Program Manager (Treaty Policy Advisor)

Summary

About the Position: Serves as the Senior Policy Advisor for the Columbia River Treaty. The incumbent is the policy lead for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in regards of supporting the Department of State (DoS) and their Chief Negotiator on the Columbia River Treaty with Canada.

Duties

• Advise on all policy matters with respect to Federal, state, Tribal, international and local policies, as well as Department of Army and Corps of Engineers policy, regulations and directives relating to Corps of Engineers operations.
• Carry out interpretations and advice made by legal counsel on historical and potential legislation authorizing the multiple purpose water resource projects and their operation and maintenance implementation in the Columbia River Basin.
• Carry out interpretations and advice made by legal counsel on environmental policies which have become critical in the formulation and execution of civil works projects.
• Provide policy and technical support and communication to United States Department of State (DoS) on the future operations and implementation of a post-2024 flood control operation.
• Provide expert policy advice and integration of strategies related to all the interrelated activities within the Columbia River basin that would affect negotiations or implementation of the Columbia River Treaty.

Qualifications

Who May Apply: Only applicants who meet one of the employment authority categories below are eligible to apply for this job. You will be asked to identify which category or categories you meet, and to provide documents which prove you meet the category or categories you selected. See Proof of Eligibility for an extensive list of document requirements for all employment authorities Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan Military Spouses, under Executive Order (E.O.) 13473 Priority Placement Program, DoD Military Spouse Preference (MSP) Eligible Reinstatement In order to qualify, you must meet the experience requirements described below. Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community; student; social). You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. Your resume must clearly describe your relevant experience; if qualifying based on education, your transcripts will be required as part of your application. Additional information about transcripts is in this document. Specialized Experience: One year of specialized experience which includes 1) Advising senior agency leadership on complex federal, international, and regional policies governing multi-purpose water resource projects or treaty operations; 2) Overseeing public interest and regulatory compliance reviews for major civil works or water resource infrastructure systems; 3) Managing and integrating complex regional water management drivers, hydropower requirements, and asset management frameworks across operational departments; and 4) Leading communication, coordination, and alignment of complex, interrelated strategies across national-level federal agencies. This definition of specialized experience is typical of work performed at the next lower grade/level position in the federal service (GS-13). Some federal jobs allow you to substitute your education for the required experience in order to qualify. For this job, you must meet the qualification requirement using experience alone--no substitution of education for experience is permitted. Time in Grade Requirement: Applicants who have held a General Schedule (GS) position within the last 52 weeks must have 52 weeks of Federal service at the next lower grade or equivalent (GS-13).

How to apply

Please read the entire announcement and all the instructions before you begin an application. To apply and be considered for this position, you must complete all required questionnaires, assessments and submit all required documentation as specified in the How to Apply and Required Documents section. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on the closing date of the announcement to receive consideration. The application process is as follows: Click the Apply Online button. Answer the questions presented in the application and attach all necessary supporting documentation. As a reminder, your resume must be two pages or less and must support the specialized experience described in this announcement. Resumes exceeding two pages will be removed from consideration. For additional information, refer to the 'Required Documents' section. To preview the application questionnaire, click the following link: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/13065822 Click the Submit Application button prior to 11:59 PM (ET) on 09/22/2026. If you are required to complete any USA Hire Assessments, you will be notified after submitting your application. The notification will be provided in your application submission screen and via email. The notification will include your unique assessment access link to the USA Hire system and the completion deadline. Additionally, in USAJOBS you can click "Track this application" to return to your assessment completion notice. Access USA Hire using your unique assessment link. Access is granted through your USAJOBS login credentials. Review all instructions prior to beginning your assessments. You will have the opportunity to request a testing accommodation before beginning the assessments should you have a disability covered under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended. Set aside about two (2) hours to take the USA Hire Assessments; however, most applicants complete the assessments in less time. If you need to stop the assessments and continue later, you can re-use your unique assessment link. Your responses to the USA Hire Assessments will be reused for one year (in most cases) from the date you complete an assessment. If future applications you submit require completion of the same assessments, your responses will be automatically reused. For more general information, system requirements, reasonable accommodation information, and to request assistance regarding the USA Hire Assessments, review the following resources: https://appsupport.usastaffing.gov/hc/en-us/sections/28980562523540-USA-Hire-Assessments To update your application, including supporting documentation: During the announcement open period, return to your USAJOBS account, find your application record, and click Edit my application. This option will no longer be available once the announcement has closed. To view the announcement status or your application status: Click on this: https://help.usajobs.gov/how-to/application/status. Your application status page is where you can view your application status, USA Hire assessment completion status, and review your notifications sent by the hiring agency regarding your application.