Foreign Affairs Officer

Full Job Description

This position is located in the Bureau of Western Hemishpere Affairs, Office of Brazilian and Southern Cone Affairs (WHA/BSC).

WHA is responsible for managing the day-to-day diplomatic relations between the United States and the government of the Western Hemisphere with the goal of making America safer, stronger, and more prosperous while thwarting the efforts of extra-Hemispheric competitors to monopolize the region's strategic minerals and strategic infrastructure.

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.

IN ADDITION to the basic requirements, this position requires one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-13 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 advancing U.S.

foreign policy across the WHA region, the State Department, and the interagency, drafting products for senior leadership decision making.

Experience drafting briefing papers and delivering oral briefings to senior State Department official that reflect mastery in the Western Hemisphere, and the U.S. foreign policy making process.

Experience serving as an action officer and point of contact in the BSC region on China and Russia issues.

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. Major Duties:

• Utilizes mastery to develop, and implement U.S. policies toward Brazil and the Southern Cone (Argentina, Chile, Paraguay, and Uruguay) region to advance U.S. interests, enhance bilateral relations, and strengthen partnerships on complex issues.
• Develops and implements U.S. negotiating objectives, positions, and strategies for negotiation and collaboration on U.S. foreign policy issues within the realm of responsibility.
• Refines methods and develops new approaches or concepts in the performance of advanced analysis; applies new analytical developments, findings to complex policy issues; provides advice, authoritative guidance, and recommendations on foreign policy.
• Assesses the relevancy and implications of global social, political, economic, geographic, and military issues, developments, and events affecting the formulation and execution of U.S. foreign policy.
• Briefs Congress, U.S. businesses, and the public on China and Russia developments in the BSC region, bilateral and multilateral relations, and U.S. policy objectives.