Intelligence Research Specialist Job in District of Columbia, DC

Vacancy No. HRSC-INR-2024-0034 Department Department of State - Agency Wide
Salary $82,764.00 to $153,354.00 Grade 11 to 13
Perm/Temp Permanent FT/PT Full-time
Open Date 9/20/2024 Close Date 10/3/2024
Job Link Apply Online Who may apply Public
Locations:
District of Columbia, DC


Job Description (Please follow all instructions carefully)

Summary

This position is in the Excepted Service under U.S.C. 50 § 3024(v) and appointments are made without regard to the requirements of the Competitive Service by laws, Executive order, or OPM regulations.

This position is located in the Bureau of Intelligence and Research, Office of Cyber Affairs and Emerging Technologies (INR/CET). The incumbent serves as researcher and analyst of foreign intelligence in an assigned
geographic or functional specialty area.

Duties

  • Serves as an analyst responsible for providing all-source intelligence analysis on PRC cyber and digital emerging and future technology issues related to U.S. national security interests, including advanced computing and artificial intelligence.
  • Represents the Department in interagency meetings, provides guidance to Department policymakers, briefs key stakeholders in the U.S. Congress, and serves as an expert in various intergovernmental and non-governmental fora.
  • Serves as an analyst responsible for drafting, presenting, and defending policy-relevant intelligence analyses on PRC cyber and digital technology issues.
  • Advises on and performs research and other professional work in support of the formulation and direction of U.S. foreign policy.

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.
  • Obtain/maintain eligibility to access Sensitive Compartmented Information
  • 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/

Qualifications

Applicants must meet all the qualification requirements described below by the closing date of this announcement. 

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

A. Have at least 1 full year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-09 level in the Federal service which provided you with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities to perform the duties of the position.

Qualifying specialized experience must demonstrate the following:

  • Experience using research methods and techniques to validate, analyze, evaluate, and interpret information derived from a wide variety of sources.
  • Experience researching policy relevant assessments that involve the research and analysis of information derived from a variety of sources.
  • Experience with theories and principles of political science, international relations, economics, history, geography, or related technical disciplines applied in conducting intelligence analysis related to U.S. foreign policy.

OR

B. Have a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree OR 3 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree, or LL.M. from an accredited college or university.

OR

C. Have a combination of graduate level education and specialized experience (as described above), which is equivalent to the GS- 09 level in the Federal Service. This experience and education together meets 100% of the qualification requirements for this position.

Combination of Experience and Education: When an applicant has less than one year of specialized experience as described in the announcement, he or she may combine successfully completed graduate-level education with experience to meet the total qualification requirements. Generally, 18 graduate semester hours is equivalent to 1 full-time year of graduate study (your school and department determine what constitutes 1 full time year of graduate study). The percentage of specialized work experience and the percentage of graduate study must total at least 100%.

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-12 grade level must meet the following requirements:

Applicants must have 1 year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-11 level in the Federal service which provided the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities to perform the duties of the position.

Qualifying specialized experience must demonstrate the following:

  • Experience using research methods and techniques to validate, analyze, evaluate, and interpret information derived from a wide variety of sources.
  • Experience analyzing policy relevant assessments that involve the research and analysis of information derived from a variety of sources.
  • Experience with theories and principles of political science, international relations, economics, history, geography, or related technical disciplines applied in conducting intelligence analysis related to U.S. foreign policy.

There is no substitute of education for specialized experience for the GS-12 position.

Applicants applying for the GS-13 grade level must meet the following requirements:

Applicants must have 1 year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-12 level in the Federal service which provided the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities to perform the duties of the position.

Qualifying specialized experience must demonstrate the following:

  • Experience with theories and principles of political science, international relations, economics, history, geography, or related technical disciplines applied in conducting intelligence analysis related to U.S. foreign policy.
  • Experience developing policy relevant assessments that involve the research and analysis of information derived from a variety of sources.
  • Experience providing advice, guidance, and consultation to senior officials with regard to the interpretation and application of intelligence analyses.
  • Experience with current U.S. foreign policy objectives and programs to assess the relevance and implications of global social, political, economic, geographic, and military issues, developments, and events affecting the formulations and execution of U.S. foreign policy.

There is no substitute of education for specialized experience for the GS-13 position.

Education

See the qualifications section of this vacancy announcement for education requirements.

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. For a list of accredited organizations recognized as specializing in interpretation of foreign education credentials, visit: www.naces.org/members.php.

Additional information

·         For reasonable accommodation at the U.S. Department of State, please contact the Office of Accessibility and Accommodations at (202) 663-3474 or OAA@state.gov.

·         If eligible, telework agreements may be permitted with supervisory approval. 

·        Multiple positions may be filled from this announcement.  If eligible, applicants to this announcement may be referred to similar positions in any Bureau/Office listed on this announcement for approximately 240 days.  Telework eligibility and security clearance requirements may vary for such similar positions.

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.

For this announcement, all applicants will be assessed to determine if they meet the qualifications for this position, specifically the education, specialized experience, and knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) necessary to perform the work of the position. All applications that meet the required qualifications and determined to be best-qualified will be referred to the hiring official for further consideration and possible interview.

Your resume serves as the basis for qualification determinations and must highlight your most relevant and significant work experience and education (if applicable) as it relates to this job opportunity.

Your qualifications will be evaluated on the following KSAs and other characteristics that are relevant to the duties of this position and must be fully supported by information in your resume:

  • Knowledge of the theories and principles of political science, international relations, economics, history, geography, or other related disciplines applied in conducting intelligence analysis related to U.S. foreign policy programs.

  • Knowledge of intelligence analysis to produce policy relevant assessments that involve the research and analysis of information derived from a variety of sources.

  • Skill in commanding one or more geographic or functional specialty areas to provide expert advice and guidance with respect to the policy implications of issues and developments in the assigned specialty area.

  • Knowledge of, and experience in, the production of all-source intelligence analytic articles.

  • Ability to recognize, gather and extract relevant data from open sources.
  • Knowledge of current U.S. foreign policy objectives and programs to assess the relevance and implications of global social, political, economic, geographic, and military issues, developments, and events affecting the formulations and execution of U.S. foreign policy, and to recommend intelligence collection programs in the assigned specialty area.

Veterans: Although consideration of Veterans’ Preference is not required under 50 U.S.C. § 30240(v) to the extent it would be under the competitive service; the Department of State considers veterans' preference as a positive factor in the hiring process.


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. 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.

2. Transcripts, if applicable and you are qualifying based on education. 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. 

3. 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 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.
    • If you are currently on active duty and applying based on eligibility under the Veterans Opportunity to Work (VOW) Act, you must provide a certification on letterhead from your military branch which contains your military service dates, expected date of discharge or release, and the character of service to show that your military service was performed under honorable conditions. The expected date of discharge or release must be no later than 120 days after the certification is submitted for consideration for this vacancy announcement.
  • For more veterans’ preference information, visit the USAJOBS Help Center.

If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:

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.

Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.

How to Apply

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

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

Tony Rice
Phone
000-000-0000
Fax
000-000-0000
Email
RiceTL@state.gov
Address
U.S. Department of State
1999 Dyess Ave.
Charleston Reg. Ctr., E119B
Charleston, South Carolina 29450
United States
Learn more about this agency

Next steps

Once the online application package is received, you will be notified through USAJOBS of your qualification status and referral or non-referral to the hiring official for further consideration. If further evaluation or interviews are required, you will be contacted. If a tentative job offer is made, the Department of State will conduct a suitability and/or security background investigation.

You will be notified up to four times during the hiring process:

1. Upon receipt of your application.

2. Upon minimum qualification determinations.

3. After the list of eligibles is issued.

4. After final selection is made.


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