FOREIGN AFFAIRS SPECIALIST

Summary

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Duties

• The primary purpose of this position is: To serve as Foreign Affairs Specialist for the Deputy Under Secretary of the Air Force, International Affairs (SAF/IA) planning, developing, and establishing Title 22 and Title 10 Security Cooperation/Security Assistance guidance, assessments, requirements, and advisory services for Department of the Air Force-wide Security Cooperation/Security Assistance activities to external and internal customers. Duties Administers Security Cooperation/Security Assistance reviews, edits, and revisions on regional and country specific "Country Papers," talking points, and senior leader discussion points. Establishes, defines, and implements requirements of Security Cooperation/Security Assistance programs, including FMS Case Activities, to ensure operations are in line with regulatory requirements, support SAF/IA vision, mission, and goals. Participates in Security Cooperation/Security Assistance special studies and projects. Organize Security Cooperation/Security Assistance conference planning and preparation, country case review preparation, regional and country specific trip book development.

Qualifications

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, Professional and Scientific Positions, Foreign Affairs Series, 0130. BASIC REQUIREMENT OR INDIVIDUAL OCCUPATIONAL REQUIREMENT: 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. 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, plus appropriate experience or additional education. 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: SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: Applicants must have at least one (1) year of specialized experience at the next lower grade GS-11, or equivalent in other pay systems. Examples of specialized experience includes knowledge of the principles, theories, techniques, practices, mission, and organizational structure of the specific program and or functional field to support Department of the Air Force wide Security Cooperation/Security Assistance program administration responsibilities; Thorough knowledge of DoD and DAF policies, regulations, and organizational structure and mission as well as the principles, practices, and functions of FMS and Key Leader Engagement personnel/manpower/services program administration to support operations and perform difficult and complex work assignments; Knowledge of analytical and evaluative methods to develop, monitor, and analyze applicable Security Cooperation/Security Assistance data to track and assess the efficiency and effectiveness of SAF/IA vision, mission and goals in order to meet established metrics and plan improvements of Department of the Air Force wide programs. 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-11 level is required to meet the time-in-grade requirements for the GS-12 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: 1. Knowledge of the principles, theories, techniques, practices, mission, and organizational structure of Security Cooperation/Security Assistance to support Department of the Air Force wide program administration responsibilities with Partners and Allies. 2. Knowledge of the laws, regulations, principles, and practices of Security Cooperation/Security Assistance program administration. 3. Possess a strong comprehension and application of military culture and knowledge of protocol in order to assist with the preparation for and the escorting of high-level USG and Partner and Allied personnel during international engagements. 4. Knowledge of Security Cooperation/Security Assistance sustainment program requirements, reports, and program terms, as well as knowledge of common management principles to provide advisory services and inspect assigned programs. 5. Skill in adapting analytical techniques and evaluation criteria to the measurement and improvement of SAF/IA mission effectiveness, and in serving as a Security Cooperation/Security Assistance technical specialist and spokesperson to further operating ageney objectives on important issues. 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 09/10/2026 To preview the Application Questionnaire, please click the following link: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/13055103 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.