Summary About the Position: Position is located in the U.S. Status of Forces Agreement Secretariat and Office of the Special Assistant to the Deputy Commander, United States Forces Korea, Headquarters. This is an overseas unique position with exercise, crisis and wartime duties at United Nations Command and USFK command posts in Korea and Japan. Responsibilities Works directly for the U.S. Secretary to the Republic of Korea (ROK) - U.S. Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) Joint Committee and with a small secretariat team directly supporting the USFK Deputy Commander Acts both independently and in concert with the United States Secretary, as the focal point for the development and maintenance of uniform and consistent policies and programs governing relationships of the USFK with the Republic of Korea (ROK) As a consultant/advisor to the USFK staff , incumbent explains rights, privileges, and obligations of the U.S. and ROK under the SOFA Incumbent provides authoritative political military analyses of the scope and nature of complex bilateral issues, negotiating histories, pertinent laws, regulations, and international agreements Maintains and develops wide-ranging liaison with policy level officials in the ROK Government, the U.S. Embassy and other U.S. agencies in Korea Requirements Conditions of Employment Qualifications Who May Apply: Only applicants who meet one of the employment authority categories below are eligible to apply for this job. You will be asked to identify which category or categories you meet, and to provide documents which prove you meet the category or categories you selected. See Proof of Eligibility for an extensive list of document requirements for all employment authorities. Current Department of Army Civilian Employees Applying to OCONUS Positions Current Department of Defense (DOD) Civilian Employee (non-Army) Domestic Defense Industrial Base/Major Range and Test Facilities Base Civilian Personnel Workforce Family Member Preference (FMP) for Overseas Employment Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan Land Management Workforce Flexibility Act Military Spouse Preference (MSP) for Overseas Employment Priority Placement Program, DoD Military Reserve (MR) and National Guard (NG) Technician Eligible Priority Placement Program, DoD MR and NG Preference Eligible Tech Receiving Disability Retirement Priority Placement Program, DoD Retained Grade Preference Eligible Veterans Employment Opportunity Act (VEOA) of 1998 Special Note for Military Members MILITARY RETIREES: A retired member of the Armed Forces may not be appointed to a civilian position in DoD (including a non-appropriated fund position) within 180 days after retirement [** unless the following conditions have been met: the Secretary concerned authorizes the appointment; or the position is authorized special pay under 5 U.S.C. 5305; or a state of national emergency exists]. MILITARY SEPARATED (NON-RETIREE): Military members may be appointed while on terminal leave, before the effective date of their military separation. Applications will only be accepted from members of the Armed Forces that indicate they are immediately appoint-able within 120 days. If you are currently stationed in the overseas area, all of your overseas time will be credited toward your current overseas tour end date. Your overseas time served will not reset upon accepting this assignment. If you have returned from OCONUS within the past 2 years or less, your time previously served in the OCONUS area will be credited to your 5 year overseas rotation upon accepting this assignment. In order to qualify, you must meet the education and/or experience requirements described below. 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). You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. Your resume must clearly describe your relevant experience; if qualifying based on education, your transcripts will be required as part of your application. Additional information about transcripts is in this document. Basic Requirement for an International Relations Specialist: A. Degree: Bachelor's degree (or higher degree) with a 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 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, as shown in A above, in work associated with international organizations, problems, or other aspects of foreign affairs. Evaluation of Experience To qualify based on your experience, your resume must describe at least one year of experience that included either (a) responsibility for the direction and coordination of research, analysis, or other professional work in one or more of the following fields of work, international law and international relations, political science, economics, history, sociology, geography, social or cultural anthropology, law, statistics, or in the humanities, associated with international organizations, problems, or other aspects of foreign affairs, or (b) specialized professional work involving a high level of difficulty and responsibility in one or more of these fields. In addition to meeting the basic requirement above, to qualify for this position you must also meet the qualification requirements listed below: Specialized Experience: One year of specialized experience which includes: Experience in applying principles and procedures of Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) as they apply to U.S. policies in an international environment; AND Experience with cross-cultural negotiation strategies and techniques to advance U.S. objectives in an international environment. This definition of specialized experience is typical of work performed at the next lower grade/level position in the federal service (GS-13). Some federal jobs allow you to substitute your education for the required experience in order to qualify. For this job, you must meet the qualification requirement using experience alone--no substitution of education for experience is permitted. You will be evaluated on the basis of your level of competency in the following areas: International Engagement Action Planning International Engagement Policy Development Strategic Thinking Time in Grade Requirement: 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 (GS-12). Education FOREIGN EDUCATION: If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show 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: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html. Additional Information Direct deposit of pay is required. U.S. citizens overseas under ordinarily resident status are not eligible for appointment under the Status of Forces Agreement. Locality pay does not apply in the overseas area. If an employee brings a child to an overseas location and that child is entitled to attend a DoD school on a space-required basis in accordance with DoDEA Regulation 1342.13, the DoDEA and the Military Department responsible for providing related services will ensure that the child, if eligible for special education, receives a free appropriate public education, including related services pursuant to DoDI 1342.12 and DoDM 1342.12. If an employee brings an infant or toddler (up to 3 years of age) to an overseas location, and that infant or toddler, but for the child's age, is entitled to attend the DoDEA on a space-required basis in accordance with DoDEA Regulation 1342.13, then the Military Department responsible for EIS will provide the infant or toddler with the required EIS in accordance with the eligibility criteria consistent with DoDI 1342.12 and DoDM 1342.12. Employees (and family members) who require medical or dental care in the overseas location will be responsible for obtaining and paying for such care. Access for civilian employees and their families to military medical and dental treatment facilities is on a space-available and reimbursable basis only. Pay retention may be offered to selected applicants for positions at overseas locations. Pay retention will not be offered as an incentive for employees moving between overseas positions. Selectees may receive certain foreign area benefits such as: Living Quarters Allowance (LQA) or government quarters, home leave, etc. Selectees will have their eligibility for foreign area benefits determined at the time of hire in accordance with Department of State Standardized Regulation (DSSR) and DoDI 1400.25 volume 1250. For positions in a foreign country, that country's laws or international agreements may have a direct impact on the ability of an employee's same sex domestic partner or spouse to accompany the employee and receive certain benefits. If you believe you may be affected by these laws and agreements, you should familiarize yourself with relevant information and direct questions concerning a specific country (Foreign Duty Location) to the appropriate Army Human Resources point of contact prior to the acceptance of employment and your entrance on duty. This is a Career Program (CP) 60 - Foreign Affairs/Strategic Planning position. The initial length of this overseas tour is 36 months. Defense National Relocation Program will not be authorized. When you perform a Civilian Permanent Change of Station (PCS) with the government, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) considers the majority of your entitlements to be taxable. Visit https://www.gsa.gov/cdnstatic/FTR%20Bulletin%2018_05%20Relocation%20Allowances_0.pdf for more information. If you are unable to apply online or need to fax a document you do not have in electronic form, view the following link for information regarding an Alternate Application. Multiple positions may be filled from this vacancy. Payment of Permanent Change of Station (PCS) costs is authorized, subject to the provisions of the Joint Travel Regulations. Recruitment, Relocation, Retention or enhanced recruitment incentive(s) MAY BE authorized. Student Loan Repayment incentive(s) MAY BE authorized.