FOREIGN AFFAIRS SPECIALIST

Summary

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Duties

• The primary purpose of this position is: The incumbent performs professional level work in support of policy development and implementation at a senior level. Analyzes DoD acquisition, security assistance, international armaments cooperation, national disclosure and other policy directives to determine their impact on Air Force international security cooperation policies and programs and advises the Deputy Under Secretary of the Air Force, International Affairs (SAF/IA) leadership on opportunities and potential impediments, and recommended approaches. Develops and disseminates appropriate policy guidance and directives to MAJCOM and field organizations. Defines and interprets these policy directives and advises field organizations on implementation. Works directly with international focal points throughout the Air Force in identifying opportunities for mutually beneficial collaborative activity with Allies. Forms and leads International Cooperative Agreement Teams (ICATs) for complex, multi-national initiatives in accordance with relevant policy and law. Conducts liaison with key HQ Air Force Staff, other Service, DoD elements, and OSD stakeholders in areas such as requirements, acquisition, science and technology, and plans and operations to ensure a coordinated approach to international security cooperation within the DoD and to the extent possible relevant intelligence community organizations. Represents and communicates Air Force interests and US positions, as authorized, to foreign governments and international organizations. Duties Performs professional level work in support of policy development and implementation. Develops strategies for the international agreements (IA) negotiation process, as appropriate, with representatives of allied governments. Leads negotiations on complex international agreements. Advises Team personnel on the final steps necessary for obtaining Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD) authority to conclude the International Agreement. Advises the Armaments Cooperation Division (SAF/IAPC), individual SAF/IA Country Directors, the Director of Policy (SAF/IAP), the Deputy Under Secretary of the Air Force, International Affairs (SAF/IA) and other organizations regarding the technical and acquisition management aspects of current and potential international armaments cooperation programs. Determines appropriate collaboration vehicle (i.e., Agreement, or Foreign Military Sales case) and carries out staffing actions appropriate at the Headquarters Air Force level to establish and successfully execute security cooperation program as a result of leading ICATs for proposed international projects and programs.

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, 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-13, or equivalent in other pay systems. Examples of specialized experience includes extensive knowledge of US statues, treaties and executive branch agreements, and US administration policy governing international cooperation in research, development, and acquisition (ICRD&A). Expert knowledge and understanding of specific US statutes regarding ICRD&A activities such as the Arms Export Control Act (AECA), including the legal requirements for ensuring that USAF international agreement language is in compliance with accepted US standards; Extensive knowledge of DoD directives, Air Force policy directives and instructions, and international agreements governing the establishment and management or ICRD&A programs. Working knowledge of precedents, practice and procedures, both formal and informal, of the ICRD&A environment; In-depth knowledge of international cooperative programs and principles of international finance and financial transactions. Specific knowledge of US and DoD policies and practices pertaining to the expenditure of US funds overseas, use of foreign funds on international armaments cooperation projects, and international funds transfer policies and procedures in order to review, revise and/or approve funding needs of international armaments cooperation program managers. 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: Comprehensive knowledge of US foreign policy objectives, the US alliance structure, USAF and DoD acquisition policies and their impact on international programs, and the DoD international agreements process. Expert skill in managing and coordinating complex activities in a multi-functional environment involving interaction with senior executive and management levels of the Air Force, DoD, and international customers. Ability to apply knowledge and experience to a wide range of other programs and issues with particular emphasis on international activity. Comprehensive ability to communicate effectively, both orally and in writing, by preparing and presenting briefings and reports to senior US and foreign governmentofficials. Ability to develop improvements in or design new work methods and procedures. Ability to analyze, plan, and adjust work operations of subordinate organizational segments to meet program requirements and objectives within available resources. Skill in planning and adjusting work operations to meet changing or emergency program or production requirements within available resources and with minimum sacrifice of quantity or quality of work. Skill in analyzing organizational and operational problems and developing timely and economical solutions. Ability to represent SAF/IA both within and outside SAF/IA to gain support for SAF/IAPC's program goals. 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 09/30/2026 To preview the Application Questionnaire, please click the following link: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/13066277 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.