International Trade Specialist

Summary This position is part of the US Trade and Development Agency. The incumbent assists the Regional Director in promoting economic development in the assigned region by identifying, recommending, and managing project preparation and partnership building activities. Duties Evaluate the potential of infrastructure development projects in emerging markets to facilitate U.S. exports and job creation. Make preliminary determinations of the project's ability to meet USTDA funding criteria, including ability to obtain implementation financing and support U.S. exports and jobs. Support USG foreign policy priorities by promoting host country economic growth. Represent the Agency in a variety of forums to provide information about, explain, advocate, and defend USTDA program activities. Develop and maintain business relationships with embassy officials, government officials, and private sector representatives in the U.S. and assigned countries. Perform due diligence on prospective USTDA contractors and grantees. Track ongoing and completed projects to assess commercial and developmental impact in order to assist the Evaluations Office with monitoring project developments. Draft briefing materials, memoranda, talking points, speeches, and other written materials that support USTDA's leadership, the regional teams, and other stakeholders relevant to USTDA's project activities. Provide formal and informal oral presentations to business groups, USTDA leadership, foreign audiences, and other stakeholders relevant to USTDA's project activities. Requirements Conditions of employment 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. Background and security investigation for Secret or Top Secret Clearance. Qualifications Applicants must meet the BASIC QUALIFICATION requirement for this position described below. Undergraduate and/or Graduate Education: Major study -- marketing, business administration, political science, public administration, history, business or commercial law, economics, finance, international trade, or international relations. OR Experience: Experience that demonstrates knowledge of: Marketing that included economic, psychological, and sociological influences bearing upon consumption patterns; Business practices pertaining to wholesale, retail, manufacturers' distribution, distribution costs, finance and tax structure, and similar areas of activity or concern; and International economic and political factors influencing balance of payments, monetary exchange and tariffs, and their bearing on the distribution of commodities. In addition to meeting the basic qualification, at the GS-09 level, you must meet one of the following qualifications: One year of specialized experience that is equivalent in difficulty and complexity to the GS-07 level in the Federal service. Specialized experience is defined as experience that is in or directly related to the line of work of this position and has equipped you with the knowledge and competencies to successfully perform the duties of this position. More specifically, this requirement involves: Experience providing research with respect to international infrastructure projects using economic indicators and market trends in key sectors, such as energy, transportation, telecommunications, and environment; experience with foreign assistance programs that support infrastructure development in emerging markets; experience providing services and research related to project development, such as grant agreements, scopes of work for contracts, studies, feasibility studies, or other contract or grant activities; experience developing and maintaining project tracking systems for the purpose of recommending changes in strategies that can lead to more efficient operations. OR A master's degree or equivalent degree or two full years of progressively higher- level education leading to such a degree, or an LL. B or J.D., if related. Such education must demonstrate the knowledge, skills and abilities necessary to perform the duties of the position. OR A combination of experience and education as described above, where the total percentage is equal to 100%. In addition to meeting the basic qualification, at the GS-11 level, you must meet one of the following qualifications: One year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-09 level. Specialized experience is that which has equipped the applicant with the competencies to successfully perform the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the position to be filled. Specialized experience for this position includes: Experience providing substantive research with respect to international infrastructure projects using economic indicators and market trends in key sectors, such as energy, transportation, telecommunications, and environment; experience providing services and research related to project development, such as grant agreements, scopes of work for contracts, studies, feasibility studies, or other contract or grant activities; experience with foreign assistance programs that support infrastructure development in emerging markets; providing services and research related to project development in related areas of expertise; experience providing research on international trade, technical and economic trends; experience providing foreign assistance, trade policy, commercial development, finance, banking, or other activities that contribute to the development of infrastructure initiatives or other similar initiatives requiring capital investment; development and maintenance of business relationships with U.S. and foreign private sector representatives and government officials in the development of infrastructure projects; professional-level industry-specific research related to infrastructure and large-scale development projects. OR A Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree; or 3 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree; or LL.M., if related; OR A Combination of education and experience as listed above. In addition to meeting the basic qualification, at the GS-12 level, you must meet the following qualifications: One year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-11 level. Specialized experience is that which has equipped the applicant with the competencies to successfully perform the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the position to be filled. Specialized experience for this position includes: Experience providing substantive research with respect to international infrastructure projects using economic indicators and market trends in key sectors, such as energy, transportation, telecommunications, and environment; experience providing foreign assistance, trade policy, commercial development, finance, banking, or other activities that contribute to the development of infrastructure initiatives or other similar initiatives requiring capital investment; development and maintenance of business relationships with U.S. and foreign private sector representatives and government officials in the development of infrastructure projects; professional-level industry-specific research related to infrastructure and large-scale development projects. In addition to meeting the basic qualifications, at the GS-13 level, you must meet the following qualifications: One year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-12 level. Specialized experience is that which has equipped the applicant with the competencies to successfully perform the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the position to be filled. Specialized experience for this position includes: Experience providing substantive research with respect to international infrastructure projects using complex economic indicators and market trends in key sectors, such as energy, transportation, telecommunications, and environment; significant experience providing foreign assistance, trade policy, commercial development, finance, banking, or other activities that contribute to the development of infrastructure initiatives or other similar initiatives requiring sizable capital investment; development and maintenance of business relationships with U.S. and foreign private sector representatives and government officials in the development of major infrastructure projects; experience providing professional-level industry-specific research related to infrastructure and large-scale development projects. Applicants must carefully review the information in the "How You Will Be Evaluated" section for important information and instructions pertaining to the multi-hurdle assessment process for this position. Only experience and education obtained by the closing date of this announcement will be considered. 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. 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: http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html Additional information Telework Suitability: This position allows for situational telework according to established agency policy. Stipulations of Employment: As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you may be required to serve a 1 year probationary 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, your employment may be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest. This position is subject to a negative drug test prior to entrance on duty, and random drug testing while you occupy the position. If selected, you will be required to file a Confidential Financial Disclosure Report (OGE Form 450). Applicants must be eligible to obtain and keep a security clearance. Appointment is subject to the successful completion of a background investigation and favorable adjudication. Failure to successfully meet these requirements will be grounds for termination. Work Schedule: This position allows for situational telework according to established agency policy. Miscellaneous: TDA 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 position is being advertised concurrently with vacancy announcement #TDA-26-MP-12900221MR using Merit Promotion. If interested, refer to that announcement to determine if you meet the program requirements and can apply to that announcement. This vacancy announcement may be used to fill similar positions within 90 days. If selection is made below the full performance level, promotion up to the full performance level may be made without further competition. However, promotion(s) will depend on the performance of the incumbent and are not guaranteed. Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution. Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution. Benefits 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. Review our benefits 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.