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The U.S. Department of State is developing a rank-ordered list of eligible hires for a limited number of Foreign Service Office Management Specialist (OMS) positions. To learn more about the Department of State and a career in the Foreign Service, visit https://careers.state.gov.
There is more to the Foreign Service than just salary. Refer to the Benefits section for more information on total compensation.
This is a 9017 Foreign Service position equivalent to the 0301 CS Series.
Learn more about this agency10/01/2021 to 09/30/2022
$52,652 - $84,036 per year
FP 06
No
Occasional travel - A Foreign Service Specialist generally spends the majority of his/her career assigned to the Department of State's overseas missions and at times, lives away from family and/or in difficult or isolated conditions. Selected applicants will be notified of an Oral Assessment (OA) requirement in Washington D.C. For the selected applicants, all travel and other expenses incurred in connection with the OA are the sole responsibility of the applicant.
Yes—After completing orientation and initial training in Washington, D.C., a Foreign Service Specialist usually is assigned to two consecutive overseas tours, each two years in length, directed by the Department. After the initial two tours, assignments will be for periods of one to three years overseas or in the United States.
Permanent - Permanent after tenure granted by a Foreign Service Specialist (FSS) Tenure Board.
Full-time
Excepted
02
Yes
Yes
OMS-2022-0001
616138700
Must be a U.S. citizen. Potential applicants should read the entire announcement to ensure they meet all requirements and understand a Foreign Service career. Applicants may not reapply for one year after their previous application for the same position. If a State Department Suitability Review Panel denied suitability in the last two years, you may not apply (except Diplomatic Security Special Agent (SA) candidates whose denial was based solely on the unique requirements for SAs).
Foreign Service Office Management Specialists (OMSes) serve key roles in U.S. embassies and consulates worldwide, as well as some domestic locations, leading and performing a wide range of administrative, operational, and technical program support functions to facilitate the overall efficiency and effectiveness the organization. The primary responsibilities of an OMS vary greatly depending on the size of the post and the particular position to which assigned. The work requires knowledge of administrative, operations, and program support principles; a strong command of the English language; superior interpersonal skills; and, in-depth knowledge of office computer software.
The following list is neither exhaustive nor in priority order; however, basic duties may include the following:
It is not uncommon for an OMS regularly to perform duties outside of normal business hours due to needs of the post, official visits, or as part of a regular after-hours duty rotation.
At small posts, OMSes also might be required to provide additional services as back-up Information Management Specialists (handling official telegraphic messages and diplomatic pouches), with training provided.
An OMS must adhere to the highest standards of integrity, dependability, attention to detail, teamwork, and cooperation while accepting the need to travel, live overseas, and when necessary, live away from family.
Specialized Experience
Specialized Experience demonstrates that the applicant has acquired, and is able to apply, a combination of specific knowledge, skills, and abilities appropriate to this Foreign Service position. All qualifying Specialized Experience must be of a progressively responsible nature in office management and/or administrative functions and must have been acquired supporting one or more senior individuals. To qualify as Specialized Experience, the duties must have a combination of office management or administrative components of at least 60% of the work duties. All experience must have been performed within the last 10 years.
Examples of Specialized Experience include, but are not limited to:
Knowledge, Skills, Abilities, and Other Characteristics
The applicant's experience, education, and training must show that they have an in-depth knowledge of their field and possess the knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics (KSAOs) to successfully perform OMS duties worldwide.
Note: Candidates who successfully pass the Oral Assessment (OA) must provide within 30 days of passing the OA a Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS) Certification in Word 2013 or more recent. Certifications are obtained from an authorized testing center. Information about Microsoft MOS certification can be found at www.certiport.com. It is the responsibility of the candidate to locate a testing center. All costs incurred in connection with qualifying for this position are the responsibility of the candidate. If the MOS certificate is not received within 30 days of passing the OA, the candidacy will not be continued.
At the time of application, applicants must have one of the following:
• A High School diploma or equivalent and three years of Specialized Experience in the last 10 years; or
• An Associate’s degree in Office Management or Business Administration and two years of Specialized Experience in the last 10 years; or
• A Bachelor’s or higher degree in any major and one year of Specialized Experience in the last 10 years.
If your OMST results qualify, you will be asked via email to submit documentation demonstrating your educational achievements. You must submit a copy of your high school diploma or equivalency certificate, or your university transcript(s). If you do not submit this documentation to demonstrate your educational achievements, your candidacy will not continue.
Official or unofficial transcripts may be submitted. Your transcript must include your name, the school’s name, and, if applicable, the degree and date awarded, and have no missing pages. A transcript missing any of these elements will not pass the minimum qualifications and your candidacy will not continue. Copies of diplomas may not be submitted in lieu of transcripts for education above high school level.
Education from a program or institution within the United States must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education, http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation, in order to be credited towards qualifications or your candidacy will not continue.
Education completed in foreign high schools, 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. Only accredited organizations recognized as specializing in the interpretation of foreign education credentials that are members of the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES) or the Association of International Credential Evaluators, Inc. (AICE) are accepted. If documentation from an accredited organization is not provided, your candidacy will not continue.
NACES: www.naces.org/members.htm
AICE: www.aice-eval.org/members
For further information on the evaluation of foreign education, please refer to the Office of Personnel Management and the U.S. Department of Education. The U.S. Department of State neither endorses nor recommends any individual evaluation service.
OPM: www.opm.gov
U.S. Department of Education: http://www.ed.gov
*EMPLOYMENT ELIGIBILITY VERIFICATION PROGRAM (E-Verify) – Verification of employment eligibility in the United States is required.
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.
**The Department of State Suitability Review Panel and standards are defined in Chapter 3 of the Foreign Affairs Manual. For more information please visit: https://fam.state.gov/.
***For more information about Veteran’s Preference and how it is applied in the selection process, please visit: http://careers.state.gov/faqs/faqs-wiki/are-veterans-given-hiring-preference-
No applicant will be considered who has previously been separated from the Foreign Service under sections §607, §608, §610 or §611 of the Foreign Service Act of 1980, as amended, or who resigned or retired in lieu of separation under these provisions. In addition, no applicant will be considered who has previously been separated for failure to receive a career appointment under section §306 of the Foreign Service Act of 1980, as amended, or who resigned or retired in lieu thereof.
A Foreign Service Specialist separated for failure to receive a career appointment under section 306 may not re-apply to be a Foreign Service Specialist in the same skill code but may apply for another skill code or to be a Foreign Service Generalist.
Executive Branch agencies are barred by 5 US Code 3303 as amended from accepting or considering prohibited political recommendations and are required to return any prohibited political recommendations to sender. In addition, as mandated by 5 US Code 3110, relatives of federal employees cannot be granted preference in competing for these employment opportunities.
It is the policy of the Federal Government to treat all employees with dignity and respect and to provide a workplace that is free from discrimination whether discrimination is based on race, color, religion, sex (including gender identity or pregnancy), national origin, disability, political affiliation, marital status, membership in an employee organization, age, sexual orientation, or other non-merit factors.
The Department of State provides reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities. Applicants requiring reasonable accommodations for any part of the application or hiring process should so advise the Department at ReasonableAccommodations@state.gov, within one week of receiving their invitation to the oral assessment. Decisions for granting reasonable accommodations are made on a case-by-case basis.
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
Candidates will be evaluated on their total background including experience, education, awards, training, and self-development as it relates to the position. Selection for this position will be made only from among candidates possessing the best qualifications. Part-time work experience will be prorated.
See How To Apply for information on how to submit your application and register to take the Office Management Specialist Test (OMST) at www.pearsonvue.com/OMST. Please do not apply through USAJobs.
After creating a web account, answer all the self-assessment questions, include work history for the past 10 years, and complete the Personal Narrative questions and Statement of Interest:
Personal Narrative
These required questions provide an opportunity to describe examples and accomplishments from your education, life, and/or work experience that demonstrate your qualifications for becoming a Foreign Service Specialist. Examples can be drawn from any part of your professional or personal experience. Each response is limited to 300 words or fewer (maximum length 2,000 characters). You should compose your replies carefully, as one of the skills necessary to succeed as a Foreign Service Specialist is the ability to write clearly and concisely. Answers to the all items in the Personal Narrative and Statement of Interest are required and must be completed in the online application.
Statement of Interest
Required narrative Statement of Interest which discusses your:
- Motivation for joining the Foreign Service;
- Relevant work experience, including any unique strengths not described elsewhere such as special skills (e.g. computer), current licenses, certifications, honors, awards, special accomplishments, and/or training (with date completed) relating to this position; and
- Experience living or working in a multicultural environment, overseas or in the United States.
If your OMST results qualify will be asked via email to submit documentation demonstrating your educational achievements. You must submit a copy of your high school diploma or equivalency certificate, or your university transcript(s). A timeline for submission will be specified in the email. You must submit your documents by the date indicated to qualify for the next step of the selection process. If you do not submit this documentation to demonstrate your educational achievements, your candidacy will not continue. See Education Requirements for more information.
Applicants aged 60 to 65 claiming Veteran’s Preference must submit documentation by email when requested. If claiming a 5 pt. Veteran’s Preference, you must submit a copy of your DD-214 or Certification of service. If claiming a 10 pt. Veteran’s Preference, you must submit your VA letter and SF-15, in addition to your DD-214 or Certification of service. A Certification must be from the armed forces certifying the service member is expected to be discharged or released from active duty under honorable conditions within 120 days after the Certification is submitted by the applicant and should include military service dates, date of expected discharge or release, and character of service and disability rating, if applicable.
Candidates who successfully pass the Oral Assessment (OA) must provide within 30 days of passing the OA a Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS) Certification in Word 2013 or more recent. Certifications are obtained from an authorized testing center. Information about Microsoft MOS certification can be found at www.certiport.com. It is the responsibility of the candidate to locate a testing center. All costs incurred in connection with qualifying for this position are the responsibility of the candidate. If the MOS certificate is not received within 30 days of passing the OA, the candidacy will not be continued.
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.
Submit your application and register to take the Office Management Specialist Test (OMST) at www.pearsonvue.com/OMST. Please do not apply through USAJobs.
If you are having technical difficulty with the application process, please contact the Help Desk by calling 1-866-389-8339 (toll-free) or 1-952-905-7483, or by utilizing the Chat function on www.pearsonvue.com. The Help Desk is available Monday through Friday 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Central Time; closed on local holidays.
For more information on Foreign Service Specialist hiring processes, please visit our FAQs at http://careers.state.gov/faqs. If you have any questions regarding Foreign Service careers, please visit our careers.state.gov site and post your question(s) on the appropriate Forum in the Connect section: http://careers.state.gov/connect/forums.
For more information on the OMS selection process, visit https://careers.state.gov/work/foreign-service/specialist/office-management-specialist-selection-process/.
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
This job originated on www.usajobs.gov. For the full announcement and to apply, visit www.usajobs.gov/job/616138700. Only resumes submitted according to the instructions on the job announcement listed at www.usajobs.gov will be considered.
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