Foreign Affairs Specialist

Summary The National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) is seeking Foreign Affairs Specialists to be stationed within the Office of International Operations at the Department of Energy's (DOE's) Headquarters in Washington, D.C. These positions require placement at designated U.S. diplomatic missions, where the incumbent will serve as a representative of the Secretary of Energy and the Department of Energy, offering a comprehensive DOE perspective. Responsibilities As a Foreign Affairs Specialist, you will: Serve as a Foreign Affairs Specialist and represents the Secretary of Energy and the Department of Energy (DOE) at U.S. diplomatic missions to advance U.S. security and economic interests through a mastery of the U.S. Government's (USG's) and DOE's energy, science, and nonproliferation goals, objectives, agreements, and policies, as well as other DOE initiatives. Conduct analyses of vital foreign affairs policies, programs, and projects that are of national and international interest, scope, and impact to both U.S. and foreign policy makers/officials. These analyses are a basis for decisions regarding a broad range of energy, science, and nonproliferation-related issues. Support DOE energy, science, and nonproliferation programs by: a) maintaining contact with foreign governments, industry, academia, research institutions, and NGOs; b) staying informed on global energy, science, nuclear security, and nonproliferation trends; c) coordinating with DOE headquarters and keeping the Chief of Mission and interagency informed; and d) collaborating with diplomatic mission sections (Economic, Political, Commercial) to align on DOE priorities. Brief senior government policymakers, Congressional delegations, and senior business and/or non-governmental organization decision makers on energy-, science-, and nonproliferation-related issues. Advocate DOE positions within the diplomatic community; negotiate USG and DOE stances on energy, and nuclear security challenges with foreign officials through transformative science and technology solutions; and develop negotiating strategies. Strengthen U.S. national and energy security through cooperation with foreign counterparts and support for DOE programmatic issues. Focuses include U.S. and host country multilateral security; energy policies and associated implications; energy security, fuel diversification, and global energy supplies; exports of U.S. energy and energy technology; nuclear security, energy, and nonproliferation; and commercial investment in and innovation opportunities of energy technologies and resources. Supervise DOE's locally engaged staff (LES) by planning, setting short-term priorities, scheduling work, and assigning tasks based on priorities, assignment requirements, and staff capabilities. THIS POSITION IS ALSO BEING ANNOUNCED UNDER: 26-NA-MB-XA-00755-GOV-C (EN-0130-04; Excepted Service Announcement) "Please note that the desired locations are subject to change based on availability and operational requirements." Requirements Conditions of Employment Subject to Random Drug Testing Must pass a pre-employment drug test. Favorable suitability determination required. Financial Disclosure is required. Must be able to obtain/maintain a Q level Security Clearance. You must be a United States Citizen. This employer participates in the e-Verify program. Males must abide by Selective Service registration requirements. Compliance with Homeland Security Presidential Directive (HSPD-12) governing personal identity which will require that you provide two forms of identification. A 1-year service agreement is required for posts with Danger Pay allowance. A 2-year service agreement is required for all other locations. Many overseas locations require additional access to Sensitive Compartmented Information (SCI), which entails separate and additional clearance requirements. A State Department medical clearance is required for the incumbent and his/her accompanying dependents. You must be eligible for a diplomatic passport and applicable visa(s). You must possess health insurance appropriate to an overseas assignment. Transfers between the United States and overseas locations are considered a qualifying life event. May be required to successfully complete a one (1) year probationary or two (2) year trial period. Employees serving on a probationary or trial period may be terminated at any time during the probationary or trial period for performance, conduct, or business-related reasons in the interest of Federal service. Level 3 Spanish language proficiency, as measured by the Inter-Agency Language Roundtable (ILR), is required for assignments in Latin America. Please limit your resume to no more than two (2) pages. If more than two pages are submitted, only the first two pages will be reviewed to determine your eligibility and qualifications. Your full resume will be made available to the hiring manager if you are referred. Probationary periods are required for new employees appointed to competitive service positions for the first time; or reinstated employees who return to Federal service after a break in service of 30-days or more and who have not completed a probationary period will need to complete the requirement. Trial periods are required for all excepted service employees. Trial periods served in the same position and agency with no break in service will satisfy the requirement. Qualifications SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS A qualified candidate's online application and resume must demonstrate at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower NNSA Demonstration Project pay band or GS grade level in the Federal service, i.e., NQ-03 or GS-14. Specialized experience for this position is defined as: Experience applying foreign affairs practices, policies, and procedures; building relationships with foreign governments and counterparts (e.g., governments, non-governmental organizations [NGOs], or commercial entities) and/or with U.S. entities with foreign interests (e.g., U.S. Federal organizations that work on foreign policy, U.S. corporations working with foreign governments, etc.); implementing and developing foreign policy; and leading in negotiations with foreign counterparts. This experience must have included a focus on energy-, energy technology-, science-, or nuclear security-related issues. Examples of Specialized Experience might include (but certainly not be limited to): 1. Negotiating bilateral or multilateral agreements related to energy security, nuclear security, or scientific and technical cooperation in energy-related fields; communicating U.S. Government expectations with regards to a new or existing 123 Agreement for Peaceful Cooperation. 2. Developing bilateral civil nuclear projects with a focus on fuel cycles; analyzing host government legislation to determine the sustainability of U.S. energy export programs. 3. Developing background and analytical reports on international issues for senior government or industry officials; implementing international energy-, science-, and/or nuclear nonproliferation-related programs. "Experience" refers to paid and unpaid experience. Examples of qualifying unpaid experience may include: volunteer work done through National Service programs (such as Peace Corps and AmeriCorps); as well as work for other community-based philanthropic and social organizations. Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills; and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. CTAP/ICTAP candidates: To be considered "well qualified" you must meet all of the requirements as described in this section. If you are eligible for career transition assistance plans such as ICTAP or CTAP, you must meet the definition of "well qualified" which is defined as having a score of 85 or better. You must meet all qualifications and eligibility requirements by the closing date of this announcement. Education In addition to meeting the specialized experience listed above, applicants must meet the Basic Requirements for the Foreign Affairs (0130) series which include: Degree: major or equivalent, or a combination of courses totaling 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 12 semester hours in one of the above disciplines and 12 semester hours in statistics/quantitative methods. OR Combination of education and experience -- courses equivalent to a major, or a combination of related courses totaling at least 24 semester hours, as shown in A above, plus appropriate experience or additional education. OR Experience -- four 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. EDUCATION: Education must be obtained from an accredited institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Applicants who have completed part or all of their education outside of the U.S. must have their foreign education evaluated by an accredited organization to ensure that the foreign education is comparable to education received in accredited educational institutions in the U.S. A written evaluation of any foreign education must be provided with your application in response to this vacancy announcement or be received by the closing date of this announcement. Failure to provide this evaluation will result in you being found unqualified for the position. For special instructions pertaining to foreign education, see the Department of Education website, and for a list of organizations that can evaluate foreign education, visit The National Association of Credential Evaluation Services. 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. **If you are selected, official transcripts will be required.**FOREIGN EDUCATION: Applicants who have completed part or all of their education outside of the U.S. must have their foreign education evaluated by an accredited organization to ensure that the foreign education is comparable to education received in accredited educational institutions in the U.S. A written evaluation of any foreign education must be provided with your application in response to this vacancy announcement or be received by the closing date of this announcement. Failure to provide this evaluation will result in you being found unqualified for the position. For special instructions pertaining to foreign education, see the Department of Education website, and for a list of organizations that can evaluate foreign education, visit The National Association of Credential Evaluation Services. Please Note: If your foreign education has already been accepted by an accredited U.S. educational institution as part of a degree program with that institution, you do not need to provide an evaluation of foreign education but must submit a copy of the transcripts listing the degree from the U.S. accredited institution that accepted your foreign 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. Additional Information Veterans and persons with disabilities are encouraged to apply. For more information, please visit the links at the bottom of this page or visit the FedsHireVets website. More than one selection may be made from this vacancy announcement. All positions require successful completion of a background investigation. All males born after December 31,1959 must abide by laws regarding Selective Service registration. To learn more about this law, visit the Selective Service web page, Who Must Register. If you are not registered and don't have an approved exemption, you will not be eligible for employment with the Federal government. A Recruitment/Relocation Incentive may be authorized for a highly qualified applicant in accordance with the Agency policy and applicable regulations. In accordance with Executive Order 14170, applicants are encouraged to respond to the four short, free-response, essay questions in the questionnaire. Answers to these questions are not scored or rated. Your answers will be reviewed by the hiring manager and agency leadership if you are referred for selection consideration. This position has been identified as potentially meeting the requirements of Schedule Policy/Career. If it is determined that the position does meet the requirement, the position will be converted from the competitive service to an excepted service position. Any employee occupying the position at that time will also be converted (moved) from the competitive service to the excepted service with limited appeal rights. If you are selected and DOE designates the position as "Schedule Policy/Career" in the excepted service, you will be informed of this decision in writing and provided with additional information. This designation/determination is not appealable. EEO Policy: Click HERE. Reasonable Accommodation Policy: Click HERE. Veterans Information: Click HERE. Telework: Click HERE. Selective Service Registration: Click HERE. Information about the NNSA Demonstration project can be found by clicking HERE.