Foreign Affairs Officer (Direct Hiring Authority)_

Summary This position is located in the Office of the Under Secretary, Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons (J/TIP). The Office has responsibility for coordinating and directing the Department of State’s resources in developing and implementing policy on human trafficking issues, including (1) protection of trafficking victims, (2) prosecution of and enforcement against traffickers, and (3) prevention of trafficking. Responsibilities Monitors developing political situations or issues of administrative management as reported or identified in the various notifications received. Interprets the significance of events or developments to U.S. foreign policy aims, assessing them against a broad, but in-depth knowledge of the assigned geographic area that includes its language, history, and culture. Advises on issues and problems; develops and proposes resolutions of policy and procedural issues and coordinates implementation of policy decisions. Participates in interagency working groups and meetings and makes recommendations to these bodies and to Department management on new policies or approaches that will assist in achieving policy objectives. At the GS-12 level, the incumbent performs essentially the same duties as outlined; however, the scope and complexity of assignments are of less responsibility and independence and receive closer supervision than at the GS-13 level. Requirements Conditions of Employment Qualifications Applicants must meet all the 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. 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-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 researching data and trends related to foreign policy, human rights, and governance issues or topics within a specific geographic region; Experience assessing policy related to human rights and governance or topics within a specific geographic region; Experience preparing presentations and/or talking points for meetings and trainings. 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 researching and analyzing data and trends related to specific issues sets within foreign policy, including human rights and governance issues or topics within a specific geographic region; Experience formulating policy, including drafting, clearing, and issuing policy recommendations, related to human rights and governance or topics within a specific geographic area; and Experience delivering presentations and/or talking points in meetings, trainings, and/or negotiations. 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 · For reasonable accommodation at the U.S. Department of State, please contact the Office of Accessibility and Accommodations at (202) 663-3474 or OAA@state.gov. · If eligible, telework agreement may be permitted with supervisory approval. · Multiple positions may be filled from this announcement. If eligible, applicants to this announcement may be referred to similar positions in any Bureau/Office listed on this announcement for approximately 240 days. Telework eligibility and security clearance requirements may vary for such similar positions.