Foreign Affairs Coordinator (OA)

Summary

This position is part of the International Boundary and Water Commission, US Section. The incumbent will be responsible for serving as the principal point of contact for the Foreign Affairs Office (FAO) of the U.S. Section International Boundary and Water Commission (USIBWC).

Duties

Coordinates and executes U.S.-Mexico meetings, maintains contact with Mexican government counterparts, and conducts reviews and logs payment information to/from Mexico on the Statement of Accounts. Processes, tracks, and logs English and Spanish Commission correspondence. Conducts research on foreign policy matters between the two Sections of the Commission and prepares reports summarizing the research conducted. Establishes and manages office administrative procedures, including purchasing, maintaining budget log, charge card holder duties, travel authorizations, and vouchers; translates news articles and routine correspondence and provides interpretation. Administers bi-national Commission ID card program, coordinating with staff, the Mexican Section, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection to implement the program and produce IDs.

Requirements

US Citizenship is required. Suitable for Federal employment, determined by background investigation. Direct Deposit of pay is required. Selective Service registration required for male applicants, unless exempt. Status candidates must meet time-in-grade (see Qualifications). Spanish and English fluency proficiency required

Qualifications and evaluation

You will be evaluated based on how well you meet the qualifications and competencies listed in this vacancy announcement. Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g., resume, supporting documents), the responses you provide on the minimum qualification questionnaire, and the result of the USA Hire competency Based Assessment(s) required for this position. You will be assessed on the following technical and soft skill competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics): Attention to Detail, Attention to Detail, Customer Service, Decision Making, Flexibility, Integrity/Honesty, Interpersonal Skills, Learning, Reading Comprehension, Reasoning, Self-Management, Self-Management, Stress Tolerance, Teamwork, Technical Competency – Administrative Operations, and Technical Competency – Writing / Editing Note: Duplicative competencies indicate that the competency is being assessed in both the Assessment Questionnaire and additional assessment. In order to be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. In addition to the application and minimum qualifications questionnaire, this position requires an online USA Hire Competency Based Assessment. The online assessment measures critical general competencies required to perform the job. This position contains a quality ranking factor (QRF) that is part of the evaluation of the Administrative Operations and Attention to Detail competencies. The QRF for this position is advanced skill in developing and using Excel spreadsheets. Due Weight Consideration is a review process used to provide consideration to performance appraisals and awards submitted with each application on a used merit promotion certificate and factoring the results into the merit promotion selection process. Please submit 1) a copy of your most recent performance appraisal/evaluation and 2) a list of any awards (e.g. superior performance awards, special act or achievement awards, quality step increase, etc.) you received in the last 5 years. Any performance appraisal/evaluation and award documentation you provide will be forwarded to the selecting official. The selecting official will review this documentation and give it due weight consideration during the overall selection process. If you do not have your most recent performance appraisal/evaluation, please submit a statement as to why it is not available. Please indicate if any prior performance appraisals/evaluations were at an acceptable level. It is your responsibility to obtain and upload your performance appraisal/evaluation and/or list of awards prior to the closing of the vacancy announcement.

Education

If qualifying based on EDUCATION you MUST provide transcripts or other documentation to support your educational claims. Unless otherwise stated: (1) official or unofficial transcripts are acceptable, or (2) you may submit a list with all of your courses, grades, semester, year, and credit for the course. All materials must be submitted by the closing date of the announcement. Note: PDF Portfolio documents will not be processed or accepted as they appear as a one-page document. Only education from institutions which are accredited or preaccredited/candidate for accreditation may be used to meet education requirements. FOREIGN EDUCATION: If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show that the education credentials have been evaluated by a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign education programs and such education has been deemed equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program; or full credit has been given for the courses at a U.S. accredited college or university. For further information, visit: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/

How to apply

To apply for this position, you must complete the online application and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section of this vacancy. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on the closing date to receive consideration. To begin, click Apply Online to access an online application. Follow the prompts to select your USAJOBS resume and/or other supporting documents. You will need to be logged into your USAJOBS account or you may need to create a new account. You will be taken to an online application. Complete the online application, verify the required documentation, and submit the application. Read the Eligibility questions carefully. The questions address if you are eligible to apply to this JOA. 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. You will receive an email notification when your application has been received for the announcement. To verify the status of your application, log into your USAJOBS account, https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login, select the Application Status link and then select the More Information link for this position. The Application Status page will display the status of your application, the documentation received and processed, and your responses submitted to the online application. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process. You may preview the Assessment Questionnaire at: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/13016522 If you have questions about this job, please contact the HR Office representative listed in the "Agency Contact Info" section of this vacancy announcement. Applying online is highly encouraged. We are available to assist you during business hours (normally 8:00a.m. - 4:00p.m., Mountain Time, Monday - Friday). If applying online poses a hardship, you may request an alternate application method from the Agency Contact listed in the vacancy. All hardship application packages must be complete and submitted no later than noon ET on the closing date of the announcement.

Required documents

To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package which includes: 1. Your Resume listing work schedule, hours worked per week, dates of employment mm/yy and duties performed. If multiple resumes are submitted, only the most current resume will be reviewed for qualifications. Please limit your resume to no more than 2 pages. If more than 2 pages are submitted, only the first 2 pages will be reviewed to determine your eligibility/qualifications. 2. SF-50 Current/Former Career/Career-Conditional Eligible: Your most recent non-award Notification of Personnel Action (SF-50 or equivalent) showing that you are/were in the competitive service, as well as the highest grade (or promotion potential) held, on a permanent basis 3. Other supporting documents: College transcript(s), if qualifying based on education DD-214, SF-15 Form and/or VA letter, or certification of expected discharge or release from active duty from Veterans for consideration under Veteran hiring authorities Non-competitive appointment authority documentation, if applicable Career Transition Assistance Program/Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program Documentation: If you are applying under CTAP or ICTAP, you MUST submit proof of eligibility under 5 CFR 330.602(a) for CTAP and 5 CFR 330.704 for ICTAP. This includes a copy of the agency notice, a copy of your most recent performance rating, and a copy of your most recent SF-50 (Notification of Personnel Action) showing your position, grade level, and duty location. Please annotate your application to reflect that you are applying as a CTAP or ICTAP eligible Most recent Performance Appraisal, if applicable Cover letter, optional Proof of proficiency in Spanish and English. Do not submit photographs with your application package. Documents with photographs may not be seen by hiring officials - you must remove your image from any badges, licenses, etc. Do not upload Adobe portfolio documents. Adobe portfolio documents are not viewable by our agency's staffing offices. Note: A PDF Portfolio contains multiple files assembled into an integrated PDF unit. The files in a PDF Portfolio can be in a wide range of file types created in different applications. To ensure the document is not a PDF Portfolio document, open the document and if there are multiple different documents with a variety of extensions, it is a PDF Portfolio document and will not be processed. Career Transition Assistance Programs: CTAP/ICTAP provides placement assistance to permanent Federal employees who are surplus, displaced, or involuntarily separated. To be considered under CTAP/ICTAP, applicants must be well-qualified (i.e., meet the minimum qualification requirements, including any selective placement factors; education, and experience requirements), score at least 85 on the assessment questionnaire, and be able to perform the duties of the position upon entry. Please refer to Required Documents section for additional details. For information on CTAP and ICTAP visit here. Appointment Authorities: For more information on appointment authority eligibility requirements: Persons with Disabilities-Schedule A Special Hiring Authorities for Veterans Special Hiring Authority for Certain Military Spouses Other Special Appointment Authorities OPM Interchange Agreement and Other Miscellaneous Authorities It is your responsibility to ensure all required documents have been submitted prior to the closing date of the announcement.

Additional information

Reasonable Accommodation (RA) Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a RA in your online application. Requests for RA for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for RA must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for RA are made on a case-by-case basis. If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, based on your adjudication decision. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, if you received the link after the close of the announcement. To determine if you need a RA, please review the Procedures for RA for Online Assessments. Telework Suitability: The duties of this position are suitable for situational telework only at agency discretion. Stipulations of Employment: As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you may be required to serve a 1-year probationary period or a 1-2 year trial period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider: Your performance and conduct; The needs and interests of the agency; Whether your continued employment would advance the organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and Whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service. Upon completion of your probationary period or trial period, your employment may be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest. Work Schedule: This position requires a fixed work schedule; flexible work schedules will not be authorized. Miscellaneous: This position is covered by the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), Local 3060. IBWC uses E-Verify to confirm the employment eligibility of all newly hired employees. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, please visit http://www.uscis.gov/e-verify. This vacancy announcement may be used to fill similar positions within 90 days.