Summary

The position is located in the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR). The incumbent serves as the Trade Policy Staff Committee (TPSC) Executive Secretary and Trade Policy Coordination Executive Assistant, responsible for the administrative aspects of TPSC actions and trade policy coordination programs. The TPSC is the statutory interagency trade policy decision-making group composed of twenty-one Federal agencies.

This job is open to

• Career transition (CTAP, ICTAP, RPL)
  
  Federal employees who meet the definition of a "surplus" or "displaced" employee.
• Federal employees - Competitive service
  
  Current or former competitive service federal employees.
• Individuals with disabilities
• Land & base management
  
  Certain current or former term or temporary federal employees of a land or base management agency.
• Military spouses
• Peace Corps & AmeriCorps Vista
• Veterans

Clarification from the agency

Status Candidates (Merit Promotion and VEOA Eligibles)

Duties

As an Administrative Specialist (Executive Assistant), GS-301-11/12, your typical work assignments may include the following:

• Reviewing and managing all incoming documents for timely submission, including to the Trade Policy Staff Committee (TPSC), Government Accountability Office (GAO), International Monetary Fund (IMF), and the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR).
• Serving as TPSC Executive Secretary, managing timely all aspects of official documents, records, and communications of the TPSC, identifying unresolved interagency issues to the TPSC Chair or to a TPSC meeting, and ensuring timely responses from other federal agencies.
• Organizing interagency and intragovernmental meetings and public hearings and serving as official notetaker.
• Maintaining a tracking system for all official records, communications, and documents of the TPSC, GAO engagements, IMF consultations, Reports, and other workstreams.
• Ensuring all documents and communications accord with established procedures and policies.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

• Must be a U.S. citizen or national
• Selective Service registration if a male born after December 31, 1959
• Subject to pre-employment and random drug tests
• Direct Deposit is required
• RELOCATION EXPENSES WILL NOT BE PAID
• Suitability for Federal employment
• May be required to successfully complete a probationary period
• Résumé and supporting documents (See How To Apply)
• Only experience and education obtained by the closing date of this announcement will be considered.
• Status candidates must meet time-in-grade requirements (52 weeks at the next lower grade level).

Qualifications

MINIMUM QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS: All applicants must meet the qualification requirements outlined below to be considered minimally qualified for this position. The qualification requirements are in accordance with the OPM Qualification Standards. ALL QUALIFICATIONS MUST BE MET BY THE CLOSING DATE OF THIS ANNOUNCEMENT.

SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE:

You may qualify at the GS-11 level, if you fulfill one of the following qualification requirements:

A. One year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-09 grade level in the Federal service or equivalent experience in the private sector. In addition to meeting the specialized experience you must also have the following experience: 1) Familiarity with the interagency process within the U.S. Government; AND 2) Assisting with the review of documents to identify policy areas of interest and to determine appropriate coordination of clearances and ensure that they meet quality standards and follow established procedures; AND 3) Managing document distribution, review, clearance, and electronic archiving for multiple work streams timely; AND 4) Familiarity with international trade policy issues; AND 5) Experience communicating interagency policy positions.

OR

B. A Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree; or 3 full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree; or possession of a LL.M. degree, if related.

OR

C. A combination of education and experience as listed above.

You may qualify at the GS-12 level, if you fulfill one of the following qualification requirements:

A. One year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-11 grade level in the Federal service or equivalent experience in the private sector. In addition to meeting the specialized experience you must also have the following experience: 1) Experience with the interagency process within the U.S. Government; AND 2) Analyzing incoming documents to identify policy areas of interest and determine appropriate coordination of clearance/approval to ensure quality standards and established procedures are met; AND ; 3) Managing document distribution, review, clearance, and electronic archiving for multiple work streams timely; AND 4) Experience with international trade policy issues; 5) Experience communicating interagency policy positions.

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

ARE YOU USING YOUR EDUCATION TO QUALIFY? 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.

PASS/FAIL COURSES: If more than 10 percent of your undergraduate course work (credit hours) were taken on a pass/fail basis, your claim of superior academic achievement must be based upon class standing or membership in an honor society.

GRADUATE EDUCATION: One academic year of graduate education is considered to be the number of credits hours your graduate school has determined to represent one academic year of full-time study. Such study may have been performed on a full-time or part-time basis. If you cannot obtain your graduate school's definition of one year of graduate study, 18 semester hours (or 27 quarter hours) should be considered as satisfying the requirement for one year of full-time graduate study.

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

Veterans Employment Opportunity Act (VEOA): To be eligible for a VEOA appointment under Merit Promotion procedures, you must be a preference eligible or a Veteran separated after 3 years or more of continuous active service performed under honorable conditions.

Active Duty Military Members MAY apply under this announcement due to the Veterans Opportunity to Work (VOW) Act. You must submit a certification of expected discharge or release from active duty under honorable conditions along with your application for Federal employment. A certification is a document from the armed forces that certifies the service member is expected to be discharged or released from active duty service in the armed forces under honorable conditions not later than 120 days from the date of application. If selected, appointment eligibility requirements must be met prior to the effective date of appointment.

Males born after 12-31-59 must be registered or exempt from Selective Service (see https://www.sss.gov/RegVer/wfRegistration.aspx).

Interagency Career Transition Assistance Programs & Career Transition Assistance Programs: These programs apply to employees who have been involuntarily separated from a Federal service position within the competitive service or Federal service employees whose positions have been deemed surplus or no longer needed. To receive selection priority for this position, you must: (1) meet CTAP or ICTAP eligibility criteria; (2) be rated well-qualified for the position with a score of 85 or above; and, (3) submit the appropriate documentation to support your CTAP or ICTAP eligibility. For more information visit: http://www.opm.gov/rif/employee_guides/career_transition.asp. For more information about ICTAP eligibility please review the following link: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/working-in-government/unique-hiring-paths/federal-employees/ictap/

Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Policy Statement: http://www.eeoc.gov/federal/index.cfm

Employment Information Resources - Resource Center: https://help.usajobs.gov/index.php/Main_Page

Noncompetitive Appointment Authorities: For more information on noncompetitive appointment authority eligibility requirements:

• Person with Disabilities - Schedule A
• Special Hiring Authorities for Veterans
• Special Hiring Authorities for Certain Military Spouses
• Other Special Appointment Authorities

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 Alternative Application.

• 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.

How You Will Be Evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

Once the announcement has closed, your resume and supporting documentation will be used to determine if you meet the qualifications listed on this announcement. If you are minimally qualified, your resume and supporting documentation will be compared to your responses on the assessment questionnaire to determine your level of experience. If you rate yourself higher than is supported by your application package, your responses may be adjusted and/or you may be excluded from consideration for this position. If you are found to be among the top qualified candidates, you will be referred to the selecting official for employment consideration.

Your resume must include detailed information as it relates to the responsibilities and specialized experience for this position. Evidence of copying and pasting directly from the vacancy announcement without clearly documenting supplemental information to describe your experience will result in an ineligible rating. This will prevent you from receiving further consideration.

Your qualifications will be evaluated on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities and other characteristics):

Administration and Management, Technical Competency, and Technical Credibility

• 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.
• Required Documents
  
  As a new or existing federal employee, you and your family may have access to a range of benefits. Your benefits depend on the type of position you have - whether you're a permanent, part-time, temporary or an intermittent employee. You may be eligible for the following benefits, however, check with your agency to make sure you're eligible under their policies.
  
  To apply for this position, you must submit a complete Application Package which includes:
  
  1. Your resume must thoroughly describe how your skills and experiences align to the criteria defined in the "Qualifications" section of this announcement and it must support your responses to the assessment questionnaire. We cannot assume you have performed the necessary experience required for this position regardless of your employment history, titles of positions held, series, grade, or academic career. To ensure all of the essential information is in your resume, we encourage you to use the USAJOBS online Resume Builder.
  
  If you choose to use your own resume, curriculum vitae, or any other written form you choose, then you must ensure it contains all of the required information and you organize it so we can associate the following information for each experience/position:
  
  • Job title
  • Name of employer
  • Beginning and ending dates of employment (month/day/year format)
  • Hours worked per week. We will prorate part-time employment in crediting experience.
  • Detailed description of job duties for each job held, accomplishments, related skills, and responsibilities to include any supervisory/managerial responsibilities and number of staff supervised (if applicable)
  • Your resume must show the series and grade or equivalent for all federal positions you have held (if a federal position).
  
  2. A complete Assessment Questionnaire
  
  3. Other supporting documents to be submitted with application:
  
  
  • DD214: Veterans' Preference Documentation, if applicable, a DD-214 Member 4 copy, which shows type of discharge. If still active, provide an official Statement of Service. Any other documentation such as VA letter documenting disability, SF-15, and any other required supporting documentation based your veterans' preference claim.
  • SF-50: Federal applicants must submit an SF-50 (Notification of Personnel Action) that shows your most recent Promotion, Within Rate Increase (WRI/WGI), or Appointment/Conversion (if applying as a current or former Federal Employee) showing you are/were in the competitive service and the highest grade or promotion potential held. Do not use Award actions. If you are an EOP employee you may obtain a copy of your SF-50 from OPF or eOPF. If you have separated from Federal Government employment, you may obtain a copy of your SF-50 via: National Personnel Records Center, Annex, 1411 Boulder Boulevard, Valmeyer, IL, 62295; FAX (618) 935-3014; Email rm.communications@nara.gov; or visit the https://www.archives.gov/personnel-records-center/new-nprc.
  • Peace Corps volunteers must submit a copy of your "Description of Service (DOS)" in lieu of the SF-50. If you do not have one you should email the Peace Corps Office of Volunteer and PSC Financial Services at certify@peacecorps.gov.
  • If you are currently serving in a pay banded position, please include a copy of your pay band chart with your application.
  • College transcripts (if the position has a positive education requirement, or you are qualifying on the basis of education).
  
  
  
  If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:
  
  Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from
  schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.
  
  Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.
• How to Apply
  
  To apply for this position, you must complete the online application and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section below.
  
  The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on the closing date of the announcement to receive consideration.
  
  • To begin, click Apply to access the online application. You will need to be logged into your USAJOBS account to apply. If you do not have a USAJOBS account, you will need to create one before beginning the application.
  • Follow the prompts to select your résumé and/or other supporting documents to be included with your application package. You will have the opportunity to upload additional documents to include in your application before it is submitted. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process.
  • After acknowledging you have reviewed your application package, complete the Include Personal Information section as you deem appropriate and click to continue with the application process.
  • You will be taken to the online application which you must complete in order to apply for the position. Complete the online application, verify the required documentation is included with your application package, and submit the application.
  
  To verify the status of your application, log into your USAJOBS account
  
  (https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login), all of your applications will appear on the Welcome screen. The Application Status will appear along with the date your application was last updated. For information on what each Application Status means, visit: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/how-to/application/status/.
  
  It is applicant's responsibility to verify that information entered and uploaded, (i.e., resume, veteran's documentation, completed assessment, and SF-50's) is received and accurate. Human Resources will not modify or change any part of your application. If a document is not in legible format, applicant will not be able to view it in Application Manager which means applicant must again upload or fax the documentation by the closing date of this announcement.
  
  Application packages will NOT be accepted via mail. Due to security processes, mail delivery takes approximately 2-3 weeks to process at which time the vacancy announcement will be closed and no further consideration will be given to additional application packages.
  
  Click the following link to view and print the occupational questionnaire https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12363227.
  
  Agency contact information
  
  Client Services EOP - OA
  
  Email
  
  EOPJOBS@OA.EOP.GOV
  
  Address
  
  Office of the United States Trade Representative
  
  725 17th Street NW
  
  Washington, DC 20503
  
  US
  
  Next steps
  
  Once your online application is submitted you will receive a confirmation notification by email. Your application will be evaluated by the Human Resources Office to determine your eligibility for the position. After the evaluation is complete, you will receive another notification regarding the status of your application.
  
  After a tentative job offer, we will conduct a security background investigation and drug screening. If the drug screening is negative and security background is cleared, then a formal job offer will be extended to candidate.
• Fair and Transparent
  
  The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
  
  
  • Criminal history inquiries
  • Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Policy
  • Financial suitability
  • New employee probationary period
  • Privacy Act
  • Reasonable accommodation policy
  • Selective Service
  • Signature and false statements
  • Social security number request

Required Documents

To apply for this position, you must submit a complete Application Package which includes:

1. Your resume must thoroughly describe how your skills and experiences align to the criteria defined in the "Qualifications" section of this announcement and it must support your responses to the assessment questionnaire. We cannot assume you have performed the necessary experience required for this position regardless of your employment history, titles of positions held, series, grade, or academic career. To ensure all of the essential information is in your resume, we encourage you to use the USAJOBS online Resume Builder.

If you choose to use your own resume, curriculum vitae, or any other written form you choose, then you must ensure it contains all of the required information and you organize it so we can associate the following information for each experience/position:

• Job title
• Name of employer
• Beginning and ending dates of employment (month/day/year format)
• Hours worked per week. We will prorate part-time employment in crediting experience.
• Detailed description of job duties for each job held, accomplishments, related skills, and responsibilities to include any supervisory/managerial responsibilities and number of staff supervised (if applicable)
• Your resume must show the series and grade or equivalent for all federal positions you have held (if a federal position).

2. A complete Assessment Questionnaire

3. Other supporting documents to be submitted with application:

• DD214: Veterans' Preference Documentation, if applicable, a DD-214 Member 4 copy, which shows type of discharge. If still active, provide an official Statement of Service. Any other documentation such as VA letter documenting disability, SF-15, and any other required supporting documentation based your veterans' preference claim.
• SF-50: Federal applicants must submit an SF-50 (Notification of Personnel Action) that shows your most recent Promotion, Within Rate Increase (WRI/WGI), or Appointment/Conversion (if applying as a current or former Federal Employee) showing you are/were in the competitive service and the highest grade or promotion potential held. Do not use Award actions. If you are an EOP employee you may obtain a copy of your SF-50 from OPF or eOPF. If you have separated from Federal Government employment, you may obtain a copy of your SF-50 via: National Personnel Records Center, Annex, 1411 Boulder Boulevard, Valmeyer, IL, 62295; FAX (618) 935-3014; Email rm.communications@nara.gov; or visit the https://www.archives.gov/personnel-records-center/new-nprc.
• Peace Corps volunteers must submit a copy of your "Description of Service (DOS)" in lieu of the SF-50. If you do not have one you should email the Peace Corps Office of Volunteer and PSC Financial Services at certify@peacecorps.gov.
• If you are currently serving in a pay banded position, please include a copy of your pay band chart with your application.
• College transcripts (if the position has a positive education requirement, or you are qualifying on the basis of education).

If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:

Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from
schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.

How to Apply

To apply for this position, you must complete the online application and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section below.

The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on the closing date of the announcement to receive consideration.

• To begin, click Apply to access the online application. You will need to be logged into your USAJOBS account to apply. If you do not have a USAJOBS account, you will need to create one before beginning the application.
• Follow the prompts to select your résumé and/or other supporting documents to be included with your application package. You will have the opportunity to upload additional documents to include in your application before it is submitted. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process.
• After acknowledging you have reviewed your application package, complete the Include Personal Information section as you deem appropriate and click to continue with the application process.
• You will be taken to the online application which you must complete in order to apply for the position. Complete the online application, verify the required documentation is included with your application package, and submit the application.

To verify the status of your application, log into your USAJOBS account

(https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login), all of your applications will appear on the Welcome screen. The Application Status will appear along with the date your application was last updated. For information on what each Application Status means, visit: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/how-to/application/status/.

It is applicant's responsibility to verify that information entered and uploaded, (i.e., resume, veteran's documentation, completed assessment, and SF-50's) is received and accurate. Human Resources will not modify or change any part of your application. If a document is not in legible format, applicant will not be able to view it in Application Manager which means applicant must again upload or fax the documentation by the closing date of this announcement.

Application packages will NOT be accepted via mail. Due to security processes, mail delivery takes approximately 2-3 weeks to process at which time the vacancy announcement will be closed and no further consideration will be given to additional application packages.

Click the following link to view and print the occupational questionnaire https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12363227.

Agency contact information

Client Services EOP - OA

Email

EOPJOBS@OA.EOP.GOV

Address

Office of the United States Trade Representative

725 17th Street NW

Washington, DC 20503

US

Next steps

Once your online application is submitted you will receive a confirmation notification by email. Your application will be evaluated by the Human Resources Office to determine your eligibility for the position. After the evaluation is complete, you will receive another notification regarding the status of your application.

After a tentative job offer, we will conduct a security background investigation and drug screening. If the drug screening is negative and security background is cleared, then a formal job offer will be extended to candidate.

Fair & Transparent

The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.

• Criminal history inquiries
• Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Policy
• Financial suitability
• New employee probationary period
• Privacy Act
• Reasonable accommodation policy
• Selective Service
• Signature and false statements
• Social security number request