FOREIGN AFFAIRS SPECIALIST

Summary

Click on "Learn more about this agency" button below to view Eligibilities being considered and other IMPORTANT information. The primary purpose of this position is: To serve as the senior advisor and principal focal point to the Chief, International Airmen Division (SAF/IAPA), on all matters related to personnel management, training, and policy guidance for Department of the Air Force participation in the Defense Attache Service (DAS) and the Defense Security Cooperation Service (DSCS).

Duties

• Policy Development & Representation. Provides authoritative policy interpretation, guidance, and management actions to ensure effective utilization of USAF personnel assigned to U.S. diplomatic missions worldwide. Program Oversight & Personnel Management. Oversees policy, guidance, and program management for the selection, screening, and training of Air Force officers and NCOs for duty in the DAS and DSCS. Functional Management & Manpower Oversight. Incumbent Serves as Functional Manager for the Defense Attache Specialist AFSC (8P100) and supports the AF Functional Manager for Air Attaches and SCOs (FAQ AFSC 16F).

Qualifications

This position has been designated by the Air Force as a Testing Designated Position (TDP) under the Air Force Civilian Drug Demand Reduction Program. Employee must pass initial and periodic short notice drug testing. Illegal drug use by employees in sensitive positions presents a clear threat to the mission of the Air Force, national security, and public safety. A Bachelors or Master's degree in National Security, International Relations, International Foreign Affairs or program management experience and Senior Service School program (e.g., Air War College, National War College, RAND Fellows) is highly desirable. Must be willing to work outside normal duty hours when tasked to respond to senior leaders on short notice, high pressure issues; overtime may be required as well as frequent travel (up to 25%) both within CONUS and overseas for extended periods (1-2 Weeks) fluing military or on a commercial aircraft. BASIC REQUIREMENTS FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS SPECIALIST 0130 SERIES: A Bachelor's degree (or higher degree) or a degree with a 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. NOTE: You must submit a copy of your transcripts. OR COMBINATION OF EXPERIENCE AND EDUCATION: A combination of education and experience may be used to qualify for this position as long as the computed percentage of the requirements is at least 100%. Courses equivalent to a major, or a combination of related courses totaling at least 24 semester hours, as shown above. NOTE: You must submit a copy of your transcripts. 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. Evaluation of Experience: Qualifying experience may have been through residence, study, teaching, business or commercial activities, military service, newspaper work, military or civil government activities, missionary or international relief work, or other experience in foreign countries. AND In addition to meeting the basic requirement above, to qualify for this position you must also meet the qualification requirements listed below: In order to qualify, you must meet the specialized experience requirements described in the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Qualification Standards for General Schedule Positions, SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: Applicants must have at least one (1) year of specialized experience at the next lower grade GS-13, or equivalent in other pay systems. Examples of specialized experience includes Mastery knowledge of wide range of qualitative and/or quantitative methods for the assessment and improvement of Dow, DIA, CCMD, DSCA, and USAF policies, procedures, and regulations governing DAS and SCO duty assignments. Must possess detailed knowledge of DAS and SCO operations-including Security Cooperation and Dow HUMINT policies-in order to recruit, screen, and nominate fully qualified foreign affairs personnel. This position requires work that is complex, managing and providing political-military affairs expertise and policy oversight of Air Force plans, programs, and requirements involving international affairs for assigned AOR; directs Security Assistance programs in the regions and national security issues to ensure National and Joint objectives are incorporated across Air Force strategies, plans, policies, and processes. Expert knowledge of analysis, formulation and implementation of foreign policy of the United States in the conduct of the relations, negotiating effectively with management to accept recommendations relating to the political-military nature of the United States with other governments working with the US Ambassador's staff and their Country Teams to assess and support country requirements in the regions. FEDERAL TIME-IN-GRADE (TIG) REQUIREMENT FOR GENERAL SCHEDULE (GS) POSITIONS: Merit promotion applicants must meet applicable time-in-grade requirements to be considered eligible. One year at the GS-13 level is required to meet the time-in-grade requirements for the GS-14 level. TIG applies if you are in a current GS position or held a GS position within the previous 52 weeks. NOTE: Applicants applying as VEOA candidates who are current GS civil service employees or are prior GS civil service employees within the past 52 weeks must also meet time-in-grade requirements. KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES (KSAs): Your qualifications will be evaluated on the basis of your level of knowledge, skills, abilities and/or competencies in the following areas: Knowledge of the Defense Attache Service (DAS) and Defense Security Cooperation Service (DSCS) missions, policies, and operations sufficient to recruit, screen, nominate, and support qualified USAF personnel for diplomatic assignments. Knowledge of Air Force and Dow personnel systems and interagency processes (AFPC, DIA, DSCA, CCMDs, and State Department) and of the diplomatic environment abroad to effectively manage assignments, training, and manning requirements for Attaches and seas. Knowledge of international political, social, economic, and cultural conditions sufficient to negotiate, advocate, and represent Air Force interests in interagency and international forums, and to provide accurate policy recommendations to senior leaders. Skill in staff management to plan, organize, and direct the work of subordinates, allocate resources, oversee screening and training programs, and ensure effective program execution. Ability to analyze complex personnel, policy, and manpower issues; develop courses of action; and provide authoritative, persuasive guidance to senior leaders, assignment managers, and interagency stakeholders. Ability to communicate effectively, orally and in writing, to prepare and deliver senior-level briefings, issue papers, and formal recommendations, and to coordinate with Air Force, Dow, and interagency counterparts at all levels. PART-TIME OR UNPAID EXPERIENCE: Credit will be given for appropriate unpaid and or part-time work. You must clearly identify the duties and responsibilities in each position held and the total number of hours per week. VOLUNTEER WORK EXPERIENCE: Refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service Programs (i.e., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community; student and social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge and skills that can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

Education

IF USING EDUCATION TO QUALIFY: If position has a positive degree requirement or education forms the basis for qualifications, you MUST submit transcripts with the application. Official transcripts are not required at the time of application; however, if position has a positive degree requirement, qualifying based on education alone or in combination with experience, transcripts must be verified prior to appointment. An accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education must accredit education. Click here to check accreditation. FOREIGN EDUCATION: Education completed in foreign colleges or universities may be used to meet the requirements. You must show proof the education credentials have been deemed to be at least equivalent to that gained in conventional U.S. education program. It is your responsibility to provide such evidence when applying.

How to apply

The complete Application Package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on 09/11/2026 To preview the Application Questionnaire, please click the following link: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/13047178 To begin the process, click the Apply Online button to create an account or log in to your existing USAJOBS account. Follow the prompts to complete the application questionnaire. Please ensure you click the Submit My Application button at the end of the process. To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package which includes: 1. Your Resume. If you submit more than one resume, only the most recent will be reviewed. The "most recent" is considered the resume with the latest timestamp. Resumes may not exceed two pages. The two-page resume ensures the most relevant experience is reviewed and considered, which is a common practice in both the public and private sectors. Resumes exceeding two pages will be removed from consideration. Additional information on how to complete or update your resume may be located here. For qualification determination your resume must contain hours worked per week and dates of employment (i.e., month/year to month/year or month/year to present). If your resume does not contain this information, your application may be marked as insufficient, and you will not receive consideration for this position. If you are a current Federal employee or previous Federal employee, provide your pay plan, series and grade, i.e. GS-0301-09. Current Federal Civilian Employees may list any relevant performance related rating (given within the last three years) and/or incentive awards in your resume. Do NOT include photographs, inappropriate material, inappropriate content, nor personal information such as age, gender, religion, social security number, etc., on your resume. If the resume you submit contains such information you will not be considered for this vacancy. Your name, first and last, MUST be included on your resume. 2. A complete Application Questionnaire 3. Additional Required Documents (see Required Documents section). Ensure all submitted documents contain your full name. 4. Help recruiters find you. Make your resume and profile searchable, which means recruiters may contact you about possible jobs. Additional information may be located here. PLEASE NOTE: It is the applicant's responsibility to verify that information entered and/or uploaded, (i.e., resume) is received, accurate, and submitted by the closing date. You may verify your documents have been processed with your application package successfully. You can access your USAJOBS account to do so by clicking here. Uploaded documents may take up to one hour to clear the virus scan. Human Resources WILL NOT modify or change any answers submitted by an applicant.