Summary

You will serve as a International Relations Specialist (Indo-Pacific)with responsibility for developing both short- and long-range program objectives of the Department of the Interior (DOI) on international issues..

Overnight away from home up to 1-2 nights per month. You must obtain a government charge card for travel purposes.

Pay will vary based on grade level and/or duty location for which you're selected. First time hires to the Federal government normally start at the step 1 rate.

Duties

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Some of the major duties you will perform include but are not limited to the following:

Strategic Planning: Contribute to development of short- and long-term objectives for international engagement to benefit operations of Interior and its technical bureaus.

Foreign Technical Assistance: Prepare, evaluate, and improve proposals and programs delivering DOI expertise abroad. Select and coordinate DOI technical assistance teams, manage international project work plans, and manage international projects.

Interagency Coordination:

- - Serve as DOI's primary liaison to State, DOI bureaus, and other interagency partners on international issues and reporting.

- - Review talking points, memos, and policy decisions from State Department, Department of Energy, Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, and other U.S. government counterparts to ensure DOI concurrence and/or compliance

International Engagements:

- - Represent DOI in negotiations with foreign governments, NGOs, and international organizations to develop and implement programs.

- - Manage and oversee international visitor programs and other meetings with international counterparts; prepare guidance and clearances to Interior employees and briefing materials for DOI senior leadership.

Agreement Management: Oversee DOI engagement in existing international and interagency agreements. Draft, negotiate, review, and clear MOUs and other agreements with foreign governments and U.S. agencies.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

• Must provide proof of U.S. citizenship.
• Appointment subject to background investigation and favorable adjudication.
• Males born after 12-31-59 must be registered for Selective Service.
• Direct Deposit participation required.
• You are required to complete training, obtain and maintain a government credit card with travel and purchase authority.

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary period during which your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest will be evaluated.

This probationary period is an extension of the appointment process and therefore requires the agency to determine if continued employment would advance the public interest, meet the organization goals and mission of the agency, and/or otherwise promote the efficiency of the service. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, the agency will consider:

• your performance and conduct;
• the needs and interests of the agency;
• whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and
• whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service.

Under applicable law, the employment of an individual serving a probationary or trial period automatically terminates when that period ends unless the agency affirmatively certifies, in writing, that the individual's employment should continue and that their appointment should be finalized. In the absence of agency action to affirmatively certify continued employment beyond the probationary or trial period, such appointments are terminated.

Upon completion of your probationary period your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

Qualifications

Qualifications:

All qualifications must be met by the closing date of this announcement-08/27/2026-unless otherwise stated in this vacancy announcement.

To receive credit for experience, 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. Failure to adequately provide information needed to determine number of hours worked in each position may result in that time not being credited when evaluating qualifying experience. For periods of time that reflect military service, the DD-214 or Statement of Service is sufficient to meet the full and/or part-time hours requirement as the service dates will be reflected.

Minimum Qualification Requirements: To qualify for this position, you must meet the following minimum qualifications:

Basic Educational Requirement AND Specialized Experience for the series to which you are applying.

Basic Educational Requirements: In addition to the specialized experience requirements for this position, you must meet at least one of the following:

• 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: 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-
• 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

-AND-

To qualify for this position at the GS-12 grade level:

• Specialized Experience Requirement: 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 defined as demonstrated experience:
  
  • Applying knowledge of local cultural and business environments (or local language) of the region to support working relationships with foreign counterparts and assist in advancing natural resource policies and programs.
  • Participating in on-the-ground activities with foreign partner organizations in Republic of the Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Palau, the Philippines, Thailand, Malaysia, or Indonesia.
  • Assisting with international technical cooperation projects related to wildlife, parks, water resources, fisheries, or critical minerals.
  • Supporting the organization and logistics of international technical exchange trips for teams of subject matter experts in wildlife, parks, water resources, fisheries, or critical minerals.
  • Contributing to collaboration with Native American tribes on environmental and natural resource issues.
• Ability to fluently communicate in a non-English language used in the region (e.g. Tagalog, Korean); and familiarity with local culture is preferred but not required.

To qualify for this position at the GS-13 grade level:

• Specialized Experience Requirement: 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 defined as demonstrated experience:
  
  • Utilizing nuanced knowledge of local cultural and business environments (or local language) of the region to build effective working relationships with foreign counterparts and advance complex natural resource policies and programs.
  • Working on-the ground with foreign partner organizations in Thailand, Malaysia, the Philippines, or Indonesia.
  • Managing international technical cooperation projects focused on wildlife, parks, water resources, fisheries, or critical minerals.
  • Developing and implementing international technical exchange trips of teams of subject matter experts in wildlife, parks, water resources, fisheries, or critical minerals, including on the-ground logistics management.
  • Collaborating with technical experts and regulatory agencies on critical minerals and related issues in the Indo-Pacific.
• Ability to fluently communicate in a non-English language used in the region (e.g. Tagalog, Korean); and familiarity with local culture is preferred but not required.

You must include hours per week worked.

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.

Education

You must submit a copy of your transcript(s) to support claimed education if substituting education for experience. Transcripts must include your name, school name, grades, credit hours earned, major(s), grade point average or class ranking, and date the degree was conferred, if applicable. A typed list of courses, grades, semester/quarter hours, GPA, etc. will not be accepted. Non-submission may result in being rated not qualified for the position. Unofficial transcripts are acceptable, but if you are selected for this position and you used your education to qualify, you must provide official transcripts before you begin work.

Foreign Education: To receive credit for education completed outside the United States, you must show proof that the education has been submitted to a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign educational credentials and such education has been deemed at least equivalent to that gained in conventional U.S. education programs. Recognition of Foreign Qualifications | U.S. Department of Education. https://www.ed.gov/about/initiatives/international-affairs/recognition-of-foreign-qualification

Additional information

Additional vacancies may be filled using this job announcement.

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 Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments.

All Department of Interior (DOI) employees, their spouses, and minor children may not acquire or retain any claim, permit, lease, small tract entry, or other rights granted by the Department in Federal lands, with limited exceptions. Additional ethics prohibitions can be found here, https://www.doi.gov/ethics/ethics-prohibitions.

The duties of this position are suitable for telework and the selectee may be allowed to telework with supervisor approval.

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Benefits

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A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.

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Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.