Regional Affairs Specialist

About the role

This position is located in the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Office of Strategy, Policy, and Plans (PLCY), International Affairs (OIA). The primary purpose of this position is to develop and implement international affairs policies, strategies, and engagement activities, with a focus on Canada or Mexican initiatives. Non-BU: This is a non-bargaining unit position.

What you will do

• Identifying, developing, and implementing homeland security policies related to Mexico and Canada, in coordination with internal departmental stakeholders and other Federal agencies.
• Preparing and reviewing reports, summaries, and analyses on homeland security, intelligence sharing, and international affairs related to Canada, Mexico, and North America.
• Organizing and supporting meetings for senior DHS officials with foreign government officials, U.S. cabinet officers, or members of Congress.
• Assisting with organizing domestic or international meetings, events, or trainings to support the implementation of homeland security policy with Mexico and Canada.
• All DHS-HQ announcements have a 5 business day open period due to the number of applications received.
• This announcement will be open for 5 business days OR until the first 100 applications have been received, whichever happens first.
• View common definitions of terms found in this announcement: Common Definitions.

Education

Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications; applicant's resumes and supporting documentation should only reflect education received from schools accredited by such institutions.

Applicants can verify accreditation at the following Website: ***

If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency (a U.S. private organization's interpretation that such education has been deemed at least equivalent to conventional U.S. education programs) with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education.

For more information regarding evaluation of foreign education for federal employment, please visit the U.S. Department of Education webpage on the Recognition of Foreign Qualifications.

How you will be evaluated

We will review your resume and supporting documentation to ensure you meet the minimum qualification requirements. If you meet the minimum qualifications, we will use a job questionnaire to place you in one of three categories based on your experience, education and training.

The competencies or knowledge, skills, and abilities needed to perform this job are: If you meet the minimum qualifications, you will be placed in one of the following categories: Best-Qualified: Applicants possessing experience that substantially exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position and demonstrate high proficiency in all of the critical competencies, including all Selective Placement Factors (SPF), and appropriate Quality Ranking Factors (QRF) as determined by the job analysis.

Well-Qualified: Applicants possessing experience that exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position and demonstrates acceptable proficiency in all of the critical competencies, including all SPF's and appropriate QRFs as determined by the job analysis.

Qualified: Applicants possessing experience that meets the minimum qualifications of the position and demonstrate basic proficiency in most of the critical competencies, including all SPFs and appropriate QRFs as determined by the job analysis. Structured Resume Review.

Subject matter experts (SMEs) will review your resume to determine your technical qualifications for this position based on the required specialized experience. SMEs will not review additional information beyond your resume (e.g., cover letter, links embedded in your resume). Applicants passing the structured resume review will move on to the next phase of the assessment process.

If you are best qualified, you may be referred to the hiring manager for consideration and may be called for an interview.

Preview the job questionnaire *** If, after reviewing your resume and/or supporting documentation, a determination is made that you have overstated your qualifications and/or experience, you may be removed from consideration or your score may be lowered.

Veterans: Qualified veterans who have a compensable service-connected disability of at least 10% are listed in the best-qualified category, except when the position being filled is scientific or professional at the GS-09 grade level, or higher. (This position is not considered scientific/professional.).

Other 10-point preference eligibles and veterans with 5-point preference who meet the eligibility and qualification requirements are placed above non-preference eligibles within the category in which they qualify. View information on veterans' preference.

Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP) eligibles: If you have never worked for the federal government, you are not ICTAP eligible. View information about ICTAP eligibility on OPM's Career Transition Resources website. To be considered eligible under ICTAP, you must be rated at a minimum score of 85 for this position.

In addition, you must submit the supporting documents listed under the required documents section of this job announcement. Interviews are required for this position.

Failure to complete the interview may result in removal from further consideration.

Documents you must provide

• Limit your resume to no more than two pages.
• The USAJOBS database will not allow an applicant to submit an application that includes a resume over two pages.
• For what to include in the resume, click on the link: USAJOBS Help Center Your responses to the job questionnaire. *** Are you a veteran?
• You must provide acceptable documentation of your preference or appointment eligibility.
• The member 4 copy of your DD214, "Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty," is preferable.
• If claiming 10 point preference, you will need to submit a Standard Form (SF-15), "Application for 10-point Veterans' Preference." If applying based on eligibility under the Veterans Opportunity to Work (VOW) Act, you must submit certification from the Armed Forces that you will be discharged or released from active duty within 120 days from the date on the certification.
• This must indicate your dates of service, your rank, and confirm that you will be separated under honorable conditions.
• View more veterans' information.
• Are you qualifying based on education?
• Submit a copy of your college transcript (unofficial is acceptable) from an accredited institution.
• Once selected and prior to appointment, applicants must provide an official college transcript.
• Education completed in foreign colleges or universities may be used to meet Federal qualification requirements if you can show that your foreign education is comparable to education received in accredited educational institutions in the United States.
• For example, specific courses accepted for college-level credit by an accredited U.S. college or university, or foreign education evaluated by an organization recognized for accreditation by the Department of Education as education equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. college or university.
• It is your responsibility to provide such evidence with your application.
• See Recognition of Foreign Qualifications for more information.
• Are you claiming special priority selection rights under the Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP)?
• Submit the following: A copy of your agency notice, A copy of your most recent performance rating, and A copy of your most recent SF-50, Notification of Personnel Action, noting your current position, grade level, and duty location.
• Are you a current or former political Schedule A, Schedule C, Non-career SES or Presidential Appointee employee?
• Submit a copy of your applicable SF-50, along with a statement that provides the following information regarding your most recent political appointment: Position title, Type of appointment (Schedule A, Schedule C, Non-career SES, or Presidential Appointee), Agency, Beginning and ending dates of appointment.

What to expect next

Once you submit your application, we will assess your experience and training, identify the best-qualified applicants, and refer those applications to the hiring manager for further consideration and interviews. We will notify you by email after each of these steps has been completed. Your status will also be updated on USAJOBS throughout the process.

To check your status, log on to your USAJOBS account, click on "Application Status," and then click "More Information." We expect to make a job offer within 60 days after the deadline for applications. If you are selected, we will conduct a suitability/security background investigation. View more information on applying for federal employment.

Note: If you receive a final job offer to onboard, please complete the onboarding forms and submit them electronically in an expeditious manner. Your start date may be delayed if the action above is not completed. DHS uses e-Verify, an Internet-based system, to confirm the eligibility of all newly hired employees to work in the United States.

Learn more about e-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities. Any Offers of employment made pursuant to this announcement will be consistent with all applicable authorities, including Presidential Memoranda, Executive Orders, interpretive U.S. Office of Personnel Management guidance and U.S. Office of Management and Budget plans and policies concerning hiring.

These authorities are subject to change. Multiple selections may be made from this announcement.

Additional information

The Department of Homeland Security encourages persons with disabilities to apply, to include persons with intellectual, severe physical or psychiatric disabilities, as defined by 5 CFR 213.3102(u), and or Disabled Veterans with a compensable service-connected disability of 30 percent or more as defined by 5 CFR 315.707.

Veterans, Peace Corps, VISTA volunteers, and persons with disabilities possess a wealth of unique talents, experiences, and competencies that can be invaluable to the DHS mission. If you are a member of one of these groups, you may not have to compete with the public for federal jobs.

To determine your eligibility for non-competitive appointment and to understand the required documentation, click on the links above or contact the servicing Human Resources Office listed at the bottom of this announcement.

Pursuant to Executive Order 12564 and DHS policy, DHS is committed to maintaining a drug-free workplace and, therefore, conducts random and other drug testing of its employees in order to ensure a safe and healthy work environment.

Headquarters personnel in safety- or security-sensitive positions are subject to random drug testing and all applicants tentatively selected for employment at DHS Headquarters are subject to drug testing resulting in a negative test result.

If you receive a conditional offer of employment for this position, you will be required to complete an Optional Form 306, Declaration of Federal Employment, and to sign and certify the accuracy of all information in your application, prior to entry on duty.

False statements on any part of the application may result in withdrawal of offer of employment, dismissal after beginning work, fine, or imprisonment. Background Investigation: To ensure the accomplishment of our mission, DHS requires every employee to be reliable and trustworthy.

To meet those standards, all selected applicants must undergo and successfully pass a background investigation for Secret clearance as a condition of placement in this Noncritical Sensitive position.

This review may include financial issues such as delinquency in the payment of debts, child support and/or tax obligations, as well as certain criminal offenses and illegal use or possession of drugs.