Foreign Affairs Officer (Colin Powell Leadership Program) Job in Washington, DC

Vacancy No. PLP-2025-0001 Department Department of State - Agency Wide
Salary $55,924.00 to $107,590.00 Grade 07 to 11
Perm/Temp Permanent FT/PT Full-time
Open Date 10/28/2024 Close Date 11/3/2024
Job Link Apply Online Who may apply Public
Locations:
Washington, DC


Summary

The Colin Powell Leadership Program is seeking highly motivated applicants from a variety of backgrounds who possess the potential and aspiration to become future Civil Service leaders at the U.S. Department of State.

We are looking for candidates with demonstrated leadership potential as well as excellence in academic, cross-cultural, and communication skills.  This vacancy announcement will be open from 10/28-11/3/2024, or when 300 applications have been received, whichever comes first.

This job is open to

Clarification from the agency

Potential applicants should read the entire announcement to ensure they meet all requirements and submit all of the required application documents. A statement of interest is required, see the required documents section for more information. Incomplete applications will not be considered.

Duties

The Colin Powell Leadership Program is a one-year competitive service program. The incumbent receives work assignments and will complete specified career-related training and developmental assignments designed to provide productive work experience and to provide leader experience applicable to a future career in federal service.

GS-07:

Essential duties of this position may include:

Gathers and reviews information and data submitted from a wide variety of sources. Contributes to the development of potential approaches to issues and participates in drafting policy options for presentation to Department and USG policymaking officials and staff, other bureau working level contacts and the Office Director.

Working with other teammates and senior officers, the incumbent interprets the significance of events or developments in the assigned geographical region to U.S. policy and programmatic goals. Contributes to development of recommendations based on analyses, and assists in planning and implementing new policies, regulations, or legislation. Prepares informational reports, briefing materials, correspondence, and other documents related to the office served.

Responds to tasking requests, prepares memoranda and other necessary documents to support the Office and Bureau leadership in meetings related to assigned geographical/thematic areas. Participates in reevaluating office activities for relevance and effectiveness in light of changing priorities, resources, and strategic objectives.

Other duties as assigned.

GS-09:

Essential duties of this position may include:

Gathering and reviewing information and data submitted from a wide variety of sources. Contributes to the development of potential approaches to issues and participates in drafting policy options for presentation to Department and USG policymaking officials and staff, other bureau working level contacts and the Office Director. Contributes to clearing analytical products with relevant Departmental and other organizations, and modification of drafts as necessary and appropriate.

Working with other teammates and senior officers, the incumbent interprets the significance of events or developments in the assigned geographical region to U.S. policy and programmatic goals. Contributes to development of recommendations based on analyses, and assists in planning and implementing new policies, regulations, or legislation. Assesses impacts of options and alternatives, anticipates potential policy problems, judges authoritativeness of facts and information, and ensures that policy recommendations are consistent with USG and Departmental objectives. Prepares informational reports, briefing materials, correspondence, and other documents related to the office served.

Participates in intra and interagency meetings and discussions on issues relevant to the Office.

Other duties as assigned.

GS-11:

Essential duties of this position may include:

Gathers and reviews information and data submitted from a wide variety of sources. Contributes to the development of potential approaches to issues and participates in drafting policy options on controversial or politically sensitive issues for presentation to Department and USG policymaking officials and staff, other agency working level contacts and the Office Director. Contributes to clearing analytical products with relevant Departmental and other organizations, and modification of drafts as necessary and appropriate.

Interprets the significance of events or developments in the assigned geographical region to U.S. policy and programmatic goals. Contributes to development of recommendations based on analyses, and assists in planning and implementing new policies, regulations, or legislation. Assesses impacts of options and alternatives, anticipates potential policy problems, assesses their impact and Congressional reaction, and ensures that policy recommendations are consistent with USG and Departmental objectives. Prepares analytical reports, briefing materials, decision memoranda, correspondence, and other documents related to the office served.

Recommends priorities for the office and Bureau’s strategic planning and program planning processes, based on in depth awareness of trends, opportunities, and the work of foreign affairs organizations. Advises office leadership on draft operation plans, notices of funding opportunities, requests for statements of interest/requests for proposals for office programs.

Responds to tasking requests, prepares memoranda and other necessary documents to support the Office and Bureau leadership in meetings related to assigned geographical/thematic areas.

Represents the office in intra and interagency meetings and discussions on issues relevant to the Office.

Other duties as assigned.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

  • U.S. Citizenship is required.
  • Incumbent will be subject to random drug testing.
  • Must be able to obtain and maintain a Top Secret security clearance.
  • Successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, visit: www.dhs.gov/E-Verify/
  • Has received a baccalaureate or graduate degree from an accredited institution of higher education.
  • Applications for the program must be submitted no later than two years after the date on which the individual received (conferral date) his/her degree.
  • Graduated with a cumulative grade-point average of 3.2 or higher out of a possible 4.0.

Qualifications

Applicants must meet all the required qualification requirements, including education and any selective placement factors described below by the closing date of this announcement. Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order to be credited towards qualifications. 

Education completed in foreign colleges or universities may be used to meet the education requirements if you can show that the foreign education is comparable to that received in an accredited educational institution in the United States. It is your responsibility to provide such evidence when applying. Click on the link for a list of accredited organizations recognized as specializing in interpretation of foreign education credentials.

Applicants applying for the GS-07 grade level must meet the following requirements:

Completion of a four-year course of study leading to a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university with a major (or equivalent) 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. A cumulative GPA of 3.2 out of 4.0 is required. This education must demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities to do the work of the position to be filled.

Note: All applicants WILL BE required to submit transcripts as verification of educational requirement. If you fail to provide requested information, or the information you submit is insufficient to verify your eligibility, you may lose consideration for this position.

Applicants applying for the GS-09 grade level must meet the following requirements:

Completion of a four-year course of study leading to a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university with a major (or equivalent) 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. A cumulative GPA of 3.2 out of 4.0 is required. Additionally, two years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a master’s degree or equivalent graduate degree is required.  This education must demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities to do the work of the position to be filled. If only one year of graduate level education leading to a master’s degree or equivalent has been completed, specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-07 level will be considered.

Note: All applicants WILL BE required to submit transcripts as verification of educational requirement. If you fail to provide requested information, or the information you submit is insufficient to verify your eligibility, you may lose consideration for this position.

Applicants applying for the GS-11 grade level must meet the following requirements:

Completion of a four-year course of study leading to a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university with a major (or equivalent) 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. A cumulative GPA of 3.2 out of 4.0 is required. Additionally, three years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. degree or equivalent doctoral degree is required.  This education must demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities to do the work of the position to be filled. If only two years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a master’s degree or equivalent graduate degree has been completed, specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-09 level will be considered.

Note: All applicants WILL BE required to submit transcripts as verification of educational requirement. If you fail to provide requested information, or the information you submit is insufficient to verify your eligibility, you may lose consideration for this position.

These positions will be across the Department.  Some of the potential placements may be with, but are not limited to, the following bureaus:

            Bureau of Administration

            Bureau of Comptroller and Global Financial Services

            Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs

            Bureau of Cyberspace and Digital Policy

            Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs

            International Organizations

            Bureau of Economic Business Affairs

            Global Talent Management

            Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons 

Education

Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

Education completed in foreign colleges or universities may be used to meet the education requirements if you can show that the foreign education is comparable to that received in an accredited educational institution in the United States. It is your responsibility to provide such evidence at the time of application. Late submissions of proof of accreditation will not be accepted. Click on the link for a list of accredited organizations recognized as specializing in interpretation of foreign education credentials.

Candidates must meet the DOS qualification standards applicable to the position being filled. All applicants must meet the qualifications by the closing date of this announcement.  

A cumulative GPA of 3.2 out of 4.0 is required for consideration for the Colin Powell Leadership Program Fellowship appointment.

At the successful conclusion of the program, fellows may be eligible for non-competitive reassignment to a Federal career or career-conditional position in the competitive service.  Reassignments are not guaranteed.  To be eligible for conversion, the candidate must meet the OPM qualification standards for the position to which the fellow may be converted.

Additional information

SELECTIVE SERVICE - If you are a male applicant born after December 31, 1959, you must certify prior to appointment that you have registered with the Selective Service System or are exempt from having to do so under Selective Service law.

REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION - This agency provides reasonable accommodations to applicants with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process, please notify the Office of Accessibility and Accommodations at (202) 663-3474 or OAA@state.gov. The decision on granting reasonable accommodation will be on a case-by-case basis.

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY: The United States Government does not discriminate in employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy and gender identity), 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. You are encouraged to read the entire announcement before you submit your application package. Your application may not get full consideration if you do not follow the instructions as outlined.

SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER - Your Social Security Number is requested under the authority of Executive Order 9397 to uniquely identify your records from those of other applicants who may have the same name.  As allowed by law or Presidential directive, your Social Security Number is used to seek information about you from employers, schools, banks, and others who may know you.

EMPLOYMENT ELIGIBILITY VERIFICATION PROGRAM (E-Verify) – U.S. law requires organizations to employ only individuals who may legally work in the United States - either U.S. citizens, or foreign citizens who have the necessary authorization. This agency utilizes E-Verify to compare information from the Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification, to data from U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Social Security Administration (SSA) records to confirm employment eligibility. If the employee’s information does not match DHS and/or SSA records, the employee is given an opportunity to resolve the problem. If eligibility cannot be verified, employment will be terminated.

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.

Candidates will be evaluated based upon basic eligibility requirements using OPM Qualification standards and meeting the program’s eligibility requirements. Candidates who meet the qualification requirements will be referred to the hiring official for consideration in an unranked order.

The U.S. Department of State is not obligated to make an offer of employment, nor is the candidate obligated to accept an offer of employment.

Your application will be evaluated and rated under the Category Rating and Selection procedures.  Based on your responses to the job-specific self-assessment questions, eligible candidates are placed for selection consideration into one of three pre-defined quality categories as described below:

Highly-qualified Category - In addition to meeting minimum qualifications for the position, candidates must fully demonstrate proficiency in all major aspects of the position. 

Well Qualified Category - In addition to meeting minimum qualifications, candidates must demonstrate proficiency in some, but not all of the major aspects of the position.

Qualified Category - In addition to meeting minimum qualifications, applicants must demonstrate a basic level of knowledge, skill and ability of the position.

NOTE: If it is determined that you do not meet program eligibility requirements or fail to submit proper documentation, you will be removed from consideration.

Applicants must meet all the qualification requirements and submit any required supporting documentation by the closing date of this announcement.  Applicants found to be among the top qualified candidates will be referred to the hiring official for further consideration and possible interview.

In accordance with the Office of Personnel Management policy, for undergraduate level education, successfully completed education is credited based on its relationship to 120 semester hours or 180 quarter hours. For example, 30 semester hours or 45 quarter hours is comparable to 1 year of undergraduate education.

An academic year of graduate education is considered to be the number of credit hours that the school attended has determined to represent 1 academic year of full-time study. This determination is made based on normal course loads for a full year of study in the graduate program. If that information is not provided by the applicant, 18 semester hours or 27 quarter hours will be considered as satisfying the 1 year of full-time study requirement. For applicants that have completed more than 1 year of education in a graduate program, advanced degree, or certificate program, it is the responsibility of the applicant to provide documentation from the institution in order to establish the length of their academic program to be used to project their expected graduation date. 

Applicants must meet all the qualification requirements and submit any required supporting documentation by the closing date of this announcement.  Applicants found to be among the top qualified candidates will be referred to the hiring official for further consideration and possible interview. 


You may preview questions for this vacancy.

Required Documents

All required documents listed below, that are applicable to you, must be submitted to our automated system by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) on the closing date of this announcement.

  1. Online Application.
  2. Resume showing relevant work/volunteer experience, education and training. Include the start and end dates (from month/year to month/year) and the number of hours per week worked/volunteered. Your resume serves as the basis for qualification determinations and must support your answers to the completed online assessment questions. 
  3. College transcript(s). Proof of conferral of a bachelor's or graduate degree from an accredited institution of higher education within two years preceding the application submission date. The transcript(s) must document that you had a cumulative GPA of 3.2 or higher out of 4.0 at the time of your degree conferral date. See the Qualification and Education sections of this announcement for more information. If selected, an official/sealed college transcript(s) will be required to verify education prior to employment.
  4. A statement of interest, not to exceed 750 words, that includes your area of interest (i.e., economics, regional affairs, technology); why you are interested in a career in public service; and, without disclosing any personal information (such as race, ethnicity, religion, sex, and national origin), describe the importance of diversity and inclusion in leadership. Your statement should also describe how your academic achievements, career interests, and past job or volunteer experiences make you a good candidate for this leadership development program. *If you do not submit a statement of interest that addresses all of the points above, it will disqualify you from being considered for this job opportunity.*
  5. Veterans' Preference Documentation, if applicable. Veterans’ preference does not apply to this vacancy. Any supporting documentation received from veterans will be retained to document veteran’s status for appointment purposes, if selected.
  • To claim 5-point preference, submit a copy of your DD-214 Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty.
  • To claim 10-point preference, submit all required documentation outlined on the SF-15 (Application for 10-Point Veteran Preference) to support your claim (e.g., DD-214, official statement from the Department of Veterans Affairs, etc.).  If we cannot verify your 10-point preference claim, your application will be reviewed for 5-point preference.
  • To claim 10-point derived preference (i.e., spouses, widows, widowers or mothers of veterans), submit a completed SF-15 and all required documentation listed on the SF-15 to support your claim.
  • To claim 0-point Sole Survivorship preference, submit a copy of your DD-214 or another form of official documentation showing that your discharge or release from active duty occurred on or after August 29, 2008 and was based on a sole survivorship discharge.
  • For all preference claims:
    • DD-214 Member 4 copies are preferred and must show the dates of service, type of discharge, and any qualifying service campaign medals.
  • For more veterans’ preference information, visit the USAJOBS Help Center.
  1. ICTAP/CTAP documentation, if applicable. Visit our agency’s ICTAP and CTAP sites for required documentation.

If the information you submit is insufficient to verify your eligibility or you fail to submit any of the required documents, it will disqualify you from being considered for this job opportunity.

How to Apply

Complete applications (to include all required documents) must be submitted electronically through the "Gateway to State" system. To begin the application process, please click on the "Apply Online" button to the right.

Prepare your application in USAJOBS

To start your application, click Apply and we’ll walk you through the process to attach a resume and any required documents.

During the application process you can review, edit, delete, and update your information. We’ll automatically save your progress as you go, so you won’t lose any changes.  You have until 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) on the closing date of this announcement to complete the application process.

STEP 1: Select the "Apply" button and follow the instructions to register or sign into USAJOBS.

STEP 2: Submit your resume.  Please see the Required Documents section for specific information that should be outlined in your resume.

STEP 3: Complete the online assessment questions.

STEP 4: Submit all required documentation applicable to you, as listed in the Required Documents section.

To learn how to view the status of your submitted supporting documentation and application, visit the Application Instructions section of our agency’s Civil Service selection process site.

Technical assistance with your on-line application is available through the Help Desk at mgshelp@monster.com or by calling (866) 656-6830 between the hours of 7:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. ET

Candidates have until 11:59 pm Eastern Standard Time on the closing date of this announcement to complete the application process. This includes submitting the online application as well as any required documents as defined in the Required Documents section.

Candidates are encouraged to complete their applications well before the application deadline to ensure they receive consideration. Should candidates be missing any of the required documents or submit their application late, they will be disqualified for consideration of employment. There is a maximum number of applications for this vacancy announcement. The vacancy will close on the closing date listed above or when the maximum number of applications is received. The vacancy will close when the first of these conditions are met. If the application limit is reached on the same day the announcement opened, the open and close date will be the same.

There is a maximum number (150) of applications for this vacancy announcement.

Alternate Application Procedures

If applying online poses an extreme hardship, you may request alternate application procedures to submit your application package. Contact the Human Resources office listed on the announcement between the business hours of 8:15 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. ET at least 2 working days prior to the closing date of this announcement. The application package for alternate application procedures must be submitted and received in the Human Resources office no later than 11:59 p.m. ET on the closing date of this announcement. Paper applications and information sent by mail will not be accepted.

Agency contact information

Susan Clark
Address
U.S. Department of State
1999 Dyess Ave
Charleston, South Carolina 29405
United States
Learn more about this agency

Next steps

After all application packages have been received, we will review your application to ensure you meet the program qualification requirements and that all required documents have been submitted. After we review and evaluate all applications, the most highly qualified candidates will be referred to the hiring manager for further consideration for possible interviews. If rewarded a tentative job offer, we will conduct a suitability review and/or security background investigation, which generally takes an average of at least two to six months but may take up to a year to be fully adjudicated. You will be notified up to four times during the hiring process:

  1. Upon receipt of your application.
  2. Upon minimum qualification determinations.
  3. If referred to the hiring manager.
  4. After hiring manager makes final decision.

For instructions on how to view the status of your application, please click here.


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


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