Congressional Affairs Specialist

This position is part of the Defense Security Cooperation Agency. The incumbent will be responsible for leading and coordinating all Department of Defense (DoD) actions as subject matter expert (SME) for major arms sale Congressional Notification packages from inception to completion in accordance with federal regulations and DoD policies.

Qualifications

To qualify for a Congressional Affairs Specialist your resume and supporting documentation must support: A. Specialized Experience: One year of specialized experience that equipped you with the particular competencies to successfully perform the duties of the position and is directly in or related to this position. To qualify at the GS-11 level, applicants must possess one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-09 level or equivalent under other pay systems in the Federal service, military or private sector. To qualify at the GS-12 level, applicants must possess one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-11 level or equivalent under other pay systems in the Federal service, military or private sector. To qualify at the GS-13 level, applicants must possess one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-12 level or equivalent under other pay systems in the Federal service, military or private sector. Applicants must meet eligibility requirements including time-in-grade (General Schedule (GS) positions only), time-after-competitive appointment, minimum qualifications, and any other regulatory requirements by the cut-off/closing date of the announcement. Creditable specialized experience includes: GS-11: Developing timely, comprehensive, factual and coordinating responses to sensitive Congressional inquiries in coordination with DoD components, to facilitate understanding of complex issues and programs within Congress GS-12: Identifying, evaluating and making recommendations concerning Congressional Notification processes in order for the Agency to determine the impact of Congressional issues on successful completion of Congressional Notifications associated with FMS. GS-13: Experience with Foreign Military Sales (FMS); Coordinating with Department of State (DoS) and the Military Departments and other Department of Defense (DoD) components, leading and coordinating all DoD actions as subject matter expert (SME) for major arms sale transfers of Congressional Notification packages from inception to completion in accordance with federal regulations and policies; Developing, processing, and reviewing Congressional Notifications for the sale or transfer of defense articles and services. OR B. Education Substitution: Such education must demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work. Education must be from a college or university accredited by an organization approved by the U.S. Department of Education. See http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/Search.aspx. If using education to meet basic qualifications, YOU MUST SUBMIT A TRANSCRIPT as supplemental documentation. To qualify based on education in lieu of specialized experience, you must possess: GS-11: 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 C. Combination: Combinations of successfully completed post-high school education and experience may be used to meet total qualification requirements for grade levels GS-11, and may be computed by first determining the applicant's total qualifying experience as a percentage of the experience required for the grade level; then determining the applicant's education as a percentage of the education required for the grade level; and then adding the two percentages. The total percentages must equal at least 100 percent to qualify an applicant for that grade level. Only graduate education in excess of the amount required for the next lower grade level may be used to qualify applicants for positions at grade GS-11. 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. Additional Information: Incumbent must attain DoD Security Cooperation Workforce (SCW) Certification and complete related continuous learning requirements in accordance with the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) 2024, Title 10 United States Code, Section 384 and Security Cooperation Certification Program 2.0 requirements. Requirements for Proficiency Level 2 - At least 1 year of successful SC work experience with a performance appraisal rating of 3 or better. Incumbent must complete DoD SCW Practitioner level certification requirements within two years of entering the SC position. In addition, 60 hours of continuing education (CUE) every two years.