Foreign Affairs Coordinator Job in El Paso, TX

Vacancy No. DEST-12574038-24-LP Department International Boundary and Water Commission: United States and Mexico
Salary $59,966.00 to $77,955.00 Grade 9 to 9
Perm/Temp Permanent FT/PT Full-time
Open Date 10/11/2024 Close Date 10/24/2024
Job Link Apply Online Who may apply Public
Locations:
El Paso, TX


Summary

Serves as principal point of contact for the Foreign Affairs Office (FAO) to support the Foreign Affairs Officer (U.S. Section Secretary). Primary duties consist of providing diplomatic support to the Foreign Affairs Officer for meetings with the Mexican Government, tracking/processing official correspondence to and from the Mexican government, formatting and maintaining Commission records, managing the IBWC Binational Identification Card Program, and providing administrative support to the FAO.

Duties

  • Ensures all correspondence between the U.S. and Mexican Sections of the Commission is accounted for on the FAO tracking system.
  • Reviews draft outgoing correspondence for conformity with proper formatting conventions, cross referencing, and proofreading.
  • Responsible for the full range of administrative support activities for the FAO, such as preparing travel orders and vouchers, preparing scopes of work and purchase requests, and ordering supplies.
  • Translates correspondence and news articles from Spanish to English.
  • Prepares, maintains, and updates excel spreadsheet of payments and balances between the U.S. and Mexican Sections.
  • Participates in planning binational meetings in the United States and Mexico to coordinate logistics and execute events.
  • Conducts research on foreign policy matters by searching archives and reviewing historical correspondence between the two Sections.
  • Tracks FAO budget and maintains FAO budget log and prepares purchases requests.
  • Maintains regular contact with the Mexican Section Office of the Secretary to coordinate diplomatic activities, including meeting schedules, correspondence, follow-up on international agreements and understandings, and international travel requirements.
  • Serves as administrator of the Binational Commission ID card program by receiving, processing, preparing/printing identifications, and tracking all requests.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

  • You must be a U.S. Citizen or Naturalized U.S. Citizen.
  • You must obtain and maintain a favorable background investigation.
  • You may be required to serve a one-year probationary period.
  • You may be required to work overtime.
  • Male applicants born after December 31, 1959, must complete a Pre-Employment Certification Statement for Selective Service Registration.
  • You must maintain direct deposit of your federal pay.
  • You will be subject to occasional travel.
  • Competitive Merit Promotion Applicants Only: You must meet one or more criteria in the Area of Consideration section.

Qualifications

Qualifications must be met by 10/24/2024

Minimum Qualification Requirement - To qualify for this Foreign Affairs Coordinator, GG-0303-09, you must meet the basic minimum qualifications as set by the United States Office of Personnel Management (OPM): 1) A qualified typist with a typing speed of 40 words per minute; and 2) One year of appropriate experience that equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSA's) to perform successfully the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the position to be filled.
For more information on these qualification standards, please visit the United States Office of Personnel Management's website: http://www.opm.gov/qualifications.

Specialized Experience Requirement: GG/GS-09: Specialized experience is described as: utilizing computer software (i.e. word processing, desktop publishing, database management, and spreadsheet) to execute office automation functions; reviewing outgoing draft correspondence for proper formatting conventions, file names, cross referencing and proofreading; possessing excellent verbal and written command of the English and Spanish languages; conducting research by searching archives to review historical documents; translating official documents from Spanish to English; coordinating activities (i.e. meeting schedules, correspondence, follow-up on international agreements, and international travel requirements) among government agencies; applying knowledge of conversational Spanish sufficient to converse with representatives regarding protocols and meetings; and arranging for staff travel and settling vouchers. This experience must be at the GG/GS-08 grade level or equivalent pay band in other pay systems, which provided you with the knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform the duties of this position.

Special Factors. The following factors are agency unique for the Delegated Examining Office (DEO) to use in its evaluation. A Special Placement Factor (SPF) is a specific qualification an applicant MUST possess to successfully perform in a position. A Quality Ranking Factor (QRF) is a specific qualification an applicant MAY possess that would enhance performance in a position.

Selective Placement Factor: This position has a selective placement factor an applicant MUST possess to be qualified for the position. This selective placement factor is determined to be essential to perform the duties and responsibilities of this position. Applicants who do not meet this selective factor are ineligible for further consideration for the position. **Special Placement Factor: Possess knowledge of conversational Spanish sufficient to converse with representatives of the Mexican government regarding protocols & meetings and possess knowledge of written Spanish sufficient to translate routine correspondence and news articles from Spanish to English.

Time in Grade (TIG): Current federal employees must have a minimum of 52 weeks at the next lower grade level to be eligible under Merit Promotion procedures. An SF-50 must be provided that verifies eligibility as stated in the Area of Consideration section.

Your resume must have complete information: Please ensure your resume accurately reflects the duties and responsibilities under each position you have held with each employer. In describing your experience, please be clear and specific. It is your responsibility to make sure your resume states complete information for each job entry (beginning and ending dates of employment stated as MM/YYYY; and total hours worked per week). If your resume does not provide enough information regarding your work history for us to make a creditable qualification determination, your application package may be rendered disqualified and you will no longer be considered for this position.

Part-Time or Unpaid Experience: Credit will be given for appropriate unpaid work on the same basis as for paid experience. Part-time experience will be credited on the basis of time actually spent in appropriate activities. To receive credit for such experience you must indicate clearly the nature of the duties and responsibilities in each position held and the number of hours per week spent in such employment.

Education

Some federal jobs allow you to substitute your education for the required experience in order to qualify. For this job, you must meet the qualification requirement using experience alone - no substitution of education for experience is permitted.

Additional information

  • The hiring agency may use this announcement to fill similar positions that become vacant in the near future.
  • Males born after 12-31-59 must be registered or exempt from Selective Service (see www.sss.gov ).
  • The Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) and Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provide eligible displaced Federal competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. To be qualified you must submit appropriate documentation (a copy of the agency notice, your most recent performance rating, and your most recent SF-50 noting current position, grade level, and duty location) and be rated in well-qualified by scoring 85 or higher on the assessment for this vacancy. Additional information about ICTAP and CTAP eligibility is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website at https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/workforce-restructuring/employee-guide-to-career-transition/.

Benefits

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.

Review our benefits

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.

How You Will Be Evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

Once the announcement has closed, a qualifications review will be conducted. Resumes and supporting documents will be reviewed to verify eligibility and determine qualifications. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your eligibility.

Your rating will be based on the responses to the assessment questionnaire and the information provided in your resume. If a determination is made that you have inflated your qualifications and or experience, your rating may be adjusted to more accurately reflect your abilities. This could cause you to lose consideration for this position.
Your qualifications will be evaluated on your entire application and the extent to which you demonstrate the following competencies and/or knowledge, skills, and abilities:

  • Administration and Management
  • Office Automation
  • Organizational Functions
  • Research
  • Writing

Required Documents

All applicants are required to submit the following documents:

  • Resume: Your resume MUST state complete information for each job entry (beginning and ending dates of employment stated as MM/YYYY; and total hours worked per week). If your resume does not provide enough information regarding your work history for us to make a creditable qualification determination, your application package may be rendered disqualified, and you will no longer be considered for this position.
  • Completed occupational questionnaire.
Proof of eligibility for Status Candidates as described under the Area of Consideration section (if applicable):
  • Merit Promotion/Current or former federal civilian employees MUST submit an SF-50, Notification of Personnel Action, indicating the title, series, grade, position occupied, and tenure to verify eligibility for merit promotion appointment. If you fail to submit a copy of your SF-50, your application will be rendered disqualified, and you will no longer be considered for this position.
  • Veteran applying under the Veterans Employment Opportunity Act (VEOA):
    • You must submit a copy of your DD-214 showing an honorable discharge to be considered. To be eligible, a veteran must be honorably separated and either a preference eligible or have substantially completed 3 or more years of active service. NOTE: Current employees applying under VEOA must submit a qualifying SF-50 to show they meet time-in-grade requirements.
Career Transition Assistance Plan/Interagency Career Transition Plan (CTAP/ICTAP) (if applicable): In addition to your Resume and complete Occupational Questionnaire you MUST submit:
  • 1) proof that you are a displaced federal employee, e.g., Reduction in Force (RIF), Separation Notice, etc.
  • 2) an SF-50, Notification of Personnel Action, indicating the title, series, grade, position occupied, tenure, and duty location; and
  • 3) your most recent employee performance evaluation.
Veterans' Preference Documentation (if applicable):
  • All Veterans: DD-214 (Member 4 copy is preferred), which includes character of service, or for Active-Duty Service Members a certification which includes service dates, type of separation, and character of service. A "certification" is a written document from the armed forces that certifies the service member is expected to be discharged or released from active-duty service in the armed forces under honorable conditions not later than 120 days after the date the certification is submitted.
  • Disabled Veterans: VA Disability Letter (with percentage of disability) OR document of disability determination from a branch of the armed forces which reflects a compensable service-connected disability rating and completed SF-15.
  • Derived Preference: The spouse, widow/widower, or mother of a veteran may be eligible to claim veterans' preference when the veteran is unable to use it. To do so, you must submit an SF-15 www.opm.gov/forms/pdf_fill/sf15.pdf and the documentation required by that form Veterans' Preference: For more information and/or to determine if you are eligible for Veterans' Preference, please visit www.fedshirevets.gov/job/vetpref/index.aspx (for veterans) or www.fedshirevets.gov/job/familypref/index.aspx (for family members). Below is a website for veterans to gain access to their DD-214 online: www.archives.gov/veterans/military-service-records/ and the documentation required by that form.

How to Apply

To apply for this position, you must complete the Occupational Questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section below.
The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on 10/24/2024 to receive consideration.

  • To begin, click Apply Online to create a USAJOBS account or log in to your existing account. Follow the prompts to select your USAJOBS resume and/or other supporting documents and complete the occupational questionnaire.
  • Click the Submit My Answers button to submit your application package.
  • It is your responsibility to ensure your responses and appropriate documentation is submitted prior to the closing date.
  • To verify your application is complete, log into your USAJOBS account, https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login select the Application Status link and then select the more information link for this position. The Details page will display the status of your application, the documentation received and processed, and any correspondence the agency has sent related to this application. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process.
  • To return to an incomplete application, log into your USAJOBS account and click Update Application in the vacancy announcement. You must re-select your resume and/or other documents from your USAJOBS account or your application will be incomplete.https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12574038~

Agency contact information

USIBWC HRO
Address
United States Section, International Boundary and Water Commission
4191 N. Mesa Street
El Paso, TX 79902
US
Learn more about this agency

Next steps

Once the online questionnaire is received, you will receive an acknowledgement email that your submission was successful. Based upon your score, you may be referred to the hiring official. If your name is referred to the hiring official, you may be contacted directly by that office for a possible interview.
You will receive status notifications through Application Manager or via email within 4-6 weeks.


Note: We cannot accept applications on behalf of Federal Agencies. Application instructions are listed within the Job Description.


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