Foreign Affairs Specialist

Summary

This position is located in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), with one vacancy in Silver Spring, MD.

This position is also announced under vacancy number NMFS-26-13022952-DE, which is open to all US Citizens or Nationals. You must apply to both announcements if you want to be considered for both.

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Duties

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As a Foreign Affairs Specialist, you will perform the following duties:

• Plan, coordinate, and provide input on related work to departmental formulation and direction of the foreign affairs of the United States, bearing on international fisheries relations, including bycatch and conservation of protected living marine resources. Implement seafood trade monitoring programs: Antarctic Marine Living Resources Program, the Highly Migratory Species International Trade Program, the Seafood Import Monitoring Program, the Tuna Tracking and Verification Program, and Certification of Admissibility requirements.
• Negotiate and implement sustainable international management measures for living marine resources through regional fisheries management organizations, regional partnerships and protected species conservation organizations. Respond to stakeholder requests for assistance with program requirements and compliance.
• Exercise responsibility as an independent specialist to analyze information to comply with international fisheries management, protected species conservation and trade measures, including formulating and executing capacity building efforts as directed.
• Perform analysis of information on sustainable fisheries management, illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing, bycatch of protected living marine resources and trade. Implement trade monitoring programs to combat IUU fishing. Facilitate trade and achieve other policy objectives.

NOTE: These duties are described at the full performance level of the ZA-4; the ZA-3 is developmental leading to such performance.

This position will be filled under the DOC Alternative Personnel System (CAPS). Under CAPS, positions are classified by career, pay plan, and pay band. The ZA-3 is equivalent to the GS-11/12. The ZA-4 is equivalent to the GS-13/14.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

Key Requirements:

• Applicants must be U.S. Citizens.
• Suitable for Federal employment, as determined by background investigation.
• More requirements are listed under Qualifications and Additional Information.
• Must be registered for Selective Service, if applicable (
• Qualification requirements must be met by the closing date of the announcement.
• If you are a Federal employee applying for a promotion (under merit promotion procedures) you must meet time-in-grade requirements by the closing date of the announcement.

Additional Considerations:

• One year probationary period may be required.
• Payment of relocation expenses (PCS) is not authorized.
• Payment of relocation incentives OR recruitment incentives may be authorized. Note: Relocation incentives are for current federal employees only.
• This position requires Low Risk Security Clearance at the ZA-3 level and a Moderate Risk Security Clearance at the ZP-4 level.
• Background investigation will be required. Continued employment is subject to applicant's successful completion of security investigation and favorable adjudication. Failure to successfully meet these requirements will be grounds for termination.

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, for those required to serve a 1-year probationary period, we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider:

• Your performance and conduct;
• Needs and interests of the agency;
• Whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and
• Whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of then Federal service.

Upon completion of your probationary period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

Throughout the recruitment and hiring process we will be communicating with you via email; therefore, it is imperative that the email address you provide when applying for this vacancy remains active. Should your email address change, please notify the point of contact identified in the vacancy announcement as soon as possible so that we can update our system.

Qualifications

Qualification requirements in the vacancy announcements are based on the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Qualification Standards Handbook, which contains federal qualification standards. This handbook is available on the Office of Personnel Management's website located at:

BASIC REQUIREMENTS : This position requires applicants to meet a Basic Education Requirement in addition to at least one full year (52 weeks) of specialized experience OR substitution of education for experience OR combination (if applicable) in order to be found minimally qualified. Transcripts must be submitted with your application package. You MUST meet one of the following basic education requirements:

To qualify for the 0130 series:

EDUCATION:

A. Degree: 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.

OR

B. Combination of education and experience: Courses equivalent to a major, or a combination of related courses totaling at least 24 semester hours, as shown in A above, plus appropriate experience or additional education.

OR

C. Experience: 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.

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.

-AND-

SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: Applicants must possess one year of specialized experience equivalent in difficulty and responsibility to the next lower grade level in the Federal Service. Specialized experience is experience that has equipped the applicant with the particular competencies/knowledge, skills and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position. This experience need not have been in the federal government.

Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations e.g., professional; philanthropic, religious; spiritual; community, student, social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies; knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

To qualify at the ZA-3 or GS-11 level:

SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: In addition to meeting the Basic Requirements above, applicants must also possess one full year (52 weeks) of specialized experience equivalent to the ZA-2 or GS-09 in the Federal service. Specialized experience MUST include all of the following:

• Assisting with developing research strategies for multilateral or bilateral fisheries management or for protected species conservation and trade policies;
• Assisting with the collection or analysis of information on illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing and related practices (e.g. bycatch of protected living marine resources, seafood traceability requirements and international trade practices and policies); and
• Participating in the development of materials (e.g. position papers, proposals, agreements, etc.) that interpret technical and scientific information into plain language.

OR

SUBSTITUTION OF EDUCATION: 3 years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. degree or Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree.

OR

COMBINATION OF EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE: A combination of education and experience as described above. Note: Only graduate education in excess of two years is qualifying for combination.

To qualify at the ZA-4 or GS-13 level:

SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: In addition to meeting the Basic Requirements above, applicants must also possess one full year (52 weeks) of specialized experience equivalent to the ZA-3 or GS-12 in the Federal service. Specialized experience MUST include all of the following:

• Developing research strategies for multilateral or bilateral fisheries management or for protected species conservation and trade policies;
• Evaluating information on illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing and related practices (e.g. bycatch of protected living marine resources, seafood traceability requirements and international trade practices and policies); and
• Participate in the development of materials such as position papers, proposals, agreements, treaties, or other related materials that support fisheries management.

Education

College Transcript: If you are qualifying based on education, submit a copy of your college transcript that lists college courses detailing each course by the number and department (i.e., Bio 101, Math 210, etc.), name of accredited institution, course title, number of credit hours and grade earned. You must submit evidence that any education completed in a foreign institution is equivalent to U.S. education standards with your resume. You may submit an unofficial copy of the transcript at the initial phase of the application process. If course content cannot be easily identified from the title of the course as listed on your transcript, you must submit an official course description from the college/university that reflects the content at the time the course was taken.

Note: Your college transcript is used to verify successful completion of degree, or college course work. An official college transcript will be required before you can report to duty.

Education completed in colleges or universities outside the United States may be used to meet the above requirements. You must provide acceptable documentation that the foreign education is comparable to that received in an accredited educational institution in the United States. For more information on how foreign education is evaluated, visit: OPM Foreign Education Evaluation.

Additional information

During the application process you will have an option to opt-in to make your resume available to hiring managers in the agency who have similar positions. Opting in does not impact your application for this announcement, nor does it guarantee further consideration for additional positions.

ICTAP and CTAP Candidates: Eligible for selection priority if it is determined that they have exceeded the minimum qualifications by attaining at least a rating of 85 out of 100. Information about ICTAP eligibility is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website at: Employee Guide to Career Transition.

ICTAP applicants MUST submit the following documents:

1. Copy of your RIF separation notice; notice of proposed removal for failure to relocate; notice of disability annuity termination; certification from your former agency that it cannot place you after your recovery from a compensable injury; or certification from the National Guard Bureau or Military Department that you are eligible for disability retirement;
2. Copy of your SF-50 "Notification of Personnel Action" documenting your RIF separation, noting your positions, grade level, and duty location, and/or Agency certification of inability to place you through RPL, etc;
3. Copy of your latest performance appraisal including your rating; and
4. Any documentation from your agency that shows your current promotion potential.

CTAP applicants MUST submit the following documents:

1. Copy of your specific RIF notice; notice of proposed removal for failure to relocate; a Certificate of Expected Separation (CES); or certification that you are in a surplus organization or occupation (this could be a position abolishment letter, a notice eligibility for discontinued service retirement, or similar notice).
2. Copy of your SF-50 "Notification of Personnel Action", noting current position, grade level, and duty location;
3. Copy of your latest performance appraisal including your rating; and
4. Any documentation from your agency that shows your current promotion potential.

Non-Competitive Reinstatement to a Higher Grade/Band than Previously Held MUST submit the following documents:

1. SF-50, "Notification of Personnel Action": You must provide the most current Notification of Personnel Action (SF-50) that verifies career/career-conditional status, title, series, and highest grade level held on a permanent basis for your previous position, AND the SF-50 that verifies your separation date; AND
2. Performance Appraisal: Most recent performance appraisal showing the official rating of record, signed by a supervisor, or statement why the performance appraisal is unavailable.

NOAA participates in e-Verify, an Internet-based system operated by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in partnership with the Social Security Administration (SSA) that enables participating employers to electronically verify the employment eligibility of their newly hired employees.

The Federal Government is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Candidates will not be hired based on their race, sex, color, religion, or national origin.

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

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A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.

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Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.