Foreign Affairs Officer

Summary The position is located in the Environmental Team, Office of Specialized and Technical Agencies, Bureau of International Organization Affairs (IO/STA). Among its responsibilities, IO/STA manages U.S. policy in the specialized and technical international agencies, organizations, and programs within its portfolio and has the lead for developing U.S. positions on all matters concerning the administration, structure, finance, and foreign policy issues arising in those organizations. Responsibilities Provides operational and advisory support to senior staff and policymakers on policy development on issues within the assigned environmental portfolio with organizations such as the World Meteorological Organization (WMO). Provides advice and recommendations to senior STA staff, counterparts in other USG agencies, and UN policymakers through oral and written briefings that advance U.S. foreign policy goals individually or as part of a team. Serves as an action officer for incoming actions from departmental offices, U.S. Embassies and Posts, other USG agencies, international organizations, foreign governments, or the private sector on issues pertaining to environmental policies. Researches and develops information from myriad sources, including cables and diplomatic notes, and drafts, reviews, and coordinates papers for internal, external, and interagency meetings, as well as talking points for use with allies and partners. Represents the IO/STA at meetings and conferences with WMO and other groups; serves on delegations to the other organizations, as well as at other UN bodies during their deliberations on energy and environmental issues. 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 GRADE LEVEL 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 supporting senior officials on policy and reform issues within multilateral organizations and agreements. Experience serving as an action officer for policy matters related to multilateral and/or international organizations by assessing impacts on U.S. interests, coordinating policy actions and Congressional taskings, and supporting the development of recommendations for senior officials. Experience supporting or serving on a U.S. delegation in multilateral forums, supporting interagency coordination with federal partners, and supporting the development of policy positions, briefings, and related materials to advance U.S. priorities. 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-13 GRADE LEVEL 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 advising senior officials on policy and reform issues within multilateral organizations and agreements such as but not limited to the WMO, CITES, Convention on Biological Diversity, Ramsar Convention, or similar bodies. Experience serving as an action officer for policy matters related to multilateral and/or organizations by assessing impacts on U.S. interests, coordinating policy actions and Congressional taskings, and developing recommendations for senior officials. Experience representing the U.S. government in multilateral forums, leading interagency coordination with federal partners, and developing policy positions, briefings, and related materials to advance U.S. priorities. 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. 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 To request a reasonable accommodation for additional time on the timed sections of the assessment, please submit your request using the “Request a Reasonable Accommodation” button within the Assessment Application. For all other reasonable accommodations at the U.S. Department of State, please contact the Office of Accessibility and Accommodations (OAA) at OAA@state.gov. OAA is responsible for reviewing and adjudicating reasonable accommodation (RA) requests for the Assessment Battery being used for this announcement. The following applies to all RA requests: RA requests cover additional time on timed sections only. Applicants submitting a RA request MUST attach supporting medical documentation signed by a licensed, treating medical provider. The documentation should describe the nature, severity, and expected duration of the condition, identify the relevant medical condition or diagnosis, and explain the basis for the requested extension. RA requests that do not contain supporting medical documentation attachments at the time of initial request may be subject to further review. Note: the following documents do not, on their own, qualify for automatic approval of the RA request: Schedule A letters, VA benefits letters, or SSA letters. Applicants MUST submit their application before the vacancy closes, even if pending an accommodation decision. Applicants are encouraged to carefully follow instructions related to medical documentation provided in the vacancy announcement prior to beginning the RA process. Applicants will have 48 hours after their RA request is adjudicated to complete the assessment battery. Scores generated after the allotted timeframe will not be admissible and the applicant will not be considered further for the vacancy. If a different type of RA is needed, please contact OAA directly at OAA@state.gov. If eligible, situational telework agreements may be permitted with supervisory approval. 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 and may require a higher or lower security clearance. Telework eligibility and security clearance requirements may vary for such similar positions. Agency & Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP & ICTAP): View OPM's CTAP & ICTAP eligibility website for more information. You must be rated in the Well-Qualified category and submit supporting documents under the required documents section of this announcement to receive selection priority consideration. To be considered Well-Qualified applicants must: score an 85 or above, meet Minimum Qualifications, and demonstrate proficiency in some, but not all major aspects of the position.