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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 Security Engineering Officer (SEO) vacancies based on the needs of the Department. Learn more about a career in the Foreign Service and the Bureau of Diplomatic Security.
Joining the Foreign Service is more than just salary. Refer to the Benefits section for more on total compensation.
This is a 2550 Foreign Service position equivalent to the 0855 Civil Service series.
Learn more about this agency05/17/2023 to 08/15/2023
$80,916 - $88,119 per year
FP 06
No
No
50% or less - Foreign Service Specialists generally spend the majority of their careers assigned to overseas missions and at times, live away from family and/or in difficult or isolated conditions. Applicants to some Foreign Service positions will be notified of an in-person Oral Assessment (OA) requirement in Washington, D.C. or select alternate site within the United States. For those applicants, travel and other expenses incurred in connection with the OA are solely the responsibility of the applicant.
Yes—After completing orientation and initial training, an SEO will be assigned to a two-year tour of duty, overseas or in Washington, D.C., followed by another two-year assignment 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 Tenure Board.
Full-time
Excepted
MC
Yes
Yes
SEO-2023-0002
725765600
U.S. Citizens, Nationals or those who owe allegiance to the U.S.
Current excepted service federal employees.
Must be a U.S. citizen. 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 Security Engineering Officers (SEOs) are members of the Diplomatic Security team who protect Department of State personnel, facilities, and sensitive information against acts of crime, terrorism, and technical espionage. Security Engineering Officers carry out this mission at over 275 U.S. embassies and consulates around the world, as well as offices in the metropolitan Washington, DC area and Fort Lauderdale, FL.
SEOs are deemed essential security personnel whose duties can vary according to the size of the U.S. presence, the requirements of the specific diplomatic facility, and known threats. The following are examples of the types of duties and responsibilities assigned to SEOs. This list is neither exhaustive, nor in priority order:
-- Lead the Department in technical solutions to emerging and evolving threats domestically and overseas.
-- Manage technical and information security programs, projects, and resources at U.S. embassies and consulates worldwide.
-- Interface with and represent the Department's interests and policy with regards to technical security and countermeasures within the international Intelligence Community.
-- Perform technical security assessments and recommend security upgrades to deter terrorism and technical espionage.
-- Plan and conduct technical surveillance countermeasures (TSCM) surveys to detect, report, and nullify technical penetrations, hazards, or vulnerabilities of Department of State facilities.
-- Identify, analyze, and manage security risks to personnel, facilities, or sensitive information and, in-turn, specify system requirements and/or procedural measures to ensure the integrity of facilities, networks, computers, automated information systems, and perimeter security.
-- Apply IT best practices to monitor and troubleshoot networking equipment, workstations, servers, and applications.
-- Conduct computer security assessments and audits of Department networks and provide recommendations to IT managers.
-- Manage high value projects and act as Contracting Officer Representative (COR) or Government Technical Monitor (GTM) overseas and domestically.
-- Evaluate a wide variety of equipment, systems, and products for security vulnerabilities.
-- Plan and conduct certification tests, as well as maintain the security requirements for information processing and secure conferencing facilities.
-- Produce a variety of written documents including well-crafted management memoranda, trip reports, budget justifications, presentations, and engineering surveys or technical reports detailing specific engineering services planned or performed.
-- Plan, budget, coordinate, and perform extensive travel throughout the world to service overseas embassies and consulates, often in remote locations, including the transport of technical supplies and materials (and on occasion, diplomatic pouches) by vehicle, airplane, train, and other public transportation.
-- Support USG Officials and foreign dignitaries by providing technical security support when requested.
-- Maintain a clean and safe workspace, storeroom, and accurate equipment inventory.
-- Engage in work that ranges from delicate cutting-edge system operation to dirty and/or physically demanding.
-- Specify, design, maintain, evaluate, procure, install, and certify equipment and/or products for technical security systems, such as:
-- Act as the Subject Matter Expert on technical counterintelligence, technical security policy matters, and advise non-technical personnel on mitigation and compliance efforts.
-- Supervise, train, manage, and lead a diverse team of technicians, contractors, U.S. Navy Seabees, office managers, logisticians, and locally employed staff.
-- Mentor employees and non-technical Foreign Service colleagues on technical security best practices and requirements.
-- Develop and maintain current leadership and management skills, applying them as a supervisor or when assisting in the hiring process.
-- Model the Department of State's six core values (accountability, character, community, diversity, loyalty, service) and the Department's Leadership and Management Principles; observe and implement EEO principles.
-- Review and revise Departmental technical security policy to ensure current, accurate, and clear guidance.
Other Requirements
Applicants must be available for worldwide service and be able to tolerate intensive world travel, potentially living away from family, and possibly working and living in difficult and/or isolated conditions.
Applicants must demonstrate a strong command of the English language to include grammar, spelling, and punctuation. A Foreign Service Specialist must consistently display a high standard of written English (overall structure as well as grammar, spelling, and punctuation) and spoken (overall structure as well as delivery, clarity, and succinctness).
Applicants for this position should have academic achievements and/or job-related experiences that reflect the following knowledge and skills. For experienced candidates, showing progressively increasing levels of performance and responsibility is desirable.
Essential Physical Requirements
Some of the essential functions of the job have a physically demanding component. For instance, in conducting technical surveillance countermeasures inspections, an SEO is periodically required to perform work that requires regular and recurring periods of prolonged standing, bending, and stretching. An SEO is required periodically to climb ladders and work from heights in performing the essential duties.
Other essential duties of the job may involve recurring lifting of moderately heavy equipment and tools and physical endurance to be physically active for many hours. Related activities may include crawling, twisting, maneuvering, and working in cramped spaces as well as the occasional moving and transporting of diplomatic pouches. Occasionally, the job may require exposure to extreme environmental conditions or prolonged periods of travel.
A physical examination of each applicant offered a position is required to ensure that the candidate meets the essential physical and medical requirements necessary to perform the essential functions of the job and can meet the required minimum medical qualification standards. In addition, candidates must have vision that is correctable to 20/20 in one eye and 20/40 in the other, no color blindness, adequate night vision, and good peripheral vision.
Note: The medical examination is required only after a candidate has successfully passed the written and oral assessments. It is not part of the initial application package.
The supplemental standards for the SEO position can be found at https://careers.state.gov/downloads/ under Documents and Forms/Three Conditions of Diplomatic Security Employment/Security Engineering Specialists/Supplemental Standards.
Applicants must have a Bachelor of Science (BS) degree, Master of Science (MS), or Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Engineering, Physics, Cybersecurity, or Computer Science from a school with at least one program accredited by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) or, evidence of successfully passing the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) examination or any other written test required for professional registration by a state, District of Columbia, Guam, or Puerto Rico engineering licensure board. A current registration as an Engineer Intern (EI), Engineer in Training (EIT), or licensure as a Professional Engineer (PE) by any state, the District of Columbia, Guam, or Puerto Rico may also be used to fulfill the education requirement. Submit evidence of licensure at time of application, if applicable.
Official or unofficial transcripts must be submitted with your application to demonstrate you meet the required educational achievement in the Science, Physics, or Engineering fields. Transcripts must include your name, the school’s name, the degree, and date awarded. A transcript missing any of these elements or any pages will not meet the minimum qualifications and the candidacy will not continue. Copies of diplomas may not be submitted in lieu of transcripts for education above high school level.
Final acceptance will be predicated on receipt of the degree. Prior to appointment, applicants must provide proof of obtaining their degree by December 31, 2023. Your transcript must include your name, the school's name, the degree, and date awarded.
Education from a program or institution within the United States must be accredited at the time of completion by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education, http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation.
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 U.S. It is your responsibility to provide such evidence when applying. 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.
NACES: https://www.naces.org/index
AICE: https://aice-eval.org/
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://ope.ed.gov/accreditation.
*EMPLOYMENT ELIGIBILIY VERIFICATION PROGRAM (E-Verify) – Verification of employment eligibility in the United States is required.
U.S. law requires companies 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, visit https://careers.state.gov/about/diversity-inclusion/veterans-program-office/.
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 OAA@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, 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.
It is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure all required documents are uploaded and the application is complete before the closing deadline of this announcement. Any missing required documents or incomplete applications will result in your application not being considered further.
Accomplishments Questionnaire and Statement of Interest
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 all items in the Accomplishments Questionnaire and Statement of Interest are required and must be completed in the online application.
Accomplishments Questionnaire
1. Substantive Knowledge: Using your knowledge and application of engineering and technical principles, practices, and equipment, provide your best example of a situation where you found a solution to mitigate a security threat. Indicate the nature of the problem, who was affected by the problem and in what way, and the results or benefits of your solution. The best examples highlight your knowledge of physical/technical security, IT, electronics, or materials to solve a practical problem.
2. Intellectual Skills: Describe a time when you had to analyze a situation and make a quick decision. Describe the circumstances that made this an important decision. What process did you follow for making the decision and were you satisfied with the results?
3. Interpersonal Skills: Provide an example that demonstrates you are good at communicating, building consensus, and achieving buy-in from others in difficult work situations. What exactly did you do that shows your ability to motivate others toward a common goal?
4. Communication Skills: Describe a situation where you used your verbal, written, or foreign language communication skills to describe a technical issue to a non-technical audience. How do you know if your skills contributed to an increased understanding of the issue?
5. Managerial Skills: Describe your management of people, money, or programs. What planning tools and techniques did you use to manage the resources and achieve a successful outcome? Be specific in describing how you used them.
6. Leadership Skills: What are your experiences and strengths as a leader? Describe a time when you demonstrated those strengths to identify and solve a serious problem that required immediate action.
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;
- Experience living or working in a multicultural environment, overseas or in the United States.
Submit your application early, not waiting for the deadline, as application packages must be complete, submitted, and received by the closing date to be considered. There are no exceptions.
1. From this Vacancy Announcement, click on “Apply.” Go to the USAJobs Login screen and log in to your USAJobs account or follow the link and instructions to create an account.
2. Follow the USAJobs Application Process and provide your required USAJobs federal online resume.
3. USAJobs will transfer you to the State Department agency online application site, Monster Government Service (MGS). Follow the instructions to answer the online questions. Your Accomplishments Questionnaire and Statement of Interest responses must be completed in the online application. You may save your work and can return to the application from USAJobs at any time prior to the deadline.
4. Submit required documentation using one of the three methods the application system allows: Transfer documents from a USAJOBS portfolio; upload documents from your computer; or, resubmit documents from a previous application. .PDF documents are strongly recommended; illegible documents will not be accepted.
5. After attaching all required supporting documentation, answering all required application questions, and completing the application steps, review the entire application packet, including the links for submitted documents.
6. Confirm and submit your application package, which will be used to evaluate your qualifications for this position.
The application submission deadline is 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on the closing date of this announcement.
It is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure all required documents are submitted and the application is complete before the closing deadline. Any missing required documents or incomplete applications will result in your application not being considered further. There are no exceptions.
Submit your application early and verify that your documents are attached. You may make changes as often as needed, up until the closing date of the announcement.
If you are having technical difficulty with the application process, please contact the Monster Help Desk by calling 1-866-656-6830 or by emailing mgshelp@monster.com. The Monster Help Desk is available Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Eastern Time.
For more information on the Foreign Service Specialist hiring process, please visit our FAQs at https://careers.state.gov/career-paths/worldwide-foreign-service/specialist/fss-selection-process/.
After the close of the announcement, the application status in USAJobs will say "Reviewing Applications." This status on USAJobs will not be updated further. You can click on "Track this application" for more information. Applicants will be notified by e-mail from the U.S. Department of State about the outcome of the initial application review and if they will be further considered for this Foreign Service position. We recommend adding the Department of State domain (@state.gov) as an approved sender.
Due to the high volume of applications, we ask all applicants to remain patient and await communication. It is not uncommon for several months to pass before you are informed of the results of your applications.
For more information on the selection process, please visit https://careers.state.gov/career-paths/worldwide-foreign-service/specialist/fss-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/725765600. Only resumes submitted according to the instructions on the job announcement listed at www.usajobs.gov will be considered.
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