International Relations Specialist

Summary This position is part of the Office of International Affairs, Department of Energy. As an International Relations Specialist, you will analyze energy policy, market trends, investment and trade issues and their impact on national security, foreign policy, and trade policy objectives. Responsibilities As an International Relations Specialist, you will: Participate with the Director and/or Deputy Director in conducting analyses for comprehensive and long-term energy policy planning and strategy development involving international energy policy, market trends, investment and trade issues and their impact on U.S. national security, climate policy, foreign policy and trade policy objectives in Asia. Assist in developing policies, strategies, and options aimed at enhancing exports and market penetration of U.S. energy services, commodities, equipment, technology and innovations in the global economy. Assist in developing policy options and strategies, and drafts policy recommendations for senior policymakers' use. Develop and maintain effective professional relationships with representatives of foreign governments, staff officials of other Federal agencies and national labs, and with private industry on policy and substantive program activities. Draft comprehensive briefings, speeches and testimony given by the Secretary, Deputy Secretary, the Under Secretary, Assistant Secretary, and other senior DOE officials. Develop background briefing and position papers for senior DOE management on energy policies, trade issues, strategies, and programs in Asia for use during bilateral and multilateral discussions. Perform research in preparation of special reports and papers relating to policy and program topics on a wide range of energy and international trade and investment issues for Asian Affairs. Serve as the DOE representative in meetings with foreign officials, both in the U.S. and abroad, and in interagency meetings related to assigned area of responsibility. Ensure the coordination of follow-up activities. Participate in various domestic and international forums by presenting and promoting the Department's position. Provide oral briefings on critical issues for senior departmental officials. Present and defend study plans, results and recommendations before the Director, and policy-level officials within or outside of DOE. Assist in identifying and monitoring potential foreign activities for cooperative arrangements from which the United States Government (USG) would derive benefits, recommending plans for cooperation. Advise and assist in defining and implementing programmatic objectives and in implementing decisions. Assist senior office staff in implementing DOE international science and technology, and energy cooperation agreements. Develop and execute cooperative activities, including through support services contractors. Develop and maintain effective working relationships with contractors. Monitor contract execution to assure compliance and fulfillment of the terms of contracts, to obtain timely delivery of goods or performance of services, and to ensure that all administrative requirements related to internal controls are met. Requirements Conditions of Employment Qualifications To qualify based on your experience, your resume must describe at least one year of experience that provided an intimate knowledge of a foreign country or geographic area and may have been gained 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 which prepared you to do the work in this job. A qualified candidate's online application and resume must demonstrate at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower grade level in the Federal service. BASIC REQUIREMENTS: 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 Combination of education and experience: courses equivalent to a major, or a combination of related courses totaling at least 24 semester hours, in one or more of the social sciences, or in the humanities, as shown in A above, plus appropriate experience or additional education. 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. SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS: A qualified candidate's online application and resume must demonstrate at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-11 grade level in the Federal service. Specialized experience for this position is defined as: Developing and maintaining effective professional relationships with representatives of foreign governments on energy-related policy and substantive program activities. Conducting in-depth analyses for comprehensive and long-term energy-related policy planning and strategy development looking at international energy policy market trends, investment and trade issues and their impact on U.S. national security, climate policy, foreign policy, and trade policy objectives in assigned non- U.S. geographical regions, ideally pertaining to Asia. Providing critical interpretations of international energy policy as it relates to domestic and international policy assessments (including energy market data and economic information), and presenting results adequate for appropriate international policy development. Planning and overseeing implementation of technical or policy studies and projects related to energy and climate. The Individual Occupational Requirement for this position is: International Relations Series, 0131 "Experience" refers to paid and unpaid experience. Examples of qualifying unpaid experience may include: volunteer work done through National Service programs (such as Peace Corps and AmeriCorps); as well as work for other community-based philanthropic and social organizations. Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills; and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. Time-in-Grade: 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 by the closing date of this announcement to receive consideration. CTAP/ICTAP candidates: To be considered "well qualified" you must meet all of the requirements as described in this section. You must meet all qualifications and eligibility requirements by the closing date of this announcement. Education Some federal jobs allow you to substitute your education for the required experience above in order to qualify. For this job, you may qualify if your education meets the definitions below: EDUCATION: Successful completion of three years of progressively higher level graduate education from an accredited college or university leading to a Ph.D. degree or Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree in international law and international relations, political science, economics, history, sociology, social or cultural anthropology, law, statistics, or in the humanities, associated with international organizations, problems or other aspects of foreign affairs. This education must have provided the knowledge, skills, and abilities to do the work of the position. (Note: You must attach a copy of your transcripts with your application package.) One year of full-time graduate education is considered to be the number of credit hours that the school attended has determined to represent one year of full-time study. If that number cannot be obtained from the school, 18 semester hours should be considered an academic year of graduate study. Part-time graduate education is creditable in accordance with its relationship to a year of full-time study at the school attended. OR COMBINATION OF GRADUATE EDUCATION AND PROFESSIONAL EXPERIEINCE: Appropriate combinations of successfully completed graduate level education (as mentioned above) of less than three years (Ph.D.) but more than two years (Master's); AND less than one year of specialized experience at the GS-09 level in the Federal service (as mentioned above) may be used to meet total experience requirements. (Note: You must attach a copy of your transcripts with your application package. Education must be obtained from an accredited institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Foreign education must be reviewed by an organization recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. For special instructions pertaining to foreign education and a list of organizations that can evaluate foreign education, see the Department of Education website. Additional Information The U.S. Department of Energy fosters a diverse and inclusive workplace and is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Federal agencies may request information regarding the vaccination status of selected applicants for the purposes of implementing other workplace safety protocols, such as protocols related to masking, physical distancing, testing, travel, and quarantine. Due to COVID-19, the agency is currently in a maximum telework posture. If selected, you may be expected to telework upon your appointment. As employees are permitted to return to the office, you may be required to report to the duty station listed on this announcement, even if your home/temporary telework site is located outside the local commuting area. Your position may be eligible for workplace flexibilities which may include remote work or telework options, and/or flexible work scheduling. These flexibilities may be requested in accordance with the DOE Workplace Flexibilities policy. New employees to the Department of Energy will be required to successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check. To learn about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, visit www.dhs.gov/E-Verify. Veterans and persons with disabilities are encouraged to apply. For more information, please visit the links at the bottom of this page or visit the FedsHireVets website. If you believe that you are eligible for the Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP), please visit the OPM ICTAP/CTAP website for more information. In order to be considered under the ICTAP program, your application must score within the pre-established "well qualified" category as stated in the Qualifications section. More than one selection may be made from this vacancy announcement. Some positions may require completion of a probationary period of up to 1 (one) year. Many positions require successful completion of a background investigation. Your performance appraisal and incentive awards will be given due consideration in the selection process based on their relation to the duties of the position and the consistency with which they may be considered in evaluating you against other candidates. Hiring incentives may be authorized in accordance with agency policy and if funding is available. 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