Foreign Affairs Specialist - Military Veterans

Summary The position is located in the Office of Policy, International Affairs, and Environment (APL), Office of International Affairs, Western Hemisphere and serves as the FAA desk officer and a focal point on U.S. civil aviation policies, practices and procedures in his/her geographic area of responsibility within the Western Hemisphere Office. Responsibilities Plans, develops, evaluates and recommends/FAA policies for meeting international civil aviation objectives and operational responsibilities. Consults with FAA operational services, FAA representatives and International Area Offices; other U.S. Government agencies, such as the Departments of State and Defense; U. S. industry associations and representatives of U.S. Embassies and foreign governments, including civil aviation officials in those countries; and representatives of international and regional groups such as the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), the Latin American Civil Aviation Commission (LACAC), etc. Applies experience and advanced technical knowledge applicable to his/her discipline to accomplish assignments and to develop plans and techniques to improve programs and policies. Develops and presents analysis supporting proposed agency policies, positions and specific programs directed toward attainment of FAA international aviation objectives. Coordinates or leads FAA participation in, and assists in developing U.S. policy and positions for our attendance at regional international civil aviation organizations' activities, to ensure adequate FAA representation and further our civil aviation objectives. Assists in developing recommendations on extent to which the FAA should and will accept responsibility for execution of foreign programs or projects. Coordinates with responsible officials of sponsoring and controlling agencies to determine and articulate responsibilities to be assumed by the FAA in connection with foreign aviation technical assistance of the United States Government. Plans and/or coordinates program and documents decisions and arranges for the resources (personnel, equipment, funding) required to execute agreed FAA responsibilities in the foreign technical assistance field. Contacts are internal and external. May act as a key technical point of contact for assigned activities. Contributes to the preparation of management/technical reports or contractual documents, and may communicate the overall results of a project or work activity to FAA management, the aviation and aerospace industries, and other external parties. Works closely with other U.S. Government departments and agencies, with other FAA offices and with U. S. aviation industry on developing cooperation efforts and agreements, including the fields of aviation safety, air traffic control and air navigation. Answers correspondence and inquires received from Congress, the public and foreign governments and their representatives on a wide variety of FAA international program activities. Develops and assists with presenting briefings, background and issue papers on technical, policy and political aspects of international aviation issues, in preparation for and in support of anticipated meetings, travel, or decision-making by senior FAA officials. Prepares special studies, speeches and arranges the necessary logistical support for such events. Established policies/procedures provide guidance for most assignments, but allow considerable discretion for employee to select the most appropriate approach(es) or recommend new approaches. Assignments often require reviews of policies and precedents under the limited guidance of a manager or other employee. As assigned, the incumbent serves as back-up to counterpart employees in the staff for the performance of the above duties for countries other than those for which he/she has primary responsibility. Resolves all but unique technical problems without the intervention of management or a more experienced technical specialist. Identifies and informs management of problems that require their attention. Often develops and recommends techniques to address problem situations. Work is reviewed periodically, typically at major milestones and at completion, for technical compliance and alignment with the requirements of the project or other work activity. Requirements Conditions of Employment We are not accepting applications from noncitizens. Qualifications To qualify for this position you must demonstrate in your application that you possess at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the FV-H, FG/GS-12 level. This experience is typically related to the line of work of the position to be filled and which has equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position. To be creditable, specialized experience must have been at least equivalent to the next lower level in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE IS DEFINED AS: Experience in planning, developing, evaluating or recommending policies for civil aviation related programs. OR; Experience in coordinating with representatives from federal government agencies, civil aviation representatives, foreign government and embassy officials, or international aviation groups to develop cooperation efforts and agreements on aviation safety, air traffic control, emerging technologies, and environment. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- In addition, this experience must have included either (a) responsibility for the direction and coordination of research, analysis, or other professional work in one or more of the fields listed in (1) below under the Education Section; or (b) specialized professional work of a high level of difficulty and responsibility in one or more of these fields. This high-level experience must have been in such specialized activities as: (1) formulation of instructions and policy guidance for United States representatives in international organizations; (2) transport and communication involving knowledge of economic, political, and technical aspects of international aviation, shipping, inland transport, or radio, telephone, and telegraph, etc.; (3) cultural affairs involving formulation and operation of policy on large-scale international cultural exchange programs; (4) occupied area affairs involving problems of occupation of conquered or liberated countries, regions, or zones; or (5) other specialized international affairs such as analyzing public opinion and attitudes, evaluating specific conditions, trends, or forces of a foreign country, formulating policy on problems of petroleum resources or fisheries, etc. You should include relevant examples of the specialized experience in your work history. Errors or omissions may impact your rating or may result in you not being considered. Answer all questions to the best of your ability. DO NOT ASSUME THAT BECAUSE YOU HOLD, OR HAVE HELD THIS POSITION, YOU WILL AUTOMATICALLY BE FOUND ELIGIBLE. You may be asked to provide evidence or documentation that you have this type of experience later in the selection process. Your responses are subject to verification through job interviews, or any other information obtained during the application process. Any exaggeration of your experience or any attempt to conceal information can result in disqualification. Applicants who fail to demonstrate possession of any of the above criteria AND who do not provide the required documentation will receive no further consideration for this position. Applicants may be asked to verify information on your application for employment with the FAA. All qualification requirements must be met by the closing date of this vacancy announcement. Eligible applicants meeting the minimum qualification requirements and/or selective placement factor(s) (SPF) may be further evaluated on the Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSA) and/or Quality Ranking Factor (QRF) listed in the announcement. Based on this evaluation, applicants will be placed in one of the following categories: (1) score order; (2) category grouping; (3) alphabetical; or (4) priority grouping, and referred to the selecting official for selection consideration. AFSCME Interview Criteria: Article 42, Section 13 states: If the selecting official decides to interview any employee on the selection list for a vacancy, then all who remain under consideration for the position at that point in the process must be interviewed. If the selection list is shortened to a best qualified list through a comparative process, then the best qualified list shall be considered to be the selection list. If it is determined that interviews are required and telephone interviews are not utilized, travel expenses incidental to these interviews will be paid in accordance with the Agency's travel regulations and this Agreement. Education This position has a positive education requirement: Applicants must submit a copy of their college or university transcripts(s) and certificates by the closing date of announcement to verify qualifications. If selected, an official transcript will be required prior to appointment. You may upload these documents with your application in USAJOBS or fax it to fax number provided in the announcement (please include announcement number on each page). Failure to do so will result in loss of consideration. Schools must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Accreditation may be verified at the following website: www.ed.gov/accreditation. Foreign education must be evaluated by a private professional organization specializing in interpretation of foreign education credentials or an accredited U.S. educational institution in terms of equivalence to a degree acquired at an American college or university. A copy of the evaluation results must be included, otherwise your foreign education will not be considered. Basic Requirements 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, 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. If you are a current or former Federal employee, and you currently hold or previously held a position classified in the 0130 occupational series, you are not required to submit a college transcript provided you upload a copy of the SF-50, Notification of Personnel Action, verifying your classification in the 0130 occupational series. Applicants, who are not currently in the 0130 occupational series in the Federal Government and fail to provide a copy of an unofficial or official transcript will not receive further consideration for this vacancy. Upon selection, if not currently employed in the 0130 occupational series, you will be required to submit an official transcript prior to appointment. If you do not have an official transcript (original, with the raised seal), you should contact your school immediately to request it. Foreign Education: For additional information, visit: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html. Additional Information We may use this vacancy to fill other similar vacant positions. Position may be subject to a background investigation. A one-year probationary period may be required. The U.S. Department of Transportation strives to ensure that equity, transparency, accountability, collaboration, and communication permeate all that we do for the betterment of the Department, the traveling public, and our nation. As such, DOT values a highly diverse workforce of persons who promote a culture of belonging by respecting the personal dignity and worth of each individual and fostering a positive environment where all feel safe and welcome. If these commitments coincide with your personal ideals and professional aspirations, please consider joining the DOT family. This position is covered by the Department of Transportation's Drug and Alcohol Testing Program. Any applicant tentatively selected for this position will be subject to pre-employment or pre-appointment drug screening. Persons occupying a "testing designated position (TDP)" will be subject to random drug and/or alcohol testing. NOTES: 1. This position is covered by the FAA Core Compensation plan. Additional information about Core Compensation is available at: https://www.faa.gov/jobs/working_here/benefits. 2. As a part of the Federal-Wide Hiring Reform Initiative (streamlining the hiring process), the FAA is committed to eliminating the use of Knowledge, Skills and Ability (KSA) narratives from the initial application in the hiring process for all announcements. Therefore, as an applicant, you are NOT required to provide a narrative response in the text box listed below each KSA. In lieu of providing a KSA narrative response in the text box listed below each KSA section, in your work history, please include information that provides specific examples of how you meet the response level or answer you chose for each KSA. Your work history examples should be specific and clearly reflect the highest level of ability. Your KSA answers will be evaluated further to validate whether the level that you selected is appropriate based on the work history and experience you provided. Your answers may be adjusted by a human resource specialist as appropriate. 3. This Level 2 (Non-Critical Sensitive; Secret) position requires favorable adjudication of an Access National Agency Check and Inquiries (ANACI) background investigation prior to appointment, unless a waiver is obtained. 4. These vacancies are also being advertised at the FV-J level. The announcement for FV-J consideration would be: AWA-APL-25-2553BR-92941. 5. This is a bargaining unit position. This position is represented by AFSCME Local 1653. Links to Important Information: Locality Pay, COLA