Supervisory Foreign Affairs Officer

Department of State Headquarters • District of Columbia, DC

8d

About The Position

The Bureau of Political Military Affairs (PM) builds enduring security partnerships worldwide to advance U.S. national security objectives. The Office of Weapons Removal and Abatement (PM/WRA) works to strengthen U.S. national security by preventing illicit proliferation of small arms and light weapons and reducing the global impact of explosive hazards. The officer plans and coordinates work, sets priorities and schedules, allocates resources, improves business practices, and develops assigned personnel’s expertise in policy formulation and implementation. The position supports WRA management, bureau leadership, and senior Department personnel on conventional weapons destruction (CWD) issues through written products and in-person communications. It also works with embassies, regional bureaus, and host governments to secure political support for CWD assistance, and develops policy analysis, program plans, and strategic goals aligned with relevant country, regional, bureau, and WRA strategies.

The position requires U.S. citizenship, eligibility to obtain and maintain a Top Secret security clearance, random drug testing, and a Statement of Employment and Financial Interest before appointment. Federal applicants must meet applicable time-in-grade and time-after-competitive-appointment requirements. The required qualifications include a qualifying educational or experience background in foreign affairs-related disciplines and one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least GS-13 in the Federal service. Applicants must also demonstrate supervisory ability, fairness, adaptability, openness to differing viewpoints, and follow-through.

Requirements

• U.S. citizenship.
• Must be able to obtain and maintain a Top Secret security clearance.
• Subject to random drug testing.
• Statement of Employment and Financial Interest required before appointment.
• Meet applicable federal time-in-grade and time-after-competitive-appointment requirements; federal applicants must have served 52 weeks at the next lower grade to satisfy time-in-grade restrictions.
• Meet one of the basic education or experience pathways: a qualifying bachelor’s or graduate degree; specified coursework in relevant disciplines; an equivalent combination of education and experience; or at least four years of appropriate foreign-affairs-related experience.
• At least one year of specialized experience equivalent to GS-13 in the Federal service managing or overseeing foreign assistance programs, grants, or cooperative agreements.
• At least one year of specialized experience preparing written products on foreign policy or international security issues for senior officials.
• At least one year of specialized experience coordinating foreign policy or foreign assistance activities.
• Ability to assign, review, and supervise the work of others.
• Objectivity and fairness in evaluating people based on ability and situations based on 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.
• Capacity to see work through to completion.
• Applicants qualifying through education must submit college transcripts; foreign education must be shown to be comparable to U.S. accredited education.

Responsibilities

• Plan and coordinate work based on staff capability and work requirements; establish priorities, develop completion schedules, and approve resource allocation.
• Identify and implement ways to reduce bottlenecks, build teams, improve business practices, and strengthen assigned personnel’s expertise in policy formulation and implementation.
• Advise WRA management, bureau leadership, and senior Department personnel on CWD issues through memoranda, background papers, briefings, other written products, and in-person communications.
• Work with embassies, regional bureaus, and host governments to build buy-in and political support for CWD assistance activities in host countries.
• Develop CWD policy analysis, program plans, desired end states, goals, and objectives aligned with integrated country strategies, joint regional strategies, functional bureau strategies, and WRA’s strategic plan.

Benefits

• Federal employees and their families have access to a comprehensive benefits package; specific benefits depend on position type and should be confirmed with the hiring agency.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior