schedule

Full-time
Service

Competitive
Promotion potential

14
Job family (Series)

0130 Foreign Affairs
Supervisory status

No
Security clearance

Top Secret
Drug test

Yes
Position sensitivity and risk

High Risk (HR)
Trust determination process

National security
Announcement number

HRSC/EAP-2021-0015
Control number

615647700

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Clarification from the agency

Status Candidates, Noncompetitive, Former Federal Employees with Reinstatement Eligibility, Land & base management, VEOA, Individuals with Disabilities, Military Spouses, Peace Corps, AmeriCorps, Vista, Eligible Family Member, Special authorities, ICTAP, and CTAP.

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The incumbent provides expert policy analysis, review, evaluation, as well as office, bureau, and Department representation on issues related to the South China Sea and transnational security cooperation, which are vital interest to U.S. Government.
The incumbent develops cohesive policy recommendations on highly visible South China Sea issues, and ensures that policy questions are reviewed in and coordinated with the wider context of overall U.S. policy objectives.
Serves as area expert for high -level U.S. officials attending bilateral meetings with the Southeast Asian and likeminded countries as well as in multilateral ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) meeting, briefing on substantive issues.

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Conditions of Employment

Incumbent will be subject to random drug testing.
One year probationary period, unless excepted by regulation.
Must be able to obtain and maintain a Top Secret security clearance.
U.S. Citizenship is required.
Obtain/maintain eligibility to access Sensitive Compartmented Information
Verification of employment eligibility in the United States is required.

Qualifications

Applicants must meet all the required qualification requirements, including education, and any selective placement factors 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.)

IN ADDITION to the basic requirements, this position requires one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least 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 drafting analytical policy papers, memoranda, briefing materials and correspondence.
Experience drafting and recommending policy and procedures for implementation.
Experience writing, analyzing or advising policies on East Asia and Pacific affairs.

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.

Education

See the qualifications section of this vacancy announcement for education requirements, if applicable.

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. Click on the link for a list of accredited organizations recognized as specializing in interpretation of foreign education credentials.

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 ReasonableAccommodations@state.gov.

If eligible, telework and 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.

If eligible, applicants to this announcement may be referred to other positions in other Bureaus/Offices in the Department that may require a higher security clearance.

EMPLOYMENT ELIGIBILITY VERIFICATION PROGRAM (E-Verify) – U.S. law requires organizations to employ only individuals who may legally work in the United States - either U.S. citizens, or foreign citizens who have the necessary authorization. This agency utilizes E-Verify to compare information from the Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification, to data from U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Social Security Administration (SSA) records to confirm employment eligibility. If the employee’s information does not match DHS and/or SSA records, the employee is given an opportunity to resolve the problem. If eligibility cannot be verified, employment will be terminated.

Benefits

A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.

Review our benefits

Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

Your qualifications will be evaluated on the following knowledge, skills, abilities (KSAs) and other characteristics that are relevant to the duties of this position and must be fully supported by information in your resume:

Ability to develop and recommend policy.
Knowledge of Asia-Pacific politics, economics and security, and U.S. foreign policy.
Skill in evaluating alternatives and making sound and timely decisions.
Ability to analyze and prioritize multiple competing and/or complex issues.
Knowledge of, and experience in, the realm of foreign policy / international affairs.

Your resume serves as the basis for qualification determinations and must highlight your most relevant and significant work experience and education (if applicable) as it relates to this job opportunity. 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). Your resume should include the dates of all qualifying experience (from month/year to month/year) and the number of hours worked/volunteered per week. For assistance with creating a resume, please click here.

Qualified candidates are assigned a score between 70 and 100. Agency Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP) or Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP) candidates must be rated "Well Qualified" for the position and earn a score of at least 85 (when applicants are rated in a range of 70 to 100) to receive consideration for selection priority. If, after reviewing your resume and self-assessment questionnaire responses and a determination is made that you have inflated your qualifications and/or experience, a score will be manually determined that reflects your documented experience. This may result in a lower score, which may also eliminate you from consideration for this position.

Applicants must meet all the qualification requirements and submit any required supporting documentation by the closing date of this job opportunity. Your application package must contain sufficient information to make a valid determination that you fully meet the basic/specialized experience requirements as stated in this job opportunity announcement for each grade level(s) for which you are applying. Applicants found to be among the top qualified candidates will be referred to the hiring official for further consideration and possible interview. Qualified non-competitive candidates must be deemed best qualified based on the applicant assessment in order to be referred to the hiring official for further consideration and possible interview.

To preview questions please click here.

A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.

Review our benefits

Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.

As a new or existing federal employee, you and your family may have access to a range of benefits. Your benefits depend on the type of position you have - whether you're a permanent, part-time, temporary or an intermittent employee. You may be eligible for the following benefits, however, check with your agency to make sure you're eligible under their policies.

All required documents listed below, that are applicable to you, must be submitted to our automated system "Gateway to State" by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) on the closing date of this announcement.

1. Resume - your resume or any other written format you choose should contain the required information as specified in the “How You Will Be Evaluated” section. Insufficient information will result in an ineligible rating.

2. A completed online job specific self-assessment questionnaire through the Department’s automated system “Gateway to State”.

3. Transcripts - if applicable, see the Qualifications section of the announcement. If selected, an official/sealed college transcript(s) will be required to verify education prior to employment.

4. If you are qualifying based on other criteria listed under the Qualification Section of this announcement, you must submit the required supporting documentation (certificates, certifications, etc.) with your application by the closing date.

5. Performance Appraisal – Most recent (i.e., usually within the last 18 months) final (not a mid-year review) official (i.e., signed by the rating official and in original format) annual performance appraisal must be submitted by reinstatement eligible applicants applying to a position with a higher grade or more promotion potential than previously held and current or former Land Management employees. All other current and former Federal employees are strongly encouraged to submit their most recent annual performance appraisal for the hiring manager’s consideration. If a performance appraisal is not available, you may provide a statement and/or a statement from your supervisor explaining the reason one is not available and your servicing HR Office contact information (name, email address, phone number).

Note 1: You may be requested to provide an appraisal to the hiring official if one was not provided with your application.

Note 2: To receive a promotion, the current Federal employee’s most recent performance rating must be “fully successful” or an equivalent level or higher. Employees who are tentatively selected to receive a promotion will be required to provide performance documentation within two business days of request. Servicing HR Offices may be contacted to verify performance ratings.

6. Current, former, and non-competitive Federal employees must submit SF-50s (Notification of Personnel Action) that shows: effective date, position title, series, grade, salary, tenure, position occupied, full promotion potential, and name of agency. Examples include promotion, within-grade increase, and separation SF-50s. Award SF-50s often do not often show the required information. Multiple SF-50s may be needed to show all required information.

7. Veterans who are preference eligible OR who have been separated from the Armed Forces under honorable conditions (honorable or general discharge) after 3 or more years of continuous active service may apply under the Veterans Employment Opportunities act (VEOA). You must submit a DD-214 Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty (Member Copy 4 preferred) showing the dates you served as well as your type of discharge and qualifying service campaign medals OR if you are still on active duty, you MUST submit a certification on letterhead from your military branch which contains your military service dates, expected date of discharge or release, and the character of service to show that your military service was performed under honorable conditions. The expected date of discharge or release must be no later than 120 days after the certification is submitted for consideration for this job announcement.

Current Federal employees applying under the VEOA must submit a qualifying SF-50 to show time-in-grade requirements.

If you are applying as a preference eligible with a compensable service-connected disability of 30% or more, you must submit the documentation required by the SF-15 (Application for 10-Point Veteran Preference) to support your claim (e.g., DD-214, official statement from the Department of Veterans Affairs). For applicants claiming 10-point derived veterans’ preference (i.e., spouses, widows/widowers or mothers of veterans), a completed SF-15 must be submitted with the application with all required supporting documents listed on the form.

Click here and consult the Vet Guide for more information on veterans' preference and hiring authorities. To gain access to your DD-214 online, click here.

8. ICTAP/CTAP eligibles and Current or Former Land Management employees must submit a copy of the appropriate documentation with their application. See links below for specific documentation requirements:

ICTAP Considerations
CTAP Considerations

Current or Former Land Management Employees

9. If you are applying under a special hiring authority you MUST submit proof of eligibility with your application. For info on special hiring authorities for severely disabled persons click here.

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

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.

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.

Prepare your application in USAJOBS To start your application, click Apply and we’ll walk you through the process where you’ll attach a resume and any required documents. During the application process you can review, edit, delete, and update your information. We’ll automatically save your progress as you go, so you won’t lose any changes. Please carefully read all the instructions before you apply. You have until 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) on the closing date of this announcement to complete the application process.

STEP 1: Select the "Apply On-line" button and follow the instructions to register or sign into USAJOBS.

STEP 2: Submit a detailed resume or any other written format you choose documenting your job-related qualifications, experience, and education (if applicable). Cover letter is optional. If you submit a cover letter, you must also submit a resume. Please see the How You Will Be Evaluated section for specific information that should be outlined in your resume.

STEP 3: Answer the job-specific self-assessment questions on-line through the U.S. Department of State’s Gateway to State automated application system. The questions will be used to evaluate your qualifications and experience for this position.

STEP 4: Submit all required documentation applicable to you, as listed in the Required Documents section of this announcement, to the Department’s Gateway to State automated application system prior to the closing date of this announcement.

For instructions on how to view the status of your supporting documentation, please click here.

Technical assistance with your on-line application is available through the Help Desk at mgshelp@monster.com or by calling (866) 656-6830 between the hours of 7:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. ET

ALTERNATE APPLICATION PROCEDURES

NOTE: If applying online poses an extreme hardship, you may request alternate application procedures to submit your application package by fax. Contact the Human Resources office listed on the announcement between the business hours of 8:15 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. ET at least 2 working days prior to the closing date of this announcement. The application package for alternate application procedures must be submitted and received in the Human Resources office no later than 11:59 p.m. ET on the closing date of this announcement. Paper applications and information sent by mail WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED.

Agency contact information

Kimberly Mingo

Phone: 843-952-0117
Fax: 000-000-0000
Email: Mingokd@state.gov
Address: U.S. Department of State
1999 Dyess Avenue
Building D
Charleston, South Carolina 29405
United States

Learn more about this agency

Next steps

After all application packages have been received, we will review your resume to ensure you meet the basic qualification requirements. After we review and evaluate all applications, the most highly qualified candidates will be referred to the hiring manager for further consideration for possible interviews in approximately two weeks after the announcement closes. After a tentative job offer, we will conduct a suitability review and/or security background investigation, which generally takes an average of at least two to six months. You will be notified up to four times during the hiring process:

1. Upon receipt of your application.

2. Upon minimum qualification determinations.

3. After the certificate is issued.

4. After final selection is made.

For instructions on how to view the status of your application, please click here . Multiple positions may be filled from this announcement.

The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.