Job summary

About the Position: Serves as Political-Military Advisor responsible for identifying requirements and obtaining research on a wide range of military, civilian, political, economic, diplomatic, cultural, social, demographic, and public issues pertaining to Japan that may have an impact upon US Army units stationed in Japan.

Major duties

Applies a broad technical knowledge of a variety of military/political documents and prepares papers, briefings and background papers to support the Commander. Defends US position to Host Nation interlocutors or influences their decision making to effect policies favorable to US Army Japan. Plans and conducts analysis concerning civil military operations focusing on Japan's policy making institutions. Represents USARJ at government level meetings, at Japanese and/or US PACOM regional conferences or other meetings that concern the area of research/analysis. Drafts political, economic, and social analyses of events in Japan and relationships of those events to US Army forces in Japan. Participates in conferences with other services and agencies and national and local Host Nation government leaders and policy makers.

Qualification

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. If you are currently stationed in the overseas area, all 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. Current Department of Army Civilian Employees Applying to OCONUS Positions Current Department of Defense (DOD) Civilian Employee (non-Army) Excepted Service Overseas Family Member Appointment 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 In order to qualify, you must meet the 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 International Relations Specialist (Political/Military Advisor): 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. 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 applying principles and procedures of Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) as they apply to U.S. policies in an international environment; AND 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) You will be evaluated on the basis of your level of competency in the following areas: Communications and Media International Engagement Action Planning Organizational Awareness Political Savvy 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-14). Separated Military Members: Resumes will be accepted from members of the Armed Forces who indicate in their applications that they are available for appointment within 120 days of the closing date of this announcement. Military members may be appointed while on terminal/transitional leave before the effective date of their military retirement/separation. Military Retirees: Within the DoD (Department of Defense), including non-appropriated fund positions, the appointment of retired military members within 180 days immediately following the retirement date to a civilian position is subject to the provisions of 5 United States Code 3326 or 5 U.S.C. 5305. Selecting officials may select or not select from a certificate of best-qualified candidates OR from a list of applicants eligible for noncompetitive placement (5 CFR 335).

Education

Some federal jobs allow you to substitute your education for the required experience to qualify. For this job, you must meet the qualification requirement using experience alone--no substitution of education for experience is permitted.

Evaluations

Once the announcement has closed, a review of your application package (resume, supporting documents, and responses to the questionnaire) will be used to determine whether you meet the qualification requirements listed on this announcement. If you are minimally qualified, your resume and supporting documentation will be compared against your responses to the assessment questionnaire to determine your level of experience. If, after reviewing your resume and/or supporting documentation, a determination is made that you have inflated your qualifications and/or experience, you may lose consideration for this position. Please follow all instructions carefully when applying, errors or omissions may affect your eligibility. You should list any relevant performance appraisals and incentive awards in your resume as that information may be taken into consideration during the selection process. If selected, you may be required to provide supporting documentation. Selection is subject to restrictions resulting from Department of Defense referral system for displaced employees. If you have retired from federal service and you are interested in employment as a reemployed annuitant, see the information in the Reemployed Annuitant information sheet. You may claim Military Spouse preference. You may claim Priority Placement Program (PPP) preference. Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP). If you are a Federal employee in the competitive service and your agency has notified you in writing that you are a displaced employee eligible for ICTAP consideration, you may receive selection priority for this position. To receive selection priority, you must: (1) meet ICTAP eligibility criteria (2) be rated well-qualified for the position and; (3) submit the appropriate documentation to support your ICTAP eligibility. To be considered well-qualified and receive selection priority applicants must satisfy all qualification requirements for the position and receive a score of 90 or above. Additional information about the program is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website.