Department: Department of Defense
Location(s): Pentagon, Arlington, Virginia
Salary Range: $121785 - $197200 Per Year
Job Summary: This position is located in the Office of the Under Secretary of War for Policy (OUSDP). The USDP serves as the principal advisor and assistant to the Secretary of War for all matters concerned with the formulation of national security and defense policy with particular emphasis on the integration and oversight of DoW policy and plans to achieve national security objectives. This announcement will be used to fill multiple vacancies within OUSWP.
Major Duties:
Qualifications: In order to qualify for this position, you must meet the requirements described below. Basic Requirements for Foreign Affairs Series 0130 1. 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. OR 2. 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. OR 3. 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: I have one year of experience in the same or similar work equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-11) requiring application of the knowledge, skills, and abilities of the position being filled. Candidates for this position must clearly demonstrate in their resume that they possess specialized experience in: 1) Conducting research and analysis on political-military, national security, or international public policy issues to support policy development or international engagement activities; 2) Evaluating information from multiple sources and preparing written products such as memoranda, background papers, or briefing materials; 3) Applying established policies, guidance, and analytical methods to assess policy options or alternatives; and 4) Coordinating with internal organizational components or external stakeholders to support policy analysis or engagement objectives. You may qualify at the GS 13 level, if you fulfill the following qualification requirement: I have one year of experience in the same or similar work equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-12) requiring application of the knowledge, skills, and abilities of the position being filled. Candidates for this position must clearly demonstrate in their resume that they possess specialized experience in: 1) Conducting research and analysis on political-military, national security, or foreign policy issues to support DoW or U.S. Government decision-making; 2) Assisting in the preparation of written products (e.g., memoranda, briefing materials, background papers) for senior DoW civilian leadership; 3) Supporting the development of policy options or recommendations related to DoW, national security, or U.S. foreign policy; and 4) Coordinating with DoW components, U.S. Government organizations, or external stakeholders to support national security objectives. You may qualify at the GS 14 level, if you fulfill the following qualification requirement: I have one year of experience in the same or similar work equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-13) requiring application of the knowledge, skills, and abilities of the position being filled. Candidates for this position must clearly demonstrate in their resume that they possess specialized experience in: 1) Advising senior DoW civilian leadership on political-military or national security issues affecting U.S. interests; 2) Conducting complex analyses related to the development, interpretation, or implementation of DoW, national security, or U.S. foreign policies; 3) Developing substantive policy options and recommendations to support interagency or National Security Council-led decision-making processes; and 4) Preparing senior U.S. Government civilian leadership for bilateral or multilateral engagements and supporting Congressional engagement activities. You may qualify at the GS 15 level, if you fulfill the following qualification requirement: I have one year of experience in the same or similar work equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-14) requiring application of the knowledge, skills, and abilities of the position being filled. Candidates for this position must clearly demonstrate in their resume that they possess specialized experience in: 1) Serving as a senior advisor to DoW civilian leadership on complex political-military and national security matters with significant policy implications; 2) Leading analyses that directly inform the formulation, coordination, or implementation of DoW or U.S. foreign policy; 3) Developing and advocating consensus policy positions within DoW and across interagency and international partners; and 4) Representing DoW in high-level engagements and overseeing or mentoring staff involved in complex policy initiatives. 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. All qualifications and education requirements must be met by the closing date of this announcement and clearly documented in your resume. Your resume may not exceed two (2) pages. For qualifications determinations, it is recommended that applicants include their months and hours worked per week for each employment listed on their resume. If a determination is not able to be made about the duration of your creditable experience for qualification requirements, you will be removed from consideration. Read more about what should I include in my federal resume at https://help.usajobs.gov/faq/application/documents/resume/what-to-include ACTIVE DUTY SERVICE MEMBERS: Federal agencies treat active duty service member as veterans, disabled veterans, and preference eligible, when they submit, as part of their application package, a "certification" of active service in lieu of a DD-214, indicating the service member is otherwise eligible and will be discharged or released within 120 days from the date of submission.. A "certification" letter should be on letterhead of the appropriate military branch of the service and contain (1) the military service dates including the expected discharge or release date; and (2) the character of service. This "certification" must include your rank, dates of active duty service, type of discharge and character of service (i.e. honorable), and date any terminal leave will begin. It must be signed by, or by direction of, the adjutant, personnel officer, or commander of your unit or higher headquarters. Active duty members that fail to provide a valid "certification" of service with their initial application will be found "not eligible". Members may be appointed before the effective date of their military retirement/separation if they are on terminal leave. Current or Former Political Appointees: Agencies must seek prior approval from OPM before they can appoint a current or recent political appointee to a competitive or non-political excepted service position at any level. If you are currently or have been within the last 5 years, a political Schedule A, Schedule C, or Non-career SES employee in the executive branch, you MUST disclose that to the Human Resources Office. Time-in-grade requirements must be met by the closing date of this announcement and clearly documented in your resume.
How to Apply: To apply for this position, you must complete the online application and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section above. A complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on the closing date of the announcement to receive consideration. To begin, click Apply to access the online application. You will need to be logged into your USAJOBS account to apply. If you do not have a USAJOBS account, you will need to create one before beginning the application. Follow the prompts to select your resume and/or other supporting documents to be included with your application package. Your resume cannot exceed two pages. See the Required Documents section above for more information. You will have the opportunity to upload additional documents to include in your application before it is submitted. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process, and it is your responsibility to ensure that they do so successfully. After acknowledging you have reviewed your application package, complete the Include Personal Information section as you deem appropriate and click to continue with the application process. You will be taken to the online application and questionnaire which you must complete in order to apply for the position. Complete the online application, verify the required documentation is included with your application package, and submit the application. Read the Eligibility questions carefully. Your responses will affect your consideration for the position. You may qualify for more than one eligibility, so please choose carefully. You will only be considered under the options you have selected. If you respond that you do not meet any of the eligibility questions, you will not be considered for this position. To view the questionnaire, click here: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12880396 Failure to submit a complete application package will result in an ineligible rating and loss of consideration. Do not email or send hard copy resumes/applications to the Contact Information or Agency Information listed in this vacancy announcement. All resumes/applications received at the addresses listed in the Contact Information or Agency Information will be destroyed and will not be considered for this vacancy announcement. It is the applicant's responsibility to verify that all information in their resume and documents are legible and accurate. HR will not modify answers/documents submitted by an applicant.
Application Deadline: 2026-03-06