International Relations Officer (Spanish)

Summary

As an International Relations Officer (Spanish) within the Bureau of International Labor Affairs, you maintain a current understanding of international issues which includes studying and monitoring relevant legislation, and communicating with pertinent international organizations, among other exciting duties.

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Duties

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Duties include but are not limited to:

• Maintains current understanding of international issues, initiatives, programs (trade, economic policy, development finance, International Development, livelihood policies, etc.) including the international labor standards relevant to ILAB's mission. This includes studying and monitoring relevant legislation, pertinent international organizations, overseas developments, reports, cables, books, articles, conversations, discussions, etc. pertinent to assigned work.
• Coordinates policy positions and work products across ILAB offices, other DOL agencies, and outside stakeholders to advance ILAB missions regarding research, technical assistance, and policy engagement.
• Provides training and technical guidance on methods, concepts, tools, usage, etc. to internal, external, and international audiences on mission-based activities (e.g., audits, evaluations, research, analysis, assessments, special and studies).
• Represents ILAB in international, interagency, and intra-agency working groups, committees, international meetings, conferences, etc. in the capacity of DOL or ILAB spokesperson to present and clarify DOL/U.S. policy related to the mission.
• Serves as a liaison, in partnership with senior team members, for the agency while coordinating with other U. S. Federal and State government officials and with representatives of international agencies to develop strategies and work plans to implement and affect the delivery of the technical assistance cooperation program and negotiates with key stakeholders to arrive at agreements that meet mission goals.
• Develops and prepares in-depth analyses of assigned issues, initiatives, or programs at national, regional, and global levels to provide inputs for reports and other research, as well as for the development of policies and programs. Applies a wide range of qualitative and/or quantitative methods to assess and improve program effectiveness. Coordinates policy directives with others within ILAB, DOL, and other U.S. government agencies. Develops and makes recommendations for analyses to be performed under contract with private organizations or independent consultants and oversees the work of private consultants hired to conduct research and analysis. Provides extensive research and analyses to contribute to Congressionally mandated and Executive Order reports, engaging with foreign governments or other U.S. government officials, designing technical assistance programs, or related to other strategic interests of ILAB, or as part of the analysis of trends and lessons learned that inform program evaluation, project survey, and project design activities. Organizes and conducts research and analyses that directly relate to assigned workload or are in support of ILABs mission-focused workforce.
• Formulates policy or program recommendations that advance the ILAB mission, programming, and other priorities in target countries and on a global level. Engages with a range of actors and entities (i.e., ILAB and DOL officials; U.S. or foreign government agencies; international organizations, civil society groups, and/or business representatives) to develop and strengthen strategic relationships and information exchanges.
• Monitors developments in countries of importance to the U.S. and on programs associated with the mission. Advises the Director, Deputy Director, Deputy Undersecretary, other DOL professional staff, ambassadors, labor attaches, or others with related responsibility, either orally or in writing, on policy, key developments, and results regarding issues and programs. Prepares executives to present policy positions and program results to external groups.
• Executes technical assistance, engagement, remediation strategies, and plans to advance ILAB's mission within the international community. This would include the identification of problems, research and analysis, determining recommendations, designing strategies and plans, and implementing recommended interventions or solutions, etc. Participates in the negotiation of policies and agreements, including by formulating negotiating objectives, positions, strategies and tactics with U.S. government and international partners. Participates in the negotiation of policies, strategies, agreements, etc. that impact agency policy positions. Uses evaluation findings and recommendations to make appropriate adjustments to plans and ensure achievement of the intended objectives of the agency's mission.
• Develops and coordinates official positions on assigned countries or programs including developing budget requirements, preparing papers, and briefing materials, and collaborating with other agencies, foreign counterparts, and others to ensure policies or programs respond to DOL and U.S. priorities and interests.
• Drafts and provides written feedback on documents, as assigned, and regularly prepares written communication for and on behalf of senior ILAB and DOL staff.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

• Must be a U.S. Citizen.
• Must be at least 16 years old.
• Requires a probationary period if the requirement has not been met.
• Candidate required to obtain the necessary security/investigation level.
• Subject to pre-employment and random drug tests.
• Applicant must be able to speak, read. and write in Spanish.

Qualifications

This position has a language proficiency requirement, applicants MUST be able to speak, read, and write in Spanish in order to be considered.

You must meet the language requirement above, AND the Basic Requirements listed below, AND the Specialized Experience to qualify for International Relations Officer (Spanish), as described below.

In order to qualify, you must meet the education and/or experience requirements described below. 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). You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. Your resume must clearly describe your relevant experience; if qualifying based on education, your transcripts will be required as part of your application. Additional information about transcripts is in this document. This position has a basic requirement that must be met in order to qualify for the Specialized Experience/Education Substitution Statement(s):

• 
  
  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

• Combination of education and experience: courses equivalent to a major, or a combination of related courses totaling at least 24 semester hours, in one or more of the social sciences, or in the humanities, as shown in A above, plus appropriate experience or additional education.

or

• 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.

In addition to the basic requirements of this position, applicants must also possess 52 weeks of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level in the Federal Service or private sector.

For GS-09: Applicant must have 52 weeks of experience equivalent to at least a GS-7 in the Federal Service or private sector.

• Conducting research and writing reports for public consumption on international policy issues; OR
• Preparing talking points, memos, letters, and background materials for senior officials on international policy issues.

OR

• 2 years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a master's degree or master's or equivalent graduate degree (related to the position to be filled.);

OR

• Combination of education and experience.

For GS-11 : Applicant must have 52 weeks of experience equivalent to at least a GS-9 in the Federal Service or private sector.

• Conducting research and writing reports for public consumption on international policy issues; AND
• Preparing talking points, memos, letters, and background materials for senior officials on international policy issues.

OR

• 3 years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. degree or Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree (related to the position to be filled);

OR

• Combination of education and experience.

For GS-12 : Applicant must have 52 weeks of experience equivalent to at least a GS-11 in the Federal Service or private sector.

• Conducting research and writing reports for public consumption on international policy issues; AND
• Preparing talking points, memos, letters, and background materials for senior officials on international policy issues; AND
• Negotiating international policy issues with senior officials.

For GS-13 : Applicant must have 52 weeks of experience equivalent to at least a GS-12 in the Federal Service or private sector.

• Researching or reporting on business and human rights issues, AND
• Investigating forced labor or child labor in supply chains, AND
• Evaluating social compliance systems or tracing of supply chains.

Education

Any applicant falsely claiming an academic degree from an accredited school will be subject to actions ranging from disqualification from federal employment to removal from federal service.

If your education was completed at a foreign college or university, you must show comparability to education received in accredited educational institutions in the United States and comparability to applicable minimum coursework requirements for this position. Click Evaluation of Foreign Education for more information.

Additional information

Applicants must meet all legal and regulatory requirements. Reference the Required Documents section for additional requirements.

The mission of the Department of Labor (DOL) is to protect the welfare of workers and job seekers, improve working conditions, expand high-quality employment opportunities, and assure work-related benefits and rights for all workers.

Refer to these links for more information: GENERAL INFORMATION, REASONABLE ACCOMMODATIONS, ADDITIONAL DOCUMENTATION, FORMER FEDERAL EMPLOYEES

As a condition of employment, all personnel must undergo a background investigation for access to DOL facilities, systems, information and/or classified materials before they can enter on duty: BACKGROUND INVESTIGATION

This position is inside the bargaining unit. If the duty location is within the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area, the position will be included in the Local 12, AFGE bargaining unit. If the duty location is outside the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area, the position will be included in the NCFLL bargaining unit.

For more information, click Career Ladder Promotion Information

For more information, click Telework Position Information. This is not a remote work position. The selectee will report to an assigned DOL office location on a regular basis and is eligible for participation in telework as determined by management in accordance with DOL policy.

Based on agency needs, additional positions may be filled using this vacancy.

The Fair Chance Act (FCA) prohibits Federal agencies from requesting an applicant's criminal history information before the agency makes a conditional offer of employment. If you believe a DOL employee has violated your rights under the FCA, you may file a complaint of the alleged violation following our agency's complaint process Guidelines for Reporting Violations of the Fair Chance Act.

Note: The FCA does not apply to some positions specified under the Act, such as law enforcement or national security positions.

All applicants tentatively selected for this position will be required to submit to screening for illegal drug use prior to the appointment.

All Department of Labor employees are subject to the provisions of the Drug-Free Workplace Program under Executive Order 12564 and Public Law 100-71.

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 a 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 a RA, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments.

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.