International Affairs Specialist (Recent Graduate)

Summary This is an excepted service appointment under the Department of Justice Pathways Recent Graduate Program. After successful completion of the program requirements, the individual may, at agency discretion, be converted to a term or permanent appointment. A recent grad converted to a term appointment may be subsequently converted non-competitively into a permanent competitive service position before the term expires. Responsibilities As an International Affairs Specialist, you will: Assist Attorneys with the handling of large volumes of cases, including litigation; Review high volumes of U.S. and foreign requests for extradition, mutual legal assistance, and prisoner transfer to ensure that required documents are translated, authenticated, and submitted in accordance with U.S. law and applicable treaty provisions; Maintain OIA's physical and electronic case records. Refer requests to U.S. government agencies and attorney's offices to obtain the evidence requested from foreign authorities; Analyze documents received from foreign governments in criminal matters, including factual portions of legal assistance and extradition requests, often in the source language. Draft proposed diplomatic correspondence; track treaty deadlines/prioritizes cases; Prepare clear and concise summaries of investigative reports, allegations, and facts in international criminal cases and prisoner transfer cases for attorneys' review; Utilize open access legal databases to assist in gathering evidence (i.e. documents and investigative materials), and the U.S. Electronic Court Filing System (ECF) to conduct routine casework; Assist attorneys and supervisors in drafting briefing papers for senior officials in preparation for bilateral and multilateral meetings with foreign counterparts; and Communicate with representatives of U.S. private sector entities regarding the service of subpoenas and to review evidence to ensure compliance with U.S. legal process. This vacancy includes a Selective Placement Factor. Please see below for more information. Requirements Conditions of Employment Qualifications To be eligible for this recent graduate position, one of the following requirements must be met: Recent graduates who have completed, within the previous two years, a qualifying associates, bachelors, masters, professional, doctorate, vocational, or technical degree or certificate from a qualifying educational institution. (Current students may apply if they are in their final semester, with a graduation date of Spring 2026. Include your expected graduation date on your resume and provide current transcripts. You must receive your degree prior to appointment.) Veterans unable to apply within two years of receiving their degree, due to military service obligation, have as much as six years after degree completion to apply. To qualify at the GS-05 grade level, applicants must have one of the following: A bachelor's degree from an accredited institution; OR Three (3) years of experience, one year of which was equivalent to at least the GS-04, that demonstrates your ability to: communicate effectively in writing; develop informal and formal written materials, to include various correspondence and summaries of information; and review and edit documents; OR A combination of education and experience may also be used to qualify. Please note that only education in excess of 60 semester hours of an undergraduate degree is creditable towards meeting the specialized experience requirement at the GS-05 grade level. To qualify at the GS-07 grade level, applicants must have one of the following: A bachelor's degree AND meet one of the following provisions for Superior Academic Achievement: (1) A standing in the upper third of your college class or major subdivision (e.g., school of business) at the time you apply; (2) A grade point average of "B" (3.0 on a 4.0 scale) or its equivalent for all courses completed; (a) at the time of application; or (b) during the last 2 years of your undergraduate curriculum; (3) A "B+" (3.5 on a 4.0 scale) or its equivalent for all courses completed in a qualifying major field of study, either (a) at the time of application; or (b) during the last two years of your undergraduate curriculum; or (4) Election to membership in one of the national honorary societies (other than freshman societies): OR One (1) full academic year of graduate level education; OR At least one (1) year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-05, that demonstrates the ability to: communicate effectively in writing; translate or draft correspondence and other written materials; and analyze documents to ensure processes and procedures are followed; OR Combination of education and experience may also be used to qualify. Please note, only education in excess of a completed undergraduate degree may be used in this calculation. To qualify at the GS-09 grade level, applicants must have one of the following: Two (2) full years of graduate education or a master's degree, LL.B, J.D., or equivalent degree that demonstrates the competencies needed to do the work of the position may be substituted for the experience required; OR At least one (1) year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-07 that demonstrates the ability to: analyze and draft clear and concise narratives, draw on disparate sources to identify salient facts; obtain, analyze, and interpret factual and statistical data; and apply basic knowledge of international affairs; OR A combination of education and experience as listed below. Please note, only education in excess of one year of graduate education may be used in this calculation. Combination of Education and Experience - Your current education completed is credited as a percentage of the education required for the grade level and your current experience is credited as a percentage of the total experience required for the grade level. The two percentages are added and must equal 100% in order to qualify for the desired grade level. All academic degrees and coursework must be completed at a college or university that has obtained accreditation or pre-accreditation status from an accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. For a list of schools that meet this criteria, see Foreign Education: If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show that the education credentials have been evaluated by a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign education programs and such education has been deemed equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program; or full credit has been given for the courses at a U.S. accredited college or university. For more information about this requirement, please visit the U.S. Department of Education website for Foreign Education Evaluation. All documentation must be in English or include an English translation. Selective Placement Factor: To qualify for this position at the GS-05/07/09 grade level, applicants must be proficient in (English) writing. Applicants' proficiency in (English) writing will be assessed through an online (USA Hire) writing assessment. Applicants who do not display a minimum level of proficiency on the USA Hire Writing Assessment will be ineligible for further consideration. Education There is no degree requirement for this position. As described in the Qualifications, you must be a recent graduate in order to be eligible for this position. Additional Information Upon successful completion of the Pathways Recent Graduate Program, candidates may be converted to a position with a different career ladder. Candidates may be converted to the grade at which they qualify. Conversion to a permanent or term position is not guaranteed and is subject to many factors such as funding, position availability, and performance. Additional selections may be made from this vacancy announcement to fill vacancies that occur subsequent to this announcement. EEO Statement: The United States government does not discriminate in employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, pregnancy, national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, membership in an employee organization, retaliation, parental status, military service or other non-merit factor. Additional information on DOJ's EEO policy can be found on our website. USA Hire Reasonable Accommodation (RA) Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request an RA in your online application. Requests for RA for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for RA must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for RA are made on a case-by-case basis. If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, based on your adjudication decision. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments if you received the link after the close of the announcement. To determine if you need an RA, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments online at