Foreign Affairs Specialist

US Office of the Secretary of Defense; Arlington (VA); On-site; USD 80,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

The Office of the Under Secretary of War for Policy (OUSW(P)) is seeking a candidate to advise on national security policy and interagency coordination. The role focuses on supporting senior leadership decision-making, policy development, and understanding of key interagency and international stakeholders.

Qualified applicants will have education in relevant fields and progressively responsible experience in foreign affairs and international organizations, with opportunities to work across

Qualifications

• Degree: major or equivalent, or 24 semester hours in international law and international relations, political science, economics, history, sociology, geography, anthropology, law, statistics, or humanities; or 12+12 in statistics/quantitative methods.
• Combination of education and experience: major or 24 semester hours plus appropriate experience or additional education.
• Experience: four years of appropriate experience in foreign affairs/international organizations.
• GS-12: One year specialized experience equivalent to GS-11 demonstrating ability to support senior leadership in decision-making and policy development, and to brief interagency stakeholders.
• GS-13: One year specialized experience equivalent to GS-12 demonstrating ability to support leadership decisions, develop policy recommendations, and inform stakeholders.
• GS-14: One year specialized experience equivalent to GS-13 demonstrating ability to coordinate with stakeholders and prepare policy recommendations.
• GS-15: One year specialized experience equivalent to GS-14 demonstrating ability to advise on complex national security matters and develop strategic messaging.

Responsibilities

• Contribute and analyze to support senior leadership in decision-making on matters affecting U.S. national security interests.
• Support the development of recommendations for policies and strategies.
• Prepare for and support office and team understanding of key U.S. interagency and international stakeholders.
• Inform office and team understanding of key U.S. interagency and international stakeholders' interest.

Education

Degree in international law and international relations / political science / economics / history / sociology / geography / anthropology / law / statistics or related humanities

Job description

This position is located in the Office of the Under Secretary of War for Policy (OUSW(P)). The OUSW(P) serves as the principal advisor and assistant to the Secretary of War for all matters concerned with the formulation of national security and Department policy with particular emphasis on the integration and oversight of Department of War (DoW) policy and plans to achieve national security objectives.

In order to qualify for this position, you must meet the requirements described below.

Basic 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.

Combination of education and experience

Combination of education and experience: courses equivalent to a major, or a combination of related courses totaling at least 24 semester hours, as shown in A above, plus appropriate experience or additional education.

Experience

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.

You may qualify at the GS-12 level, if you fulfill the following qualification requirement:

One year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-11 grade level in the Federal service (experience may have been gained in the private sector) that demonstrates your ability to

• Contribute and analyze to the support senior leadership in decision-making on matters affecting U.S. national security interests.
• Support the development of recommendations for policies and strategies.
• Prepare for and support office and team understanding of key U.S. interagency and international stakeholders.

You may qualify at the GS-13 level, if you fulfill the following qualification requirement:

One year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-12 grade level in the Federal service (experience may have been gained in the private sector) that demonstrates your ability to

• Contribute to the support of senior leadership decision making on matters affecting U.S. national security
• Assist with the development of recommendations for policies and strategies
• Inform office and team understanding of key U.S. interagency and international stakeholders.

You may qualify at the GS-14 level, if you fulfill the following qualification requirement:

One year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-13 grade level in the Federal service (experience may have been gained in the private sector) that demonstrates your ability to

• Support senior leadership decision making on matters affecting U.S. national security
• Prepare recommendations for policies and strategies and ensure close coordination with stakeholders
• Understanding of key U.S. interagency and international stakeholders' interest.

You may qualify at the GS-15 level, if you fulfill the following qualification requirement:

One year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-14 grade level in the Federal service (experience may have been gained in the private sector) that demonstrates your ability to

• Advise senior officials on complex matters affecting U.S. national security.
• Develop recommendations for policies and strategies.
• Review, prepare, provide, and brief papers, memos, and/or strategic messaging.

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;