Country Desk Officer

Job Description

Duties

The Country Desk Officer performs the following major duties:
Working under the supervision and direction of the Supervisory Country Desk Officer, the CDO serves as the Peace Corps’ administrative point of contact and liaison between the overseas Peace Corps program/assigned countries and the headquarters. The CDO uses knowledge of political, economic, social, and cultural conditions and sensitivities in the host countries and the impact of those conditions on Peace Corps programs and operations. In this capacity, the incumbent administers a variety of activities which include:

• Serving as Peace Corps/Washington’s representative to overseas staff, Volunteers, and trainees; monitoring, evaluation, and analysis of program and country documents
• Interpreting and advising on Peace Corps programming, country management, and administrative policies and decisions.
• Monitoring overseas operational, logistical, and Volunteer and trainee activities.
• Establishing and maintaining relationships with appropriate embassies, government agencies, private institutions, and individuals.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

• Applicants must be U.S. citizens.
• Applicants must successfully complete a background security investigation with favorable adjudication. Failure to successfully meet this requirement will be grounds for employment termination.
• All Federal employees are required to have federal salary payments made by direct deposit to a financial institution of their choosing.
• A 1-year trial period is required.
• This job has been identified as a testing designated position under our Drug-Free Workplace Program. Therefore, you must satisfactorily complete a drug test prior to being hired. As an employee, you will be subject to random drug testing.
• This is a bargaining unit position.
• Must be able to obtain and maintain a Secret clearance.

Peace Corps Information

• This is a Federal civilian job in the Excepted Service. Peace Corps employees are paid on the Foreign Personnel (FP) pay scale.
• Initial appointment of employment cannot exceed five years.
• All new employees are required to certify and submit a state of understanding acknowledging adherence to the Peace Corps condition of employment prior to day 1 of employment with the Peace Corps.
• Additional hiring needs may be filled through this vacancy.
• The Peace Corps is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate based on race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy and gender identity), national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, membership in an employee organization, retaliation, parental status, military service, or other non-merit factors.
• The Peace Corps is a drug-free workplace and promotes a drug-free environment.
• The Peace Corps is committed to maintaining a diverse and inclusive culture. Our goal is to attract and develop the best and brightest from all lifestyles and backgrounds. The Peace Corps strives to create a culture of inclusion where individuals feel respected and are treated fairly in all aspects of differences. Our commitment is to make a difference in the lives of people around the world.

The Peace Corps provides reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities. If you need reasonable accommodation for any part of the hiring process, please notify the Office of Human Resources by calling 202-692-1200 or the Office of Civil Rights and Diversity on 202-692-2139. Decisions on granting reasonable accommodation are made on a case-by-case basis.

Qualifications

Specialized Experience:

You must meet the specialized experience at the grade level(s) in which you choose to be considered by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) on 05/18/2023 (the closing date of the announcement). You will receive credit for all qualifying experiences, including volunteer experience. To ensure full credit for your experience, please indicate dates of employment by month, day, and year and the number of hours worked per week in your resume.

This vacancy is being announced at (2) grade level:

FP-6 (GS-08)

Qualifying experience for the FP-6 level includes one year of specialized experience at least equivalent to the FP-7 or GS-07 level which is in or directly related to the line of work of the position to be filled and which has equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position. Specialized experience includes: Reviewing regulations and policies and applying them to limited and routine administrative work assignments involving domestic or overseas matters; assisting in analyzing and recommending solutions to work processes, problems or issues; and preparing a variety of written documents, such as staff papers, status reports, or policy recommendations, with the guidance of a supervisor.

OR

One full year of graduate level education; or superior academic achievement.

FP-5 (GS-10)

Qualifying experience for the FP-5 grade level includes one year of specialized experience at least equivalent to the FP-6 or GS-8 grade level which is in or directly related to the line of work of the position to be filled and which has equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position. Specialized experience includes: Researching and analyzing established administrative issues involving domestic and overseas matters; acting as a liaison with international partners and stakeholders, US Embassy personnel, or other USG agencies regarding administrative and/or organizational matters; reviewing and evaluating program and country documents; and independently preparing a variety of written documents, such as staff papers, status reports, or policy recommendations.

OR

Master’s or equivalent graduate degree; or two full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree; or LL.B. or J.D., if related.

OR

Combination of Education and Specialized Experience: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at the FP-5 level. To calculate, first identify the percentage of required education you have earned (when substituting, you cannot use the first 60 semester hours that you earned). Then identify the percentage of required experience you possess. Add the two percentages. The total percentage must equal at least 100 percent to qualify at the FP-5. For example, an applicant who has 9 semester hours of graduate level education (i.e., 50% of graduate education required) and 6 months of creditable specialized experience (i.e., 50% of the required experience) would equal 100% of the required experience for the position. NOTE: A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education.

Additional information on qualification requirements is outlined in the OPM Qualifications Standards Handbook of General Schedule Positions. It is available for your review on the OPM web site at https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/

All qualification requirements must be met by 05/18/2023 (the closing date of this announcement). Qualification claims will be subject to verification.

Please note: Peace Corps employees are employed using the Foreign Personnel (FP) pay scale. The FP pay plan does not follow the same structure as the GS pay plan. In the FP pay plan, as the grade-level numbers decrease the level/pay for the position increases (e.g., the FP-09 is the lowest entry-level pay and the FP-01 is the highest senior-level pay).

Education

This position has no Individual Occupational Requirements (IOR).

NOTE: A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education.

PLEASE NOTE: Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education for it to be credited towards qualifications (particularly positions with a positive education requirement). Therefore, applicants must report only attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Applicants can verify accreditation at the following website: http://www.ed.gov/admins/finaid/accred/index.html. All education claimed by applicants will be verified by the appointing agency accordingly. If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript to receive credit for that education.

Additional information

Intelligence Background Information

Peace Corps Manual Section 611 is applicable to this position. This section prohibits the employment of certain persons previously engaged in intelligence activities or connected with intelligence agencies within the past 10 years. If you have ever worked for the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), you are not eligible for employment at the Peace Corps in any capacity, and you should not apply for employment.

Acceptance of employment with Peace Corps precludes employment by certain intelligence organizations for a specific period of time, determined by the employing agency, after Peace Corps employment ceases.

Applicants who are found to be otherwise qualified will be required to submit upon request in the future a completed Intelligence Background Questionnaire, or narrative signed statement, indicating whether the applicant has been involved in or has had any connection with intelligence activities or related work and, if so, the nature and dates of his or her involvement. Failure to meet this requirement will result in the applicant being rated ineligible for further consideration. If you have any other type of possible intelligence connection, your application will not be further considered until you submit this form. Except when the CIA or the National Security Agency (NSA) is involved (see below), if your connection with an Intelligence Agency involves an immediate family member who works or has worked in intelligence, the immediate family member should complete the form, not the applicant. Usually relying on memory is sufficient to answer most if not all of the questions.

If you have an immediate family member who works or has worked for the CIA, you should not give them this form to complete. Please contact your relative in person-not by phone, email, social networking, or any other means that is not in person- and ask him or her to contact the Office of General Counsel at the CIA.

If you or an immediate family member have been employed by or associated with the NSA, you or your family member must contact the NSA Prepublication Review Office at 443-634-4095.

How You Will Be Evaluated

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

Your application will be evaluated based on your resume, attached supporting documentation, and your responses to the self-assessment questionnaire. Your materials will be evaluated to validate your possession of any required knowledge, skills, abilities, and/or competencies. The following competencies will be evaluated in the self-assessment questionnaire:

• Administration and Management
• Customer Service (Clerical/Technical)
• Data Management

Please note that a complete application is required for consideration, including any documentation that is being used for qualifications. A Human Resources Specialist will review your resume and supporting documentation, which must support the answers you provided. Falsifying your background, education, and/or experience is cause for disqualification.

National service refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through national service programs such as the Peace Corps and AmeriCorps, as well as other organizations (e.g., professional, philanthropic, religious, community, student).

Required Documents

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

• a detailed resume,
• a completed electronic self-assessment questionnaire,
• an SF-50 (for current and former Federal employees, including internal employees), and
• the submission of any other required documents.

All required documents listed below, that are applicable to you, must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) on 05/18/2023 (the closing date of this announcement).

• Resume: Include relevant work experience including job title, duties and accomplishments, employer name and address, supervisor name and phone number, start and end dates, hours per week and salary. If you are a current Federal employee or former Federal employee, provide your pay plan, series, and grade level (e.g., GS-0201-09).
• Veterans Documents: If you are using your 30% or more disability rating to be considered, you must attach all required documentation, including a DD-214 reflecting the type of discharge, the SF-15, and a VA Letter. Proof of a service-connected disability is required at the time of application. For more information regarding veterans’ preference, please review the OPM Vet Guide.
• Qualifications Based on Education or a Combination of Education and Experience: If you are qualifying based on education or a combination of education and experience, you must submit a copy of your transcript(s) or an appropriate course listing with a diploma. Education must be accredited by an institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education for it to be used towards qualifications. Therefore, applicants must report only attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by recognized institutions. Applicants can verify accreditation at this website.

Note: All applicants (including internal) are required to submit the applicable documents listed above as verification of eligibility. If you fail to provide the information requested, or the information you submit is insufficient to verify your eligibility, you may lose consideration for these positions.

How to Apply

1. Click “Apply Online” to create an account or log into your existing USAJOBS account.
2. Follow the prompts to complete the assessment questionnaire and upload the required documents.
3. Please ensure you click the “Submit My Answers” button to submit your application.
4. Applications must be received by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) on 10/15/2021 to receive consideration.
5. Check your application status by logging into your USAJOBS account. Return to an incomplete application by clicking Apply Online in the vacancy announcement and re-selecting your resume and/or other documents from your USAJOBS account.

Next steps

Once the online questionnaire is received you will receive an acknowledgement email that your submission was successful.

You may check the status of your application at any time by logging into your USAJOBS account and by going to the “My Account” tab and clicking on “Application Status”. For a more detailed update of your application status, you may go to “more information” under the individual vacancy.

USAJOBS has added an alert setting to their system to provide status updates for applicants. You can elect to activate the status updates from your USAJOBS profile at any point during the application process.

If you are among the top qualified candidates, your application may be referred to the Selecting Official for further consideration.

About the Organization

The Country Desk Officer (CDO) position is located at Peace Corps headquarters within the Office of Global Operations and directly supports one of three Regions: Europe, Mediterranean and Asia; Inter-America and the Pacific; and Africa. The Region is responsible for coordination of issues between Peace Corps/HQ and overseas posts, and the analysis, evaluation and monitoring of Regional programs. This announcement will be used to fill multiple positions within the 3 Regions.