Department: Department of the Air Force
Location(s): Arlington, Virginia
Salary Range: $143913 - $187093 Per Year
Job Summary: Click on "Learn more about this agency" button below to view Eligibilities being considered and other IMPORTANT information.
Major Duties:
Qualifications: This is a Term position NTE 17 Jan 2028; the individual selected for this position may be extended without further competition. Current Federal civilian employees may apply for this position using "Reinstatement" eligibility and if selected, a break in service of at least 4 calendar days may be required prior to appointment to this position. Must be able to obtain and maintain a TS/SCI clearance. Position is designed Special Sensitive and requires eligibility for access to Sensitive Compartmented Information (SCI), other intelligence-related Special Sensitive information, or involvement in Top Secret Special Access Program (SAP) to fully perform the duties and responsibilities of the position. A nondisclosure agreement must be signed. This position has been designated by the Air Force as a Testing Designated Position (TDP) under the Air Force Civilian Drug Demand Reduction Program. Employees must pass initial and periodic short notice drug testing. Illegal drug use by employees in sensitive positions presents a clear threat to the mission of the Air Force, national security, and public safety. Incumbent must be comfortable in dealing with high-ranking foreign representatives and able to utilize tact and diplomacy on all occasions. 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 REQUIREMENTS FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS SPECIALIST 0130 SERIES: A Bachelor's degree (or higher degree) or a degree with a 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. 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 expert knowledge of the procedures and organization of the Department of the Air Force and the Office of the Secretary of Defense and the demonstrates ability to work directly with senior members of all military branches in examining and developing policy options; master knowledge in the Foreign Affairs field, and interagency matters involving Department of the Air Force international interests; directly addresses related Office of the Secretary of Defense, Department of State, and Congressional inquiries; and expert knowledge and skills sufficient to understand the operational and strategic implications of U.S. treaties and alliances as they relate to political-military and security assistance affairs. 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: Knowledge of U.S. foreign affairs, national security policies, and objectivities and their historical and political context as they pertain to the development, interpretation, and execution of U.S. foreign policy. Knowledge in diplomacy with dealing with senior officials in the U.S. Federal Government, Allies and Partners, industry, and the international community at large. Skill in oral and written communicator with ability to justify, defend, advocate, critique, and interpret U.S. foreign policy and advise on process and actions for Air Force Senior Leaders. Ability to research, analyze, and synthesize information / situations to develop and deliver sound advice and recommendations in support of Air Force Senior Leader decision making. Ability to analyze, plan, and adjust work operations of one or more organizational segments to meet program requirements and objectives within available resources. Ability to perform work requiring a professional knowledge of the formulation and implementation of foreign policy of the United States in the conduct of the relations, primarily of political-military, defense, or economic nature with other governments and government entities. 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.
How to Apply: The complete Application Package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on 03/25/2026 To preview the Application Questionnaire, please click the following link: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12913729 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.
Application Deadline: 2026-03-25