Job Summary

You will serve as an International Relations Specialist (Western Hemisphere). This position is located within the Department of the Interior, Office of the Secretary, Assistant Secretary-Insular and International Affairs, Deputy Director International Operations, International Relations Branch, in SEATTLE, WASHINGTON or WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA. This vacancy announcement is open to Department of the Interior (DOI) employees in the Office of International Affairs (INT) only.

Job Description

Requirements Continued... Occasional travel required, possibly to remote areas. Ability to obtain and maintain an Official U.S. Passport. Qualifications: All qualifications must be met by the closing date of this announcement -08/21/2026- unless otherwise stated in this vacancy announcement. Competitive candidates must also meet Time-in-Grade requirements as defined in 5 CFR 300, Subpart F. For current Federal employees, if hours worked per week are not included on your resume, you must submit a non-award SF-50 as part of your application to be used to validate your work schedule and determine the amount of specialized experience that you will be granted. An award SF-50 will not be acceptable documentation for which to consider your amount of qualifying experience. For periods of time that reflect military service, the DD-214 or Statement of Service is sufficient to meet the work schedule requirement as the service dates will be reflected. For all other applicants who are not current federal employees, your resume must state either "full-time" (or "40 hours a week") or "part-time" with the number of hours worked per week to ensure proper crediting of specialized experience. Minimum Qualification Requirements: To qualify for this position, you must meet the following minimum qualifications: Selective Placement Factors: This position requires a special qualification that has been determined to be essential to perform the duties and will be used as a screen out element. If you do not provide evidence that you possess the following selective factor(s), you will be rated not qualified. Applicants must be able to read, speak, and write in the Spanish language in order to qualify. The position will require these foreign language skills in certain instances, particularly when working in countries with a large Spanish-speaking population. The position will also occasionally require drafting briefing materials or otherwise representing the office's work in Spanish language. Work will include communication with counterparts from foreign governments or other organizations in Spanish-speaking countries. Familiarity with the cultural practices, language, and natural resource issues of the region will be critical for success. -AND- Basic Educational Requirements: In addition to the specialized experience requirements for this position, you must meet at least one of the following: Individual Occupational Requirements - International Relations Series 0131 Basic Requirements A. 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. You must submit transcripts. -OR- B. Combination of education and experience: (course work as shown in "A" above, plus appropriate experience or additional education.) 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. You must submit transcripts. -OR- C. 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 that provided an intimate knowledge of a foreign country or geographic area may have been gained through residence, study, teaching, business or commercial activities, military service, newspaper work, military or civil government activities, missionary or inter-national relief work, or other experience in foreign countries. It may also have been gained through teaching college-level courses in international relations or problems associated with a specific foreign geographic area. To qualify for positions at grades GS-12 and above on the basis of experience, this experience must have included either (a) responsibility for the direction and coordination of research, analysis, or other professional work in one or more of the fields listed in A above, or (b) specialized professional work involving a high level of difficulty and responsibility in one or more of these fields. -AND- To qualify for this position at the GS-12 grade level: Experience: To qualify, you must possess at least one full year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-11 level in the Federal service (obtained in either the public or private sectors). Specialized experience is experience that equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position, and that is in or related to the work of the position to be filled. Specialized experience is defined as demonstrated experience: Participating in collaboration with technical experts and government officials by collecting background information, preparing meeting materials, and assisting with routine follow-up actions under direction. Providing support for regional technical cooperation activities by carrying out assigned program tasks, assisting with stakeholder outreach logistics, and helping compile monitoring or documentation materials as instructed by senior staff. Maintaining project financial records by entering data, preparing standard supporting documentation, and assisting with routine expenditure tracking following established procedures. Performing logistical and administrative duties such as scheduling, document preparation, records management, and coordinating routine project activities in accordance with Federal regulations and processes. OR Possess a Ph.D. or equivalent Doctoral degree. To qualify for this position at the GS-13 grade level: Experience: To qualify, you must possess at least one full year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-12 level in the Federal service (obtained in either the public or private sectors). Specialized experience is experience that equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position, and that is in or related to the work of the position to be filled. Specialized experience is defined as demonstrated experience: Supporting collaboration with technical experts and government officials on natural resource issues by contributing research, coordinating discussions, and assisting with follow-up actions. Assisting in the management of regional technical cooperation activities related to renewable and non-renewable natural resources, including helping organize program tasks, supporting stakeholder engagement, and contributing to monitoring and documentation under the guidance of senior staff. Contributing to project budget formulation and tracking by maintaining financial records, preparing supporting documentation, and assisting with reconciliation of expenditures. Performing a variety of logistical and administrative support tasks within Federal regulations and systems, showing flexibility, attention to detail, and a solutions-oriented approach to ensuring smooth project coordination. You must include hours per week worked in your resume. Volunteer Experience: 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). 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.