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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 Diplomatic Couriers (DCS) positions. Learn more about a career in the Foreign Service and the Bureau of Diplomatic Security.
There is more to joining the Foreign Service than just salary. Refer to the Benefits section for more information on total compensation.
Learn more about this agency10/08/2024 to 10/21/2024
$57,932 - $92,797 per year
FP 06
No
No
76% or greater - Foreign Service Specialists generally spend the majority of their career assigned to our overseas missions and may at times, live away from family and/or in difficult or isolated conditions. Candidates to some positions will be notified of an in-person Oral Assessment (OA) requirement in Washington D.C. or select alternate sites within the United States. For those candidates, travel and other expenses incurred in connection with the OA are solely the responsibility of the candidate.
Yes—Upon completing orientation and initial training in Washington, D.C., employees are assigned to two sequential tours, typically two-years each, directed by the Department. These entry-level assignments may be overseas or in the United States. After the initial two tours, employees have greater choice as to the location, length, and substantive nature of assignments.
Permanent - Permanent after being tenured in the Foreign Service by the Tenure Boards.
Full-time
Excepted
MC
Yes
Yes
DCS-2025-0001
812854600
Must be a U.S. citizen. Candidates should read the entire announcement to ensure they meet all requirements. Candidates may reapply one year after their most recent date of application submission for the same position. Candidates may not apply if a U.S. State Department Suitability Review Panel denied suitability in the last two years for any position, (except if the denial was for a DS Special Agent (SA) candidate whose denial was based solely on the unique requirements for SAs).
Foreign Service Diplomatic Couriers assist in worldwide security programs that provide secure transportation services for U.S. Department of State classified diplomatic pouches. Diplomatic Couriers safeguard and escort diplomatic pouches containing classified and sensitive material between U.S. diplomatic missions overseas and the U.S. Department of State. The Department carries out this mission at more than 275 embassies and consulates around the world, offices in the metropolitan Washington, D.C. area, and other locations in the United States.
Diplomatic Couriers spend most of their career in a constant state of travel. Couriers are assigned to regional offices and travel from these postings to constituent embassies and consulates in the region.
Diplomatic Courier duties may include the supervision of subordinate staff and the actual performance of some, or all, of the following functions:
Safeguarding Classified Material:
Planning:
Managing:
Other Duties as Assigned
At the time of application, candidates must possess the following requirements.
Essential Physical Requirements:
Some of the essential functions of the Diplomatic Courier have a physically demanding component. A Courier must meet the following physical requirements:
The Diplomatic Courier Standards Form can be found at DS Diplomatic Courier Supplemental Physical Standards Form.
Experience
At the time of application, candidates must possess at least three years of work experience with progressively increasing responsibility. Qualifying experience must demonstrate the ability to analyze problems, gather pertinent information and data, plan and organize work, form solutions, implement action, and communicate effectively, both orally and in writing. Evidence of working and/or living in a multicultural environment is desirable.
Candidates must demonstrate experience and abilities in at least two of the following areas:
Candidates must demonstrate a strong command of the English language to include grammar, syntax, spelling, and punctuation. Foreign Service Specialists consistently must meet a high standard for English, both written (overall structure as well as grammar, spelling, and punctuation) and spoken (overall structure as well as delivery, clarity, and succinctness).
Knowledge, Skills, and Other Characteristics
The Department has conducted extensive job analysis research to determine Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs) and other attributes conducive to successful performance in this position. A candidate’s education level, work experience, and other qualifications will be considered as part of the hiring decision-making process based on these KSA criteria.
At the time of application, candidates must possess an Associate’s degree (or higher) or 60 credit hours from an accredited college or university by the closing date of the announcement and must provide proof of the education requirement.
Substitution of Education for Experience
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.
Foreign Education
Foreign education acquired outside of any state of the U.S., the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, a Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands, or any territory or possession of the U.S. must be evaluated by a member organization of one of the two national associations of credential evaluation services (NACES or AICE) in order to be given credit towards qualification.
For further information on the evaluation of foreign education, please refer to the Office of Personnel Management, Foreign Education section, 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
Please refer to the Required Documents Section on how to submit the required educational documentation for this position.
*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 U.S. 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: https://careers.state.gov/faq-items/are-veterans-given-hiring-preference/.
No candidate 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 candidate 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 U.S. Department of State provides reasonable accommodation to candidates with disabilities. Procedures vary by test type, and all candidates must request reasonable accommodations in advance. For more information visit
Requesting Reasonable Accommodations - Careers (state.gov). 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.
The Department of State prohibits candidates from plagiarizing any portion of their employment application materials to include responses to questions in which candidates must provide a narrative response. Candidates must create their own responses originally and not copy or adapt them from other sources. The Department analyzes candidate submissions for plagiarism and will discontinue any individual’s candidacy if found to have violated this plagiarism policy.
While the Department of State encourages candidates to create their narratives with great care, including correct use of grammar and style, candidates are prohibited from using any artificial intelligence (AI) tool, to include but not limited to ChatGPT, to aid in their written responses. The Department will discontinue any individual’s candidacy if found to have violated this prohibition on use of AI tools in the application process.
It is the candidate's responsibility to ensure documents are uploaded and application complete before the deadline. The candidacy will be terminated if documents do not meet requirements or application is incomplete.
This should discuss:
Candidates must submit the following documentation to demonstrate they possess the educational level required.
Transcripts must comply with the following:
If claiming Veteran’s Preference, submit a copy of the DD-214, "Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty" that must include the candidate’s Character of Service with the application. If claiming a 10-point preference, submit the candidate’s VA letter and SF-15 with the DD-214. A certification from the armed forces is required if a DD-214 has not been received. It must confirm the service member is expected to be discharged under honorable conditions within 120 days after the certification is submitted and include service dates, expected discharge date, character of service, and any applicable disability rating.
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.
The application submission deadline is 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on the closing date of this announcement.
Candidates experiencing technical difficulties with the application must 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 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Eastern Time.
For more information on Foreign Service Specialist hiring process, please visit our FAQs at http://careers.state.gov/faqs.
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.
Candidates 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 U.S. Department of State domain (@state.gov) as an approved sender.
Due to the high volume of applications, we ask all candidates 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, please visit please visit our FAQs at https://careers.state.gov/faqs.
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/812854600. Only resumes submitted according to the instructions on the job announcement listed at www.usajobs.gov will be considered.
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