FOREIGN AFFAIRS SPECIALIST

Overview
Accepting applications

Open & closing dates
Opening and closing dates06/02/2021 to 06/15/2021
Service

Competitive

Pay scale & grade

GS 14

Salary
$122,530 to $159,286 per year
Appointment type

Permanent

Work schedule

Full-time
Duties SummaryClick on "Learn more about this agency" button below to view Eligibilities being considered and other IMPORTANT information.
The primary purpose of this position is to perform duties as export license review team lead and senior
action officer in the Combat Power Projection Branch, Foreign Disclosure, Weapons, and Technology Transfer Division. Incumbent manages the export license review process for the Division and provides on the job training, guidance, oversight and mentoring.ResponsibilitiesManages and oversees the work of eleven foreign discourse officers (including incumbent) in the Disclosure
Section of SAF/IAPT in the disposition of DoD assigned export licenses.Develops national, DoD, and USAF disclosure policies, advisories, Air Force instructions, Delegation of Disclosure Authority Letters (DDLs), export license positions, exemptions to the International Traffic in Arms Regulations, release guidelines.Authorizes disclosure of documents, briefings, and other forms of classified and controlled unclassified
information to foreign governments and international organizations.Develops and maintains broad expertise in the following areas as they pertain to Air Force disclosure initiatives: current and potential international programs, politico-military affairs, Air Force operations, and technologies.Develops and guides development of disclosure oversight, education, and training guidelines and materials.
Provides briefings, and guides development of written training or educational material for division, Air Force and other agency disclosure.Travel Required25% or less - You may be expected to travel for this position.
Supervisory status

No

Promotion Potential

14
Requirements Conditions of EmploymentU.S. Citizenship RequiredMales must be registered for Selective Service, see www.sss.govEmployee must possess and maintain a TOP SECRET clearance as a condition of employment.This is a Centrally Managed Position in the International Affairs Career Field. PCS will be paid in accordance with JTR Vol. 2 and applicable Air Force Regulations.Recruitment incentives may/may not be authorizedThis posn is subject to provisions of the DoD Priority Placement ProgramIncumbent must be comfortable in dealing with high-ranking foreign representatives and be able to use tact and diplomacy on all occasions.Mobility is a condition of appointment; employee must sign an AF-wide Mobility Agreement.A Masters Degree in International Affairs or Strategic Studies is highly desirable.Employee must meet the mandatory standards of experience and training, and the desired standards of education for an International Affairs level II certification within four years of accepting the position.Disclosure of Political AppointmentsCompletion of an Intermediate Service School, (i.e., ACSC, ELDP, AFIT, etc.) within six years of accepting the position is highly desirable.Employee should be able to sustain periods of high stress without danger to the individual. Work is primarily sedentary in nature and no special physical ability is required to do the work.Majority of the work is performed in an office setting; however, the position does require extensive travel (as much as 25% of the time), both within CONUS and overseas, often on short notice and for extended (1-2 week) periods of time.Regular travel in the United States and abroad is mandatory.The incumbent is subject to random testing for drug testing. This position is designated as a Testing Designated Position (TDP) under the Air Force Civilian Drug Testing Program.Illegal drug use by employees in sensitive positions present a clear threat to the mission of the Air Force, national security, and public safety.It is required that you (a) refrain from the use of illegal drugs and (b) if requested, submit to urinalysis testing. Qualifications
In order to qualify, you must meet the specialized experience requirements described in the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Qualification Standards for General Schedule Positions, Foreign Affairs Specialist, GS-0130-14.BASIC REQUIREMENTS FOR 0130 SERIES: degree with a 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. NOTE: You must submit copies of your transcripts.ORCombination of Education and Experience: courses equivalent to a major, or a combination of related courses totaling at least 24 semester hours, as shown above. NOTE: You must submit copies of your transcripts.ORExperience: 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. Evaluation of Experience: Qualifying experience may have been 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.AND
In addition to meeting the basic requirement above, to qualify for this position you must also meet the qualification requirements listed below.SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: Applicants must have at least one (1) year of specialized experience at the next lower grade GS-13, or equivalent in other pay systems. Examples of specialized experience includes mastery of the National Disclosure Policy, the Arms Export Control Act, International Traffic in Arms Regulations, the Conventional Arms Transfer Policy as well as DoD and Air Force policies, directives and instructions governing release of classified military information (CMI), controlled unclassified information (CUI) as it relates to associated weapons systems, capabilities and advanced technologies to foreign governments and international organizations. Expert knowledge of USAF security assistance and foreign military training programs, US defense alliances, personnel exchange programs, intelligence sharing programs, US government and commercial international cooperative research, development, and acquisition (ICR&DA) programs, US country and regional defense policies, combined exercise programs, and current US peacekeeping and trade sanctions enforcement activities.(NOTE: This experience MUST be well documented on your resume or application package.)FEDERAL TIME-IN-GRADE (TIG) REQUIREMENT FOR GENERAL SCHEDULE (GS) POSITIONS: Merit promotion applicants must meet applicable time-in-­grade requirements to be considered eligible. One year at the GS-13 level is required to meet the time-in-grade requirements for the GS-14 level. TIG applies if you are in a current GS position or held a GS position within the previous 52 weeks. NOTE: Applicants applying as VEOA candidates who are current GS civil service employees or are prior GS civil service employees within the past 52 weeks must also meet time-in-grade requirements.KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES (KSAs): Your qualifications will be evaluated on the basis of your level of knowledge, skills, abilities and/or competencies in the following areas:
1. Expert knowledge of the National Disclosure Policy (NDP-1), the Arms Export Control Act, and other
DoD and Air Force policies and directives which govern the release of military information to foreign
governments and international organizations.
2. Practiced knowledge of politico-military affairs, Air Force operations, and technologies used in military weapons systems, in particular the F-35, F-22, F-16, F-15, their associated munitions and associated electronic warfare equipment.
3. Aptitude to research, analyze, and weigh the relative importance of the subjects in #2 above and reach sound judgments based on an evaluation of both objective and subjective factors.
4. Ability to integrate the findings in #3 above and develop policy recommendations and guidelines.
5. Exceptionally strong speaking and writing skills.
6. Ability to lead, manage, guide and integrate the work of a team of employees.PART-TIME OR UNPAID EXPERIENCE: Credit will be given for appropriate unpaid and or part-time work. You must clearly identify the duties and responsibilities in each position held and the total number of hours per week.VOLUNTEER WORK EXPERIENCE: Refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service Programs (i.e., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community; student and social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge and skills that can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.
EducationIF USING EDUCATION TO QUALIFY: If position has a positive degree requirement or education forms the basis for qualifications, you MUST submit transcriptswith the application. Official transcripts are not required at the time of application; however, if position has a positive degree requirement, qualifying based on education alone or in combination with experience, transcripts must be verified prior to appointment. An accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education must accredit education. Click here to check accreditation.FOREIGN EDUCATION: Education completed in foreign colleges or universities may be used to meet the requirements. You must show proof the education credentials have been deemed to be at least equivalent to that gained in conventional U.S. education program. It is your responsibility to provide such evidence when applying.
Additional informationInteragency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP): For information on how to apply as an ICTAP eligible click here. To be well-qualified and exercise selection priority for this vacancy, displaced Federal employees must be rated well qualified or above for this position. You must submit a copy of the agency notice, your most recent performance rating, and your most recent SF-50 noting position, grade level, and duty location.Employed Annuitants (Reemployed Annuitants): Applicants in receipt of an annuity based on civilian employment in the Federal Service are subject to the DoD Policy on The Employment of Annuitants. Click here for more information.120-Day Register: This announcement may result in a 120-day register that may be used to fill like vacancies for 120 days after the closing date. Applicants may be referred for consideration as vacancies occur.Military Spouse Preference (MSP) Eligible: MSP applicants, if determined best qualified, must be selected at the full performance level and placed at the full performance level. You must include a completed copy of the Military Spouse PPP Self-Certification Checklist dated within 30 days along with the documents identified on the checklist to verify your eligibility for MSP. Click here to obtain a copy of the Military Spouse PPP Self-Certification Checklist.Direct Deposit: All federal employees are required to have direct deposit.
If you are unable to apply online, view the following link for information regarding Alternate Application. The Vacancy ID is 11135554.If you have questions regarding this announcement and have hearing or speech difficulties click here.Tax Law Impact for PCS: On 22-Dec-2017, Public Law 115-97 - the "Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017" suspended qualified moving expense deductions along with the exclusion for employer reimbursements and payments of moving expenses effective 01-Jan-2018 for tax years 2018 through 2025. The law made taxable certain reimbursements and other payments, including driving mileage, airfare and lodging expenses, en-route travel to the new duty station, and temporary storage of those items. The Federal Travel Regulation Bulletin (FTR) 18-05 issued by General Services Administration (GSA) has authorized agencies to use the Withholding Tax Allowance (WTA) and Relocation Income Tax Allowance (RITA) to pay for "substantially all" of the increased tax liability resulting from the "2018 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act" for certain eligible individuals. For additional information on WTA/RITA allowances and eligibilities please click here. Subsequently, FTR Bulletin 20-04 issued by GSA, provides further information regarding NDAA FY2020, Public Law 116-92, and the expansion of eligibility beyond "transferred" for WTA/RITA allowances. For additional information, please click here. How You Will Be EvaluatedYou will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
Your application package (resume, supporting documents, and responses to the questionnaire) will be used to determine your eligibility, qualifications, and quality ranking for this position. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your rating or consideration for employment.BASIS OF RATING:
Your application will be rated under the Cut Point procedures based on the extent to which the quality, depth, and complexity of your experience and education relate to the qualification requirements. Additional points are not added for Veteran's Preference; however, Veteran's Preference is considered where applicable.Best Qualified Group: Candidates in this category possess exceptional skills and experience to exceed well above the minimum requirementsFully Qualified Group: Candidates in this category possess good skills and experience above the minimum requirements.Basically Qualified Group: Candidates in this category meet the minimum education and/or experience requirements.
The resume/documents you submit must support your responses to the online questionnaire. If your application contradicts or does not support your questionnaire responses, you will receive a rating of "not qualified" or "insufficient information" and you will not receive further consideration for this job.
For additional information on what to include in your resume, click here.
Applicants who meet the requirements for and apply as a non-competitive eligible that meet minimal qualifications and other requirements of this position, will be given consideration as a non-competitive candidate and will be referred unless blocked by an individual with priority/preference.APPRAISALS/AWARDS: Hiring Managers use objective methods and consider previous performance appraisals and awards in the selection process. Current Federal Civilian employees should list any relevant performance related rating and/or awards in your resume.
Applicants who disqualify themselves will not be evaluated further.
Background checks and security clearanceSecurity clearance
Top Secret
Drug test required
Yes
This job is open to
Career transition (CTAP, ICTAP, RPL)

Federal employees who meet the definition of a "surplus" or "displaced" employee.

Federal employees - Competitive service

Current or former competitive service federal employees.

Federal employees - Excepted service

Current excepted service federal employees.

Individuals with disabilities

Land & base management

Certain current or former term or temporary federal employees of a land or base management agency.

Military spouses

Peace Corps & AmeriCorps Vista

Veterans
Clarification from the agency
Eligible NAF employees are considered under Hiring Path - "Federal employees-Excepted service"