Foreign Affairs Officer

Full Job Description

This position is located in the Office of Policy Planning and Coordination, Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs (WHA/PPC).

Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs - United States Department of State Applicants must meet all the required qualification requirements described below by the closing date of this announcement.

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 developing and recommending foreign policy approaches to advance U.S. interests in the Western Hemisphere.

Experience coordinating across bureaus and offices at the Department of State to ensure an integrated approach to implementing foreign policy priorities.

Experience preparing and clearing briefing materials, talking points and/or remarks to senior officials.

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:

• Discerns and analyzes U.S. foreign policy for WHA regional portfolios and relevant policy issues to meet current and evolving policy challenges and meet U.S. policy objectives.
• Coordinates with Bureau and Department offices, U.S. interagency partners, the Intelligence Community and relevant WHA regional governments to advance U.S. interests in the Western Hemisphere.
• Serves as the focal point for WHA bilateral and multilateral engagement and policy coordination on issues related to democracy, security, rule of law, and foreign malign influences in the Western Hemisphere.
• Exercises innovative action to ensure a thorough analyses and consideration of the latest and most pertinent developments, conditions, and issues for consideration in WHA Bureau actions and policy formulation.
• Provides policy recommendations, articulates and defends proposals and negotiates agreements with senior officials through briefs, talking points, and remarks that advance or have an impact on affairs in the Western Hemisphere.