FOREIGN AFFAIRS OFFICER

Full Job Description

This position is located in the Bureau of Economic, Energy, and Business Affairs, Office of Investment Affairs (EEB/IFD/OIA).

The Office reports to the Deputy Assistant Secretary for International Finance and Development and is responsible for promoting sound investment policies and responsible business conduct in support of U.S.

jobs, economic growth, and prosperity. The incumbent serves as a Foreign Affairs Officer, reporting directly to the Deputy Director.

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.

IN ADDITION to the basic requirements, this position requires one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-14 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 examining policies pertaining to the United States Government and how it relates to international organizations, particularly with respect to National Contact Points for the OECD Guidelines on Responsible Business Conduct.

Experience in handling international affairs such as analyzing trends, formulating policy on problems such as labor rights, human rights, and investor protections.

Experience leading high profile, complex cases and upholding best practices on Responsible Business Conduct consistent with OECD standards.

In addition, applicant's experience must also demonstrate that the candidate possesses the following qualities: Objectivity and fairness in judging people on their ability, and situations on the facts and circumstances; Ability to adjust to change, work pressures, or difficult situations without undue stress; Willingness to consider new ideas or divergent points of view; and Capacity to "see the job through." To be considered well-qualified, in addition to meeting minimum qualifications, candidates must demonstrate proficiency in some, but not all of the major aspects of the position.

Major Duties:

• Senior policy and foreign affairs role, as the U.S. National Contact Point (NCP) for the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises.
• Analyzes complex and high-priority policies in U.S. foreign affairs supporting U.S. values.
• Leads complex, contentious, high-profile, detail-heavy projects and assessments, then creates policy recommendations and action plans.
• Analyzes industry trends to identify the most important challenges to responsible business conduct.
• Collaborates with other agencies, negotiating with 40 or more foreign governments, making policy proposals, and identifying program funding for initiatives and projects in furtherance of the goals of the United States.